Forming 17 hornet?

[migrant hunter]

So I have a 17 hornet on the way (savage model 25), and I have some 22 hornet and 22 k hornet brass.
What's the chances of making the brass into 17 hornet, and is it worth it? Is the newer 17 hornet brass any better than 22 hornet? Is it worth buying special dies, other than standard FL sizing and seating dies to form 17 hornet or should I just buy factory 17 ammo and reload it?

 

[Potashminer]

If you are going to load for it, is probable that you will need a set of dies and shell holder for 17 Hornet anyways - I think I would get some, and try to run some of the existing brass through - to see what happens. I did not look it up, but I presume all are made from the same parent case - same dimensions on rim, etc.

Some years ago, I ran about 50 x 7.62 NATO previously fired cases into a 243 Win RCBS F.L. die - nothing intermediate - was the only 243 Win brass that we used for some time. I did not do any annealing. Lots of case lube, though. And that was a "good grunt" in the single leverage RCBS press that I had at that time. My current press is a RockChucker, with compound leverage - the same task might be easier with this one. It was claimed by others that the necks would be too thick, but the chamber in the Rem 788 rifle did not seem to mind them at all. The point being, I did neck down from .308" to .243" bullets, in one step, using Full Length Sizing die. And did not have to peel or thin any necks to use that reformed brass - it just did not say "243 Win" on the case head. YMMV.

I have no clue if you intend to convert 20 cases or 2,000 - that might make a difference to you. Else, if all that fails, always have the choice to buy 17 Hornet ammo or brass at a later time.

 

[migrant hunter]

I have a set of hornady dies coming, but I don't think I can size from 22 hornet to 17 hornet just by shoving a 22 into a 17 FL die.
I'm not worried about reloading 17 hornet from factory 17 hornet brass, I'm just wondering if I can use the 22 hornet brass I already have.

 

[Potashminer]

Resizing brass - is many instances here of a brass case that was made as one thing at a factory, then I ran it through a sizing die or other tool, and it is now an entirely different case - except the "head stamp" on the case did not change. I did a recent CGN post about some that I found while sorting through brass bought on CGN - so at least one other person also re-forms cases into something else. Here is the picture that I had posted in the thread that I started in late March, 2024:



The cases are not the same now, although they were likely the same when made at a factory. All four cases have an identical "head stamp".

 

[Snider shooter]

22 down to 17 isn’t a very big reduction. I have done much more drastic case forming. Lube cases and size as normal.

 

[Potashminer]

I have a set of hornady dies coming, but I don't think I can size from 22 hornet to 17 hornet just by shoving a 22 into a 17 FL die.
I'm not worried about reloading 17 hornet from factory 17 hornet brass, I'm just wondering if I can use the 22 hornet brass I already have.

I did not look at drawings to know if the shoulders are in same place - if 22 Hornet turns out "too short" - you will likely have to "fire form" those cases - is likely that you can create a good "false shoulder" to match your chamber by how you set that Full Length die - or follow the die set-up instructions and what you get will probably fit into any one else's chamber for 17 Hornet.

8x57 brass into 9.3x57 brass, for example - some have just run the 8x57 brass into a 9.3x57 die, loaded it up and fired like that. Some, like me, use other tools and first make the 8x57 into virtually straight wall, rimmed brass - then into the 9.3x57 die and turn that die down bit at a time until I get a really snug fit between this bolt face and this chamber shoulder - I am crusty and old - I do not care if it fits into anyone else's rifle - but it nearly exactly fits this one. And the case will still say "8x57" on the head stamp, even though I will fire it in my 9.3x57 marked rifle. Others end up with nearly similar result by cutting off a 30-06 brass casing and re-necking that.

Whether you use store bought new 17 Hornet brass, or re-formed 22 Hornet brass - it will likely require at least a couple of full load firings to be completely "fire formed" to your chamber. Is apparent that some are not nearly that fussy - the very first loading of either brass will go "bang" and can be shot at a target or a coyote.

 

[bearhunter]

As stated, sizing down isn't a difficult process.

However, once you get down to cases with neck diameters as small as 22 being squeezed down to 17, you will start running into difficulties.

