17 rem vs 17-223

6

6724

New member
there is a 17 remington AR in the classifieds, and for some reason it got my attention that i "need" one. but then i started to wonder why not just go with a 17-223? i see quite a few posts lamenting the lack of availability of 17 rem brass. i know it can be made from 223, but so can 17-223. it seems like it would be simpler to go with 17-223. i do not care about what the headstamp says, i already load for 3 or 4 calibers without proper headstamp brass available.

my intent would be to use the 17 caliber for fox and bobcat. i do not have many of either around here, but some times i do go to areas just for fox. but also, it would be something i would use for ground squirrels and such..
 
I love my 17 rem. but would go 17/204 next time for brass. But I have a 20" sd upper that shoots great. I bought 400 pieces of brass so I should be ok for a day or two
 
I decided to have a 17-223 AR15 barrel made up for a build I am doing. I figure it will fling brass and I won't worry too much about losing some here or there, since 17-223 is pretty simple and cheap to make up.

I do have a 17-204 in a bolt action and love it.
 
Originally Posted By: 6724i see quite a few posts lamenting the lack of availability of 17 rem brass. i know it can be made from 223, but so can 17-223.

You actually need 222Mag brass to make 17Rem cases unless you don't mind em being short.
Some guys get buy with it but I wouldn't.

I'm as big a 17Rem fan as you'll find and have enough brass to last my lifetime and then some but if I were starting over I go 17/222, 17/223. The 17/223's performance will be so close to the 17Rem it isn't worth talking about.
17/204's a goodun too if you want to shoot 30's but that's another thread.
 
Originally Posted By: RePete
I'm as big a 17Rem fan as you'll find and have enough brass to last my lifetime and then some but if I were starting over I go 17/222, 17/223. The 17/223's performance will be so close to the 17Rem it isn't worth talking about.


That's what I say too. I have been shooting the .17 Remington for 35 years and have lots of brass for it. But if I were starting over today with a .17 centerfire of some sort I think that I would go with a .17/.223 or maybe the .17 Predator if I were going to use 30 grain bullets.

Like Repete says, the difference in performance between a .17 Rem and a 17/223 is insignificant. No critters will able to tell the difference that's for sure.
 
I have a 17x223 build in the works as well. Have only fired 3 rounds for chamber specs to setup my die. No scope at the moment but hopefully soon!

I know the data at hodgdon show the 17/223 as a very close second to the 17 rem but the 17x223 is actually a bit more case volume than the 17 rem so Im thinking it should be able to do all that the 17 rem can and maybe a bit more but like I said I have not got to play with it yet. once we get some warmer temps I will get out and run some loads over the chrony and see what happens.
 
I went through the same debate on wether to go with a 17REM or 17xxx. I went with the 17REM and glad I did. I just got the rifle back last summer from Greg Tannel, and I have already got over 1000 pieces of brass, it is not that hard to get when you start looking for it on a regular basis.

I can shoot 30gr Todd Kindler gold 4100FPS all day with it, but I keep it tame to 3850FPS. The 17REM can do anything any other 17xxx can do all day long, it is still the king. And on the plus side, you can still find factory ammo, which makes it a better option for resale(Not that I would ever sell mine).
 
Originally Posted By: Harmon

I can shoot 30gr Todd Kindler gold 4100FPS all day with it, but I keep it tame to 3850FPS. The 17REM can do anything any other 17xxx can do all day long, it is still the king. And on the plus side, you can still find factory ammo, which makes it a better option for resale(Not that I would ever sell mine).



4100FPS all day? That seems pretty fast for a 17 Rem. I can do that with the 25gr bullets in mine but the 17-204 pushes the 30's at 4000 pretty easily, and that is where I like it, so it works well for me.
 
If your gonna do a AR I would say go 17/223. Much easier to leave a piece of brass or two behind on the 223 vs the 17 rem.
 
Tim, not sure how long the brass will last, I loaded four rounds with H322 at 24gr, and the first one was 4136. I did not see any pressure signs on the brass and the primer looked good. I shot the other three and two of the three were over 4100 and one was just under. I looked at all the brass fired at that speed and it all looked good, it was much louder with the 24gr. of H322.

I started with:
10 rounds- 21gr. / 27gr bullets
10 rounds- 21.5gr. / 27gr bullets
10 rounds-22gr. / 27gr bullets
and so on to 23gr. / 27gr bullets

I did four each at 23.5gr and 24gr / 30gr bullets

I was using the magneto speed v2

I worked my way up to that and settled with the 22.3gr at 3850 with 27gr bullets. That is where I got my best groups.
 
Thanks for the info.

Like many things not all barrels are the same, some are faster ,some are slower. 3850 on the 27's should run a long long time...
 
Originally Posted By: Orneryolfart357Classic..

Once again,,,, nothing relevant to add but still an uncontrollable need to crack wise.
 
Originally Posted By: HarmonMy barrel is a 24" Lilja with 1-9 twist.

You just answered the question I was going to ask. I don't own a Chronograph anymore so I don't know the speed of my 17 bullets, but I do know that the loads in my Lilja barrel 17 Rem. are much higher than with my factory 17 Rem. and an Olympic barrel 17 Rem., plus the Lilja barrel shows no pressure signs with great accuracy.
While 4100fps with a 30gr. out of a 17 Rem. is pretty darn high, based on my experience with mine it must be possible.
 
I have never reloaded any other 17 and this is the only 17REM I have. The only other gun I have reloaded for is the 260REM. I'm just now starting to reload for my 17FB.

I did run the same with the 27gr. kindler gold at 24gr. of H322, and it ran at 4237, and it was very loud. Not that 17REM pop I usually get. After that shot I said to myself, well I think that is as far as I will ever go. Again, the brass and primer looked good, but I could tell by the sound it was really pushing ( I guess). I did hit the spot at 100 yards. I hear some people say you can turn them to dust when you run them real fast, but it didn't.

I worked my way up to all this really looking at the brass to see if I could see any high pressure signs and I never did. Grant it, Like Tim said, How long would that brass last, not long I would think.

Being new to reloading, running bullets that fast with me being over the powder limits from the books is not the smartest thing, but I did work my way up to it and I was careful to inspect all the brass fired before continuing. I just wanted to know what my gun is capable of shooting and my limits and I found it.

27gr bullet, 22.3 H322, rem 71/2, 3850FPS was my sweet spot, and that is what I plan on running till I have to change bullets for any reason.
 
Last edited:
As for Chronograph goes, that Magneto speed v2 is very nice and easy to set up. That is if you were ever wanting another Chronograph.
 
Back
Top