Range report, .22 Hornet

elpac3

elpac3

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Just got back from the range after testing out some new .22 hornet loads.

Shooting an old Winchester model 43 with a Leupold scope. Have done some work on free floating the barrel and relieving stress points in the receiver. Have been shooting a 40 grain Sierra .224 hornet bullet ahead of 2400. Have tried 45 grain hornet bullets with the group size opening up. Test out some 52 grain match kings and could not keep the shots on the target board.

Groups have typically been around 1.25" with the 40 grain Sierra hornet bullet ahead of 9 grains of 2400 . Switched to WW-296 powder with Federal bench rest primers, no real change in groups.

Tried out some Barnes 30 grain Varment grenade bullets ahead of 11.5 grains of WW-296. MAJOR improvement in group size. Groups dropped to .65". Upped the charge to 12.0 WW-296 (max charge listed is 13 grains), with an OAL of 1.729. Groups took another drop in size to .45" with the best being .33" with a MV of 3001 FPS.

Done developing - time to start serious shooting.
 
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+1 on Nosler Brass! Hornady was so much better in the 1990's when they brought out the V-Max ammo. BUT like Remington and Winchester, before they kept using worn out equipment.

The way your rifle is performing, it must have a 1:14 or 1:16 twist barrel! Most of mine have been 1:12 & 1:10's and like the 50 grain better. You might try the 35 grain Hornady V-Max for hornet. I get some very impressive groups (5/8-3/4") at around 3100-3200 fps using 1680! Groups opened to 1 1/2" at 3300 (100 yards)

Ivan
 
yea, the barrel is the 1:14.

How true about the brass. The big guys are out there making brass for the most popular calibers (.223) while forgetting/neglecting the older, classics that are still around. It is all about the money :(:(

Have been in love with the hornet for over 40 years now, finding the old Winchester was the prize in the collection. Old guy who had previously had it shortened the barrel to 20" to make a "trapper" rifle, which it actually was used as a trapper rifle. He got too old to continue doing what he was doing and sold the rifle (to me).

Gun shows some wear but still can put rounds down range. :p:p
 
Hornet loads

Recently, I have had excellent luck with the 40 gr Nosler Ballistic tip and 'Lilgun powder. Highly recommend both in your next attempts!
 
Perfect Candidate

elpac3 said:
yea, the barrel is the 1:14.

How true about the brass. The big guys are out there making brass for the most popular calibers (.223) while forgetting/neglecting the older, classics that are still around. It is all about the money :(:(

Have been in love with the hornet for over 40 years now, finding the old Winchester was the prize in the collection. Old guy who had previously had it shortened the barrel to 20" to make a "trapper" rifle, which it actually was used as a trapper rifle. He got too old to continue doing what he was doing and sold the rifle (to me).

Gun shows some wear but still can put rounds down range. :p:p
Click to expand...

Now, find a gunsmith with an 22 K Hornet reamer and re-chamber your rifle for the "K" version. You can still shoot factory ammo and when you reload the 22 KH cartridge you will be amazed at the performance and accuracy. Your rifle has already been altered. You are not going to affect its worth in the slightest. IMHO, the 22 KH is the cartridge that the original Hornet could have been.
 
Last edited:
Recently a friend of mine told me a renegade bull Buffalo tale.
The Buf got lose and was cruising the neighborhood causing a lot of damage.
The Buffalo owner put out the word, it you see him, put him down.
He's headed for the charcoal, grill that is.
The guy who Found him and shot him used a 22 Hornet.
Not exactly my idea of a Buffalo gun, but that's what he had.
And the shooter was a wrecker operator so he could lift the buf and haul it back to the owner.
Bottom line report was - it was delicious!
 
It has been my experience the hornet needs to be pushed to its upper limits to be any good
 
THE PILGRIM said:
Recently a friend of mine told me a renegade bull Buffalo tale.
The Buf got lose and was cruising the neighborhood causing a lot of damage.
The Buffalo owner put out the word, it you see him, put him down.
He's headed for the charcoal, grill that is.
The guy who Found him and shot him used a 22 Hornet.
Not exactly my idea of a Buffalo gun, but that's what he had.
And the shooter was a wrecker operator so he could lift the buf and haul it back to the owner.
Bottom line report was - it was delicious!
Click to expand...

A number of years back I had the opportunity to do some salmon fishing is Alaska. Stayed with a friend who had another friend down for the week. The other friend was a native who's family ran a salmon wheel on the yukon river. Fished the summer, ran sled dogs in the winter. He told stories of doing seal hunts with relatives up north who routinely used the hornet on seals and his father actually had taken moose with the hornet. He said it required a really close shot behind the ear - not my idea of a moose gun but hey -

Also used to be the survival cartridge for the air force over/under survival shotgun (.410) rifle (.22 hornet) combo gun.
 
my hornet is a contender carbine. It likes lil gun powder,small pistol primers, and a oal that's .040 off the lands. 34 gr Midway dogtown bullet,12.5 grains lil gun,SPP, and oal of 1.800 is my best load.
 
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
 
Ivan the Butcher said:
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
Click to expand...

There is a reason the "old" hornet is still around and kicking. I am glad there are guys around who will tinker and push the envelope and develop new rounds. As for the hornet, I think if the hornet can't do it, then you find another cartridge that can. Don't try to make the hornet into something it was never intended to be.
 
Have a Win M70 hornet that's taken out more varmints than you can shake a stick at. Lost a Ruger #3 hornet in a fire and wish I could get it back. Great round.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
 
I really like the 22H, and have two of them. Both are Anschutz, one a heavy barrel and the other a sporter. And I have owned and sold a few others.
What has really worked for me is Lil gun powder, Small Pistol primers and various 40 grain bullets.
My go to load is Win brass, 13.0 Lil Gun, Fed SM pistol primer and Berger 40 HP.
 
I also have 3 Hornets. One Standard hornet in a Contender one K Hornet in a Contender and a Ruger 77-22H. That Ruger is the most accurate one I have ever had. Had a few M-70s M-43s Savage 340s etc etc. I also like L'il Gun and 40 gr V max bullets. The K Hornet brass lasts longer and gets more velocity but more trouble to load for. Killed a couple coyotes with the Ruger...one at an easy 175 yds and he was DRT. When back east I shot many foxes with the Hornet. I don't shoot foxes here in Wyoming. Tween the Hornet and the 222 Rem I am good to go on most varmints
 
New 22 Hornet

Picked up a new Savage Walking Varminter in 22 Hornet yesterday. The LGS had had it for a long time so I got it for what I think was a good deal. I already ordered dies and some lighter bullets from Midway to load for it. Now to find some brass. I did buy one box of Hornady loaded ammo. They really think a lot of of it so one box was enough for me. I already have some 50 gr. V-max bullets but they might be a little heavy for the Hornet. Can't wait to get started playing with it.
 
I have a Savage model 40, the single shot, bull barrel one, it just loves a 50 grain Spitzer over 11 grains of 4227. Quarter size groups at 100 yards all day long. Very quiet round, not nearly as much noise as a .22 WMR.
 
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