.17-Caliber Reloading Data and History for 5 Cartridges

Parker Otto Ackley wore many different hats. He was a college professor, a gifted machinist, a writer, a barrel maker, a bullet maker, a builder of rifles and an avid experimenter. But he became best known for the development of wildcat and improved cartridges bearing his name. Ackley and others began developing centerfire cartridges smaller than .22 caliber soon after the end of World War II, and they really got busy during the 1950s. A few .12 and .14 calibers emerged, but those of .17 caliber ended up being the most popular.

I got to know Ackley while he was doing some rifle work for me during the 1960s and ’70s. By that time most of his hearing was gone, and his daughter...