.17 winchester super magnum

[milkloss]

There are plenty of forums on reloading and also plenty of charts re loads/powders/bullet weights. I normally start of low re powders, make 5 rounds up and then do another 5 with a slightly higher charge and on on almost up to max. I have found that loading up to max isn't all it's cracked up to be, sticky bolts and holed primers (have never had these happen) and normally my loads are mid to upper in the range of loads, you'll know what's right as the rifle will tell you re accuracy. The actually loading process does not take that long, I do 100 at a time and from start to finish it would prob take a couple of hours which is fine on a cold wet winter's evening.
The load I love currently is
10.2gns of IMR 4227
Small rifle primers CCC
17gn tipped bullets from Henry Krank
I have found that this round works exceptionally well in my CZ with great accuracy.
Of course there are lots of different powders but I tend to not go too wild re performance, L'ill Gun gets talked about a lot but it's a bit like Marmite, you either love it or hate it, I found it a little inconsistent but it is the powder of choice for max velocity or so they say. I dont own a chronograph so dont know what velocity my rounds are doing but I have no pressure signs and the bullets do the job, so in my book that's good enough for me!
I do have some Hornaday polymer tipped 25gn's and some Berger 25gn hollow points to make a load up for but will do that in the spring.
I will say it's a hell of a rifle, zero'd to 200yrds and shoot out to 300+ but wind is not it's friend with such a light bullet, the same with any .17 round but with factory velocities of 3,600ft/sec it's fairly quick, there are quicker calibres .22 Swift pushes a bullet out at I believe 4,700ft/sec but then you are getting into the realms of specialist rifles and case forming etc etc, which is in another world, Wildcat rifles and Wildcat loads, very popular on America.

Thanks

 

[tomg]

This lads videos are quite good

 

[Pilgrimmick]

@The Agrarian PM sent

 

[davidroberts30]

This lads videos are quite good

As much as it is interesting, i really cant see any cost benefits to an low user shooter.
Ive been googling and wsm rounds can be found for similar money to hmr rounds (obviously rimmys so no reloading )
Lad local to me has a .243,i asked him about his ammo and he cant make reloading stack up with having to buy the kit etc
Also the time factor,in the vid posted above that guy must have spent at least 4 hours doing 100 hornet rounds,great if you need a excuse to get away from the mrs

 

[MrNoo]

When your local gunsmith is charging £108 for 100 rounds, you'd be mad not to reload. I think the chap in the vid did it his way, you dont have to tumble/sonic clean, If I am in a hurry I just deprimer/resize, new primers in, powder and seat bullet, job done. It's horses for courses.

 

[The Agrarian]

I've thought about it, but I don't do enough shooting to make it pay. The bairns are still wee, so there's really no way I'd have time to sit in front of one of those benches at the minute. Perhaps in ten years when they start fleeing the nest it might be possible. In the meantime I'm getting PP rounds from local dealer at what I thinks not bad money, £15 for 165gr psp bt. My .222 is a bit dearer being not a common round any more, so it's coming in at £20, but for Sako ballistic tip, and they are super accurate.

 

[tomg]

My thoughts with the hornet are that if I do start shooting it a lot I have the option of reloading to make it cheaper, also not tied to often inconsistent rimfire ammo.

 

[davidroberts30]

When your local gunsmith is charging £108 for 100 rounds, you'd be mad not to reload. I think the chap in the vid did it his way, you dont have to tumble/sonic clean, If I am in a hurry I just deprimer/resize, new primers in, powder and seat bullet, job done. It's horses for courses.

Dont get me wrong, if your using big numbers i can see it stacking up but the purchase price for all the kit surley takes the shine off it for a while

 

[MrNoo]

I have used 1000+ rounds last year so for me it's a no brainer. Very easy to get through a 100 during a night. So if we say I go to the local gun dealer 1000 rounds equates to £1080, reload for 24p equates to £240 then if you cost in reloading kit of say £400 that only brings my home load cost to £640 and then everything after is 24p/round. I reckon I could trim that by a few pence but am happy with the set up I have.

 

[The Agrarian]

It's an investment, and it takes rounds to pay it off.

Hundred rounds a night is a lot of shooting for a centre fire imo. I wouldn't have the shoulder for it either. Have heard it said after half a dozen consecutive shots you are starting to strip the rifling off the barrel. Needs a break ideally between groups. That's the nice thing about the little .22lr - can pop away all evening.

 

[MrNoo]

Bugger all recoil on a .17 Hornet, goes off a bit like an air rifle!! I am told it isn't a barrel eater like some calibres are, certainly not noticed any drop in performance but it would be unusual to fire off any more than a few consecutively.

 

[exmoor dave]

It's an investment, and it takes rounds to pay it off.

Hundred rounds a night is a lot of shooting for a centre fire imo. I wouldn't have the shoulder for it either. Have heard it said after half a dozen consecutive shots you are starting to strip the rifling off the barrel. Needs a break ideally between groups. That's the nice thing about the little .22lr - can pop away all evening.

It's remarkable how hot a barrel gets after not many rounds and then the zero starts shifting.

It makes you wonder how long a rifle barrel lasts in a assult rifle when they are being fired off in bursts or even full auto?
After a mag or two barrels must be roasting and accuracy out the window?

 

[milkloss]

It's remarkable how hot a barrel gets after not many rounds and then the zero starts shifting.

It makes you wonder how long a rifle barrel lasts in a assult rifle when they are being fired off in bursts or even full auto?
After a mag or two barrels must be roasting and accuracy out the window?

Family used to make the .50 browning quick change barrel for just this reason. Had some fun at the range testing them

 

[The Agrarian]

You won't doubt that if you go searching, you will find at least one tube who videoed himself firing magazine after magazine through an AR15 to see how much it would take before blowing up.

I think he got to about 600 if memory serves me.

 

[joe soapy]

You won't doubt that if you go searching, you will find at least one tube who videoed himself firing magazine after magazine through an AR15 to see how much it would take before blowing up.

I think he got to about 600 if memory serves me.

If using the tractor for transport when shooting, just put a blast from airline down the barrel to cool it

 

[davidroberts30]

I have used 1000+ rounds last year so for me it's a no brainer. Very easy to get through a 100 during a night. So if we say I go to the local gun dealer 1000 rounds equates to £1080, reload for 24p equates to £240 then if you cost in reloading kit of say £400 that only brings my home load cost to £640 and then everything after is 24p/round. I reckon I could trim that by a few pence but am happy with the set up I have.

What calibre are you shooting?

 

[MrNoo]

What calibre are you shooting?

.17 Hornet

 

[Pilgrimmick]

Family used to make the .50 browning quick change barrel for just this reason. Had some fun at the range testing them

Manroy?

 

[milkloss]

Manroy?

Yes

 

[davidroberts30]

.17 Hornet

and they are a £1.08 a round