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Old 07-13-2018, 04:26 AM
snert snert is offline
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: western PA
Posts: 62
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Well, after several weeks of testing, I have learned a few things.

First, this is a rechamber of a 17VHA and I have concluded that it is a bit on the short side in the throat. That's ok though.

Second, I switched to CCI 400 from the Fed GM. I was getting nippling on every primer, no matter what I did. The CCI stopped that...till I blew two. Never had a pierced primer in 42 years of loading, till now.

So I switched over to H335, and went below minimum to 17.5 grains and a 25 grain Vmax. The "nippling" went away and the group shrank to 3/4 inch. I have decided that most of the loads I have tried from the manuals (including Sensational Seventeens) are just too hot for this barrel.

I am testing some 20 grain Vmax on Saturday.

In other news, i discovered that the Bullberry forarm, despite the hanger, was hard agaist the barrel on one side, just down under where you can see. I relieved it, and the forearm actually twisted...I had to kep relieving it and waiting overnight till the grain in the wood stopped changing. I finally just hogged it out and put a new finish on it. I also lightened the inch pounds of screw tightness, and it helped.

All this work has caused my only 30 Rem 17 FB cases to be a bit worn...now I have to decide if I wait till more show up or start all over with LC formed brass! Gonna need 500-800 eventually.

Finally, a comment:
It is fun, and cool and I like it, this little cartridge. I can see building or buying a bolt gun for it. But gosh, I just spent ten whole bullets developing a new 50 grain TNT and Benchmark load for my Duece...that was easy! And it shot 1/3 inch with no effort.

Thanks for the help, and I will hang on to this for when I build a bolt action..
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