Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles Has the time come for Lee to offer a 17 Hornet collet die?loving

I've had best luck with Vit N110 and N120 with Berger 20gn Varmint so far. Velocities are around 3600fps. I can't get the 20gn Hornady Vmax to shoot anywhere near as well, but have found the 17gn Vmax (as used in HMR ammo) shoots sub MOA with 10.2gn N110 @ 3740fps when seated out long. I've noticed that seating depth makes a big difference to accuracy, and was wondering if primers might be important too.

Primers can definitely be important, especially in such small cases, but with the VV powders the best primer might be different than with A1680.

I worked up to the maximum listed load of VV120 in my CZ and while accuracy was outstanding, muzzle velocity was only a little over 3300 fps. What charge are you using?

I am using Quickload to work up a load, so from the sounds of my velocity it I may be way over your book max. I'm getting slightly flattened primers, but have worked all the way up to a compressed load a whole grain higher and even there I was only getting mild cratering.

Primers are no doubt the poorest of the traditional methods for estimating pressures, despite what some people claim. This has been well-known among knowledgeable handloaders for decades, and in fact Gen. Julian Hatcher stated they were basically irrelevant in HATCHER'S NOTEBOOK, which despite many technological changes since it was published in 1948. This because there are too many variables that can cause the supposed signs of high pressure, including flattening and cratering, that have no relationship to pressure. (Despite this, some "experts" continue to tour primer appearance as a reliable method.)

It is not "my" book max, it's Hornady's, and they're the people who developed the cartridge.

I am in no way an expert, but have been reloading long enough for a variety of calibres to have a feel for what is sensible and what isn't.
I'm getting around 3600fps from a 20gn bullet, which I think realistic for this cartridge. The state of the cases seem good and are going strong on their fifth load and look fit for many more. In my experience I feel quite safe as I know I didn't blow myself or the rifle to bits a whole grain higher. Nevertheless, I shall delete my load data in case others don't have same consistent good fortune that I have been lucky enough to enjoy.

Ah, a search for a Lee Collett die for 17 hornet has led me back here...........kind of funny.


Good info nonetheless.

Have to try some rem primers now.

Still only available as $70 custom die set. We just ordered another set.

Up this thread someone mentioned that he could get a hundred Hornet rounds in a shirt pocket... Yep. That is the beauty of the Hornets over even the fireball, I can take off with just a BDU coat with a couple hundred rounds of Hornet ammo dumped loose in the pocket, my rifle and binocular and shoot around a dog town for about as long as I care to before heading back for a cold drink and to empty the brass out of my right pocket and fill my left with a couple hundred loaded cartridges.

I tried to explain this to a manufacturer's rep and all he wanted to do was argue that the 221 is just as good for walking around shooting prairie dogs or grey diggers, so I ask if he knew how many CZ Hornets vs Fireball 527 rifles CZ sells. Well they can't sell enough Fireballs to keep them in regular production. That much I can tell you.

I tried my old Sako in 222, a Kimber in 221 and CZs in 204 & 223 as a strolling around rifle and the small Hornet case makes all the difference in the world to me. YMMV.

We have a Contender with 23 inch MGM heavy barrel, it is my daughters and it is our most accurate 17 Hornet and three 527 Americans in 17 HH and I have a 527 in 22 Hornet. All three CZ 17 Hornets are good for around an inch +-, the Contender about .6 to .7 at a hundred which is bout the same as I get out of my 22 Hornet, 204 and 223 527 Americans.