I had a similar issue last year when I purchased a mislabeled 17 Remington, built on an older Tikka action. Lovely rifle.

I thought it would be a simple job necking down and forming 223 Remington cases as the same blanks were used for commercial loading/forming processes.

No such luck.

Usually, you can get away with previously fired cases, after reannealing, and carefully running it through the 17 full-length resizing die. Not for me, even after following Utube instructions.

So, I tried forming new R-P 223 Remington cases and had the same issues with forming.

It's a bigger step down than it first appears, especially when you've swaged down cases with larger diameters, such as 30 cal, to 25 cal.

Collapsed shoulders and wrinkled necks were the outcome of my endeavors. Luckily, I found a source for a few hundred factory 17 Remington cases so the problem was solved.

It still left me curious and it was an itch I just had to scratch, so I made up an intermediate sizing die with an old 219 Calhoun die I had in a box of bits. This took care of it all. Not just a slam dunk though. The cases being necked down need to be annealed or new to work well.

You might not have any issues necking down 22 Hornet cases to 17 Hornet. The tapered body, without a shoulder, may give the sidewalls more strength and allow the neck to be swaged down without too much fuss, but use a lot of lubricant.

IMHO, if you try necking down 22 K Hornet cases you will have similar issues to what I ran into.

Unlike the 22 Hornet, the 17 Hornet has a shoulder, so you will have to make sure your resized cases will feed and chamber properly, then neck resize only afterward.

The 17 Hornet is a great little cartridge, a step up from the 17HMR.

It's also a very fussy cartridge to load and find suitable component bullets for, let alone cases or even loaded ammo (expensive)

Most local gun shops or the big box stores won't have them. Some of our banner advertisers carry a few boxes, but they're few and far between.

I ended up getting a friend to bring me a bulk pack out of the US, by hopping onto his order through a broker, to get shootable quantities of 17 bullets.

 

[lpel]

It’s been a while since I’ve done any 22H to 17H conversion. It can be done. Just go slow and do not over lube the necks. Just do short strokes on the ram and turn the cases slightly each time. If you try to go too fast at once you will have issues. If I recall the cases will need to be trimmed once you are done. Do not anneal before sizing as the case will be too soft.

 

[bearhunter]

It’s been a while since I’ve done any 22H to 17H conversion. It can be done. Just go slow and do not over lube the necks. Just do short strokes on the ram and turn the cases slightly each time. If you try to go too fast at once you will have issues. If I recall the cases will need to be trimmed once you are done. Do not anneal before sizing as the case will be too soft.

Wow, my experience is opposite to the method you use.

I'll have to try this again.

 

[southernman]

Ive sized down lots, lube it up good, run the brass into the seater die first and final sizing to .17 Hornet in full length sizer,
You will need to trim brass down, before you start, it grows quite a bit,
One thing to be weary of, there is quite a bit of capacity difference, between hornet brass, PPU and Hornardy are about the same, Winchester and remington brass have considerably greater capacity, almost 2 g, a load safe in win or Rem, may blow primers is lesser capacity brass.

There is quite a lot of info on subier, about sizing to .17 Hornet,

 

[migrant hunter]

Ive sized down lots, lube it up good, run the brass into the seater die first and final sizing to .17 Hornet in full length sizer,
You will need to trim brass down, before you start, it grows quite a bit,
One thing to be weary of, there is quite a bit of capacity difference, between hornet brass, PPU and Hornardy are about the same, Winchester and remington brass have considerably greater capacity, almost 2 g, a load safe in win or Rem, may blow primers is lesser capacity brass.

There is quite a lot of info on subier, about sizing to .17 Hornet,

That's the info I'm looking for. What kind of dies are you using? I got a set of hornady dies with the rifle but apparently they don't work for forming.

 

[southernman]

That's the info I'm looking for. What kind of dies are you using? I got a set of hornady dies with the rifle but apparently they don't work for forming.

I use Redding dies, trim to 1.355 before starting, and trim again after fire form.
Have a look at Saubier.com for more info, there is 60 pages of info in the reloading section, sticky on the.( .22 hornet to .17, )
Most of what you need, is in the first few pages, rest is just fluff.