Ally Munitions is based in Midland, Texas and they produce ammunition in numerous cartridges geared towards hunters. I first became aware of them through their posts on Instagram and watched as their ammunition offerings expanded into rounds that were the favorites of varmint and predator hunters. While other companies push long-range and target ammunition, Ally Munitions really pays attention to what would work for their hunting customers in the field. The reason for this is simple. They are hunters, loading for other hunters. No non-hunting corporate bean counters to dictate what should be flooding the market at Ally. Instead, they develop their loads individually at the bench and then prove those loads out at the range. Once they find a load that checks all the boxes, it is released for their customers.
In late 2021, we received some of Ally’s .17 Remington ammunition. This ammo is loaded in Norma brass and uses the Berger Bullets 25 grain Flat Based Varmint bullet. Not only is this load tailored to varmint hunters, but it is also rated for semi-auto rifles. Because of the rise of hunters building AR15s chambered in .17 Remington, the latter is an important feature. Our plan was to shoot this ammo in a classic Remington Model 700 bolt-action from the early 1990s, which is topped with my favorite optic, the Burris Fullfield E1 6.5x20x50mm. Our focus was going to be colony varmints, specifically rockchucks.
QC Check and Range Testing the Ally Munitions .17 Remington Ammunition:
Once the .17 Remington ammo arrived, I did a quick inspection and QC check. I thoroughly checked each round, concentrating on the necks and bullet/primer depth. Occasionally, I’ve run across crumpled necks in other factory .17Rem ammo. There were zero issues with the necks on the Ally ammo. I also visually checked primer depth and all were very consistent/seated properly. Last was the cartridge OAL (overall length). Every round was the same OAL, with no deviation. So far, so good. The next step was to shoot it on paper and through a chronograph.
As stated before, the rifle I was shooting was my Remington Model 700. I purchased this rifle in the early 1990s and it has proven to be an excellent shooter with almost everything I put through it. The Ally Munitions was no different, shooting an average of 0.66″ at 100 yards, with the best group being 0.55″. All groups I shot with this ammo were sub-moa. I ran some rounds through my Magneto speed and received a 3840fps average, with a standard deviation in the teens. I was ready to hunt.
Hunting With the Ally Munitions .17 Remington Ammunition:
After getting such good results, I was really excited to test it on some varmints. Unfortunately, summer was coming to a close and most of the colony varmints we shoot went down for the year, months ago. Even with that being the case, I carried the rifle on numerous hunts, just in case. I was glad I did, when something very odd happened in Northern Nevada during a predator hunt. We were on a private farm where I have shot 1000s of Belding’s Ground Squirrels over the years. However, it was December and the ground squirrels in this area go into deep hibernation in July. It was a warm day and we were driving the farm seeing if their were any coyotes that we might catch on the open fields, when I spotted something sitting next to a mound about 100 yards away. When I glassed it and saw it was a ground squirrel, I jumped out of my truck and grabbed the M700 and Ally ammo! I got settled, found it in my scope and squeezed! The thump of the bullet hitting the ground squirrel was very audible, while he blew backwards into the grass. Heck yeah! It was December 5th! I’ve never shot a Belding’s Ground Squirrel this late in the year. But there he was, splayed out on the ground, stone dead.
It was a long, windy, winter, so I didn’t run across any more opportunities to hunt colony varmints. Once March rolled around, the snow started to melt and I was seeing smaller ground squirrels in my area of Idaho start to pop-up. I spoke with Cache Carlson and we decided it would be a good time to head up into the local mountains and see if any rockchucks were out soaking up the sun. We don’t typically hunt this early, so this trip was more of a scouting mission to line up spots for upcoming hunts. Many folks don’t realize, that for every day we hunt, there was a day spent scouting out old and new areas. We put the work in before the shooting gets hot, so we can have better success.
