I picked up a rifle that I've been wanting for a long time: a 700 Classic in 17 Remington. This the standard, not the Fireball.

Need your best loads and bullets, and why they do/don't work for you.

Gee, I thought there'd be a bunch of posts on this one!

I'm a .17 Remington newbie, but have tried a couple of bullets so far in my 700 BDL, and both shot well.

With the 20-grain Hornady V-Max, 23.5 grains of Benchmark shot well under an inch at 4425 fps.

I also tried some Ramshot Big Game, since it seemed like it might fill up the case a little more. There isn't any data on it, so I started with Benchmark charges. 25.0 grains was VERY accurate, but obviously not anywhere near maximum, as velocity was only 3800 or so. Am waiting for a good day to test some stouter loads, up to 29 grains or so.

With the 25-grain Berger, 23.5 grains of Benchmark shot well under an inch at about 3830 fps. 22.0 grains of Big Game also shot well, but again velocity was slow at around 3350. I suspect that it will do really well with about 25-26 grains.

I keep it old school...

IMR 4320, Remington 7 1/2 primers and the Berger 25 grainers. I forget what amount of powder I'm using and I'm not at home right now. But this combo has shot well for me in three different 17 Remingtons.

Welcome to the cool kid's club by the way...


Travis

I should add, that although the Berger's are a bit pricey, I think they are very much worth it.

I use mine on gophers PD's and coyotes and fox, and the Bergers perform beautifully in every category.

If you are going after "goo and pop" type performance on rodents, the 20gr V-Max shines, and the Z-Max is the same bullet only more cheaper.

Hope this helps.


Travis

Travis,

Thanks for the welcome--along with the info on the Bergers. I've used them down to .20 caliber before but not this small!

I've used the 20 V-Maxes considerably in the .17 Fireball, so expect the splat factor to increase!

Have some Varmaggedons coming in soon, in both HP and plastic-tip styles, so will see how they do. The construction and performance of the .224's I've gotten already makes me think the splat factor will be good there as well, especially with the plastic-tips.

the cool kids are shooting .204s...I been told.....

The really cool kids shoot both!

Yes sir. You'll love the Bergers. Especially if you take it after dogs, which you will after more exposure to it's incredibleness...


Travis

I was referring to heterosexual cool kids. Sorry for not clarifying Poo-Bah.


Travis

mine likes 4895 either hodgens or imr 20gr vmax or 25 gr bergers half inch or better 3 shot groups.

Ed

That was just ugly....


Henceforth its "Mr." Poobah to you....

I use IMR-3031 with a Hornady 25grHP bullet. I've had several 17's since 1977 and 3031 has produced good performance in all of them. The one I have now is a SAKO A1.

Sorry Mr. Poobah.

Now go buy a .17 and make it Remington. Not one of those poser Fireball things.


Travis

Kindler 30gr Gold bullets and RL-15 takes the .17 Rem to a new level of killing power.

The advanced class of cool kids shoot the .17-204

22g of H322 with a 25g Berger, always use a thick cup primer in the 17 Remington:

Standard load for a 17 Remington is 24g of 4320, but velocity is 4150 and you will have to de copper after 25 rounds, especially in a new barrel.

Remington 7 1/2
CCI BR-4
CCI 450

CCI military primer

I've never had fouling problems, even when standing on them.


Travis

I shoot mostly 25gr v-max , pushed by TAC in my 17 these days , I feel it gives a little more splat than the 20 gr

I really need to work up a load with some TAC. I'm getting very close to only using two powders in six rifles...


Travis

I'm burning Tac and 25 gr VMAX in my old 17 Rem and it really shoots well. Travis if you are interrested in the load PM me and I'll send it. My 17 won't shoot the 20 gr VMAX and the 25 seems to give better air time.

Sending...


Travis

Okay, I would like some clarification.


Why thick cup primers???

Has anyone faced the dreaded copper fouling issues, and does TAC keep this to a minimum?

Give me the lowdown on the Kindler 30, as that is what I bought this rifle for the killing of coyotes.

What charges/velocities with RL15?
Have you tried it with Varget, as I have a ton of it.

Mule Deer, when and where will you publish the 17 article, if you choose to do so?

And, is your BDL a 9 or 10 twist?

