.17 Mach IV

Infobox Firearm Cartridge
name= .17 Mach IV


caption=
origin= USA
type= Rifle
service=
used_by=
wars=
designer= Vern O Brien
design_date=1962
|number=
is_SI_specs=
parent=.221 Remington Fireball
case type=rimless bottlenecked
bullet=.172
neck=.206
shoulder=.361
base=.378
rim_dia=
rim_thick=
case_length=1.400
length=
rifling=
primer=Small Rifle
is_SI_ballistics=
bw2=25
btype2=HP
vel2=3680
en2=797
bw3=25
btype3=HP
vel3=3890
en3=849
bw4=
btype4=
vel4=
en4=
bw5=
btype5=
vel5=
en5=
test_barrel_length=
balsrc= 6mmBR [http://www.6mmbr.com/17wildcats.html]

Hodgdon [http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp Hodgdon Online Reloading Data] ]

The .17 Mach IV is a wildcat centerfire rifle cartridge, based on the .221 Remington Fireball case, necked down to fire a .172 bullet. Introduced in 1962 by Vern O’Brien [ [http://www.6mmbr.com/17wildcats.html 6mmBR 17 Caliber Wildcats] ] it offered an easy case conversion and good ballistics [Barnes, Frank C., Cartridges of the World, 7th Edition, p171] .

The name Mach IV comes from the claim that bullets can reach 4000 fps [ [http://www.saubier.com/smallcaliber/which17.html Which .17? by Jim Saubier] ] , despite this being only about Mach 3.5.

The .17 Mach IV became very popular with varmint hunters, so much so that in 2007 Remington introduced its own very similar version, the .17 Remington Fireball [ [http://www.remington.com/products/ammunition/centerfire/17_Remington_Fireball.asp Remington Fireball page] ] .

ee also

*.17 Remington Fireball
*.221 Fireball
*4 mm caliber
*List of rifle cartridges

References