.17 Remington keyholing

[Tracer]

I think I know the answer but anyone having this experience please speak up.  I've reloaded this cartridge for several years and always used Hornady's 25 grain HPs and out of my Contender carbine I can usually keep five shots at about 1/2" at 100 yards with this bullet.  I recently tried Hornady's 25 grain v-max bullet and the bullets are keyholing as evidenced by oblong holes on paper (as compared to nice round holes).  I've reloaded for several years and even though I've heard of this I've never experienced it.  I'm thinking that my barrel twist rate isn't fast enough to stabilize the longer v-max.  The HPs are about 0.572" in length and the v-max is about 0.675".  Any comments?  Thanks, T

[jhalcott]

  That's the ONLY thing i can think of also! I tried a hand loaded 30 grain bullet in my 17 rem M700 .It was only 5 shots but no accuracy and at least 1 keyholed. Since I have several hundred 25 grainers on hand ,I never gave it much thought at the time.

[Reed1911]

Unless .........................it begins to do the same with other bullets when you go back. Then you are looking at new barrel time

[Tracer]

I shot these side by side and at 50 yards - hp = round holes - vmax = oblong holes.  T

[Reed1911]

Tracer,

I was just picking at you. I had pretty much assumed that the barrel was fine and you fired other rounds, I just could not resist a little poke of fun.

As already stated, they are simply too long for the twist rate of your barrel. Now it may be possible to get them to straighten out by pushing them faster, but you may already be at the max load now (it was never stated) and even if you do get them to stabilize, they will be just barely stabilized and may very well vear off down range as the RPM's wind down.

 If you really want a better expanding bullet in a heavier weight than the 20g, we stock .172" 22.5g soft-points that are, well the cat's meow. They measure 0.496" long so they will work for you and some 26.5g soft-points that are 0.600" in length and should work for you.

[Tracer]

No offense taken Reed1911, T.  I am pushing these already with some flattening of primers so I won't go that route.  Someone had suggested slowing them down, can always try.   I've always had good luck with the Hornady 25grain HPs though.  thanks