DD,

The .17 Rem has a reputation for piercing primers, the thick cup minimizes that. However, I don't feel they are really necessary if you have a rifle has had the firing pin "bushed". The main reason I stay with the Remington 7 1/2 is because it was regarded as THE primer for the .17 Rem since I started wanting one when I was 12 years old. It's always worked for me so I stick with it.

In my experience the fouling issue is complete bullschit. I don't doubt there are some owners that have had fouling issues with their .17's, just like I don't doubt there are some owners that have had issues with their 22-250 fouling, or .243, or...pick a cartridge.

I have seen the "old" BDL's shoot up a PD town and they had no issues. And I have seen the new BDL's shoot up PD towns and they had no issues. And I have seen Contender's shoot up PD towns and they had no issues. And now I have my LVSF and surpise, surprise... No issues.


Travis

Get your eyes off my future rifle, sir...


Travis

I use 23.7gns Varget and 25gn Hornady hollowpoint in my 700BDL. Its a good combination that has always worked well for me.

DakotaDeer,

I have an assignment on "Live With The .17's" for Varmint Hunter magazine--one of the reasons I bought the rifle.

My 700 has a 1-9 twist.

Ouch, I had to go clear to Havre to find out my quieter, zero recoil, cheaper to load bundle of awesomeness made me a poser. I'm scarred for life.
Course, I thought about a .17, then came to my senses and bought the .204

I was going to send a load, but what's the twist? I shoot 30 gn bullets that need a 1:9 or better.

I banish you to the Republic of Ingwe. Hope you like thongs...


Travis

I've caught the gay? Camo Speedo's?

Banished...


Travis

My Remington Classic has a 9" twist.

No worries wageslave...welcome to the Republic of Ingwe and .204 Nirvana....

Thongs....leopard print, not camo.

Damn ingwe! You've been working out!

I'll be shooting westish this weekend. If you see a guy in aviators and a bleeder in the front seat, blow me a kiss.



Travis

Buns-o-steel!

Dont know if I'm gonna get up there this weekend, hows the snow/mud situation?

We got schit on, big time. Grass is showing in town along the edges. If you frequent two tracks, you may want to hold off.


Travis

OK...thanks for the G-2..its about what I expected....

Thank you, I am filling out the membership papers now, and sorry I started down the wrong road by listening to the Bud drinker for a short while.
Leopard print....got it.

Cool.

I did some ladder testing and here is what I came up with that was pretty consistent.

30 gn Woodchuck Den bullets
IMR 4320 I worked up to 22.5 gns
Rem 7 1/2 primers
.07 off lands (C.O.L. 2.165)
Chrony readings were just under 3600 fps with this load.
Pac-Nor 1:7 Twist

I also tried CCI#41 primers which are a pretty hard primer and less prone to primer flow. The ladder test didn't turn as good, but I was pushing them a bit faster. I took those up to 23 gns of IMR 4320 which gave me 3850 fps in my chrony.

But I thought that to be a bit hot. I didn't blow primers, but did have quite a bit of primer flow even with the CCI#41's and elected to back off.

I also rec'd data from Berger, if you are interested. But, I think all they did was run QuickLoad and so you'll have to take it for what it's worth starting out.

How dare you two talk schit behind my back. And right to my face!


Travis

Oops. Sorry. We thought you were gone already for your aviator & 30 pak fueled bleeder hunt to the East End Colony.
Good luck.

Holy schit that made me laugh!


Travis

Better to laugh now........you'll be pizzin' razorblades by Monday.

Been there done that. Don't scare me a bit.



Travis

You are rapidly becoming "The Most Interesting Man in The World...."

Better get a few Dos Equis along with your other stuff...


After all, I have to relinquish the title sooner or later.....

Thanks for your service as the dna injector general for the Northern Colonies, a priceless value in new genetics introduction. You Sir, rule.

As Red always says, since they don't find you handsome, at least they find you handy.

I have three really good STD stories, but three is enough.


Travis

They pay me by the cc.


Travis

Oh schit, sorry. Maybe you can shoot like the Missouri in April if they roto- root the chute out at Havre General.
Get you some fps instead of cc per hour.
Good luck.

Less srb and more coin..................win/win.

Your welcome.

Thanks...


Travis

No problem. I believe, if you are willing to, and commit to, boring out the pencil to say .204,
your lowly 17cc troubles will vanish.

