Prickly Pear are in bloom!

orkan

Active member
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I need to find a straight bolt handle for this 527. Why they decided to sweep the handle up is beyond my comprehension. I loathe factory rifles, but this 527 17 hornet has been very amusing this spring.
 
As you are aware, the little CZ 527 17 Hornets are a, VERY, fun little gun to shoot and having them threaded to shoot suppressed, just makes them even more fun. I liked my first CZ 527 Varmint 17 Hornet so well I bought a second one and the factory ammo in these things typically shoots pretty darn good.
 
Originally Posted By: B23 The factory ammo in these things typically shoots pretty darn good.



Yes they do , In fact the boy shoots his as his primary coyote gun. He has been reloading for years , all calibers.
Never been able to find a better load in his CZ then the factory stuff, he has tried MANY different combos.
 
Orkan, nice work.
Always liked the prairie flowers.
I had some good pics from a couple of years ago. Flowers were in clumps, perfectly round bunches. Looked almost like potted mums from a distance. I looked around this year and most bunches had some critter munched out the sides of them.

Curious as to what glass that is.
Did you just photo through the scope or was there an attachment device for the camera?

I bought a Bmag thinking I was going to use it out to 200, being a replacement for my 527 17HH. Gonna have to do some work on the Bmag to make me happy.
Jeff
 
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Originally Posted By: jshCurious as to what glass that is.
Did you just photo through the scope or was there an attachment device for the camera?

Just a crappy nightforce I keep around. Pic was taken with iphone... I just held it up there. I just threw this rifle together to see if I was going to get along with the rifles/cartridge at all... so I grabbed this nightforce out of a drawer.

Now that I know I like the 17 hornet (a lot), I bought a new CZ 527, except this time a varmint model. Got a new boyds pro varmint stock with adjustable comb, and will have them bedded, cut/threaded, cerakoted, etc. That one will get a proper scope: Tangent Theta 315M. I'm looking into a mcmillan or manners carbon fiber stock that is suitable to inlet for the 527... but the boyds will work for now.

If anyone has a lead on a proper bolt handle for this rifle, I'd be grateful for the tip.

I've killed over 1600 pdogs so far this spring with this rifle. It will be interesting to see how many rounds it will go.
 
Went out again today. They were thick. I was only out for a little over an hour and killed 71. Considering I only had 75 rounds with me... I consider that a smashing success. Was shooting them as fast as I could run the action and reload mags.

I definitely need to get a chair that swivels, or at least doesn't have arm rests, so I can pivot around. Next time I plan to hide the ranger northstar in the bottom of a draw, but I wasn't planning on staying long.
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This little pronghorn came to say hello.
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When I'm shooting all his pals in the head out to 250yds on this beautiful 1-5mph breeze day... it's probably best for his safety to avoid fully exposing himself at 28yds and barking at me. Then it's probably better for him if he doesn't sit there long enough for me to get a picture, chamber a round, and thump his chest good. It's always fun when some close ones get an attitude. I can get it adjusted right quick.
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Installed an HS precision stock today. Significant improvement in ergo's over the factory sporter, but definitely not what I'd call all the way right. It'll get replaced. I ordered up a Boyds pro varmint stock with adjustable cheek to try out next.

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Shot two prairie dogs at 475yds with the 17 hornet today. Missed the first shot on both, connected on both on the second round. I misjudged the wind by about 1/4 to 1/2 of 1mph on both of the first shots, which put me off by a tenth or so. These little 20gr bullets just aren't meant for that kind of trip. Five mph 2:00 wind, and I was holding right 1 mil and up 2.6 mils of elevation for impact. The 17 hornet is very capable to 300yds, but it really shows its limitations at that longer distance. It was only hitting with 85 ft/lbs at 475yds. At 200yds, impact energy is upwards of 280 ft/lbs.

Shot a pile of them from 130 to 250yds today. Very much in the 17 hornet comfort zone. Explosively solid hits. Non-existent recoil. It's just so much fun. Around a hundred killed today.
 
