ancient-one
US Veteran
Do any of you reload for the 22 Hornet?
22 Hornet
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Hairtrigger
Member
Yes. Lilgun powder is all I use
rockquarry
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I have no Hornets now, but have had about ten in the last thirty-five years or so. Two of these, a BSA Martini and a CZ were accurate. Best powder for me was 1680 with #2400 a reasonably close second. Seems I read somewhere years ago that #2400 was developed for the Hornet.
Never saw much point in using any bullet weights other than 40 or 45 grains; optimum for the cartridge and the Hornet was developed around this weight bullet.
Of all the bullets I tried, the short, stubby 40 grain Speer was by far the most accurate. A second would be the Hornady 45 grain Spire Point. Sierra makes (or did make) a 45 grain round nose. My notes don't have any comments on accuracy, but if I were to work with another Hornet, I'd try this bullet again. The Hornady roundnose bullets generally shoot quite accurately.
The Hornet is at best a 150 yard cartridge; fun to work with even if it's not very practical. Probably perfect as a turkey cartridge but a bit light for coyotes.
Never saw much point in using any bullet weights other than 40 or 45 grains; optimum for the cartridge and the Hornet was developed around this weight bullet.
Of all the bullets I tried, the short, stubby 40 grain Speer was by far the most accurate. A second would be the Hornady 45 grain Spire Point. Sierra makes (or did make) a 45 grain round nose. My notes don't have any comments on accuracy, but if I were to work with another Hornet, I'd try this bullet again. The Hornady roundnose bullets generally shoot quite accurately.
The Hornet is at best a 150 yard cartridge; fun to work with even if it's not very practical. Probably perfect as a turkey cartridge but a bit light for coyotes.
The point above is really true. If you go to the K hornet you may be able to add another 25 yds. I have been loading the 40 gr Ballistic tip and it shoots really well out of my Ruger 77H. It surprisingly is the most accurate Hornet I have ever had. Had 4 M-70s couple of 43s Savage 340 or two and none were much better than an inch- inch and a quarter guns. But that is fine for the Hornets uses. I have 2 Contenders in Hornet and K Hornet and they shoot very well. I have some of those old Sierra round nose bullets and they were one of the more accurate with 2400 and 680. L'il Gun is probably the best powder ever in the Hornets
Hairtrigger
Member
The Hornet is one cartridge where I really like Calhoun bullets
DWalt
Member
Not at present, but years ago I had a Winchester Model 43 in .22 Hornet. I always used IMR 4227 and it performed well. As I remember, a .222" diameter bullet was recommended, not the .224". I think 2400 is also known as a good powder for that caliber, but I did not use it. I used my .22 Hornet for crow hunting. It was a big deal to outsmart the crows back then. I did know one guy who used the .22 Hornet for deer hunting. It was legal for use in West Virginia at that time. He usually got his deer. The .22 Hornet died out after the .222 Rem and .223 Rem took over as they were much better for any use. And if you really wanted .22 Hornet performance for some reason, both the .222 and .223 could be downloaded. I sort of miss the .222, I doubt that many, if any, rifles are still made in that caliber today, and I haven't seen a box of .222 ammunition on a store shelf for a long time. The only similar caliber in shorter supply is the .222 Magnum.
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bulletslap
Member
I load for the Hornet. The cases are very delicate, so you have to take care resizing and seating the bullets.
I am down to two Hornets currently, a H&R Handy Gun II, which is more accurate than it should be; and a TC Contender. Some day I might find a nice Low Wall Winchester or even a CZ Manlicher style bolt gun to replace the Ruger 77/22 Hornet I traded off. I never could get it to shoot like it should.
In my opinion the Hornet is like a 28 Gauge, in that it is more effective than it should be.
I am down to two Hornets currently, a H&R Handy Gun II, which is more accurate than it should be; and a TC Contender. Some day I might find a nice Low Wall Winchester or even a CZ Manlicher style bolt gun to replace the Ruger 77/22 Hornet I traded off. I never could get it to shoot like it should.
In my opinion the Hornet is like a 28 Gauge, in that it is more effective than it should be.
The 22 Hornet and 28 Gauge shotgun are "Fun" toys to play with.............
Just that the ammo is either hard to find or very expensive, so
reloading is the only answer, if you own these little gems.
The "Tripple Duce" was king in its day and also a great accurate loading,
that is seldom seen at the local rifle ranges around here.
Enjoy that work of art.
Just that the ammo is either hard to find or very expensive, so
reloading is the only answer, if you own these little gems.
The "Tripple Duce" was king in its day and also a great accurate loading,
that is seldom seen at the local rifle ranges around here.
Enjoy that work of art.
Ivan the Butcher
Member
I am a great fan for 22Hornet, along with 218 Bee (in single shot rifles), and 221 Fireball! I never worked with the "Improved" versions as they basically duplicated the next cartridge in the line up. In my accumulating brass, I have K-Hornet empties as well as Mashburn Bee cases. To me taking a fine shooting rifle, and "Improving" it risked the loss of accuracy, and gained nothing more over a rifle I already owned.