Gotta run, gonna wring out a couple today and see if any horns have dropped yet.
I'm taking the "Poser" in your honor. Thanks for naming her, you rock. Maybe I'll call the 204 the "aviator". Naw, that's yours. Later.

How was it out there?


Travis

Great day. 2 6 pt. 2 5 pt. 1 spike. Fireball WILL be doing some gopher guttage soon and is ready. 204 spoke for the first time today and break-in is complete. Load development commences.
Bad news. All horns still attached. Water and mud everywhere.

You? Gophers, bleeders or 32 oz. traveler reports?

Yesterday was a bust. Weather was horrible.

But, I did load up 150 more 22-250's. 50 more 9.3X62's, and 100 .357 gopher killers. Budweiser is out in the snow ready for the day to start, I shall ride soon sir...


Travis

Is the .17 enough for elk? It's a Savage Axis with Barska 6-25x56 with sniper turrents..

Got a call from Chester Friday night...lotsa wet snow...will wait another week...

Will report back this evening. I can't sit around here two days in a row.


Travis

10-4....can always use the intel from up that way before I gas up...

Holy spit, Batman. .357 getters. You, my friend are a true legend and not just in your own mind. ALL black jacket, black hatted and bearded colony wimmins are now breaking the lust commandment. Here I thought I was on the rise gophering with the Charger, now all I feel is shame.
Lead on today, maybe our sunshine from yesterday is to you by now.

P.S. the Bud is a small downgrade, true awesomeness is Keystone. Light of course.

.17 on elk is cake, for best results I go Fireball. Stops the overpenetration. I know Salvage doesn't currently furnish that wonderful caliber, but with the massive amount of coin you already have tied up in that near custom quality rifle and glass, what's a few hundred more? Trust me.

Son is shining friendo. Now I just need to hope the roads are not too bad.

I can already hear those colony chicks spittin' on their hands and flicking their beans in anticipation.

I drink Keystone the night before a run. Budweiser dehydrates me.


Travis

I don't reload, so I might just have my cousin rechamber it to .17 HMR with his butter knife.

No more HMR and Fireball speak. It's not worthy conversation on a Remmy thread.



Travis

I don't reload, so I might just have my cousin rechamber it to .17 HMR with his butter knife. [/quote]

Whoa, now you're talking.
May I suggest fmj only in that big game killer.

Dude, my baller is a Remmy!

Maybe try the Turner colony.... less snow over there.

He ain't worried about a little snow. If you spent one day behind his aviator awesomeness,
You'd know why them wimmins would run the Iditarod to get to the Hi-line!

what about sako .17s?

Cheated on my .17 today....

I'm a slut.




Travis

Good to see sunshine up there...one more week....

Yeah, I was 20 miles east of your AOR. Two tracks were fitty-fitty. All weather roads were fine. Stubble was not drivable.

Things got good after 3ish. Pretty cold most the day...


Travis

Lookin' at being up there After April 1...

That would be a good call. Things are slow on the killing fields.


Travis

. Man whore.

not to wish ill on ya, but slower now means more youngsters for me in May, win/win.

Unabashed....

May will be grand. Slow shooting sucks.


Travis

We've had over a inch of rain in the last 18 hours. Talk about water, mud and sucks weather. Course our mud is no comparison to golden triangle mud.
Hope you don't get hammered too.
Good luck.

Keep that schit there! The boy and I are wanting unleash fury this weekend...


Travis

I was hoping to get out this week with Seafire JR on spring break... weather channel, predicts 70 to 80 % chance of rain per day, still for the next week!

I wish spring and summer lasted half as long as winter seems to...

the winter's here aren't what I had to deal with in Minnesota, but the darn rain never seems to end...

of course the other thing about the rain here, is the forest service...these guys spend all summer running around with their hair on fire like chicken little, screaming Fire Season Fire Season....

then in winter if it rains enough, they love to run around and freak out about landslides! landslides...

me, all I wanna do is go out on the weekends and shoot sage rats...

during these times, I dream of sunshine and when components were cheap... and gas was affordable to get there...costs eat into my field time a lot more than this never ending rain does...

You'd best do it right this weekend Travis...I'll be up on Monday to inflict hitherto unknown levels of destruction in the killing fields....


Won't be any Gophs left after next week....

Oh, we'll be slaying...

A 40gr Z/V Max out of the .223 is HELL on gophers! Holy cow do they make 'em pop.


Travis