Thread: new caliber

Historical Notes:

The 17 Ackley Hornet is simply the 22 Hornet Improved necked down to 17 caliber. It was originated by P.O. Ackley in the early 1950's and he describes this cartridge as one of the most balanced of the 17 caliber cartridges. Although small, it delivers ballistics equal to some of the larger 17 caliber cartridges. It is an effective 200 yard varmint cartridge and is quite accurate. It is normally used in single shot rifles, although the small Sako bolt action was favored by many because it was made to handle rimmed cartridges such as the 22 Hornet or 218 Bee.

General Comments:

The 17 Hornet is a good cartridge for use in settled areas where a mild report and minimum ricochet are desirable characteristics. It is one of the most accurate of the 17 calibers. Its use should be confined to varmint shooting. The standard twist is 1 in 10 inches, the same as most other 17 caliber rifles. Reportedly, IMR 4198 gives the most uniform results, although Ball BL-C2 as well as several of the newer powders should work well.