What are your most accurate loads?

Try 25.0g of IMR 4320, Hornady 25g HP, Rem cases and Rem 7� primers. Vel = 4018 fps from my 24" bbl. Accurate if you keep the bbl. clean. .75"

Scout Master 54

I have had very good luck with IMR-4895. I shoot a Sako 461 with a Douglas 1-10 twist barrel. The barrel is sporter weight with a .500" muzzle diameter. Groups 5 shots into 5/8" with 3 generally going into under 3/8", and this is with Hornady bullets.

I'm working with a couple different powders and bullets, I suppose because I like to make it hard on myself.
I'm using Starke 20-grain HPFB's, Starke 25-grain HPFB's, Berger 17/25 MEF's and 17/30 MEF's, and Hornady 20-grain V-Maxes. I Moly-coated them, and it really does cut down the fouling.
I'm using Varget, 'cause it works in my .243, and VihtaVuori N-133 and N-140. I keep it simple with the primers, using Federal 205M's.
22.5 grains of Varget and 21.2 grains of N-133 work pretty well behind the Starke 20-grainers. Five shot groups are 1/2" to 3/4" at 100 yards.
I like 22.7 grains of N-140 behind the Starke 25-grainers. I like 22.5 grains of Varget behind the V-Maxes. 23.1 grains of N-140 works best behind the Berger 17/30's, and the 17/25's like 23.1 grains of Varget.
Confused yet? Me too!
Regards, George

[ 10-28-2003, 03:40: Message edited by: George Capriola ]

My best .17Rem. loads pretty much fall in with what's been posted. With the Hornady VMAX 20gr. I use 23.0grs of Varget at 3900fps. It prints .446" (5shots/100yds.). With the Hornady 25gr. HP I use 23.2grs. of IMR4895 at 3900fps. This prints .495". IMR4320 is also a good powder for this caliber. I use Rem. 7 1/2 primers with all loads, and try to stay slightly under 4000fps velocity. I clean about every 15 rounds and have never had two good groups in a row. The rifle is a Rem. 700BDL, and like most .17's its a finicky little devil, does as it damn well pleases. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

I have a completely stock M700 BDL that shoots somewhat consistently around 1/2" (occassionally a little better and occassionally a little worse). It likes the 20gr Hornady V-Max and 24.0gr of IMR4320 with Rem 7 1/2 primers. Never put it on a chrono, but don't really care to. It shoots fine and that's all that matters. The 25gr Hornady HPs shot like crap out of mine though.

I also have a Rem BDL. Do you guys find that this caliber "fouls" the barrel quicker than say a 223?

I think all those "finicky" 17s have Remington barrels. Kind of ironic that the company that brought the 17 Remington's popularity to where it is also is the one to blame for the fouling and "finicky" rifles.

Any shitty barrel is going to foul quickly and throw erratic groups no matter what the caliber.

I'm speaking a little out of place here as I only shoot a 17 Mach IV with a Pac-Nor barrel, but I have never had any problems with fouling or erratic grouping. I shoot naked bullets and don't clean all that often; maybe every 40 rounds or so just because I can't consciously let it go any longer, not because it is fouling up.

I know this is easy for me to say cuz I ain't footing the bill but, get yourself a custom barrel and you'll see the 17 mythes for what they are, fallacy.

Chris

Jethro

The 25 grain Hornady's are probably at the bottom of the list in terms of bullet quality. I happen to get decent groups so I will continue to use them as they are half the cost of Berger's or Stark's.

In regards to fouling, I don't seem to have a problem with that particular bugaboo. I will say that I've never really given it a chance to get a foothold as I usually clean after every 10 to 15 shots. I don't get more than a trace of green on the patch, though. Maybe I've been lucky in that regard, but I do give credit to the Douglas barrel. I don't know if it is better than the factory Remington barrel, but I don't seem to have the problem of wide variations in group size that Cal has discussed (once I got the proper load worked up), nor the fouling problems.

It may foul more, but I'm in the same boat as Scrollcutter. I never really have let it go that long to find out. I use WipeOut to clean it, which is so easy it's really not that big a deal to do it often.