Handloading Rimfire Ammuntion?

.17HMR · July 17, 2007, 03:34 PM

Let me start of by saying that I have never tried handloading/reloading ammo before, but I'm interested in learning about the process and maybe trying it.

I recently got a .17hmr for target/varmint shooting and have been wondering about the possibilities of handloading ammo for it, but since it's rimfire, I was wondering if you can even do that? I know reloading isn't a possibility because of this, but can you buy shells that are already primed and load yourself? If anyone knows whether or not you can do this, or if anyone has done it, please let me know.

Thanks

2rugers · July 17, 2007, 03:57 PM

Sorry, but you cannot reload rimfire ammo.

There is no primer to punch and replace.

**Unclenick** · July 17, 2007, 04:36 PM

I think he got that. He wants to know if empty primed cases for one-time-use are available to load, and the answer to that is no, also.

Tanzer · July 17, 2007, 04:59 PM

Even if it were, I doubt it would be cost effective.

Trapper L · July 17, 2007, 08:19 PM

Sorry guys, but yes you can reload rimfire. I have a friend in Fredricksburg Texas that reloads his match rimfire ammo. I have watched it being done. It's not something I would do. Priming is a liquid encounter that I prefer to avoid. The normal powders don't work and finding components is always an issue for him. But it can be done.

crowbeaner · July 17, 2007, 09:35 PM

Not being able to reload rimfire ammo without having to undergo the type of ordeal described in the above post just makes me want a .22 Hornet all the more. I"m still in the process of loading some cast bullets in my .222, but I seem to have LOST my cast bullet handbooks in the 4 or 5 moves since I saw them last. REALLY po'd about it; I guess I'll have to supplicate to SWMBO and see if she will give me the moolah to replace them. I remember when the load development was ongoing for the various rimfire magnums, and I believe that one of the gun scribes got hold of sone primed .22 mag brass from a mfg. to neck down to .17 cal. and make his ammo. Not sure I'd go that far either. CB

.17HMR · July 17, 2007, 09:58 PM

Thanks for the quick replies. I knew reloading wouldn't be possible, or at least feasible for me. I was just curious about whether or not it would be possible to handload rounds for a rimfire cartridges. Oh well, Hornaday and CCI probably do a better job than I would be able to as it is. Thanks again for the replies.

inkie · July 18, 2007, 12:51 AM

Where did your friend get the liquid primer from? Did he get the formula from patent info? old books? Iwas under the impression that the ammo manufacturers won't sell this proprietary product to outsiders.

drewnickel · June 12, 2010, 10:24 PM

rimfire included, I can use homemade priming compounds made from matchheads and fine grain blackpowder to reload my .22lr shells, ad I can amp up the power in the shells with some really hot powders, I can use just 5gr of bluedot smokeless and get about 2000fps with a 28gr bullet. I take the matched and gently scratch off the igniting compound of about 2 boxe of them, and I GENTLY grind them into a fine grain. then I pour in a 1/9 ratio of black powder and mix THOROUGHLY. I put in about .5 grains of priming compound in my shells and I use .22cal lead air rifle pellets to reload into them, as they are very reliable. I have even used saboted 5.4gr .177cal pba ammo and broken the 4000fps mark in the .22lr cases, while still attaining only moderate pressures. and with 5.4gr at 4000fps, thats a good 192fpe, for a .22 that's some blazing power. as normal shells get 90 to 140fpe. and since its a smaller caliber it'll pierce almost anything at that speed, I can pierce 6 inches of wood without a problem, mostly cause .177cal is meant to pierce like needles. but 'd suggest to stay with 22cal pellets or even .22ccal bullets for reloading .223, .22-250, ect. anyway, it's not impossible, and actually it's worth it, and the best part is those little .22caps, yeh I can make it fire as slow as 300fps and with almost no sound.

drewnickel · June 12, 2010, 10:31 PM

when I say 1 to 9 ratio, I mean 1 grain of blackpowder for every 9 grains of matchpowder. hen when you put it in the shell, you add liquid and let it sit for about 24 hours for the liquid to evaporate and leave the primer attatched to the base of the .22 shell. the best part of it is, you can make any load physically possible with a .22, and I'm sure you could finally break the 1mps mark with .22mag brass using the same technique. I dont know any rifle that can go 1mps, the .22-243 middlestead is the closest at 5278fps, but it's still 2fps short of the big mark. I'm thinking of making a .17-243 round so I can finally put the mile barrier out of order. anyway with reloading methods it takes about 1hour for about 100gr of primer to be made. or about enough for 200 shells

blu97 · June 13, 2010, 12:07 AM

I bought 1000 primed 22 mag cases on e-bay some years ago before the purge.

