17 fireball

[mike4]

i am fixing to start reloading for the 17 fireball and was wondering which powder seems the most accurate with 20 grain v max's and standard cci primers.  thank you

[Graybeard]

I've not started loading for mine yet as I still have a large supply of factory ammo left and it is just too accurate to mess with reloading until it's gone. But I have looked over the load data for it in preparation for the day when I do reload for it and I think the powder that seems most appropriate is called Benchmark or something like that. I found nothing in all the load manuals I looked in that appeared to be a better choice. I'll have some in hand before I begin loading for mine.

[mike4]

I have to start reloading because the praire dogs and jackrabbits are pretty thick and the eighty rounds i found are nearly gone the ones at the gun shop here are marked at $40 a box.  Hope i can make it shoot as good as the 20 grain accutip.  i was thinking benchmark and H4198 but ill probably try benchmark the local gunshop has both so well see thanks for the reply.

[Graybeard]

It might have been IMR4198 that I looked at that was what looked to me the #2 choice. I didn't have either on hand and haven't looked for them yet.

I found my factory ammo at Able Ammo back when I bought mine. I picked up a few boxes locally but Able was selling it over $10 a box cheaper than the guy I got the rifle from. I don't recall the price right now and it likely is higher now anyway but I'd check with them if you want more. I bought a huge supply of it from them.

I've already used it at one PD shoot last year out in OK and will use it again this year there. Since I'm a LOOONG way from PD country I don't get to go but once a year and not every year so my stash will get me thru this year and perhaps even next.

Still I have several hundred cases and a huge supply of bullets sitting here ready to go when I do round up the powder and get started loading for it.

[Davemuzz]

I'm in the process of re-barreling my Stevens 200 (which is now in .308) to the 17 Fireball.  It's going to take about 8 weeks for the darn barrel to come in. The bolt face is easy enough to get along with the correct size magazine.

But......just a suggestion.....I think before you guys load up those tiny 20 grain bullets, you should first sit down and load up at least 200 rounds of 45-70 with any size bullet. Then go right into loading those 17 Fireball rounds. 

Dave

[BCall]

Tip for loading those 17 bullets. Get a small piece of egg carton style foam, and pour a few bullets on it for loading. Push you fingers down in the foam around the bullet, and the foam will push the bullet up , making them much easier to pick up. I now use the foam for everything 30 caliber and under. Just makes it a little easier when picking up bullets. Billy

[Ladobe]

Just a thought, but you'd find a lot more published data and get a lot more "experience" responses if you asked the same question but for the 17 Mach IV instead.   The data would be interchangable for your 17 FB.

My data is all still packed from a recent move.

[LaOtto222]

Ladobe - Agreed - but as time goes by the Mach IV is going to die away, now that Remington has made a legitimate round out of it. They have done the same to the 22 Varminter (22-250) both renamed but the same. 25-06 and 7-08 are two examples of wildcats that were tamed by Remington that have the same name.

Hornady 7th edition lists IMR 4198, H 4198 and RL7 as a few powders that work well with 20 grain bullets. In general the faster rifle type powders work best. Hornady is the only manual I have that lists Mach IV loads - because they are the only ones that make 17 caliber bullets that I own (Nosler, Sierra, Lyman 48th and Speer). In the Hornady manual, IMR 4198 and H 4198 are the top choices. IMR 4198 starting load at 13.8 for 3600 fps and a max of 16.2 for 4100 fps. With H 4198 Starting at 14.3 for 3600 fps and a max of 16.7 for 4100 fps. The 221 Fireball with 50 grain bullets are similar in powder weights to the 17 Fireball with 20 grain bullets - BUT NOT THE SAME. For example the 221 Fireball has a max of IMR 4198 as 16.6 grains with the 50 grain V Max. Remember, powder varies from one lot to the next and guns vary from one to the next, so listings are just a guide line. You may find you need more powder to get the same velocity or you may find that you need less to get the same velocity, so always start at the low end and work your way in small increments until you get the accuracy you want or you reach top velocities. There really is not that much difference in performance between 3900 fps and 4100 fps.

BTW - those 20 grain 17 caliber bullets are small - you might make your self a pair of small tongs to pickup bullets with and place them onto the case mouth for loading - just a thought.

Good Luck and Good Shooting

[Ladobe]

LaOtto222,
That's probably true, but with the number of 17M4 firearms out there and experienced people still using them the 17M4 won't go away for a very long time, not in my or many other peoples lifetime, nor will its load/ballistic data.    What Remington did do though for 17M4 owners was make forming cases easier, so I doubt very many folks who already have 17M4's would buy a 17 Fireball.   They might buy factory 17FB ammo though to shoot in their M4.  I still have two 17M4's (a pistol, a rifle and a lot of brass), so would never have a need to buy a 17 Fireball.   I don't buy factory ammo.   So Big Green didn't gain any business from me on this one.   FWIW, when I sold my last 22-250 (a Browning High Wall) I was still calling it a 22 Varminter.    Old habits die hard for some of us old timers.   

[mike4]

thanks for all of the advice i still think its weird that hodgen has BLc-2 listed for the Mach 4 and 25 grain bullets but dont have it listed for the fireball