If you like a McM A5 then you'll like the Boyd's Pro Varmint. I put a Boyd's Pro Varmint on my Bmag 17 WSM and it's nearly identical to my McM A5's.

The comb height is really low on the CZ 527 factory stocks. Even the HS Prec has a very low comb height. I see you're using a pic rail and rings instead of the dove tail rings specifically for the CZ 527. I had a similar setup on my CZ 527 204 and had to put an adj. cheek piece on the stock in order to get an acceptable cheek weld. You'll like the Pro Varmint with the adjustable cheek piece. The Pro Varmint I have on my Bmag doesn't have that but the one my dad put on his 17 HMR does and it's a nice solid piece, I was actually impressed with the quality of it considering their cost.

The rail I used on my CZ 527 204 setup was from DIP Inc and even with the lowest rings I could use and still clear the barrel with the Burris 4-20x50 Veracity, the comb was so low I had to lift my head up off the stock in order to see through the scope. Some people either aren't bothered by this or they don't notice, I'm neither, and I can't stand lifting my head up to see through the scope. I always feel like I'm searching around for the right position when I have to do that.
 
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Awesome pics. Seeing the photos through the scope takes me back to enjoyable days afield in SD. I'm ready to go back. 1,250 mile journey takes some planning.
 
orkan, have you by chance shot any of the 15.5gr ammo in your 17 Hornet? That stuff shoots extremely well in both of mine and out to 300 yards those tiny little 15.5 grainers flat blow the stuffing out of things.

Those little 15.5gr NTX lead free bullets are nearly the same length as the 20gr Vmax. As you are well aware, wind has a tendency to dance these little bullets around a fair bit, but that just adds to the fun of shooting these little 17's.

What color laminate did you order your Boyd's Pro Varmint in? I think you're going to really like that stock and look forward to seeing a pic of it all together.
 
Originally Posted By: B23What color laminate did you order your Boyd's Pro Varmint in? I chose coyote laminate. I've not used the 15gr bullets. I've no interest in hornady ammo, so I'm sticking with the federal offerings.
 
Originally Posted By: orkanOriginally Posted By: B23What color laminate did you order your Boyd's Pro Varmint in? I chose coyote laminate. I've not used the 15gr bullets. I've no interest in hornady ammo, so I'm sticking with the federal offerings.

Hate to be the one to tell you this, but it's one and the same, the only difference is the box says Federal AE on it, and that is coming straight from Federal themselves.

When it first came out I called Federal because I was hoping they were using different brass, but the Federal Tech told me they sub contract the 17 Hornet ammo out and it's the same stuff as the Hornady label. I further pushed and asked, ok but if it's the same stuff why the difference in advertised velocity, he told me their test gun was fitted with a shorter barrel than what Hornady uses.

Coyote Laminate is what my dad went with on his HMR and I used the same when I restocked my CZ 204, but that one wasn't a Pro Varmint. A Coyote Laminate Pro Varmint is going to look very nice on your 17 Hornet.
 
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Originally Posted By: B23Hate to be the one to tell you this, but it's one and the same, the only difference is the box says Federal AE on it, and that is coming straight from Federal themselves.

They are most definitely not the same. When I first started shooting 17 hornet I bought several different types of hornady ammo... the cases bulged at the web on all of it. Very hot, as per usual for hornady. The federal however does not, across 4 different lot numbers purchased months apart. It all shoots better, and it all produces excellent velocity without blowing out the cases. The brass simply feels a better quality.

So if hornady is manufacturing it, and they may be, as you say, you wouldn't know it based on how it behaves and the perceived quality of the brass. So perhaps once upon a time hornady made it... but doesn't now? Even if hornady is making it, but using a specific federal spec, then that's enough for me. I assure you the hornady stuff I've used is quite different from this federal I've been shooting. This stuff does not behave like any of the hornady ammo at all.

I also find it strange that if it's a hornady rebrand, why not stick with their 25rnd boxes with plastic tray? Do they deliver loaded ammo in bulk and then federal boxes it in their 50rnd foam tray boxes?

