.17 Hornet ammunition stockists.

tac foley

We had a range day yesterday and today with a bunch of main distributors, including Edgar Bros - Savage, Anschutz, CZ and so on. I had a shoot with a nice brand-new [literally, just out of the box] CZ in .17 Hornet and was very impressed for a number of reasons. I asked the representative about the availability of this comparatively new cartridge in the RoI, and I'm awaiting his call tomorrow from his workplace. However, for those of you near enough, Paul in Tannyoky Guns in Newry had a pallet-load of the stuff recently delivered.

tac

Cass

Can you give a run down of it's performance. Any make, but Savage if they had one.

I like the caliber, but stockists of .17 hornet are slim on the ground here (i've never seen them), but i'd like to know how they perform say in comparison to a .17hmr. My .17 has a 1/2" drop from it's 100 yard zero to 50 yards and about 3.5" drop from 100 to 200 yards. It groups clover leaf in good conditions at 100 and 1/2" to 3/4" in windy conditions.

Also what models of each make. I think CZ only do the 527 which i don't like the look of. I do like the Savage model 25 LV-t but again have not seen a .17 Hornet in the flesh in any dealer so far.

tac foley

I only got to shoot the CZ - the Savage version was being used by somebody else at the time.

THIS is from Hornady -

Based on the 22 Hornet cartridge case, the 17 Hornet propels the 20 gr V-MAX at 3,650 fps. Fueled with Superformance propellant, the 17 Hornet Superformance Varmint is economically priced, and delivers the trajectory of a traditional 55 gr 223 load, but is a pleasure to shoot with the felt recoil of a 22 WMR. The 17 Hornet – an economical, fun .17 caliber centerfire cartridge that puts the STING on varmints out to 300 yards!

3,650 fps muzzle velocity with a 20 gr. V-MAX bullet
Same C.O.L. as the 22 Hornet – uses the existing action
Trajectory comparable to a traditional 55 gr 223 Rem, but the felt recoil of a 22 WMR
Less fouling, barrel wear, powder and pressure compared to the 17 Rem
Lower cost and comparable quality to the 17 Fireball and 223 Rem

There ya go.

I opine that it will sell like hot cakes here in UK.

tac

Cass

How did the CZ shoot? Was the felt recoil as described?

At 3,600+ fps it's a fair step up from the hmr and with ballistics similar to a 55 gr 223 it seems to tick all the boxes. The only other question i'd have is ammo availability and cost. At €17 per 50 for hmr if it were in or around that i wouldn't be bothered and would consider a change to a hornet.

tac foley

Cass wrote: »

How did the CZ shoot? Was the felt recoil as described?

At 3,600+ fps it's a fair step up from the hmr and with ballistics similar to a 55 gr 223 it seems to tick all the boxes. The only other question i'd have is ammo availability and cost. At €17 per 50 for hmr if it were in or around that i wouldn't be bothered and would consider a change to a hornet.

TBH I didn't notice anything different from the HMR I'd been shooting ten minutes before. With a moderator fitted, it seems to have the recoil characteristics of an electric toothbrush, since my usual 'shoot' is a 7.5x55 Swiss or similarly 'lively' military cartridge between 7 and 12.5mm. So unless a gun makes the blood spurt out from under my eyelids I wouldn't consider myself to have been 'recoiled'.

As I noted in post #1 - the only dealer with any right now is Paul up above in Newry. The Edgar Bros rep here said that even though it's centre-fire and [in UK and elsewhere] reloadable, he thought that most people wouldn't bother, but then he WOULD say that, eh?

I know that if I was allowed to have one - I'm a target shooter and therefore not allowed to have expanding ammunition of any kind or calibre - there is nothing that I could shoot here with it - as you know, all ISSF shooting is done with .22RF. AFAIAC it's a curiosity, albiet one that is very practical for those who could take advantage of it.

Nae doot it will sell by the ton here in UK - ammunition is cheaper than .22 Hornet AND expanding .223, and it's as accurate as a mad thing. My three shots -two in a single hole and the third touching at 100m - were typical of anybody shooting it. Even Stevie Wonder could do well it, I have no doubt. However, it is NOT a shoot-for the pot calibre, unless you eat coyote pie - having been advised here that fox can make a comestible fit for somebody or other. This little pill will leave only the ears and a$$holes of any rabbit - with nothing in between.

tac

Cass

The recoil was just curiosity really. Having fired .308, 30-06, 300 winmags regularly it would not be a deciding factor in a rifle, but was just curious.