In the 80's and 90's the quality of factory ammo became so bad, that many fine rifles only produced a "pattern" instead of a group! Hornady broke this trend with their Varmint Express ammo with a 35 grain bullet at 3100 fps. (There were reports of Prairie Dog hits at 300 yards, but I never saw any!)
I have had 3 of the Savage 340 rifles all old enough to not have serial numbers (that started in 1968) the gun went out of production in the late 50's or early 60's, then started again in 70 or so. So that made mine 40 or a lot more years old when I bought them. These are some of the most accurate rifles you can find. With Hornady VX ammo, one inch at 100 is the norm and the one I kept is a 1/2" gun. I had several tip-up action single shots and accuracy was very consistently sub 1"! I had a CZ in the mid 80's that wouldn't hit a barn if shot inside it! I also had a bull barreled Anschutz 54that was a 1+" gun with the 35 VX ammo but not 2" with 45 grain traditional loadings!
For Hornady's 35 gr V-max I found AA1680 at 3100fps was 1/2" to 3/4" in most all rifles that had a good history, but 3200fps was 1 1/4" at best!
For 45 gr semi point, H or IMR 4227 seemed to be best with the Townsend Whelan load of 11.5 gr @ 2700fps usually around 3/4" to 1"
For 40 gr Ballistic Tip, 4227, 1680 and 296/H100 all preformed very well.
I had serious trouble with LilGun blowing out case walls .2 & .4 grains below max. on 218 Bee (Virgin Brass!) and never messed with the success I was having on the Hornet.
I have somewhere around 3000 brass by 4 or 5 manufacturers. Currently, Nosler makes the very best! It has been available for Midway in 2 grades. Ready to load" 100 count and "Needs Prepped" 250 count. The entire batch will be within .1 grain of weight, within .002" case length, and .001" (or less) of neck wall thickness. The "needs prepped" will need flash hole and primer pocket work, as well as sized! This is so much better than the second best-Hornady!
There is some 1950's thru 60's military surplus ammo by Canadian firm CDC, that is 45 grain semi-spritzer FMJ (our Air Force seems to have issued this also) This was for survival rifles. It is known to be very accurate, but you need head shots *** there is no expansion! The brass was of "normal" quality for that time frame; which beat the 80's/90's US stuff to heck!
For primers, the opinions very! I have used Federal 205M with the loads above. Friends use the Remington 6 1/2, with equal success. One friend has phenomenal accuracy with Federal 201M (small pistol match), out of a 14" Contender, But his velocity is more like 22 Stingers or 22 Mag, if paper is all you kill this is worth a try! (with AA1680 powder)
Ivan
In the 80's and 90's the quality of factory ammo became so bad, that many fine rifles only produced a "pattern" instead of a group! Hornady broke this trend with their Varmint Express ammo with a 35 grain bullet at 3100 fps. (There were reports of Prairie Dog hits at 300 yards, but I never saw any!)
I have had 3 of the Savage 340 rifles all old enough to not have serial numbers (that started in 1968) the gun went out of production in the late 50's or early 60's, then started again in 70 or so. So that made mine 40 or a lot more years old when I bought them. These are some of the most accurate rifles you can find. With Hornady VX ammo, one inch at 100 is the norm and the one I kept is a 1/2" gun. I had several tip-up action single shots and accuracy was very consistently sub 1"! I had a CZ in the mid 80's that wouldn't hit a barn if shot inside it! I also had a bull barreled Anschutz 54that was a 1+" gun with the 35 VX ammo but not 2" with 45 grain traditional loadings!
For Hornady's 35 gr V-max I found AA1680 at 3100fps was 1/2" to 3/4" in most all rifles that had a good history, but 3200fps was 1 1/4" at best!
For 45 gr semi point, H or IMR 4227 seemed to be best with the Townsend Whelan load of 11.5 gr @ 2700fps usually around 3/4" to 1"
For 40 gr Ballistic Tip, 4227, 1680 and 296/H100 all preformed very well.
I had serious trouble with LilGun blowing out case walls .2 & .4 grains below max. on 218 Bee (Virgin Brass!) and never messed with the success I was having on the Hornet.
I have somewhere around 3000 brass by 4 or 5 manufacturers. Currently, Nosler makes the very best! It has been available for Midway in 2 grades. Ready to load" 100 count and "Needs Prepped" 250 count. The entire batch will be within .1 grain of weight, within .002" case length, and .001" (or less) of neck wall thickness. The "needs prepped" will need flash hole and primer pocket work, as well as sized! This is so much better than the second best-Hornady!