Haven,t tried useing any yet.

dahermit · June 13, 2010, 07:22 AM

Quote:

...when you put it in the shell, you add liquid...

What "liquid"?

brickeyee · June 13, 2010, 09:34 AM

Quote:

What "liquid"?

Priming compound is handled as a slurry in water for safety.

FrankenMauser · June 13, 2010, 12:29 PM

Quote:

rimfire included, I can use homemade priming compounds made from matchheads and fine grain blackpowder to reload my .22lr shells, ad I can amp up the power in the shells with some really hot powders, I can use just 5gr of bluedot smokeless and get about 2000fps with a 28gr bullet. I take the matched and gently scratch off the igniting compound of about 2 boxe of them, and I GENTLY grind them into a fine grain. then I pour in a 1/9 ratio of black powder and mix THOROUGHLY. I put in about .5 grains of priming compound in my shells and I use .22cal lead air rifle pellets to reload into them, as they are very reliable. I have even used saboted 5.4gr .177cal pba ammo and broken the 4000fps mark in the .22lr cases, while still attaining only moderate pressures. and with 5.4gr at 4000fps, thats a good 192fpe, for a .22 that's some blazing power. as normal shells get 90 to 140fpe. and since its a smaller caliber it'll pierce almost anything at that speed, I can pierce 6 inches of wood without a problem, mostly cause .177cal is meant to pierce like needles. but 'd suggest to stay with 22cal pellets or even .22ccal bullets for reloading .223, .22-250, ect. anyway, it's not impossible, and actually it's worth it, and the best part is those little .22caps, yeh I can make it fire as slow as 300fps and with almost no sound.

when I say 1 to 9 ratio, I mean 1 grain of blackpowder for every 9 grains of matchpowder. hen when you put it in the shell, you add liquid and let it sit for about 24 hours for the liquid to evaporate and leave the primer attatched to the base of the .22 shell. the best part of it is, you can make any load physically possible with a .22, and I'm sure you could finally break the 1mps mark with .22mag brass using the same technique. I dont know any rifle that can go 1mps, the .22-243 middlestead is the closest at 5278fps, but it's still 2fps short of the big mark. I'm thinking of making a .17-243 round so I can finally put the mile barrier out of order. anyway with reloading methods it takes about 1hour for about 100gr of primer to be made. or about enough for 200 shells

Have you woken up from this dream yet?

James R. Burke · June 13, 2010, 01:06 PM

I believe no to all of it.

Dannyl · June 13, 2010, 02:05 PM

Hi,
The practice mentioned above sounds almost as safe as a SAMBA dancing competition held in a mine-field.

To anyone who reads it, please do yourself a favour and do not try it.

Brgds,

Danny

PS,befolre you try any of that, please remember: Artificial limb technology still has a lot to improve and eye donors are scace.....

troy_mclure · June 13, 2010, 02:10 PM

back in the cold war era the ruski pesants would reload .22rf rounds as they were verry hard to replace.

briandg · June 13, 2010, 02:20 PM

Probably ten years ago, I found empty primed 17 rimfire cases at a gunshow. They were intended to be loaded with powder and bullets. I was totally shocked to see them.

The match head and black powder process seems totally insane. I would attempt to do this sort of thing only if I was driven completely back into the stone age, and the choice was reloading rimfire with matches, or throwing rocks.

What bothers me about the internet is that things like this are printed, and people take it on face value as good information.

