Hunt Report: Squirrel-Busting with Varminter.com’s 17 Hornet
When considering .17-caliber Varminting, most guys think rimfire — shooting the 17 HMR or the newer 17 WSM. But there is a good, affordable centerfire option — the 17 Hornet — with quality factory ammunition available. Hornady produces factory 17 Hornet Ammo with three bullet options: 15.5gr NTX, 20gr V-Max, and the new 25gr HP Varmint. Our friends at Varminter.com recently conducted a test of Hornady’s new 25gr HP “Custom” ammunition, reasonably affordable at around $29/box of 50 rounds. Varminter.com tested the ammo in a CZ 527 rifle chambered for the 17 Hornet on a ground squirrel hunt in Northern Nevada.
» READ FULL 17 Hornet TEST & HUNT REPORT on Varminter.com
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Hornady 17 Hornet 25 Grain HP CUSTOM™ Ammo (#83006) Specifications: 25 grain HP Varmint bullet |
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Ammo Testing and Hunt Report
By Varminter.com’s Editor
With the new 25gr Hornady 17 Hornet ammo, our accuracy results ranged from 0.528″ to 0.85″, with an average of 0.678″ over ten, 5-shot groups at 100 yards. After shooting the groups, we settled on a 200-yard zero, which put the rifle at 1.1″ high @ 100 yards and 5.3″ low @300 yards.
“I went 14 shots in a row without a miss, and that was from 80 yards out to 220 yards. On these small varmints here, the 25-grain HP does a good job [and] the ammunition is accurate.”
Ground Squirrel Gauntlet in Northern Nevada
It was a few months after the initial range work when I was able to really put this ammo to work on some varmints. The grass here in Southern Idaho had grown quite tall, so we decided to head over to a spot on a private ranch down in Northern Nevada. We were promised some good shooting, but until we actually sit down at the bench and start pulling the trigger, we try not to get our hopes up. Needless to say, we were not disappointed in the amount of varmints and shooting we experienced!
The set-up was simple. I set-up with my bench pointed down a private dirt road on the edge of a large alfalfa field. I was going to be shooting something I call “The Gauntlet”. What this means, is that the majority of the ground squirrels were making their home outside of the alfalfa fields. This is a perfect spot for ground squirrels, because they are forced to cross an open area (the dirt road), in order to get to the lush, green, alfalfa. Within this gauntlet, the ground squirrels would consistently stop on the edge to make sure it was safe to run across to the alfalfa side. This gives you a few seconds [time window] to find the squirrel in your scope and make the shot. The range of shoots were from 80 yards out to 220 yards down the road. CLICK HERE to read full 17 Hornet Hunt Report.
Speed Kills — 3650 FPS with a 20-Grainer
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. Look at the chart below. You can see that the 17 Hornet’s trajectory (blue-gray line) is almost an identical match for the larger .223 Rem (red line) all the way out to 400 yards or so.
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Tags: .17 WSM, 17 HMR, 17 Hornet, Ground Squirrels, Hornady, Varmint, Varminter.com, Varminting
I shoot more 17 HMR than any other round in prairie dog fields. But a 17 Hornet would cover all the same ground and add another 100 yards of usable range without adding much muzzle rise. Gotta get one!
Let’s see 17 Hornet $29/ box of 50 rounds =.58 cents a round. I can buy Norma .223 ammo for .30 cents a round. I recoil from a .223 is Nil.
Matt:
At 30 cents you are buying military style ball ammo which is a poor choice for shooting small varmints….primarily because it’s not safe due to ricochet. Recoil with a 223 is enough to lose sight picture if you are zoomed in on the target and watching impact is 90% of the fun
I shot a .22 hornet a lot as a kid. It was my dads go to varmit gun. It really is a great round. I had wanted one for a couple decades, when it was time to look for a varmet rifle I decided to try something new. I have now owned my .17 hornet for 2 years. Amazing round! I just got back from Elko, Nevada where I took it out rabbit hunting with my dad. He was shocked by how it performed. Reloading for it only makes it better. It quickly became my truck gun, and I doubt that will ever change.