There is some 1950's thru 60's military surplus ammo by Canadian firm CDC, that is 45 grain semi-spritzer FMJ (our Air Force seems to have issued this also) This was for survival rifles. It is known to be very accurate, but you need head shots *** there is no expansion! The brass was of "normal" quality for that time frame; which beat the 80's/90's US stuff to heck!
For primers, the opinions very! I have used Federal 205M with the loads above. Friends use the Remington 6 1/2, with equal success. One friend has phenomenal accuracy with Federal 201M (small pistol match), out of a 14" Contender, But his velocity is more like 22 Stingers or 22 Mag, if paper is all you kill this is worth a try! (with AA1680 powder)
Ivan
I used to, back when IMR 4227 was still considered a pretty decent powder for the cartridge. At one point, I had a Ruger Number 3, and an H&R Topper, both chambered for the Hornet. The #3 was much more versatile; it had a whole bunch more freebore. I still have the H&R. 
Had the same experience with a Ruger 77/22 in Hornet; no matter what I hand-rolled and fed it the thing never would shoot like it ought to. I have an H&R Handy Rifle in .22 Hornet now that drives tacks and isn't terribly picky.
Agree, too, about Lil Gun and 2400, and sticking to less than 50 grain bullets. Very fun round to play with.
Ackley1952
Member
I agreed with everything said here which is amazing. Don't forget the los
noise level . You'll love the hornet
noise level . You'll love the hornet
Ackley1952
Member
I wish someone would bring up using small pistol primers for accuracy. I've tried occasionally for 10 years with zero improvement but bet this will start an argument
I will happily identify myself as a .22 Hornet fan boy.
However, I have ended up converting all my .22 Hornet barrels to .22 K-Hornet.
Lot's of benefits; much better case life when reloading, fireforming .22 Hornet in .22 K-Hornet barrels is not only quick and easy, but you lose no accuracy when shooting the Hornet in a K-Hornet barrel, and of course, you can up the ante for powder charge if you like.
For powder, Lil'Gun is my only and ever "go to" powder for handloading the .22 Hornet/K-Hornet.
A really fun cartridge out of a Contender pistol.
However, I have ended up converting all my .22 Hornet barrels to .22 K-Hornet.
Lot's of benefits; much better case life when reloading, fireforming .22 Hornet in .22 K-Hornet barrels is not only quick and easy, but you lose no accuracy when shooting the Hornet in a K-Hornet barrel, and of course, you can up the ante for powder charge if you like.
For powder, Lil'Gun is my only and ever "go to" powder for handloading the .22 Hornet/K-Hornet.
A really fun cartridge out of a Contender pistol.
Hairtrigger
Member
You guys shooting the Ruger M77 should try shimming the bolt
On the M77 I had a shim made 100 yard groups 1/2” smaller.
On the M77 I had a shim made 100 yard groups 1/2” smaller.
OP
ancient-one
US Veteran
I appreciate your info. The Hornet that I have is a very good condition Savage Model 219C already grooved for a scope. I have shot about 30 rounds and it functioned with no problems.
I found out one thing and that is if you want your empties just break it far enough to get the brass out then finish cocking it. It throws the brass a long way if you break it all of the way.
A bolt action would be nice but this was cheap and came with a El Paso made variable scope. It was either a V2 or V2.5-7 power and was just as clear as a new one.
I found out one thing and that is if you want your empties just break it far enough to get the brass out then finish cocking it. It throws the brass a long way if you break it all of the way.
A bolt action would be nice but this was cheap and came with a El Paso made variable scope. It was either a V2 or V2.5-7 power and was just as clear as a new one.
Bakebfr480
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Yes.......I cast a 55 grain bullet and use 2400 and 4227 powders!
I bet I thought about getting a hornet 20 times, but just never did. I opted instead for an old Browning safari grade heavy barrel in 222, and never looked back. I would like to shoot one though
elpac3
Member
Have an old Winchester model 43 in hornet. One of my favorites. Over the years I have tried many combinations of bullets and powders. Found the rifle absolutely will not shoot anything above 45 grains. Drop in a 50 grainer and the thing will not hit a 4"x8' sheet of plywood at 100.
Numerous powders have been tried over the years as well. 2400 has been a favorite until recently when I went back to working up an accuracy load. The gun could always do 1 1/2" at 100 but always hoped for better. Don't recall exactly who suggested W296 powder but gave it a try and the group size came down. Then found the 30 grain varment grenade bullet. Groups dropped to under 1/2" with 3000 fps mv.
Also went to using the Lee collet sizing die which I believe helps brass life as well as accuracy.
Numerous powders have been tried over the years as well. 2400 has been a favorite until recently when I went back to working up an accuracy load. The gun could always do 1 1/2" at 100 but always hoped for better. Don't recall exactly who suggested W296 powder but gave it a try and the group size came down. Then found the 30 grain varment grenade bullet. Groups dropped to under 1/2" with 3000 fps mv.
Also went to using the Lee collet sizing die which I believe helps brass life as well as accuracy.