I'm surprised that I've never read a post saying that a dab of super glue inside a case neck helps to water proof a cartridge and keep the bullets from falling out.

troy_mclure · June 14, 2010, 01:32 AM

there was a thread on castboolits about reloading primers, a guy did a pictorial using the paper cap gun caps.

i immagine that these would work as well.

drewnickel · January 12, 2011, 04:45 PM

yes the blackpowder method is stupid to try, I burned the hair off my armm the last time I tried it, now I use cap gun caps to reload them, I scrape out the powder from the caps very gently from 8 caps, and then gently pack it into the bottom, then I pour in about 8gr of powder and force a 28gr pellet in, and then I use one of those ring things that squeezes around it as a crimper and push the brass into the side of the pellet (as it has a gas check like groove pattern in it, which makes it easy to load) anyway reloading rimfire is perfectly safe to do, if you do it slowly and dont try to rush things. here is me and one of my reloaded shells, just without the powder. only the primer and a .177cal pellet so that it's very weak, I use this load for mice and rats around my house as I cant use full powered loads in a neighborhood, my load has about 8 foot pounds of energy and fires at nearly 500fps. best of all is it's absolutely silent in a rifle. my pest rounds are loaded with 16 caps to make up for the lack of gunpowder. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lFIg81U2E0 , I'll have another video up soon of the process of loading a full powered round and a test at my shooting field a few miles from home (about 20 acres of field that my friend owns)

drewnickel · January 12, 2011, 04:46 PM

also, sorry for my horrible voice, I have vocal chord polyps and have been losing my voice the past few months

TXJohn · January 12, 2011, 04:54 PM

I have read about reloading rimfire but think I would have to see to believe.

Sid · January 12, 2011, 05:08 PM

There are detailed instructions with illustrations for reusing primers in TM-31-210, Improvised Munitions Handbook, page 110. I suppose this would work since the procedures were developed by chemists at the old Frankford Arsenal in Philadelphia. As for myself, I would never try anything like this but I do find it interesting to read about it.

Sid · January 12, 2011, 05:15 PM

Here is something I forgot to mention in my last post. I used to own a complete set of The American Rifleman which covered all the years of World War II. As you might imagine there were all sorts of ammunition shortages on the home front during this time. One of the wartime issues of the magazine did contain a complete article on how to reload rimfire cartridges. At the time I read it I was intrigued by the possibility of reloading spent cases for my Civil War Spencer carbine. However, the whole thing seemed a little too dangerous so I never tried it.

Ideal Tool · January 13, 2011, 01:16 AM

I did reload .22 L.R. cases when I was a kid, 40 some years ago...for you guys that just have to try...just be sure to clean out that bore & action with a good B.P. solvent..that priming is corrosive!

July 17, 2007, 03:34 PM	#1
.17HMR Junior Member Join Date: July 17, 2007 Posts: 2	Handloading Rimfire Ammuntion? Let me start of by saying that I have never tried handloading/reloading ammo before, but I'm interested in learning about the process and maybe trying it. I recently got a .17hmr for target/varmint shooting and have been wondering about the possibilities of handloading ammo for it, but since it's rimfire, I was wondering if you can even do that? I know reloading isn't a possibility because of this, but can you buy shells that are already primed and load yourself? If anyone knows whether or not you can do this, or if anyone has done it, please let me know. Thanks

July 17, 2007, 03:57 PM	#2
2rugers Senior Member Join Date: August 21, 2005 Location: texas Posts: 762	Sorry, but you cannot reload rimfire ammo. There is no primer to punch and replace. __________________ Pain Is The Quickest Teacher 2RUGERS AKA "HALFCOCKED"

July 17, 2007, 04:36 PM	#3
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,060	I think he got that. He wants to know if empty primed cases for one-time-use are available to load, and the answer to that is no, also. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle

July 17, 2007, 04:59 PM	#4
Tanzer Senior Member Join Date: February 18, 2007 Posts: 884	Even if it were, I doubt it would be cost effective. __________________ Only the ignorant find ignorance to be bliss. Only those of us who know better will suffer from it.

July 18, 2007, 12:51 AM	#8
inkie Senior Member Join Date: October 20, 2006 Location: Eastern Pa. Posts: 137	Trapper L. Where did your friend get the liquid primer from? Did he get the formula from patent info? old books? Iwas under the impression that the ammo manufacturers won't sell this proprietary product to outsiders.

July 17, 2007, 08:19 PM	#5
Trapper L Senior Member Join Date: November 20, 2006 Location: South Texas Posts: 804	Sorry guys, but yes you can reload rimfire. I have a friend in Fredricksburg Texas that reloads his match rimfire ammo. I have watched it being done. It's not something I would do. Priming is a liquid encounter that I prefer to avoid. The normal powders don't work and finding components is always an issue for him. But it can be done.