Federal case on the left, hornady on the right. You can clearly see the case disruption on the hornady case. Not a single federal case from any of my lot numbers purchased at any time looks like that. There are other small differences between them which would indicate either entirely different equipment, or completely different company. Either way, the federal branded ammo is simply better.

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I just noticed also, that the box on federal's website is not folded like the boxes that I've been getting, for what that's worth. So perhaps they changed something.


 
orkan, what is the Lot# of that American Eagle ammo you're shooting? If you could post a pic of the Lot# from the box, that would be even better.

I've pulled the bullets on a couple factory Hornady 17 Hornet 20gr Vmax and though I don't have a clue what the specific powder is, the powder charge for both of the ones I measured was 11.7gr of powder.
 
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And those would be Hornady Lot#'s.

To double check myself, so I wasn't spreading bad information, I talked to Federal again earlier today. The Tech I talk to was great and very willing to share/give out information. He confirmed what I'd been told before, and to date, all of the Federal AE ammo for the 17 Hornet is made for them by Hornady. I asked if Federal had different specs than the Hornady labeled ammo, he said no and everything is the same with the exception of the headstamp on the brass.

He did tell me Federal had plans to start making their own 17 Hornet ammo in house but they hadn't done so as of yet. I asked him, for future reference, once their in house made 17 Hornet ammo hits the shelf, how will we be able to tell the difference between it and the stuff made by Hornady, he said Federal uses a whole different Lot# sequence than does Hornady. Hornady Lot#'s are numbers only, like your boxes have, where as Federal uses letters and numbers in their Lot#'s.

I also asked about the odd cases we often see. He said he fields calls on this all the time and actually had some on his desk a customer had sent back. He told me nearly 100% of the calls he takes regarding this is from people with CZ 527 17 Hornets and they usually all say the same thing, it shoots fine but the brass comes out looking odd.
 
I checked the lot numbers on my hornady boxes and confirmed same thing you did. Definitely hornady ammo in these federal boxes. Strange to me that the federal boxed stuff is better in every way than the hornady boxed stuff.

Did federal tech have anything to say about that? In my CZ, all hornady looks over-pressure. All federal looks fine.
 
Went out for a few hours yesterday. It was rough! Winds from 15-25mph. These little 17's just do not play well in that kind of condition. My hit percentage inside 150yds was 90+ percent, but outside that, it dropped dramatically. I'd guess it at about 15-20% at 300yds, which is normally at least 75% with this rifle. Didn't stop me from killing a few at that distance, with the far shot of the day being 375yds with a first round hit... but it was a 12:00 straight into the wind shot with a fair share of luck involved no doubt. Fired 150rnds and killed about 100 pdogs. That wind really crapped up my percentage. I had to wait a long time between shots to let the closer ones peek out.

Here's a couple crawling around at 305yds. Ended up killing them both, but it took a few rounds each. Holding over 7 tenths of a mil and about 3 mils into the wind made things interesting.
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There were plenty of targets, but I tried to be selective about my shots to ensure solid hits. Normally I'd have no hesitation with a 200yd headshot, but this day I waited for at least half of their body to show. I was setup facing directly into the wind, with pdogs on my front, left, and right. The aerodynamic jump as I switched from 9:00 wind to 3:00 wind was astonishing. As much as 6 tenths of elevation correction accompanied the reversed wind call. That is a ridiculous amount of jump for a 200yd firing solution.
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I still went for headshots on the closer mounds. Anything inside 150yds still got their melon exploded. It was still a challenge, having to hold somewhere around half a mil on a 100yd target. Not to mention the wind gusts slamming into me and the rifle/tripod. Timing had to be just perfect.
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Plenty were killed, but by the end of it I was definitely wishing I had my 22 creedmoor with 80gr bergers, or my 6 dasher with 105 hybrids. Would have been able to clean up out to 600yds with either of those tools. Having said that, it's fun to challenge yourself once in a while. My hit percentage steadily rose throughout the day, as I locked into conditions in each section of mounds. I was able to get very confident out to 200yds. In those conditions I'll consider it a success.
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