Was looking over your stats and doing a bit if reading and it seems as if it's a "pointless" caliber. Not a great choice of words, but what i mean is if it acts like a .223 using a 55 gr round, has a devastating effect on quarry, is no good for any sort of target shooting, costs the same to run as a .223, etc. where exactly would it fit in, in a lad's gun safe? What role would it serve that a .223 would not?

Now i know most calibers out there can be easily replaced or used for more than one purpose, but i think you get my line of thought on this. It is not like another caliber, it is the exact same.

tac foley

Cass, there are many calibres out there that seem to have no relevance except that they appear to be an imperial measurement version of an already extant metric calibre, or fill a gap that nobody but the manufacturer can perceive.

I'm sure that you can come up with a few without thinking hard about it.

Many years ago there was a wildcat calibre called the .17 Javelina, - no doubt you've heard of it. It was basically chortled out of existence as nobody - even the more than gullible of our cousins over/down there - could think of a reason for its existance, apart from the fun.

Well, this is a modern take - using the well-known and much-loved Hornet action and cases, necked down to this micro-bore pill.

The Edgar Bros rep was in no doubt that it will sell like crazy - I hope that he's right. The obvious benefits [yes, there ARE some] -

1. Much less noise than any .223 with a similar performance downrange- given that there is no wind....

2. For pest control, where you are not going to eat the fruits of your good shooting - it will be a marvel.

3. It is considerably cheaper than .223 [he said] so much so that it really won't be worth reloading [Hmmmmmmm].

4. Anybody who has a shot-out Hornet can have it rebarrelled to this calibre and have a 'new' gun.

However, solely from my point of view, it's a cure for which there is no disease whatsoever.

tac

Cass

tac foley wrote: »

Cass, there are many calibres out there that seem to have no relevance except that they appear to be an imperial measurement version of an already extant metric calibre, or fill a gap that nobody but the manufacturer can perceive.

I'm sure that you can come up with a few without thinking hard about it.

Was just making conversation.

1. Much less noise than any .223 with a similar performance downrange- given that there is no wind....

Would like to see one fired. Both are supersonic so the difference would be interesting to hear.

2. For pest control, where you are not going to eat the fruits of your good shooting - it will be a marvel.

Same could be said for swift, .223, .243, etc. Hence the reason for the smaller, lower calibers.

3. It is considerably cheaper than .223 [he said] so much so that it really won't be worth reloading [Hmmmmmmm].

Made a few calls. Turns out the Hornady stuff would be running around €23-€25 per 25. With .223 running from €14 to a max of €28 it's actually on the high end price wise.

4. Anybody who has a shot-out Hornet can have it rebarrelled to this calibre and have a 'new' gun.

As you said yourself, not a new conept just in a different caliber. Same can be applied to any rifle really.

However, solely from my point of view, it's a cure for which there is no disease whatsoever.

tac[/QUOTE]
Same here.

However it would not stop me me form having/owning one especially given we have no restrictions as you have in the UK (expanding ammo, etc.).


I'm really just shooting the sh*t on the issue. I'm curious and interested int he caliber/gun, and if it worked out well price wise i would consider a change. You know, for funsies.

tac foley

Well, TTTT, with the moderator on, it sounded just like a .17HMR, but then, we were on a range, too, with everybody wearing ear protection. I don't need much protection these days, since I'm 75% deef anyhow.

I look forward to hearing what you guys over there make of this little gun, but I have to say that given the claims of the Edgar Bros representative about the price of ammunition, I wonder what he was comparing it with? Certainly over here, he claimed that it was cheaper than .223 and therefore not worth reloading...

It's good to talk.

Best

tac

Cass

tac foley wrote: »

Certainly over here, he claimed that it was cheaper than .223 and therefore not worth reloading...

Reloading won't be an issue here so it's the factory stuff we need to concentrate on. I must given Tannyoky a shout tomorrow. See what they are charging for it. That'll give us an idea rather than a best guess.

It's good to talk.