Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .17 Hornet with .172 | 25gr | Berger Varmint bullet and 14 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are Accurate No. 11 FS, Vihtavuori N110 and Lovex S053.
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>> | 88% | 47,195 psi | 88% | 3245 fps | 98.4% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 90% | 46,311 psi | 86% | 3140 fps | 99.4% |
| ADI AR 2207ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 37,782 psi | 70% | 3173 fps | 96.3% |
| Hodgdon LilGun | <<locked>> | 84% | 47,340 psi | 88% | 3327 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 26,542 psi | 49% | 2014 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 98% | 46,006 psi | 86% | 3228 fps | 96.8% |
| Lovex S040 | <<locked>> | 84% | 47,543 psi | 89% | 3182 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S053ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 45,861 psi | 85% | 3248 fps | 99.4% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 26,092 psi | 49% | 2067 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 47,834 psi | 89% | 3310 fps | 97.1% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 90% | 46,195 psi | 86% | 3202 fps | 95.7% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 42,670 psi | 80% | 3058 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 94% | 46,064 psi | 86% | 3205 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 38,276 psi | 71% | 3140 fps | 97.6% |
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 | 9.2 gr | 80% | 36,434 psi | 68% | 3012 fps | 95.9% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,750 psi | 63% | 2861 fps | 97.1% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 98% | 35,592 psi | 66% | 3117 fps | 95.6% |
| Hodgdon LilGun | <<locked>> | 80% | 40,611 psi | 76% | 3202 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 19,653 psi | 37% | 1814 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 94% | 40,814 psi | 76% | 3117 fps | 95.5% |
| Lovex S040 | <<locked>> | 80% | 42,163 psi | 79% | 3081 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S053 | 8.4 gr | 84% | 29,689 psi | 55% | 2854 fps | 95.6% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 18,608 psi | 35% | 1837 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 96% | 42,569 psi | 79% | 3205 fps | 95.8% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 88% | 43,613 psi | 81% | 3150 fps | 95.1% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 25,005 psi | 47% | 2638 fps | 99.6% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | 7.6 gr | 80% | 30,690 psi | 57% | 2867 fps | 99.7% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 94% | 31,372 psi | 58% | 2956 fps | 95.3% |
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 14 powders for .17 Hornet loaded with the .172 | 25gr | Berger Varmint. Hodgdon LilGun delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 3,327 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 2,014 fps to 3,327 fps. ADI AR 2207 gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 14 of the 14 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (370 MPa), the top charges use 49–89 %, leaving at least 11 % headroom. The 25.0 gr projectile in 0.172" calls for a 1:9.0 twist; slower twists will usually not stabilise this weight. ADI AR 2207, 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. Accurate No. 11 FS, Vihtavuori N110, Lovex S053 rank at the top here: for .17 Hornet with the .172 | 25gr | Berger Varmint 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.