I have a 21 inch carbine barrel and was thinking (to much time on my hands) that would be a possible rechamber and have a little more vel. Any input appreciated.

Tommyn,

I have been wondering when folks would start giving some thought to your idea. The 17 HMR runs quite a bit slower in velocity than the 17 Ackley Hornet and although it is commercially available, it can't hold a candle to the 17 Ackeley Hornet.

I have a SS 14" Bullberry Contender barrel that sends 25 grain bullets out around 3,000 fps without even trying. My fireform loads leave the barrel around 2,800 fps. You can use small pistol primers if you are judicious about how you approach maximum loads.

I had excellent accuracy which got even better when I changed to small pistol primers with H4198. Another good powder to work with in the 17 AH is Hodgdon Lil Gun - you'll be pleasantly surprised at the performance of Lil Gun powder. With your barrel length you should be in the 3,300 to 3,600 fps range without too much trouble. Use 20 grain bullets for even more velocity - they're very accurate too.

I'd be interested in hearing how that project comes out if you decide to go ahead and do it, please keep us posted.

The 17 Ackley Hornet is an extremely underrated and underpublicized cartridge that has great performance and it's really cheap to load too. Accuracy is wonderful and you can also use your fireform loads to hunt with since they are so accurate. I've had many fireform loads that shoot .75" to 1.25" at 100 yards - it gets better from there if you use match case prep techniques. . .

Regards,

Javelina

Rechambering is definitely an option. Shoot the throat out of the HMR, then rechamber to a longer round, which is any of the centerfire rounds.

This could open a lot of doors for those not wanting to go full custom, but rechamber factory barrels instead.

Mike

Mike it would take a lifetime to shoot the throat out of the 17 rimfire. You have stated you didn't do rechambers anymore but I would sure be interested in having one done by you. Tommy in SW Mo

Now I like the idea of the 17 Ackeley Hornet as a rechamber for a T/C 17 HMR

25 grain bullets traveling out around 3,000 fps would be wonderfull in a 14" barrel, and is a very appealing idea to me:

Javelina, what kind of recoil are you experiencing from that 14" 17 Ackeley Hornet? Also, how difficult is it to reload for? What is case life like?

Clarification on rechambers..... I will resume rechambering after about November, but because of personal circumstances, I must restrict it to a manageable level so that I am not sitting on a pile of work and deposit $$ when life deals a hand that does not permit me to keep up with the work. Restricting/managing it is the only responsible thing to do, but I WILL continue rechambering. The emphasis and manner in which I take the work have simply changed. That's all.

Mike

The .17 cal throats will last a long time, agreed, but the delicate little .002" high rifling will wear pretty fast, especially at the hands of diligent users cleaning the life right out of the. Cleaning rods are the barrel makers best friend. Cleaning rods ruin far more barrels than shooting does. Another dirty little secret.

I think what we will find though is barrels being rechambered due to not shooting up to expectations as a result of being chambered to SAAMI specs like all the manufacturers feel they are bound to.

Mike

Mike I will contact you in Nov about the 17. The barrel shoots good now but as always a little more vel and also I love reloading. Thanks

You got it, Jules. From the days of doing nothing but custom rifle work, I got a lot of satisfaction from making treasures from trash.

Take an old junk Mauser or Jap rifle and build something really nice from it.... that sort of thing.

Or the box of rusted up, badly pitted commercial Mauser rifle parts from a gun found in the mountains with the stock pretty well rotted off that ended up a beautiful tack driver.

My second son still shoots the .22-250 I built for him on an old Jap Arisaka when he was 9 years old..... odds and ends parts, a plain stock, an extra barrel laying around.... just a project so the kid could have a shootable Jap rifle to play with. He's thirty now, and you still couldn't pry it away from him.

Rechambering Contender, and now Encore, barrels is just an extension of the same mindset.

I'm really not that sharp on new design, but I love reworking someone else's.

Yep, I love it.

Mike

Sean VHA,

You asked about 17 Ackley Hornet recoil and how difficult it was to load for.

Recoil is minimal and easily dealt with, it's a sweetheart to shoot although there is some limited muzzle blast, it's no big deal.

To load for the 17 Ackley Hornet I was originally told by some guru to put together a concoction of Cream of Wheat and Bullseye or Unique, stuff little paper wads in the end and fireform. Hogwash! I run Hornet cases through a Bullberry forming die to get the neck down to .17 caliber in two steps, then one trip through a full length sizing die - then stuff 'em with 10.4 grains of H4198 and a 25 grain Hornady and go hunting. The fireforming accuracy is usually never worse than 1.25" at 100 yards (actually I had a terrible batch once that gave me 1.50" at 100 yards, but that's the worst I ever had), so I have fun shooting at targets of all types while I'm fireforming. After the cases are fireformed, I resize, then trim to length, chamfer lightly and load 'em again for some more fun and games. I use small pistol primers when I work up full power loads after fireforming - they seem to be good for a tenth or two (sometimes three) in smaller group sizes, but work up carefully using safe reloading procedures. The loads I've described are safe only in my gun, others will undoubtedly be different so load safely.

The .17 Ackley Hornet is capable of some very impressive ballistics with Hodgdon Lil Gun. Work up some safe loads using that powder and you'll see what I mean - make sure to use a chronograph so you'll know how impressive the loads really are.

I hope this information helps.

Javelina