I love the small 22 center fires! I am down to 2 Hornets a Ruger No. 1 in 218 Bee and a few Contender barrels a 10" bull in Hornet, a 10" bull and a 10" Octagon both in 221 Fireball.

I really like accuracy over velocity! IMR/H 4227 work well in all 3 rounds. My 218 Bee, can use pointed bullets! I'm now out of the old Nosler Solid base bullets, but the 50 gr, Match flat base was a one hole number at about 2750-2800 fps (I got the load from Lyman #45). Now I use the 50 gr Blitz bullet (not Blitzking!).

In my earlier post I told about the 35 V-Max and 1680 in Hornet. When developing that load I was experimenting with Little Gun. I blew the sides out of brand new brass at below max load data, so beware of Little Gun (I only use it in 410 now, even though close friends swear by it!) I feel I have had my warning!!! I had a stainless bull barreled Ansultz 54 in Hornet, but due to the German Government's requirement of a "Free Bore" the lead was too long to get good accuracy out of. (A friend set the barrel back 1/2" on his blue 54 and got excellent accuracy!)

I've only had the Fireball bull barrel for a couple of years and have worked up a 4227 load with Combined Technologies' 50 grain bullet that out shoots anything I ever done with the Hornet barrel!

On Improved cartridge cases. I Don't remember P.O. Ackley doing a Hornet case or a 218 Bee case. The K-Hornet already existed and the Mashburn Bee and the 218 Bumble Bee already existed. P.O. thought very highly of their velocity and accuracy! On just reaming a new chamber: I have a friend who had a 340 Savage just like mine and it shot as good or a little better than mine. He reamed the chamber to K-Hornet, and he couldn't get it to group at anything above 2900 fps with any bullet! I think some of the old barrels just won't handle higher velocities. "Improving" the Hornet and the 218 Bee should yield about 200 extra fps. I don't see risking a good barrel when the 35 grain loading yields 400-450fps. I have a few hundred K-Hornet brass and dies, but no guns chambered for it!


Ivan