July 17, 2007, 09:35 PM	#6
crowbeaner Senior Member Join Date: June 4, 2007 Location: Upstate SC Posts: 1,943	Not being able to reload rimfire ammo without having to undergo the type of ordeal described in the above post just makes me want a .22 Hornet all the more. I"m still in the process of loading some cast bullets in my .222, but I seem to have LOST my cast bullet handbooks in the 4 or 5 moves since I saw them last. REALLY po'd about it; I guess I'll have to supplicate to SWMBO and see if she will give me the moolah to replace them. I remember when the load development was ongoing for the various rimfire magnums, and I believe that one of the gun scribes got hold of sone primed .22 mag brass from a mfg. to neck down to .17 cal. and make his ammo. Not sure I'd go that far either. CB

July 17, 2007, 09:58 PM	#7
.17HMR Junior Member Join Date: July 17, 2007 Posts: 2	Thanks for the quick replies. I knew reloading wouldn't be possible, or at least feasible for me. I was just curious about whether or not it would be possible to handload rounds for a rimfire cartridges. Oh well, Hornaday and CCI probably do a better job than I would be able to as it is. Thanks again for the replies.

June 12, 2010, 10:24 PM	#9
drewnickel Junior Member Join Date: April 9, 2010 Posts: 14	it is not impossible to reload any type of shell rimfire included, I can use homemade priming compounds made from matchheads and fine grain blackpowder to reload my .22lr shells, ad I can amp up the power in the shells with some really hot powders, I can use just 5gr of bluedot smokeless and get about 2000fps with a 28gr bullet. I take the matched and gently scratch off the igniting compound of about 2 boxe of them, and I GENTLY grind them into a fine grain. then I pour in a 1/9 ratio of black powder and mix THOROUGHLY. I put in about .5 grains of priming compound in my shells and I use .22cal lead air rifle pellets to reload into them, as they are very reliable. I have even used saboted 5.4gr .177cal pba ammo and broken the 4000fps mark in the .22lr cases, while still attaining only moderate pressures. and with 5.4gr at 4000fps, thats a good 192fpe, for a .22 that's some blazing power. as normal shells get 90 to 140fpe. and since its a smaller caliber it'll pierce almost anything at that speed, I can pierce 6 inches of wood without a problem, mostly cause .177cal is meant to pierce like needles. but 'd suggest to stay with 22cal pellets or even .22ccal bullets for reloading .223, .22-250, ect. anyway, it's not impossible, and actually it's worth it, and the best part is those little .22caps, yeh I can make it fire as slow as 300fps and with almost no sound.

June 12, 2010, 10:31 PM	#10
drewnickel Junior Member Join Date: April 9, 2010 Posts: 14	my other post when I say 1 to 9 ratio, I mean 1 grain of blackpowder for every 9 grains of matchpowder. hen when you put it in the shell, you add liquid and let it sit for about 24 hours for the liquid to evaporate and leave the primer attatched to the base of the .22 shell. the best part of it is, you can make any load physically possible with a .22, and I'm sure you could finally break the 1mps mark with .22mag brass using the same technique. I dont know any rifle that can go 1mps, the .22-243 middlestead is the closest at 5278fps, but it's still 2fps short of the big mark. I'm thinking of making a .17-243 round so I can finally put the mile barrier out of order. anyway with reloading methods it takes about 1hour for about 100gr of primer to be made. or about enough for 200 shells

June 13, 2010, 12:07 AM	#11
blu97 Member Join Date: June 12, 2008 Location: California Posts: 81	rimfire reloading I bought 1000 primed 22 mag cases on e-bay some years ago before the purge. Haven,t tried useing any yet.

June 13, 2010, 01:06 PM	#15
James R. Burke Senior Member Join Date: January 3, 2009 Location: U.P. of Mich/Quinnesec Posts: 1,897	I believe no to all of it.

June 13, 2010, 02:05 PM	#16
Dannyl Senior Member Join Date: April 20, 2009 Location: Cape Town - South Africa Posts: 627	Not for me Hi, The practice mentioned above sounds almost as safe as a SAMBA dancing competition held in a mine-field. To anyone who reads it, please do yourself a favour and do not try it. Brgds, Danny PS,befolre you try any of that, please remember: Artificial limb technology still has a lot to improve and eye donors are scace..... Last edited by Dannyl; June 14, 2010 at 04:40 AM.

