May 10th, 2014

Hornady Increases Production of 17 Hornet Ammo

Here’s good news for varmint hunters. Hornady just announced that it is ramping up production of the 17 Hornet: “For those of you who love the 17 Hornet, we are manufacturing ammunition right now and you should see it back in stores soon!” The 17 Hornet is a fun, fast cartridge that is ideal for ground squirrels and other small varmints. It has light recoil similar to a 22 WMR, but with the ability to reach out to 300 yards and beyond. Since the 17 Hornet is a centerfire cartridge with reloadable brass, it can actually be more economical to shoot than the 17 HMR, provided you “roll your own”.

Speed Kills — 3650 FPS
Based on the 22 Hornet cartridge case, the 17 Hornet can drive a 20-grain V-MAX bullet at 3,650 fps. At this velocity, the 17 Hornet can match the trajectory of a 55-grain .223 Remington load, but with much less noise and recoil. Take a look at the chart below. You can see that the 17 Hornet’s trajectory (blue line) is almost an identical match for the larger .223 Rem (red line) all the way out to 400 yards or so. The 17 Hornet is an economical, fun .17 caliber centerfire cartridge with way more “reach” than a 17 HRM or 22 WMR.

17 Hornet — Trajectory Comparison

Hornady 17 Hornet varmint cartridge

  • 3,650 fps muzzle velocity with a 20 grain V-MAX bullet.
  • Same C.O.L. as the 22 Hornet – uses the existing action.
  • Trajectory comparable to a 55 grain 223 Rem, but the felt recoil of a 22 WMR.
  • Lower cost and comparable quality to the 17 Fireball and .223 Remington.

Video Explains 17 Hornet Features and Performance

Hornady 17 Hornet varmint cartridge

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