Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles 17 Hornet options AND now powder?

I am looking for input from 17 Hornet owners as to what they consider a good value. Yes, I did a search here but got more hits on the "hornet insect" than rifles.
So give me some advice about a pending purchase. Thanks

I consider my CZ 527 to be an excellent 'bang for the buck'. It's a well made, traditional wood stocked/blued steel rifle that functions well and is very accurate. Plus, it has an excellent single set trigger.

+ one on the CZ 527

Ed

I have the 527 Varmint.


It needed some work on the extractor to get it to feed properly....but it feeds good now.



Its a good rifle. Its an excellent prairie dog rifle....but a little to big for a pickup rifle.



The 527 American would be a good pickup rifle or walking around rifle.


Best to get both. I will someday.



Fun round. Very easy to reload for and cheap to shoot.


I think I am shooting it cheaper than a 17 HMR......but I dont care enough to actually crunch the numbers.

JIm,

I have crunched the numbers. In general, if you can buy bullets for 10 cents or less (sometimes possible on the Internet, even with shipping) you can load the .17 Hornet cheaper than on-sale .17 HMR. (Of course, a lot depends on .17 HMR prices. I tend to look for good sales, around $10 a box of 50. Have pretty much a lifetime supply stashed away at that price, and sometimes slightly better.)

Thanks John!

I have a CZ527 American in 17 Hornet. That’s the way I’d lean if it were me. Course I’m bias, I have a safe full of CZs. I love them.

I don't speak schleckoschlahvahkian so I bought Ruger......

We cant all be money-ed up cowboys like you.

You've never Czeched them out?

only the czubby czechered ones.

How do they "do the twist" in those?

If you’re asking about the CZ......1:9 on my American.

Czechs 'do the tzwist'......

Ok, now that we have that solved, what's the powder of choice for the 17?

I use 1680.

If you are gonna get set up to reload....I would recommend the Hornady die set.

The sliding seater make it easy handling those little bullets.


I bought factory ammo and reloaded it. It had the wonky primer pockets.

Never did buy empty brass.......it seemed too expensive for some reason.

Bigwhop: I have certainly been very happy with my heavy barrel Ruger 77/17 Hornet.
Its accurate, functions flawlessly, love the stock and the flush fitting rotary magazine and the safety works correctly and positively.
I recommend the Ruger heavy barrel 77/17 Hornet - they are pricey but they hold their value.
Best of luck with whichever you choose.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

bigwhoop,

Have burned thousands of rounds loaded with 1680, and it's great.

Have since switched to CFEBLK. Same accuracy, another 150 fps, and even less copper-fouling. Wasn't much with with 1680, but would still rather shoot than clean.

I believe the savage 25 was chambered in this round too, but I've no experience with it or the czubby czechered rifles.. Had a ruger that I should have my butt kicked for selling. Need to hunt one down one of these days.

Both 1680 and BLK are fine grained.

BLK seems to be a bit worse.

I get that schit EVERYWHERE!

I see what you did there.

My CZ also needed extractor work before it fed properly. BLK is my go to powder. My most enjoyable gun in prairie dog town.

Thanks for the comments, everyone. We'll see what develops.

I love my 527 American.

As Mr. Conrad pointed out, it's a great walking around or truck rifle. Mine rides on the tractor with me quite a bit. The barrel is light, but still plenty of steel around that little bore. Shoots great!

My only complaint is the feeding. It feeds fine until it gets to the last round in the magazine, which it won't feed. It appears that that last cartridge is angled too high and the tip jams against the top of the barrel, above the chamber. I need to get it fixed or try one of the newer magazines, which I hear will fix the issue.

I'm still shooting factory 20gr VMax, I need to pull the trigger on some dies and the .172 setup for my Redding trimmer.

I have CFE BLK all over my bench. I had no idea it was so susceptible to blowing around.

All: I also appreciate all the loading info and recommendations.
I am about to start loading for my Ruger 77/17 Hornet heavy barrel.
In the last 8 days (since my last posting) I have gone through another 150 rounds of Hornady factory ammo and now have just over 550 pieces of once fired Hornady brass (thanks to the great deal our CampFires "Boatammo" gave to me for 350 of those!).
My Ruger 77/17 Hornet has a wonderful Weaver V-16 (4 to 16 power variable) with ultra-fine cross hairs and an ultra-fine dot reticle.
I was picking off Ground Squirrels out just past 200 yards rather regularly! I even let my Varminting friend try several shots with the 17 Hornet and to say he was impressed with the Rifle and the round, for Ground Squirreling, would be an understatement!
For my style of usage the fact there is NO hang-down magazine on the Ruger aids noticeably in the field (shooting over sand bags and window bags).
I can only hope my handloads will be AS accurate as the factory Hornady 17 Hornet ammunition.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Let us know what recipe you end up using. Good luck.

I keep a small paint brush I picked up at Walmart for a $1 or less quite a while ago..
it hangs on a cheap hook, I screwed into the side of the RL Bench..

It takes care of that powder mess, into a dust pan...and I throw it on brown spots on the lawn..
makes a nice fertilizer, and greens up those brown spots...

The wife appreciates that... myself... I don't get all that concerned about Brown Spots in the grass...
that is what women care about turning green.....m wife wants a wonderful green lawn and stuff like that to impress the neighbors..
but then doesn't do lawn work at all....she thinks that is what a husband is for.. that and fixing her car..

Regarding wives and expectations...

I'm reminded of the great line from Cliff in the TV series "Cheers" who said "Women, you can't live with them...pass the beer nuts."

I have a pair of CZ 527's. They have over 8000 rds. between them. Still shoot sb 1/2" groups, great p=dogs riflles. They sure get smooth after a couple of thousands rds.

In my CZ 527 American I am loading 12 gns of CFEBLK behind the 20gn V Max.

Propellent choice may depend on projectile choice. CFE BLK, 1880 & A2200 & my preference has been A2200 personally thus far. If I like A2200 What bullets do you suppose I prefer?

CZ and AA1680 is it.

Any bullet recommendations for fox? I am picking up a CZ next month and will use it primarily for fox this fall, I want to minimize pelt damage. I am leaning toward a 25g HP but welcome input.

I'm shooting 20g Vmax at groundhogs in my 17 Remington and plan to go to 25 or 30 grainers when these 20s are gone. It's primary purpose is shooting coyotes and I want a heavier bullet.

I just ordered a CZ 527 Varmint in 17 Hornet along with a Athlon Helos 6-24x50 to perch atop it. I did a lot of searching and reading before I settled on the CZ 527, but the consensuses indicates that the 527 is the way to go the for 17 Hornet. Accurate 1680, Accurate 2200, and CFE BLK seem to be real winners for reloading; I myself picked up a pound of A2200 and CFE BLK along with a variety of heads.

I order a few boxes of the Hornady brass but the rims are way to thick to fit into any of my shell holders--which has be concerned that the gun won't like them? Hopfully someone here has some advice. I'll be making a post concerning the issue shortly.

For fox the 20 Vmax is your huckleberry.