Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles Finally - I Found A Ruger 77/17 Hornet!

I think it was in the year 2,013 that I first started "itching" for a Varmint Rifle in the then newish 17 Hornady Hornet cartridge.
Then a bit later, as the itch intensified, I decided I could only get relief by finding a Ruger Model 77/17 Hornet in their "Varmint" version with the 24" heavier barrel and flush fitting rotary magazine.
By then a few of my friends had found savage Rifles in this caliber and a few in the handsome CZ line - and all raved about the accuracy.
So my search intensified - but was compounded by my being a VERY frugal shopper.
Well just a few days ago I finally found a mint condition Ruger 77/17 Hornet with the laminated stock and heavy barrel.
This morning I mounted a Weaver 4x16 variable scope with the fine crosshairs and fine dot reticle onto it and bore sighted it.
Yesterday I bought a "box" of Hornady 17 Hornet ammunition with the 20 grain V-Max bullet.
When the wind quits I will "sight it in" and fireform some of the Hornady brass in doing so.
My question to you all is which bullet/loading are you finding good accuracy with?
My plan with this Rifle and the Weaver fine dot scope reticle is to use it 98% on Ground Squirrels and Prairie Dogs.
I have several boxes of the wonderfully accurate Berger 25 grain bullets on hand but that may be "over-taxing" the tiny case?
Any and all input on loading the 17 Hornady Hornet would be greatly appreciated.
The "latest" edition of Hornady reloading books on my shelf does NOT have the 17 Hornady Hornet information in it.
So again, thanks for any input.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Accurate 1680 is a good powder for 17-20 and even the 25grain pills. IMHO
20grain pills and 12.4 grains 1680 was best for my loads with CZ rifle.

Don't use Lil'Gun. I found Lil'Gun to be extremely hairy, and spikes velocity and pressure quickly. Hogdon will say 10g is max for the 20g bullet, but anything past 9.3 grains was way too much for me. Just my opinion here, and my experience. YMMV


Vmax, Dogtown, NightmareXtreme, bullets all work fine too. I found that the Hornady 25g HP's to be very accurate at around 3200fps, amazingly so

What does this mean? In laymans terms?......

huntsman22: That means just what it says - I am cheap therefore my ability to buy a 17 Hornet was a bit more difficult because I would not pay full retail for a new one and wanted a great deal on a used (which I indeed finally found!)!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Lanenebraska: Thank YOU very much - I printed that out.
No 20 grain V-Max bullets in my home town - next closest venue is 65 miles away.
Thanks again for your input - much appreciated.
Just got back from town and they have a rather new Hornady Manual on the counter for people to peruse and NO 17 Hornady Hornet data - they did have 17 Mach2 data?
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

My CZ loves 20 gr hornady V-Maxs with CFE- BLK.

I couldn’t get my Ruger to shoot the Hornady 25 grainers with any powder I tried. Finally settled on 1680 with the 20 grain varmint nightmares. I’m almost out of the last batch I loaded with 1680 and my plan is to give CFE BLK a try based on mule deers rave reviews on it in the Hornet.

Good luck!!

Here is some 17 Hornet data from the Hodgdon 2020 Annual Loading Manual.

Check the twist if it's a 10 I would stay with 20 grainers.

Sherm 61: Thank you very much for that reminder - I began reloading at age 12 (self taught back in 1959!) and there was VERY little mention/reference of barrel twist rates back then and for some time after. I just "roll with what the factories offered for so long and then when I went through my "custom Rifle" phase much later I let the Riflesmiths decide for me.
I should be more attentive to this aspect of our hobby.
Thanks again.
I have the "new" Ruger 77/17 Hornet all packed up and ready to go but the wind is hummin it here for the second day in a row!
Never fails, that.

OSU Sig: Thank you very much for that depiction I have copied (hand written) the Hornady 20 grain V-Max information.

Lower River: I have some of the "regular" CFE but none of the CFE BLK - its on my list now. Thank you.

Skinner: Thank you also for your recommendation with the CFE BLK.
I am getting excited to get my sausage like fingers workin on those tiny 20 grain projectiles and get some blood blisters on my fingers (pinched in my loading press!)!

I will let you all know how this rig shoots with the factory ammunition.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Sherm 61: I found two different write-up references to the Ruger 77/17 Hornet having a 1 in 9" twist rate - thanks again for the reminder.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

All: Heck with it I have been waiting all morning and mid-day for the wind to calm down so I can shoot my new rig but alas it is not to be.
My nearest neighbors professional quality "weather station" shows wind speeds up to 26 M.P.H. and steady at 20 M.P.H. and temperature of 38.4!
Maybe things will calm down tomorrow?
I am off to do some shopping.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

My only Hornet experience is with a Anschutz .22 Hornet I had rebarreled eons before the present chambering was a twinkling in anyones eye. The 17 Ackley Hornet was fabulously accurate even with it's light sporter weight Lothar Walther barrel. Sighted in at 90 yards I could head shoot squirrels, and usually hit them in the eye! Eventually I needed money for an eqipment purchase and sold off $20K worth of guns, the little .17 included.

