The Hornady V-MAX .17 Calibre (.172") 20 Grain Bullets (Item 21710) are precision reloading component projectiles engineered for explosive terminal performance and benchrest-grade accuracy. Designed for handloaders building centrefire .17 cartridges—such as the .17 Hornet, .17 Remington, and .17 Remington Fireball—each flat-base bullet pairs a hard polymer tip with an Advanced Manufacturing Process (AMP) gilding metal jacket. On impact, the polymer tip drives into a cavity above the swaged lead core, acting as a wedge to initiate rapid fragmentation even at extended ranges. Please note that these are component bullets for handloading, not loaded ammunition, and Australian regulations require an appropriate firearms licence (Category A/B) or reloading permit to purchase.

Key Features

• Explosive Fragmentation: Features a hard polymer tip seated above an engineered cavity and swaged lead core that initiates violent expansion across an operational impact envelope from 1,600 fps (approx. 488 m/s) up to and exceeding 4,200 fps.
• AMP Copper Jacket: Built with an Advanced Manufacturing Process gilding metal jacket featuring virtually zero wall-thickness variation to maximise rotational stability, concentricity, and target accuracy.
• High-Velocity Compatibility: Optimised for flat-shooting centrefire cartridges to deliver rapid energy transfer on small pest species without jacket separation prior to impact.
• Reloading Component Packaging: Supplied as a box of 100 inert component projectiles for custom handloading.

Specifications

• Calibre: .17 Calibre
• Bullet Diameter: 0.172 inches
• Bullet Weight: 20 grains (approx. 1.30 grams)
• Bullet Style: Polymer-tipped flat base (V-MAX)
• Ballistic Coefficient (G1): 0.185
• Sectional Density: 0.097
• Minimum Expansion Velocity: 1,600 fps (approx. 488 m/s)
• Maximum Target Weight: Under 50 lbs (approx. 22.7 kg)
• Quantity: 100 projectiles per box

Who is the Hornady 17 Cal 20 Grain V-Max Bullets 100 Pack for?

• Centrefire pest controllers — requires high-velocity expansion down to a 1,600 fps threshold to humanely dispatch small pests such as rabbits, feral cats, foxes, and wild dogs using a lightweight 20-grain (approx. 1.30-gram) varmint projectile.
• Precision .17-calibre target handloaders — utilizes match-grade AMP jackets with zero wall-thickness variation to achieve benchrest concentricity and a 0.185 G1 ballistic coefficient in custom .172-inch rifle handloads.

Less suitable for: Game exceeding 50 lbs (approx. 22.7 kg) where minimal penetration and violent fragmentation prevent humane harvesting (requiring controlled-expansion bonded or monolithic hunting bullets instead), or shooting beyond 200–250 yards in crosswinds where the light 0.097 sectional density increases wind drift (requiring heavier 25-grain .17 projectiles or larger .204/.223 calibre bullets).