.22 Hornet

rimfired

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I have a fine Ruger 77/22 in .22Hornet. Anybody else like this caliber? It's pretty versatile for small game/varmints.
Just kinda found a niche. A hole in the wall for us regulators.:D
 
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I love the caliber. I had a H & R single shot in .22 hornet that did well on coyotes, foxes and even crows. Handloading is the key. My favorite load was 7.4 grains of 2400 and a 40 grain Nosler ballistic tip with a small pistol primer. I took this grey from my back yard at 11pm, didn't wake up my wife or my young son. I dropped him at 60 yards with a Winchester factory soft point.

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The same gun after I free floated the barrel, added a Caldwell bi-pod and refinished the gun in a camo scheme with krylon camo paint. If I had not needed the money I would still own it.

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55 grain FMJ makes a nice pelting round as there is very little damage to the hide in one side out the other.
 
The key to a Hornet is to run it about as fast as you can go. It has been my experience that they shoot better when run right at max on the loading spectrum.
I have had several Hornets and I have a truck load of brass (if you need it) but my preference is 218 Bee.
 
Owned a couple of Winchester model 43s in the Hornet and regret to say I was not smart enough to keep one. They are loads of fun.
 
I own a winchester 70 that was reamed to K-hornet. The gun is a first year 4 digit. I know winchester claims 1st year is 1937 but mine is stamped 1936 under the barrel. I bought it thinking it was as advertised from a private party about 40 years ago. Got it to the range and got the surprise. I bought dies and have reloaded for it. The gun also was drilled for a scope. Its a fine gun but I have shot it very little as its a heavy beast to lug around for such a small caliber! Really, its been a safe queen. Also, it takes the early smaller diamiter bullet.
I also once had a 43 in 218 bee. I think perhaps my barrel was a left over stock hornet barrel from the prior bolt action line of their model 54`s as my gun has to be one of the first hornets built in the then new model 70.

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A Browning that I've been neglecting.
Bob
 

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Have been shooting a winchester Mod. 43 in .22 Hornet for 30 years. Gun does best with theh Sierra 40 grain .224 on top of 10 grains of 2400 and a Remington small rifle primer. Will shoot postage stamp size groups day in and day out.
 
I had a Brno mauser with double set triggers in .22 hornet, it was left to my by my grandma. She was of rather short stature and picked the little mauser out for its fit. She hunted deer with it for decades, as she said "I just put one right in his eye or ear, they go down everytime." It had a little 2.5 brass weaver on it and was a tack driver at 100yds, you could hit anything you could see in the scope dead on at 100yds. I never hunted anything with it and passed it on to a female cousin that always wanted "grandma's rifle".
Her father was a notorious poacher and loved to use the little hornet because its report didn't raise any eyebrows. I remember when he came in from a hunt soakin wet, leaned the little rifle up against the wood stove and went about cleanin up. There came into the house a smell of burning wood and sure enough the stock had started to char, it carried that mark forever.
 
Have a 22 Hornet Contender barrel, with a 2.5 Weaver scope on it, fun and dead on accurate, have taken squirrels (head shots),turkey,ground hogs, and a fox or two with it. Best shot was a turkey at about 125 yards.
 
I have a Ruger 77/22HNT and a Winchester 43

heres what the Ruger can do;
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