Any tips, tricks or advice to loading/forming the .17-223?

I have a Bullberry .17-223 Contender carbine barrel on the way and really need to get set up to load for it. Prices are all over the place. https://www.midwayusa.com/s?userSearchQuery=17-223 I have heard that a FL die and seating die are all I need. Run .223 cases first into the seating die to reduce the neck some and then into the FL die to form.

Anyone have any info you could pass on to me about making cases for this wildcat? Is the Hornady 2 die set all I need? How about a form die? Any info would be greatly appreciated.

I will more than likely put a low-mid range $ 4-16X scope on it. Will be using it for prairie dogs and as a coyote, fox, bobcat, crow calling rifle.

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by Seyfried on .17s. It might have been a 17-357 though. I don't recall but he covered several 17 wildcats there.

Here's some info online...
http://www.6mmbr.com/17wildcats.html

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Thanks Bryan I hadn't seen that article yet. There is a lot of information out there, I just don't know which of it is based on FACT! Some people and even some loading manuals swear that the .17 Remington is based off the .223 case and some say it is made with a .222 case. Everyone pretty much agrees though that the .17 Remington and the .17-223 are ballistically almost identical. I have heard that running once fired .223 brass into a .223 FL sizing die with the guts removed and then through the .17-223 FL die is all you need to do to form cases. I've also heard to run it into the seating die and then the FL size die. I reckon I will be able to report back first hand here in a week or two. Just would really like to talk to someone who has actually formed cases before I jump into buying dies I may not need.

Should be a fun project.

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I would buy red rooster wildcat case lube. The stuff is awesome. The 17 has a fragile neck and you can't have it too thick in the neck or you will deform the very fragile bullets. BUY a GOOD 17 CAL powder funnel it will make life easier. I made one with a regular powder funnel and a bic pen it worked but when I saw a 17 cal funnel I bought it and it helped.

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I have a .17 caliber funnel as well as all the cleaning paraphernalia on the way. Bought a Hornady two die set also and my gunsmith says he just built a rifle for a guy in this caliber so he should be some help if I run into problems forming cases. He said whether or not I need to turn necks will really depend on the chamber. It is a Bullberry barrel so I'm hoping it will turn out to be a no neck turn, relatively easy forming cartridge. I will start with commercial .223 brass but would eventually like to see if I can form from Lake City 5.56 since it's so easy to get.

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