Lindcott Armory Rifle · SAAMI
.17 Hornet
The .22 Hornet necked to .17 caliber.
- Caliber
- 0.172″ · 4.369 mm
- Introduced
- 2012
- Case
- Rimmed
- Parent
- .22 Hornet
- Primary use
- Varmint, Small Game
- Status
- Active
- Introduced
- 2012
- Type
- Rifle
- Origin
- United States
- Inventor
- Hornady
- Manufacturer
- Hornady
- Standard
- SAAMI
- Status
- Active
- Availability
- Common
- Case capacity
- 10.5 gr H₂O
- Twist (typical)
- 1:9
- Primer
- Small Rifle
- Case type
- Rimmed
- Max pressure
- 50,000 psi
- Eff. range
- 300 yd
- Max range
- 600 yd
- Recoil
- 3–4.5 ft·lb
Ballistics
- By real loads
- 3,450–3,870 fps · 23 loads
- Parent case
- .22 Hornet
Representative trajectory — modeled from a single velocity input (no published BC for this cartridge yet).
Performance
Buy links open .17 Hornet ammunition at Rivertown Munitions.
Dimensionscase measurements · scale drawing · size vs familiar rounds
Case dimensions — the scale drawing at the top of the page is built from these.
SAAMI · verified| Measure | mm | in | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bullet ⌀ | 4.37 | 0.172 | ✓ |
| Neck ⌀ | 4.90 | 0.193 | ✓ |
| Shoulder ⌀ | 7.47 | 0.294 | ✓ |
| Shoulder angle | 25° | — | ✓ |
| Base ⌀ | 7.59 | 0.299 | ✓ |
| Rim ⌀ | 8.89 | 0.350 | ✓ |
| Belt ⌀ | n/a | ||
| Rim thickness | 1.65 | 0.065 | ✓ |
| Neck length | 4.97 | 0.196 | ≈ |
| Case length | 34.29 | 1.350 | ✓ |
| Overall length | 43.69 | 1.720 | ✓ |
Size vs familiar rounds
Drawn at true 1:1 — every case is accurate relative to the others. Absolute size depends on your screen's pixel density, so measuring one against a real ruler may be off. .17 Hornet is highlighted below.
Factory loads
In production — 23 active loads across 10 brands. Top 15 shown · see all 23 →.
| Brand | Load | Grain | Bullet | FPS | ft·lb | BC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hornady | Varmint Express | 16 | NTX | 3,870 | 532 | — |
| Barnes | Varmint Grenade | 16 | Varmint Grenade | 3,870 | 532 | — |
| Remington | AccuTip-V V-MAX | 20 | AccuTip-V | 3,650 | 592 | — |
| Winchester | Varmint X | 20 | Polymer Tip | 3,650 | 592 | — |
| Hornady | Varmint Express V-MAX | 20 | V-MAX | 3,650 | 592 | — |
| Winchester | Varmint | 20 | V-Max | 3,650 | 592 | — |
| Nosler | Varmageddon | 20 | FB Tipped | 3,650 | 592 | — |
| Federal | V-Shok | 20 | V-Max | 3,650 | 592 | — |
| Remington | Premier | 20 | AccuTip | 3,650 | 592 | — |
| Sierra | BlitzKing | 20 | BlitzKing | 3,650 | 592 | — |
| CCI | V-MAX Polymer Tip | 20 | V-MAX | 3,650 | 592 | — |
| Fiocchi | Varminter | 20 | HP | 3,650 | 592 | — |
| Hornady | Varmint Express | 20 | V-MAX | 3,650 | 592 | — |
| Hornady | Superformance Varmint | 20 | V-MAX | 3,650 | 592 | — |
| Winchester | Varmint X Polymer Tip | 20 | Polymer Tip | 3,650 | 592 | — |
Velocities are manufacturer-stated (test-barrel). Discontinued loads dimmed.
Suitable powders
3 reloading powders listed for .17 Hornet, fastest to slowest. Cross-reference in the finder →
Reloading costestimate cost per round vs factory
Estimate your cost per round and how it compares to factory. Inputs are yours — nothing is stored.
Cost estimate only — not load data. Charge weight is your input; follow published manuals for safe charges.
Firearms chambered in .17 Hornet
8 models in the database chamber .17 Hornet. Browse all →
Lineage
Connected reference
History
P.O. Ackley created the wildcat version in the 1950s. Hornady standardized it in 2012, pairing it with CZ 527 rifles. Fills the gap between .17 HMR rimfire and the larger .17 Remington centerfire.
FAQs
- What twist rate does .17 Hornet use?
- .17 Hornet typically uses a 1:9 twist rate.
- What bullet diameter is .17 Hornet?
- .17 Hornet uses a 0.172″ (4.369 mm) diameter bullet.
- Is .17 Hornet still in production?
- .17 Hornet is active; typical availability is common.
- What is .17 Hornet used for?
- .17 Hornet is primarily used for varmint, small game.
- What is .17 Hornet based on?
- .17 Hornet is derived from the .22 Hornet case.
- What are the best powders for .17 Hornet?
- Reloading powders commonly listed for .17 Hornet include Lil'Gun, IMR 4227, N120.
Sources & provenance
Data & sources. Specs compiled from the Lindcott Armory reference; availability counted from 23 live factory loads; the trajectory is modeled (point-mass), not measured. See methodology. Spotted an error? Report it →