Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles Anyone using the 17 Hornet?

A friend wants to give the 17 Hornet a try. Anybody here using one and what kind of results are you getting.

Mine work great on prairie dogs out to about 350 yards as long as cross wind is not too bad.

I have one and will use it on prairie dogs out to about 300 yards, max. The guy who knows tons about the 17 Hornady Hornet is our own Mule Deer.

I have been using one for about 18 months, and LOVE it. Extremely accurate, relatively quiet (compared to a .223) and seems to be deadly beyond its size. I load Hornady brass with 20 grain V-max over 10.6 grain of VN120 and WSR primers
for right at 3500 fps from my 26" barrel. Most 5 shot groups run .4", with an occasional .25" if I do my part. Several coyotes, many racoons, and lots of crows have met their maker via that tiny pill.

Thanks for sharing your load data. I've been shooting factory ammo in order to get my brass built up. I'll try your data.

Been using 1680 and the terrible brass from the factory ammo.


Its pretty darned good.


Where I am located, anything past 300 is a bit of a lucky shot.

250 and under the round is a laser. The dang wind gets her right away after that.

Stringnut: Several of my Hunting companions own and use Rifles in 17 Hornet - and they use them to Hunt Colony Varmints and small game with.
They all rave about them.
I have 200 pieces of 17 Hornady brass, a brand new set of 17 Hornet reloading dies, several 17 Hornet size MTM cartridge boxes, a Leupold 4.5x14 variable scope with fine crosshairs and a fine dot reticle for my 17 Hornet Rifle - I just don't have the Rifle as yet!
I have been trying like the dickens to find a "deal" on a Ruger 77/17 Hornet heavy barrel but people that own them just won't part with them.
I have been looking for a deal on one for more than two years now - no luck.
I have shot several of my friends Rifles (both CZ's [3] and Ruger's [4]) and am impressed with the tiny little cartridge (its accuracy and lethality combined with an absolute lack of recoil)!
I have several more gunshows scheduled before spring Varminting starts and hope to have my own 17 Hornet Varminter up and running by then.
Up til now I have had to put up with (get along with) my "over-bore" 17 Remington Fireball!
I say - have your friend go for it.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

You guys probably get tire of hearing about this, but one more time...

I built a .17 Ackley Hornet on an Anschutz 22 Hornet action many years ago, before the current one came out. I used it for settled areas where noise was an issue, and it was wonderful for that. It doesn't seem to blow out the area like a 22-250 does when calling coyotes. At times, like when you poke the bullet in the front of the throat, the kills were spectacular. When you rump shoot a running coyote, put on your clown suit, it's going to be a rodeo. 200 yards was about the limit for coyote killing with mine. It seemed to run out of steam for that large a varmint at that range.

For smaller game oh my, flame away, it was a riot. Mine would shoot 1/4" at 100 so poking a squirrel in the eye at 90 yards was just plain routine. Crows were tons of fun.

All in all, I wanted for more power since most of my varmint shooting was coyotes, not squirrels.

I have 2 cz varmits. Both accurate and I have shot 6000 rds. + thru them on P-dogs. Deadly way beyond the cartridge size. Have killed them to 350 but for 275 and in they are wonderful. Way better in the wind then one would think. I shoot all factory 20 gr. and sell the brass. My buddy who can't go as much reloads with 1680 and it works real well. Slightly faster then factory stuff, shoots just as well.

Fireball, what weight bullets were you running in your 17 Hornet?

Just curious here, but anyone here have both the 17 Hornet and 17 Fireball/M4? If so, what do you prefer?

I have a CZ .17 Hornet with the "varmint" barrel, which isn't near as heavy as what I normally envision when that term comes up, and a .17mIV on a SAKO AI, Lilja #7 contour, by Dennis Olson. The latter is more accurate as would be expected from a custom build, although I've barely started experimenting with loads for the Hornet, after using factory ammo to get enough brass. Any favoritism is based on how I'm using it at the moment. The heavy barrel is great when I'm set up at a bench in a 'dog town, the CZ is much better when slowly driving through one, shooting from the window. I also like using the CZ when I first set up, the quieter report doesn't put them down as quickly, or as far out. After the nearer 'dogs are either killed or nervous enough to stay down, the SAKO comes out. In the often breezy conditions here, the .17 Hornet is reliable to around 275, depending on wind velocity and gusting; the Mach IV extends the range at least 100 yards, and on calm days (10 mph or less) I've had strings of 9 or 10 half grown youngsters at 400 yards or thereabouts.

I have a 17 Hornet and a 17 Fireball. I run 20 grain VMAX's in the Hornet and 25's in the Fireball.

IIRC all I could get were 25's back then. Remingtons were available sporadically and shot really well, but I believe I shot Hornady's. I sold the rifle about 10 years ago when I needed money to start a business.

Thanks everybody. Sounds like it is a fun little cartridge. If my buddy buys one I will probably get one also. Just to be supportive of course. Wouldn't want him to be the the only kid on the block with one. People may make fun of him.

I use that logic, too.

That logic sucks. Be the FIRST on the block.......Let him suck your exhaust......

I used one to drop a 104lb sow on my hunt in Texas earlier this month. Pretty impressive for a 20gr v-max.

(Bullet tip at entrance)



Hoping to connect with a bobcat next month.

Dave,

Was a .17 Fireball fan for several years, then the Hornady Hornet appeared. It got velocities close enough to the .17 Fireball that I couldn't tell any practical difference in the field: Both are essentially 300-yard cartridges.

The Hornet also used 2/3 the powder, and cases were not only easily available but cost far less. After a couple years I sold the .17 Fireball.

I dumped my furball last year.....