Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .17 Hornet with .172 | 20gr | Nosler Varmageddon bullet and 9 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are Lovex S040, Vihtavuori N110 and ADI AR 2205.
Important Notice: DO NOT go below Minimum Charge or above Maximum Charge. Since we have no control over the equipment and components used, any responsibility and liability for the results achieved is rejected.
Only powders/loads that match the current filter criteria are displayed: max pressure of a load ≤ 90% of max. standardized pressure, fill rate ≥ 80% and propellant combustion ≥ 95%. Use the sliders above the tables to adjust these thresholds.
Charge: Powder weight in grains. Start with the minimum load and work up carefully.
FR (Fill Rate): Case fill as a percentage. Values above 100% mean compressed loads.
MaxP / %: Maximum chamber pressure in bar and as a percentage of the standardized maximum for this caliber.
V(0): Muzzle velocity in feet per second (fps) at the standardized barrel length.
z (Powder Burn): Estimated propellant combustion percentage at bullet exit.
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Max Load - Barrel Length: 24"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate No. 11 FS | <<locked>> | 92% | 47,065 psi | 88% | 3566 fps | 96.4% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 94% | 47,326 psi | 88% | 3481 fps | 98.2% |
| Hodgdon LilGun | <<locked>> | 88% | 46,470 psi | 87% | 3684 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 25,730 psi | 48% | 2267 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S040 | <<locked>> | 88% | 47,906 psi | 89% | 3547 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S053ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 40,785 psi | 76% | 3465 fps | 96.9% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 24,149 psi | 45% | 2290 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 37,246 psi | 69% | 3291 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 47,950 psi | 89% | 3602 fps | 100% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
Start Load - Barrel Length: 24"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate No. 11 FS | <<locked>> | 90% | 44,541 psi | 83% | 3510 fps | 95.8% |
| ADI AR 2205 | 9.2 gr | 84% | 34,795 psi | 65% | 3186 fps | 95% |
| Hodgdon LilGun | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,432 psi | 64% | 3412 fps | 99.6% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 18,420 psi | 34% | 2024 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S040 | 8.2 gr | 80% | 37,855 psi | 71% | 3323 fps | 99.3% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 96% | 36,390 psi | 68% | 3356 fps | 95.6% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 18,130 psi | 34% | 2080 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 21,538 psi | 40% | 2799 fps | 96.7% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | 7.9 gr | 80% | 26,905 psi | 50% | 3068 fps | 97.3% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
ᴾ possible press load - work up slowly to this load while watching for signs of excessive pressure.
This overview compares 9 powders for .17 Hornet loaded with the .172 | 20gr | Nosler Varmageddon. Hodgdon LilGun delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 3,684 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 2,267 fps to 3,684 fps. Hodgdon TrailBoss gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 9 of the 9 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (370 MPa), the top charges use 45–89 %, leaving at least 11 % headroom. Hodgdon TrailBoss, Lovex S053, ReloadSwiss RS 14 reach 100 % fill or more at maximum charge, so these are compressed loads: they need a long drop tube to seat cleanly and react sensitively to the case capacity of your own brass lot. Lovex S040, Vihtavuori N110, ADI AR 2205 rank at the top here: for .17 Hornet with the .172 | 20gr | Nosler Varmageddon they combine a high case fill with complete burn and sit in the upper velocity band. Always begin at the start load and work up in small increments while checking case and primer for pressure signs.