June 13, 2010, 02:10 PM	#17
troy_mclure Senior Member Join Date: November 17, 2008 Location: gulf of mexico Posts: 2,716	back in the cold war era the ruski pesants would reload .22rf rounds as they were verry hard to replace. __________________ There is only one tactical principle which is not subject to change. It is to use the means at hand to inflict the maximum amount of wound, death, and destruction on the enemy in the minimum amount of time."

June 13, 2010, 02:20 PM	#18
briandg Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2010 Posts: 5,468	Probably ten years ago, I found empty primed 17 rimfire cases at a gunshow. They were intended to be loaded with powder and bullets. I was totally shocked to see them. The match head and black powder process seems totally insane. I would attempt to do this sort of thing only if I was driven completely back into the stone age, and the choice was reloading rimfire with matches, or throwing rocks. What bothers me about the internet is that things like this are printed, and people take it on face value as good information. I'm surprised that I've never read a post saying that a dab of super glue inside a case neck helps to water proof a cartridge and keep the bullets from falling out.

June 14, 2010, 01:32 AM	#19
troy_mclure Senior Member Join Date: November 17, 2008 Location: gulf of mexico Posts: 2,716	there was a thread on castboolits about reloading primers, a guy did a pictorial using the paper cap gun caps. i immagine that these would work as well. __________________ There is only one tactical principle which is not subject to change. It is to use the means at hand to inflict the maximum amount of wound, death, and destruction on the enemy in the minimum amount of time."

January 12, 2011, 04:45 PM	#20
drewnickel Junior Member Join Date: April 9, 2010 Posts: 14	priming yes the blackpowder method is stupid to try, I burned the hair off my armm the last time I tried it, now I use cap gun caps to reload them, I scrape out the powder from the caps very gently from 8 caps, and then gently pack it into the bottom, then I pour in about 8gr of powder and force a 28gr pellet in, and then I use one of those ring things that squeezes around it as a crimper and push the brass into the side of the pellet (as it has a gas check like groove pattern in it, which makes it easy to load) anyway reloading rimfire is perfectly safe to do, if you do it slowly and dont try to rush things. here is me and one of my reloaded shells, just without the powder. only the primer and a .177cal pellet so that it's very weak, I use this load for mice and rats around my house as I cant use full powered loads in a neighborhood, my load has about 8 foot pounds of energy and fires at nearly 500fps. best of all is it's absolutely silent in a rifle. my pest rounds are loaded with 16 caps to make up for the lack of gunpowder. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lFIg81U2E0 , I'll have another video up soon of the process of loading a full powered round and a test at my shooting field a few miles from home (about 20 acres of field that my friend owns)

January 12, 2011, 04:46 PM	#21
drewnickel Junior Member Join Date: April 9, 2010 Posts: 14	priming also, sorry for my horrible voice, I have vocal chord polyps and have been losing my voice the past few months

January 12, 2011, 04:54 PM	#22
TXJohn Senior Member Join Date: March 15, 2010 Location: Ft Worth TX Posts: 163	I have read about reloading rimfire but think I would have to see to believe.

January 12, 2011, 05:08 PM	#23
Sid Senior Member Join Date: November 22, 2009 Posts: 362	There are detailed instructions with illustrations for reusing primers in TM-31-210, Improvised Munitions Handbook, page 110. I suppose this would work since the procedures were developed by chemists at the old Frankford Arsenal in Philadelphia. As for myself, I would never try anything like this but I do find it interesting to read about it.

January 12, 2011, 05:15 PM	#24
Sid Senior Member Join Date: November 22, 2009 Posts: 362	Here is something I forgot to mention in my last post. I used to own a complete set of The American Rifleman which covered all the years of World War II. As you might imagine there were all sorts of ammunition shortages on the home front during this time. One of the wartime issues of the magazine did contain a complete article on how to reload rimfire cartridges. At the time I read it I was intrigued by the possibility of reloading spent cases for my Civil War Spencer carbine. However, the whole thing seemed a little too dangerous so I never tried it.

January 13, 2011, 01:16 AM	#25
Ideal Tool Junior member Join Date: October 6, 2010 Location: Michigan Posts: 1,080	I did reload .22 L.R. cases when I was a kid, 40 some years ago...for you guys that just have to try...just be sure to clean out that bore & action with a good B.P. solvent..that priming is corrosive!

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