Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .17 Hornet with .172 | 21gr | Peregrine VLR-4 bullet and 18 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are Hodgdon LilGun, 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% | 46,833 psi | 87% | 3471 fps | 96.5% |
| Accurate No. 11 FS | <<locked>> | 92% | 45,324 psi | 84% | 3451 fps | 96.3% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 94% | 46,717 psi | 87% | 3379 fps | 98.2% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 96% | 48,196 psi | 90% | 3415 fps | 98.5% |
| Hodgdon LilGun | <<locked>> | 88% | 45,890 psi | 86% | 3579 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon LilGun | <<locked>> | 88% | 45,658 psi | 85% | 3586 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 25,092 psi | 47% | 2175 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 24,395 psi | 45% | 2169 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S040 | <<locked>> | 88% | 48,167 psi | 90% | 3455 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S040 | <<locked>> | 88% | 46,876 psi | 87% | 3442 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S053ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 40,205 psi | 75% | 3366 fps | 96.9% |
| Lovex S053ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 40,045 psi | 75% | 3373 fps | 97% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 24,497 psi | 46% | 2228 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 23,699 psi | 44% | 2221 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 37,536 psi | 70% | 3212 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 36,376 psi | 68% | 3196 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 98% | 45,614 psi | 85% | 3465 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 46,992 psi | 88% | 3501 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% | 44,063 psi | 82% | 3415 fps | 95.8% |
| Accurate No. 11 FS | <<locked>> | 90% | 42,714 psi | 80% | 3396 fps | 95.6% |
| ADI AR 2205 | 9.1 gr | 86% | 36,027 psi | 67% | 3133 fps | 95.6% |
| ADI AR 2205 | 8.9 gr | 84% | 33,895 psi | 63% | 3091 fps | 95% |
| Hodgdon LilGun | 9.2 gr | 80% | 34,650 psi | 65% | 3333 fps | 99.7% |
| Hodgdon LilGun | 9.2 gr | 80% | 33,257 psi | 62% | 3307 fps | 99.6% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 18,463 psi | 34% | 1962 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 17,840 psi | 33% | 1955 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S040 | <<locked>> | 80% | 37,710 psi | 70% | 3228 fps | 99.3% |
| Lovex S040 | <<locked>> | 80% | 36,593 psi | 68% | 3215 fps | 99.2% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 96% | 35,781 psi | 67% | 3255 fps | 95.6% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 96% | 35,549 psi | 66% | 3261 fps | 95.6% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 17,376 psi | 32% | 1985 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 17,492 psi | 33% | 2008 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 21,205 psi | 40% | 2710 fps | 96.8% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 20,929 psi | 39% | 2713 fps | 96.7% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | 7.6 gr | 80% | 26,571 psi | 50% | 2979 fps | 97.4% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | 7.6 gr | 80% | 25,454 psi | 47% | 2953 fps | 97% |
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 18 powders for .17 Hornet loaded with the .172 | 21gr | Peregrine VLR-4. Hodgdon LilGun delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 3,586 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 2,169 fps to 3,586 fps. Hodgdon TrailBoss gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 18 of the 18 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (370 MPa), the top charges use 44–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. The 21.0 gr projectile in 0.172" calls for a 1:7.5 twist; slower twists will usually not stabilise this weight. Hodgdon TrailBoss, Hodgdon TrailBoss, Lovex S053 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. Hodgdon LilGun, Vihtavuori N110, ADI AR 2205 rank at the top here: for .17 Hornet with the .172 | 21gr | Peregrine VLR-4 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.