17 Magnum

22hipower

I've been watching for awhile and just bought a custom rifle built on a Sako L461 action. It is a very well made, scaled down version, of a Sako rifle; nicely blued, no checkering. The barrel is marked 17 Magnum and on top of the barrel is stamped Ackley - O'Brien. I want to shoot it but don't know which dies to order. I've done some research and discover there were many 17 caliber wildcats developed in the '60s/'70s and that both P O Ackley and Vern O'Brien built them. However, several with different parent cases are referenced as "17 Magnum." I'm guessing this is a necked down 222 Remington Magnum but is there any way I can nail that down short of casting the chamber? Any suggestions or information on the 17 Magnum would be much appreciated.

OleDuk

Hipower, you may have some luck if you Google P.O. Ackley .17 Mag. and see what comes up. Still, making a chamber cast with Cerro safe may be the only conclusive way to be sure of what you've got. I pretty sure Mr. Ackley is no longer with us, but maybe the firm survived, possibly under another name.

Good luck,

OleDuk[:)][:)]

rufe-snow

Not likely at all that it's chambered for a standard commercial cartridge. You have to do two things to start shooting it.

1), As noted earlier make a chamber cast of the chamber.

2), After you get the chamber cast make up some fireforming rounds, if possible using standard brass and jury rigged dies, depending on the dimensions of the chamber casting. Sent some of the fireformed brass to RCBS to have custom dies made.

Both Parker Ackley and his company are long gone, unlikely you will be able to obtain correct reloading dies, other then having them custom made.

nononsense

22hipower,

That's a nice piece of history to own. P.O. Ackley died in 1989 and the shop had been closed for a while before that. He wrote prolifically but the best starter set of books would have to be the 2-volume set titled 'Handbook for Shooters & Reloaders'.

Mike Bellm of T/C gunsmithing fame knew him well and worked with him.

"...but is there any way I can nail that down short of casting the chamber?"

Nope.

Bite the bullet as it were and get the Cerrosafe to cast the chamber to be sure of the parent case. It takes all of about 2 minutes to do.

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=384/Product/CERROSAFE_reg__CHAMBER_CASTING_ALLOY

A small amount of Cerrosafe will last you a lifetime so be sure to share with friends, family and other wildcatters.

As a suggestion, check the twist rate and use the heaviest bullets available for that twist. The case capacities of the larger cartridges tend to produce more gas than is necessary for the average 25 grain bullets. The .17 Mach IV or the .17 Remington Fireball are the best for efficiency.

Best.

22hipower

Thanks much for the info and suggestions. After a bit more research I have another question. Assuming when I cast the chamber that it turns out to be based on the 222 Rem Mag, would it be practical to make 17 Mag cases from 204 Ruger brass? I understand that the 204 is basically the 222 Rem Mag necked down to 204. Could I size 204 brass to 17 by running it in to a 17 Mag die? Would fire forming be necessary too? Is this a reasonable approach? Are there better ways to do it? Assumes a 17/222 Rem Mag chamber, which is yet to be proven, but I'm trying to figure out the easiest way to get brass if I'm right about the chamber. Guess I'll need a custom made set of dies anyway. Thanks again for your advice and counsel.

nononsense

22hipower,

All of those questions are based on an assumption with no absolute measurements which would be required to make a reasonable answer(s).

In general though, if the wildcat chamber is based on the .222 Magnum, yes, you could reduce the neck diameter to accommodate the .17 caliber bullets. I usually use a .20 caliber die as an intermediate necking die when making .17 caliber cases. And yes, fireforming is usually necessary to get the neck and shoulder filled out correctly. The good news is that this fireforming can be done while sighting in the rifle or when doing load formulations and ladder tests.

This is some information about Hornady's newest offering from their Custom Shop:

To order any type of Hornady custom die (bushing or non-bushing) we recommend you send 3 or 4 fired cases along with a reamer print to Lonnie Hummel at Hornady Mfg., Box 1848, Grand Island, NE, 68802. Give Lonnie a call first at (800) 338-3220, ext. 208, to discuss design details and get an estimated delivery date.

Now Hornady's custom shop offers a much less expensive alternative. For $121-$140, plus shipping, Hornady will produce a custom-made die based on your reamer print, spec sheet or fired brass. Lonnie Hummel and his team of skilled machinists have produced custom dies for many top shooters. Scott Parker had Hornady produce a custom full-length die for Scott's 6BRX. Scott reports: "The die is great. I'm very impressed. The die is a perfect fit for my brass and the sized brass has very low run-out."

Hornady's non-bushing custom full-length sizing dies cost $121.00 for cases up to 2.60#8243; COAL, or $140.00 for cases 2.60#8243;-2.99#8243; long. Add $20-$25.00 if you want a custom, non-micrometer seater die also. Hornaday also offers custom "match grade" bushing dies - both FL-sizing dies and bushing neck-sizers. These "match grade" (bushing-equipped) sizing dies (FL, or neck-only) cost $152.00 up to 2.60#8243;, or $166.00 for longer dies.

Best.

22hipower

Nononsense, thanks again for the very helpful information. I'll get the chamber cast made and then tackle the die issue.

grady mitchell

do not use rcbs or hornady call dave davidson of ch 4d tool die co he has more prints an dies than any one hes the best on wild cat buildings so contact him tell him shady grady sent you

nononsense

grady mitchell,

Dave Davidson and CH4D are the main reason I started making my own dies for standard and wildcat cartridges. The quality was uneven and surface finishes ranged from O.K. to poor.

All of the major die manufacturers and most of the Custom companies or individuals do a superb job of creating custom or wildcat dies for the general public. The biggest disparity is the price charged for the end result. But the range of choices is growing every day.

Go push your sales pitches elsewhere.

Best.