As we pulled into a small draw, I noticed movement on the hillside. It was a Columbian Ground Squirrel and fair game, even this early in the season. He was out in the grass grabbing a morning meal, oblivious to us setting up about 80 yards away. While I got the camera set-up, Cache pulled out the M700 and loaded up. He made a great shot, with the Berger bullet blowing the ground squirrel into its hole on impact. The rifle/ammo combo performed perfectly and the first Columbian GS of the year was down!
It wasn’t until late April when we got the phone call from one of the farms/ranches we hunt. Rockchucks were out in force and causing damage in the pastures where the landowner’s cows were grazing. Finally, after 7 months, we were able to get out after the varmints I wanted to target when we received the Ally .17 Remington ammo. It was a dreary day when we arrived at the farm. Wind and light rain was in the forecast for the day, but we knew the rockchucks would still be out, no matter the weather. We set-up near some rockpiles where the landowner saw dozens of rockchucks a week before. The ranges were 163 yards for the farthest shot, back to 130 yards for the closest shots. One shot, in particular (1:58 in the video) really showed the energy the .17 Remington releases when impacting a rockchuck sized varmint. The .17 Remington was designed to push a light projectile at high-speeds, resulting in a complete energy dump inside the animal. The Ally ammo, at 3840 fps causes the 25 grain Berger FBV to completely explode on impact. I’ve cut open many critters shot by the .17 Remington, only to have the insides pour out into a puddle of organs and blood. The results on these rockchucks were no different. The Ally Munitions .17 Remington performed flawlessly on these rockchucks.
Final Thoughts:
This was our first use of any type of Ally Munitions product, so we went into it with no opinions, or expectations. We used this ammo through-out the spring and early summer. We/I found that their .17 Remington ammunition performed very well, both on paper and in the field. I think their dedication to offering custom handloaded ammunition for HUNTING, in a variety of cartridges that are oftentimes overlooked by the mainstream manufacturers, is something that hunters should support. With the availability of quality hunting ammunition being so elusive, Ally is a good respite for the hunters who either don’t handload, or to those who realize that purchasing quality loaded ammunition is a good way to build up your brass supply for the future.
Ally Munitions Mission Statement: We strive to provide both the Modern Hunter and Shooter with the ammunition he or she needs to have success in the field. Whether you’re hunting prairie dogs or elk, our ammo isn’t just pulled from a random hat, it is specifically chosen for the job. We don’t just test one projectile through a singular test barrel in a facility. Our load development process for each year takes place over several months through a wide selection of various barrel offerings. We also do not hitch our hat on any one company for our components. We always choose our components for the particular load we are working on. Where this has the biggest impact is Projectile Selection. While some projectiles may work incredibly well in one caliber, it might be underwhelming on a different caliber.
We are hunters and shooters alike. All of our flagship loads undergo months of testing before they are finalized. Whether it is shooting on paper, utilizing ballistics gel, or taking it out in the field and testing performance on animals, you can rest assured that Ally Munitions will exceed your expectations. – Ally Munitions
Currently, Ally Munitions offers ammunition for the following cartridges, in various configurations. Although all of these listed calibers are currently available, the arrows signify what we use here at Varminter Magazine (which shows the wide selection of ammunition for predator/varmint hunting). Ally Munitions also offers many other products for the handloader and varmint/predator hunter. Including, brass, projectiles and predator calls, etc. Check them out at AllyMunitions.com.
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[…] As cartridge advancement improved and fur prices dipped, the .17 Remington almost fell into obscurity. However, a fur price boom, a varmint hunting resurgence and Remington releasing new Model 700 rifles chambered in .17 Remington, brought the popularity of the cartridge back in the 1980s and 1990s. Since then, it has been a boom and bust cartridge for over two decades. While Remington Ammunition has gone through turmoil during the same time, other companies have stepped up to offer .17 Remington Components and ammunition for those old and new shooters. **Check out our review of the Ally Munitions .17 Remington Ammunition** […]