Very cool! Hornady's "new" 17 Hornet
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Hey All,
Just thought I would share something I'm feeling kinda giddy about today. As we kinda high jacked Gerald's thread in the CZ/Brno forum...
http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=416736&page=2
...I thought I would condense much of the info and add a bit more in its proper centerfire forum here on RFC. It is strictly MHO as I do not have one, have not shot one yet although I do have a few dozen other varminting firearms to compare with.
If you like a 17 Remington and the 22 Hornet...or been lucky enough to have the previously wildcat 17 AI/K Hornet you will likely love what Hornady officially released today. It is the 17 Hornet!
This 17 Hornet is kind of a cross between the two previously mentioned cartridges and will likely be a great 300+ yd gopher gun. It is said to scoot a 20 grn pill at 3650 fps which may not be as blistering as pushing the same pill through the 17 Remington's 4200+ fps but 600+ fps faster than the fastest and heavier 22 Hornet...(Some reloading friends tell me they are pushing their 17 AI Hornets nearer to 4000+ fps.) As noted in the video below...it has the
"recoil of a 22 WMR"...or nearly no recoil at all. :t It likely has the same hydraulic effect of all 17's. I.E. Explosive on small animals and one hole in...usully no exit...on larger animals. BUT...it does this with half the powder of the 17 Remington and nearly a third of 204R...sipping 10-12 grns of powder. This also means you can get 575-700 rounds per pound of powder.
Obviously the miserly usage of powder will likely interpret to being easy on barrels, less recoil and allows multiple shots without loss of accuracy due to the barrel heating up. I'm betting you could shoot 20-25 rounds consecutively before the barrel is very warm. If CZ comes out with it. (LOVE my 204R but it does get hot if shooting multiple successive shots. As OldSwede mentions...this happens in 3-5 shots in thinner sporting pencil barrel.)
Don't get me wrong though, I think the 204R's are awesome and my nephew regularly pops coyotes at 400+ with them. But I think of this little 17 Hornet as an awesome rapid-multi-successive-shot-ground-squirrel-gun that I will be able to buy factory ammo for and much easier to load for than a 22 hornet. Shooting one of these K'd/AI'd 17 Hornets, I'm betting you can shoot 20-25 successive shots before the barrel is even warm.
As I understand it, heat is function of friction which is a function of weight & speed with everything else being equal right? Well, with everything else being equal, that really comes down to how much powder is used. The .204R uses 28-30 grns to get their 4200+ fps. The 17 Hornet scoots at 3600+ fps with around 10 grns or less. That also means you can reload about 575-700 rnds per pound of powder vs the .204 R's about 225 rnds. So do I think this neat little new round is the end-all-be-all? Heck no! I just think it might be a phenomenal gopher shooting repeater that is easy on barrels and easy on powder and even less jump and recoil. Besides...I already have a 527 in .204R...that won't be going anywhere...but not a 17 Hornet.
A few photos borrowed from GLWenzel of Saubier fame...
And here is one comparing Hornady's offering and a Wildcatted 17 AH. (Ackley Improved Hornet)
As noted on the previous thread...my favorite hunting is varmint hunting...basically chucks, badgers coyotes & of course ground squirrels. So, I have CZ's & Brno's in: 17 HM2, 17 HMR, 17 Rem, 22 LR, 22 Mag, 19 Badger, .204R, 22 Hornet, .221 Fireball, .222 Rem, .223, 7.62x39...and eventual plans for a 20 VarTarg and maybe a 17 Fireball. (IMHO, with the advent of the .204R I have no desire to ever get 22-250 or 220 Swift.) So do I need something like this? Heck no, I just to try one in my quest to seek the most efficient cartridges for my needs. (Hence, why I have a 19 Badger and want a 20 VarTarg which are probably nearly equivalent in most regards.)
No, this "new" 17 Hornet by Hornady, is not exactly new to the Wildcat crowd as Mr Kibourn & Ackley pretty much "discovered" it decades ago...
From another forum I came across some well stated thoughts on this cartridge.
So well stated! Reasonably priced factory ammo, factory rifles, factory brass, no forming or annealing, much less expensive dies and likely easier to load than standard Hornets.
Here is the video released this morning on YouTube...(Please note: somewhat graphic to the feint in heart.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTWrstCABMs&feature=digest_thu
DANG! After watching it, I thought it was just sooooo cool! I'm not sure exactly why but that thing just makes me even more excited about varminting next year.
Did you see how well it fed? I loved the gopher magic show! By the way, I guess that video answers the question of what the shoulder is...a happy medium of 25 degrees. The question at this point is exactly how "inexpensive" it is going to be and who is going to chamber rifles in it? The only one that we know for sure...in 2012...is a Savage offering. All I can say is CZ better get on the band wagon sooner than later but as of yesterday they and Ruger denied any plans to offer it any time soon. If true...WHAT A MISTAKE! That said, I'm betting others DO have plans on it but wouldn't announce it until after the official release date. Can't imagine Hornady not confirming with at least a 2-3 manufactures before releasing a whole "new" cartridge. (They have been pretty close to Ruger in the past and the 77/22 makes sense.) I have a feeling that statements before the actual release may change quickly after it is released...I.E TODAY.
In regards to CZ, they have Hornet actions/bolts, magazines and 17 caliber tubes already. What's to think about? Chamber the tubes, polish the feed ramp and screw the tubes on. There is no question I will be having one of these as soon as available...especially if in an American. What a perfect walk-a-about varminting rifle!
