17 HMR and child labour!

[Smellydog]

Buying old HMR ammo to some makes their knees knock for fear of the infamous squib rounds.
Not me, I know what to look for and with the granddaughters young eyes the task of checking each round I'd quickly done

Out of 250 rounds for half today's price just 8 were split.

The Hornady and Winchester powders are completely different but none were damp. Many believe damp causes the issue, it's not. It's merely the lack of neck tension on the bullet, vital for good powder ignition.

 

[Cottis]

I think Winchester had/have their own line whereas CCI made/make the rest.

I recently had to top up HMR supplies and my local shop had 200 round boxes of CCI A17 stuff which claims to be 100fps faster than the standard 17grain stuff. It looks identical to me, has CCI headstamp and dark plastic tips like the old Federal V Shok HMR stuff. All i know is that it shoots bang on and was only £62 for 200 rounds. The same place was selling 50 round boxes of Hornady for £22

I like the HMR. I know it gets a lot of stick but I have shot thousands and thousands of rounds through my Anshutz and apart from a couple of primer fails which worked fine after I rotated the cartridge, I have never had an issue.

I do have some ancient boxes of purple tip Hornady that have some split necks. I just use them carefully to condition/foul the bore when/if I ever bother to clean the barrel.

 

[Tazz]

Buying old HMR ammo to some makes their knees knock for fear of the infamous squib rounds.
Not me, I know what to look for and with the granddaughters young eyes the task of checking each round I'd quickly done
View attachment 294739
Out of 250 rounds for half today's price just 8 were split.
View attachment 294740
The Hornady and Winchester powders are completely different but none were damp. Many believe damp causes the issue, it's not. It's merely the lack of neck tension on the bullet, vital for good powder ignition.
View attachment 294741

Once the HMR job is completed a good time for her to do the chimney coming in to Spring

 

[Smellydog]

I think Winchester had/have their own line whereas CCI made/make the rest.

I recently had to top up HMR supplies and my local shop had 200 round boxes of CCI A17 stuff which claims to be 100fps faster than the standard 17grain stuff. It looks identical to me, has CCI headstamp and dark plastic tips like the old Federal V Shok HMR stuff. All i know is that it shoots bang on and was only £62 for 200 rounds. The same place was selling 50 round boxes of Hornady for £22

I like the HMR. I know it gets a lot of stick but I have shot thousands and thousands of rounds through my Anshutz and apart from a couple of primer fails which worked fine after I rotated the cartridge, I have never had an issue.

I do have some ancient boxes of purple tip Hornady that have some split necks. I just use them carefully to condition/foul the bore when/if I ever bother to clean the barrel.

The Winchester does look very different brass wise but there was still some split ones.
I tried Winchester a few years ago and got misfires with it. I will test these for that soon.

 

[Tazz]

I have only used Remington for many years and never had any issues

 

[Cottis]

The Winchester does look very different brass wise but there was still some split ones.
I tried Winchester a few years ago and got misfires with it. I will test these for that soon.

Must admit, with HMR ammo, I am an "anything but Winchester" sort of guy.

 

[Smellydog]

I have only used Remington for many years and never had any issues

I got through a few hundred of old Remington's myself and did have a few squibs but it was before I knew what to look for.

 

[Smellydog]

Must admit, with HMR ammo, I am an "anything but Winchester" sort of guy.

Yep, and issues and it'll be plinked away! All good practice, especially off hand.

 

[Foxyboy43]

Buying old HMR ammo to some makes their knees knock for fear of the infamous squib rounds.
Not me, I know what to look for and with the granddaughters young eyes the task of checking each round I'd quickly done
View attachment 294739
Out of 250 rounds for half today's price just 8 were split.
View attachment 294740
The Hornady and Winchester powders are completely different but none were damp. Many believe damp causes the issue, it's not. It's merely the lack of neck tension on the bullet, vital for good powder ignition.
View attachment 294741

Aye - a strike rate of 1 in 30 (1-2 per box of Hornady Vmax ) is probably about right in my experience with this superb little round. It would be interesting to check the brass post-firing as that I find is when most split cases occur. Steve Hornady put out a very strongly-worded video message some time ago stating that there was nothing wrong with his cases but rather the problem was with the rifles..….
I can’t find it now - go figure!

 

[Smellydog]

Aye - a strike rate of 1 in 30 (1-2 per box of Hornady Vmax ) is probably about right in my experience with this superb little round. It would be interesting to check the brass post-firing as that I find is when most split cases occur. Steve Hornady put out a very strongly-worded video message some time ago stating that there was nothing wrong with his cases but rather the problem was with the rifles..….
I can’t find it now - go figure!

He is wrong, I have the evidence.


I have never had a cause for concern after a successful shot but the spent case is split, be it rimfire or centerfire FB.

 

[Heym SR20]

With the 17 HMR, does it actually matter if the odd case splits at the neck on firing. Does it affect accuracy and do you get lots of gas coming back into the action? I haven’t ever used a 17 HMR.

 

[Foxyboy43]

With the 17 HMR, does it actually matter if the odd case splits at the neck on firing. Does it affect accuracy and do you get lots of gas coming back into the action? I haven’t ever used a 17 HMR.

I have a collection of split Vmax cases but only discernible upon examination post-firing even though I “screen” mine before going out shooting.
No obvious effect on accuracy or damage to rabbits and it is a superb little round - despite what has been reported.

 

[Len the dog]

I went through all of mine and found about a dozen with splits before firing. I fired them and found that they grouped every bit as good as the unsplit cases.

 

[Smellydog]

Y

I went through all of mine and found about a dozen with splits before firing. I fired them and found that they grouped every bit as good as the unsplit cases.

Yes they can but every now and then one will be delayed or worse a squib.

 

[Smellydog]

With the 17 HMR, does it actually matter if the odd case splits at the neck on firing. Does it affect accuracy and do you get lots of gas coming back into the action? I haven’t ever used a 17 HMR.

No sir, no gas leak or change in performance. Splitting on firing.

 

[Crowstalker]

I love my wee 17HMR, u wouldn't get rid of it. Tbh I dont check the cases before firing. What does one look for when checking apart from the obvious cracks?

 

[Smellydog]

I love my wee 17HMR, u wouldn't get rid of it. Tbh I dont check the cases before firing. What does one look for when checking apart from the obvious cracks?

Nothing, just the obvious crack

 

[Len the dog]

Y
Yes they can but every now and then one will be delayed or worse a squib.

Which is why I checked them, went out to do a bit of plinking and the very first round was a squib. Play time over as I didn't have a rod and was miles from home.
I now keep a 3 piece brass rod in the car.

 

[Dunwaters]

Nothing, just the obvious crack

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