Originally Posted By: rookie71. How loud is it compared to a regular 17 hmr?
When you're running full bore loads, a good bit. I'd say into the 17FB territory.
Originally Posted By: rookie72. Excluding dies, has anyone calculated the cost of reloading 50 rounds of 17 HH compared to buying 17 hmr?
Well first you either have to buy factory ammo or brass: $50 shipped for 100 pieces of 22H brass or 80$ for 60 17HH loaded rounds.
Next if you use the 22H brass you need another dies to form them, I used a cheap Hornady 17FB die, so 20$ if you go that route.
Then you need a trimmer for the 22H brass 90$ for a LE Wilson trimmer.
Then you'll still need a set of 17HH dies, 40$ shipped.
Then bullets and powder if you don't have AA1680 or a similar powder it's going to run you about 18$ per pound plus primers are going to be close to 20$ plus hazmat on the powder too if you don't buy them at the local place. so maybe 60$ for those two items and bullets will be about 15$ per 100. So now lets break this down.
Remember this is for 50rds
From 22H (per 100) 17HH (per 50)
Brass: $50 $25
Form Die: $20 -
Trimmer: $90 -
Powder: $18 $18
Primer: $20 $20
Bullets: $14 $14
17HH dies: $40 $40
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Total: $252 $117
Now looking at this you're thinking it's a no thought choice, but I would opt for the 22H. You can make the brass to fit the rifle where I know for a fact the facotry ammo has a huge headspace (about .030) and can cause case head seperation after a few good reloadings. So to be fair now half of $252 is $126. This is the intial buy, now you have to calculate in the number of reloadings, 17HMR once, I am on my 4th reloading with the 17HH brass I formed. So that $126 dollars is now broken into 4ths, meaning I am down to about $31 per 50 but I am also getting speeds of 3700fps with the 20gr Vmax and Ramshot Powder, 1200fps faster than the 17HMR. As long as I anneal and take care of the brass my cost could be into the few dollars per 50. Say I get 10 reloadings from that fist 50, I am now paying about $13 per 50 rounds minus the cost of new bullet. And that 1lb of powder, well at 11gr per shot, I can get almost 636rds from it. It would be about 50% less if you went with the 17HH to start with also.
Adam