17 caliber accuracy

[Daryl]

When talking about an all-out accuracy rifle, one must consider efficiency, I think.
Out of all the cases, I personally think the .17 Ackley Bee at 18.1gr. capacity has about the perfect capacity for the .17's. It takes considerably more powder to beat it even by 100fps. Mine ran 3,940fps with 25gr. Hornady and 4,150fps with 20 Vmax from it's 26" bl. Yes - these are only 3 shot groups, but shot one after the other with a minor sight correction. This was not a fancy custom barrel, but a medium weight barrel made by an old fellow in Dawson Creek, B.C. who makes "Average Accuracy Barrels, like Shilen hunting barrels" was his claim. I think this calibre perhaps shows the best compromise between case efficiency, brass consistency and availability. These groups were shot with an old spring mounted, return to battery Tasco 6-18X50 varmint scope. I was experimenting to rid it of the odd flyer by tightening everything down so there was no movement - that seemed to work.

[sicero]

Originally Posted by ballpowder

One Last question.What is the neck thickness of lapua brass based 17 fireball brass. I. Obviously looking to have neck turned reamer made. I have rail, bat action with PPC and 223 bolts, jewel trigger, weaver 36X scope. Now need barrel, reamer and dies. Barrel will be PAC-NOR 5 groove 1-10" 1.45" straight contour. I need reamer help!!!


Tim

Tim
You need more than reamer help.
Look back thru the responses to this thread and count the times a 9 twist
was recommended.
There is more knowledge on this forum about the 17s than all the barrel makers put together.
A 10 twist keeps you from using some of the best 17 caliber bullets made.

If I remember correctly, Corbin Shell " a member here " has done some
extensive long range shooting with the 17s.
Any one else remember this or did I dream it? Kenny

[Gary in Illinois]

Hi Kenny,

You weren't dreaming. I just checked and the article is still in the "Articles" section here on Saubier. It was worth the re-read for me!

[Hog Patrol]

Go here if you want to see what a heavy/long bullet does in a slow twist.

http://forum.accurateshooter.com/thr...rifle.3899679/


The .17 calber 10 twist may do the same thing unless you slow them down and then what's the point of doing that?

[Daryl]

The longer the bullet, the faster it must go to stabilize in a too-slow twist.

[17tbs]

I would stick with cartridge cases that have a proven track record of extreme unifority, i.e. The 22PPC. To make the it easier to minimize the SD of powder loads weight, keep the cases as big as is necessary to ensure that with your chosen barrel length the bullet exits on the upswing of the barrel vibration. This will create several optimum barrel lengths between about 90 to 120 calibers in length. A bore that is optimum for a caiber with standard weight bullets typically will be around 100 X the caliber. This will ensure that when using something like H322, V130, 133 etc that the bullet spends the minimum amount of time in bore to achieve the maximum launch velocity while also having a lower in bore pressure upon launch. This will help reduce tipping / yawing on exit.

I would read this: http://www.the-long-family.com/OBT_paper.htm

Just scaling down the 22PPC would be a great start.

Your reamer is going to be your "devil in the details". Follow the best bench rest practices and select your bullet after you decide on the case, then carefully consider your reamer design after you have selected your options from bullet manufacturers. If for any reason you want to go long but not super long (keeping it all under 500) I would start with Todd Kindler's 25 and 27, since you picked a 10tw barrel. If you are mostly going for paper or varmints at 200, use Berger or Kindler 20 and 25. That being said, the 30grain Gold BTHP Todd sells is excellent to 485 yards in my 17VHA with only 12.75gr H2O capacity and H4198. I am getting 2910 fps with that combination from a 18.75" barrel. Keep us posted I am very interested.

[Kiwishooter]

Originally Posted by Harold M

Sounds like a great project. I've never had a seventeen (other than my air-powered ones), and probably haven't fired ten rounds through any of them, so I hope you continue, and publish your results here.

If I were going to build a match-grade .17, I'd follow some of the advice already offered. I'd focus on known, proven bullets and appropriate twists for them, first and foremost. I'd think long and hard about anything other than a 17 FireBall / Mk IV. As you know, bullets and barrels are most important, and case volume is secondary. Anything you learn about the 221 case being larger or smaller than optimum you can fix on your "mark two" design, and you won't have invested in yet another set of expensive dies and related tooling.

That said, we're thinking about a "plus 0.100" variant on the .20 VarTarg to get a little more velocity and a little less pressure. Assuming our thinking is along the right path, that would mean the 17 on the 221 case should be pretty much optimum, too. Speaking from my vast storehouse of ignorance.

ps:
Got me thinking of a Kiff bolt for this one and a 20 VT barrel. Hmmmmm.

Harold

Harold, who made the railgun and what action is hanging off the end?.....Kiwi

[rickiesrevenge]

Looks like a sleeved remington, at least from looking at the tang.

Aaron

[ballpowder]

Its been a long time since I worked on this due to new baby, work, construction of railgun,etc but rail is done and barrel getting chamber ed now.

If this picture post works I will do another. I an very close to getting this going! Brass prepped and loaded for fireform. Standby...

Tim

[ballpowder]

Dang, the picture didnt post. Hmmm, I guess just look at them in my user page album

Tim