I found it to be a good coyote rifle if shot placement was good. My favorite shot was in the front of the neck as they were headed in. For squirrels it was amazing. At the time all I tried were Remington and Hornady 25 grain bullets and both worked well. I don't remember the twist.

Enjoy that rig VG, I have no doubt you'll have fun with the cartridge.

Fireball2: I am still waiting for "calm air"!
Wish you could have kept that accurate 17 Ackley Hornet!
Speaking of 22 Hornets though - I have had THE worst luck in obtaining accuracy with Rifles in this caliber.
I mean I went through maybe ten Rifles in that caliber and never obtained GOOD accuracy from any of them.
I tried a couple of Winchester Model 43's, a couple of pre-64 Winchester Model 70's, an Anschutz, a couple of Ruger 77's in 22 Hornet and a couple of Ruger #1's in 22 Hornet!
Never shot/owned one that pleased me.
The closest I have come to "pleasing" accuracy is the current Ruger #1-B in 22 Hornet that I own. It has a Leupold 6x18 variable scope on it and after several years of load development I finally got it to shoot fair/mediocre by switching to NICKEL plated brass! It will now shoot a five shot group at 100 yards in the mid and upper NINES (.950"+!).
If it did not have such beautiful wood on it I would have sold this Hornet also.
Looking back on 40+ years of on and off chasing" accuracy with many and varied 22 Hornet Rifles - I think my lack of success has/had to do with "neck tension" somehow - thus the improvement with the nickel plated brass?
Thanks for the words of encouragement - I needed them.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Hey VG, just by coincidence I saw one at a gunshow today in Grants Pass Oregon for $850. Is that high?

VG I tried the ruger 77s and #1b, several of the 77s. They were poor at best accuracy wise. Had one Kimber of oregon that did shoot sub inch.
Now I have two Anschutz 1730s one heavy, one sporter, both easy sub .75”.

Fireball2: Pardon my slow reply I had to watch my favorite "documentary" on TV "Montana On My Mind"!
Are you talking Ruger 77/17 Hornet or 77/22 Hornet?
I paid $600 cash for my mint condition Ruger 77/17 Hornet last week and consider that a GREAT buy! I have been looking for a Ruger 77/17 Hornet and trying to get a deal on one for many years now.
If that Rifle you saw in Grants Pass was a new 77/17 Hornet Rifle or in mint condition then that price "I" would consider to be full bore and I would not pay that.
Certain (most?) of the Ruger 77 rimfire line and the ones in 44 Magnum, 17 HMR, 357 Magnum, 17 WSM, 22 Magnum, 17 Hornet and 22 L.R. just command high prices! Often more than what they sold new for 5 - 10 years ago.
My LGS has a near mint, used, Ruger 77 in 22 Hornet with the walnut checkered stock and blued finish for $550.00 - I would have bought it when it came on the shelf last Friday - but I was flat broke.
If I can come up with the dollars I'll buy it next week and re-sell it in a more populous area for $100.00 profit!
Yeah the current values of many of the Ruger 77 rimfire and rare rotary magazined calibers is STRONG!
Hope you enjoyed the gunshow - the ones I have been to so far this year (in three states) have been just "smokin"!
Praying for calm air here tomorrow.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

VG, It was a laminate stocked heavy barreled Ruger 77. Now I'm wondering if it wasn't a 17hmr. Crap, I can't remember. It had a Leupold scope of some kind but not being in the market I just gave it a glance and remembered yiur thread. I should have kept my potatoe trap shut as I didn't give it enough time. Anyhow, have a good week.

VG, I hope your hornet 77 shoots as good as mine does. With factory Hornady's in 20 gr. I can shoot m&m sized groups at a hundred yards. It is a fine prairie dog and ground squirrel gun as I can find . Good luck!

Ctittrgittr: Ooh, ooh ooh! That would be so nice!
I am in my fifth straight day of high winds here in SW Montana and am about at my wits end.
Normally one of out ten days here is windy but of course I have a new Rifle to "wring out" and now a wind fest!
But its a warm wind 40 degrees right now.
Patience is another of the virtues I do not possess.
I can't remember if I mentioned my scope but I have mounted a Weaver V-16 (4 to 16 power variable) with the ultra-fine cross hairs and ultra-fine dot on my rig. This scope/reticle is very pleasing to shoot from the bench and again it would be so nice if my rig shot half as well as your'n.
By the way what scope do you have on your 77/17 Hornet?
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy