Anyone need/want some .17 Remington Fire Ball load data?

[gdragon]

Originally Posted by montdoug

One thing for sure, they are a bit more frisky with their data on the Fire Ball then they are the MachIV.

You're saying you think their 17m4 loads are light? I'm planning on (finally) shooting mine tomorrow. Maybe I'd better take the chrono with.

[montdoug]

I sure wouldn't want to be the cause of someone chasing a specific velocity with a rifle that didn't want to get there safely but yes the Hodgdon annual loading magazine is well behind safe loads "in my particular" .17 Mach IV, might be over in someone elses.


"Quote"
foxhunter well guys, does that data look just a little conservative? look's a lot like my 17 ah or 17 viper velocities. hope I haven't offended the 17 fireball god, wouldn't want be the subject of a spit-roast or impaled on a spike.

I only have this to say to that comment..."BURN HIM!!! BURN HIM!!! "Grab the rope, Get the matches" "BURN HIM"!!!

Actually it's fairly typical of what they show for wildcat rounds compared to factory (always seem to favor the factory rounds) look at the .20 Tactical data. I will say this however, they show 17 Grains of H4198 with a 25 grain Hornady HP as a max load in the .17 Fire Ball. Yesterday with my batch of H4198 and a 25 V-Max (which obviously has a longer bearing surface) at 16.8 grains clocking a titch over 3,800fps I was getting extractor marks, knocked one primer loose and pierced or blanked one primer. Accuracy wasn't as good as the 16.2 grain 3,725ish load either so that looks like the magic number. On that powder at least their max was more than my rifle wanted.

I know it's not a wild cat Bob but humor us , we'll be over em and on to something else before ya know it .

[foxhunter]

quote "I know it's not a wild cat Bob but humor us , we'll be over em and on to something else before ya know it "

amen brother doug! i enjoy watching everyone run from small caliber to small caliber, like a chicken with it's head shot off with a small caliber rifle.

the rifle always dictates what it wants and will tolerate, not a loading manual, then again there are fast barrels and slow barrels.

one of my wessinger 17 ah rugers pet loads was clocking just between 4000 and 4100 fps with 20 gr vmax bullets.

then there is this load in the cz 17 viper, 15.8 10x cz 25 horn. 3830fps

and this one with 20 gr vmax, 14.6 n120, 20 starke, 4130 fps,

so you can see why i was not impressed, maybe it's just an efficiency thing but the loads looked lawyerish to me.

[jim saubier]

I used 32 clicks of n133 behind a 30 grain GOLD. I'll have to weigh a charge to confirm the weight in grains. I'm using a Harrell's measure.

I'm guessing that the load was around 17.3 grains of n133. Working up slowly, this was used in a custom gun with a BAT action, that has a snug fitting firing pin. No sticky extraction, no velocity data, and no issues in my gun. I will probably try a little more powder at some point.

For the 25 grain bullets (Kindler boattail GOLD's), I used 33 clicks of n133 which weighed 17.9 grains. Shot very well in my gun and I've loaded a bunch more at this load.

actually Bob, I'm not surprised to see 3,800 fps from a 25 grain bullet being near a max load for the Fireball/Mach IV. Seems about right to me. With my Hebee, 3900 fps from a 20 grain bullet was a max load and the Bee is a strong case.

I don't shoot for a number when working up a load, I do use it as a reference point but am more interested in tuning the load to shoot well. Some guns will shoot a hot load very well and others will not.

[montdoug]

I agree Jim on several points. 3,800ish is about all of it with 25's in my Cooper MachIV which also has 26 inch barrel. Rifle likes it, p-dogs hate it, life is good. Looks like the Fire Balls happier at 3,700ish.
I also agree with your load development method. Frequently I don't even use a chrono while working up the load, I find the best accuracy at the highest load observing pressure signs and when I have it I run it over the chrono. Sometimes I'm happy , sometimes I'm disappointed . Somtimes then I try another powder. Velocity is always pretty well down the line in importance factors of load development.
The computer ballistic programs have really reinforced that. Work up a load using a max possible velocity, run it then leave everything the same and drop 100fps and run it again. Drop another hundred, sure not much difference in performance over a 100 or 200 fps. I wonder how many rifles have been blown up over a guy searching for that last 100fps he read someone else got? In my MachIV or Fire Ball with the way I sight it the difference between 3,700ish fps and 3,800 is .69 drop and 19 ft lbs of energy at 400 yards. Not gonna miss many over that.

Glad to hear the 30's are working for ya, they are next on my list. I believe Dan C. mentioned trying N540 with em?

[SDguy605]

Just picked up the CDL limited edition Monday afternoon and managed to put 6 factory rounds through her tonight. Two rounds were required to sight her in the third took out a black bird. The following three rounds were fired for groups at slightly over 100 yards. The three shot group managed slightly over .9 center to center with a 15MPH plus crosswind.

Somehow I am sure better groups will follow. Decided to give the Hornady Dies a try as I have been hearing good things about them, n ordered a set yesterday. The Redding neck sizing dies still have my eye. Yet for $25.00 I just had to give Hornady dies a shot.

Not saying I wont compliment the Hornady die set with the Redding bushing neck sizer before all is said and done.

[skywalkercorp]

Originally Posted by jim saubier

I used 32 clicks of n133 behind a 30 grain GOLD. I'll have to weigh a charge to confirm the weight in grains. I'm using a Harrell's measure.

I'm guessing that the load was around 17.3 grains of n133. Working up slowly, this was used in a custom gun with a BAT action, that has a snug fitting firing pin. No sticky extraction, no velocity data, and no issues in my gun. I will probably try a little more powder at some point.

For the 25 grain bullets (Kindler boattail GOLD's), I used 33 clicks of n133 which weighed 17.9 grains. Shot very well in my gun and I've loaded a bunch more at this load.

actually Bob, I'm not surprised to see 3,800 fps from a 25 grain bullet being near a max load for the Fireball/Mach IV. Seems about right to me. With my Hebee, 3900 fps from a 20 grain bullet was a max load and the Bee is a strong case.

I don't shoot for a number when working up a load, I do use it as a reference point but am more interested in tuning the load to shoot well. Some guns will shoot a hot load very well and others will not.

Jim do you know of any load data for the 20 gr ? using vihtavuori N133 [17 fireball]