Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .17 Libra with .172 | 20gr | Hornady V-MAX bullet and 8 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are Hodgdon LilGun, Lovex S040 and Vihtavuori N110.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADI APS 450 | <<locked>> | 90% | 56,014 psi | 90% | 2812 fps | 100% |
| ADI AR 2205ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 46,383 psi | 74% | 3333 fps | 95.9% |
| Hodgdon LilGunᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 55,376 psi | 89% | 3747 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 23,018 psi | 37% | 2116 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S040 | <<locked>> | 98% | 54,215 psi | 87% | 3543 fps | 99.9% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 22,394 psi | 36% | 2169 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 30,705 psi | 49% | 3035 fps | 98.6% |
| Vihtavuori N110ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 38,464 psi | 62% | 3310 fps | 98.9% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
Start Load - Barrel Length: 24"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADI APS 450 | <<locked>> | 80% | 46,630 psi | 75% | 2654 fps | 100% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 98% | 43,497 psi | 70% | 3271 fps | 95.2% |
| Hodgdon LilGun | 8 gr | 80% | 27,079 psi | 43% | 3110 fps | 96.3% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 16,998 psi | 27% | 1909 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S040 | 6.8 gr | 80% | 31,096 psi | 50% | 3028 fps | 96% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 15,896 psi | 25% | 1929 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 90% | 23,583 psi | 38% | 2795 fps | 95.9% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | 7.2 gr | 88% | 26,847 psi | 43% | 2982 fps | 95.4% |
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 8 powders for .17 Libra loaded with the .172 | 20gr | Hornady V-MAX. Hodgdon LilGun delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 3,747 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 2,116 fps to 3,747 fps. ADI AR 2205 gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 8 of the 8 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (430 MPa), the top charges use 36–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. The 20.0 gr projectile in 0.172" calls for a 1:8.0 twist; slower twists will usually not stabilise this weight. ADI AR 2205, Hodgdon LilGun, Hodgdon TrailBoss 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, Lovex S040, Vihtavuori N110 rank at the top here: for .17 Libra with the .172 | 20gr | Hornady V-MAX 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.