Thread: .17HMR bolt gun splitting cases

Originally Posted by Mooseman

Interesting thread re the splitting of 17 HMR cases. I had a Marlin 22 Mag for many years and never had a problem with it until one day I was checking the zero and noticed split shells. The brass would stick in the chamber and I had to dig it out with the point of a knife. I though it is a different caliber but the same type of problem. I think in this case it was a faulty batch of brass as it had never happened in the past with the ammo in question or other brands. The ammo was Winchester 40 gr HP in the grey box at the time. I have since sold the rifle but I shot thousands of rounds through it before that problem occurred.Attachment 58592Attachment 58593

Man. Those are REAL splits. My 17HMR never does anything near that bad. I have only ever notice it on the actual neck of the case, not in the body.

Originally Posted by 223nut

Slight change of track.... What ammo is Vail le for 17her, can only get 17gr have heard of 20gr F.M.J. But shop didn't have them in stock. Anyone know of anything heavier?

I have used the Hornady 20gn but my rifle didn't shoot it as well as the 17gn.

Originally Posted by Sideshow

I'd like to know if moisture would get in? Like when it's raining?
Could maybe end up with hang fire due to wet powder?

Hey @Sideshow. I have just found a 17gn Hornady round that has gone through the washing in my jeans pocket. I will try it and let you know what happens.

Originally Posted by Shearer

Hey @Sideshow. I have just found a 17gn Hornady round that has gone through the washing in my jeans pocket. I will try it and let you know what happens.

Oh I'm sure it will be fine....clean your gun as you shot it plus sterilise what ever it hits

Originally Posted by Shearer

Hey @Sideshow. I have just found a 17gn Hornady round that has gone through the washing in my jeans pocket. I will try it and let you know what happens.

Give us a yell on how you get it out from 1/2 way down the tube will ya

Originally Posted by zimmer

Give us a yell on how you get it out from 1/2 way down the tube will ya

Fire another one up behind it of course.

I put 15 Hornady through my Savage yesterday - didn’t seem to group too well at 100m - maybe 75mm - so I opened a new box of Winchester and put another 15 through it - grouped better - maybe 50mm - probably not the fault of the rifle or ammo - I need a lot more practice and a much better rest
I saw your thread this morning so went back to the paddock and picked up the cases - just one neck split in the Hornady but seven of the Winchester split end to end and a couple of neck splits - not that I am worried - the barrel on that rifle is very heavy and the Winchester seemed more accurate
It has fired about 50 shots now so I put a bore snake through it today - now that really had me worried - fark it was tight

Originally Posted by Shearer

Hey @Sideshow. I have just found a 17gn Hornady round that has gone through the washing in my jeans pocket. I will try it and let you know what happens.

@Shearer be careful I had one that went thru the wash, when fired the projectile went about 100mm down the barrel. I only picked it up with the sound otherwise a second one would have been sent down the blocked barrel!

Originally Posted by Maca49

@Shearer be careful I had one that went thru the wash, when fired the projectile went about 100mm down the barrel. I only picked it up with the sound otherwise a second one would have been sent down the blocked barrel!

Yeah @Maca49. Im hearing ya. I would never do that. I through it in the fire instead.

Originally Posted by time out

I put 15 Hornady through my Savage yesterday - didn’t seem to group too well at 100m - maybe 75mm - so I opened a new box of Winchester and put another 15 through it - grouped better - maybe 50mm - probably not the fault of the rifle or ammo - I need a lot more practice and a much better rest
I saw your thread this morning so went back to the paddock and picked up the cases - just one neck split in the Hornady but seven of the Winchester split end to end and a couple of neck splits - not that I am worried - the barrel on that rifle is very heavy and the Winchester seemed more accurate
It has fired about 50 shots now so I put a bore snake through it today - now that really had me worried - fark it was tight

Winchester brass appears to be the problem, must be brittle. That's bad splitting in your 17HMR Time Out.

I'd never heard of it, so I decided to check out some of the age old Hornady 17g V-MAX ammo I had, and 'amazingly' managed to find two out of the 20 that I inspected!

I have, however, had a semiautomatic .17 HMR rifle and fired thousands of these babies through it without all the problems everyone else is going on about with 'semi .17's'... I guess I deserve a little good luck now and again!

Originally Posted by 223nut

Slight change of track.... What ammo is Vail le for 17her, can only get 17gr have heard of 20gr F.M.J. But shop didn't have them in stock. Anyone know of anything heavier?

I used these for goats,much more effective than the 17 grain. But man, the accuracy sure went down hill with the 20 grain. 1/3 of an inch grouping with the 17grain, 3 inch grouping with the 20 grain.
If i reloaded i would get a 204 ruger instead.

Problems with the 17hmr have been recorded since the day it came out in the UK lots of recorded incidents of heads stuck in barrels, a few rifles blowing up due to a following round being fired, I assume this is why you don,t see many semi 17 hmr rifles ?, strangely never heard of a problem with the hm2, and I have lots of friends in the USA who hunt with them daily and have done so for many years.

I have had all the same problems when using the HM2 in a sleeved 1955 BSA Century





My Remington 504T LSHB in 17 hmr went through thousands of rounds and cracked brass was common.

Originally Posted by time out

I put 15 Hornady through my Savage yesterday - didn’t seem to group too well at 100m - maybe 75mm - so I opened a new box of Winchester and put another 15 through it - grouped better - maybe 50mm - probably not the fault of the rifle or ammo - I need a lot more practice and a much better rest
I saw your thread this morning so went back to the paddock and picked up the cases - just one neck split in the Hornady but seven of the Winchester split end to end and a couple of neck splits - not that I am worried - the barrel on that rifle is very heavy and the Winchester seemed more accurate
It has fired about 50 shots now so I put a bore snake through it today - now that really had me worried - fark it was tight

FAAA that's bad CCI's only split the necks a little. I am begining to think that 17 must really bush brass to the limit as a material.