Reloading for the 22 Hornet.

[muddocktor]

Hey all,

I am getting ready to start reloading for the 22 Hornet. I loaded for it back when I was a kid of 8-10 years old, but haven't messed with it for 50+ years. Back then, I seem to remember using some Speer 45 grain .223 diameter Hornet bullets and the DuPont IMR 4227 powder (in the metal can). I know a lot has changed since then, especially in bullet and powder choices to use. I remember that I made some pretty accurate loads with those components too. But that was then and this is now and here is what I have for reloading on hand.

For bullets, I have the following:
Midsouth Varmint Nightmare Extreme 34 grain JHP .224 dia (bullets made by Nosler)
Speer 45 grain Sp .224 dia (#1023)
Hornady 45 grain Hornet .224 dia (#2230)
Sierra 45 grain Hornet .223 dia (#1110)

Powder on Hand:
Hodgdon H110
Alliant 2400
IMR 4227
Alliant Power Pro 300MP

Primers:
CCI 500
CCI 550
CCI 400
Remington 5 1/2
Fiocchi small pistol

Brass:
Hornady once fired (by me)

Now my questions.

First question is what primers to use. I remember using a small rifle primer back in the day but I have read here that some folks recommend small pistol primers with this cartridge; say it gives better groups. If so, would you recommend it with H110 reloads also? Or go with magnum small pistol primers or regular small rifle?

Next question, brass?

First of all, this isn't a priority as I still have around 150 Hornady factory rounds left and 50 Remington rounds, so having to buy replacement brass is still pretty far in the future. I do have 75 cases I have processed and had to trim back 11 of them for exceeding max OA case length and are ready to load. But checking around, all the brass seems to be on the pricey side at around 50 cents a case except for the Prvi Partizian cases, which are around 27-28 cents a case. How decent is the quality of the Prvi Partizian cases in 22 Hornet?

Any other things you might want to bring up will be welcome too.

Jim

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I load a lot for the Hornet, maybe I can help.

Of the powders listed 4227 is still the best (I haven't tried Alliant 300MP) for 45 grain semi spitzers. If you decide to go to the Hornady 35 grain V-Max or the 30 to 40 grain Berger, I would get a pound of Accurate 1680, a ball powder so it meters well, very consistent at the Hornady duplication load of 3100fps.

For a primers the Remington 5 1/2 would be a better choice, Remington 6 1/2 would be marginally better. Too hot of primer tends to push the bullet and powder into the barrel before ignition. (Most Sm Rifle primers are just too hot for the tiny case. The 6 1/2 is very mild for a rifle primer)

When Hornady first came out with the Cubical box 22 Hornet 35 grain V-Max, it was some of the best brass I have ever seen. I had 300 rounds from the first year and in the same lot. By 3 years later, it was just as inconsistent as Remington's and Winchester's brass (most likely too big of demand to worry about getting it right!)
Now I have discovered that Midway carries Nosler ammo and brass for Hornet. Nosler sell the brass in two ways: 100 case box "Ready to load" and 250 case bag "Needs prepped". The only problem I can find with the 100 case box is the quantity (Midway can't guarantee you will get the same lot. I weighed every case in the bag and all were within the same 1/10th grain on my electronic scale! All were within the same 2/10ths of overall case length after full length sizing. Primer pockets and flash holes were super consistent! Perhaps the most important thing is the Neck Wall Thickness. Nosler ran a perfect .010 on the 50 random cases I checked. Most other brass varies by .003 and is thick on one side, which destroys neck tension consistentency.

I'm almost 64 and I feel that this bag will last the rest of my shooting life. Brass has always been the downfall of Hornet accuracy! The Nosler brass and 35 grain V-Max over AA1680 have produced 1/4" groups repeatedly from my 1950's Savage 340 at 3100 fps. (At 3200 that accuracy fall to 3/4" and at 3250 was 2.5"!) That is using Rem 6 1/2 primer. I use this load in my 10" Contender also, but I'm a rotten Pistol varmint hunter I get 1" at 50 yards usually, which kill ground hogs but gets laughed at the range outings!!!

A Friend uses Federal Small Pistol Match primers (105M) with 45 grain Sierra Hornet bullet and 1680 for a 2000 fps load in a 14" Contender and has little tiny groups but is too slow for distance in my opinion. But if group size at fixed distance is your thing, that's the way to go!

I hope this helps you in your future loading.

Ivan

 

[StrawHat]

I load a bit of Hornet ammunition. I still use 2400 for powder but have heard good things about Lil Gun. Supposed to give high velocities and small groups.

Never used it but thinking about it for my Springfield 1922.

Kevin

 

[growr]

My friend uses a .22 Hornet Cooper rifle and it REALLY likes 12 grains of AA-1680 with his 35 gr. V-Max bullets.

Very devastating to Montana praire dogs!!

Randy

 

[oger]

I always used the old 1680 and Remington 6 1/2 primers with both 40 and 45 grain bullets.

 

[max503]

I only partial size my Hornet cases. i.e. Raise the ram on your press and screw the sizing die in until it touches the shell holder. Then back the die off 2/3 of a turn, lower the ram and put an unsized case in the shell holder, then raise the ram and tighten the locking ring for the sizing die.
Partial sizing improves accuracy and case life in the Hornet.
All my hornet shooting now a days is with gas checked cast bullets, which my gun loves.
Thanks for the tip on the Prvi Partizian cases. I didn't know about those.
Here's my old Lee Loader. It cost a whole $13.98.

 

[serger]

I shoot a k hornet Contender. If you want loaded ammunition to
plink with, SGAMMO out of Tulsa has Prvi Partizan 45gr soft points
for about 36 cents a round delivered. You can fire form this stuff
to your rifle and then just neck size. Prvi brass suits me.

I use 4227 for my powder and 40gr Vmax for projectiles.

500 Rounds - 22 Hornet 45 grain Soft point Prvi Partizan Ammo PP20 | SGAmmo.com

 

[BB57]

Primers:

As Ivan noted above, less is more when it comes to a primer in the .22 Hornet. The strength of a primer is technically known as "brisance," which is defined as the shattering effect of a high explosive. In general, CCI and Remington primers have the lowest brisance, while Winchester primers have much higher brisance with federal falling in between.

I tend to use Winchester and CCI primers for two reasons. First I use each for applications where I want more or less brisance respectively. Second, they are both readily available at around $30-$32 per 1000.

I do get better accuracy in the .22 Hornet with CCI 500 small pistol primers, but it's also relative. I still get 1/2 MOA 5 shot 100 yards groups in one of my Mini Mauser .22 Hornets with CCI 400 (small rifle) primers and I get 3/4 MOA groups in my second mini Mauser .22 Hornet. (My third Hornet - an 1885 Browning does about 1 MOA pretty much regardless of the primer).

So primer wise, go with the CCI 500 primers, with the possible exception of Alliant 2400, which is harder to light and where a CCI 400 can be a better choice.

Powder:

The three go to .22 Hornet powders have traditionally been:
- 2400 (which got it's name by driving a 45 gr bullet at 2400 fps in the .22 Hornet - a big deal at the time);
- H110/Win 296; and
- IMR 4227

However, Lil Gun has also become widely regarded as a great .22 Hornet powder.

IMHO the most versatile .22 Hornet powder is H110 / Win 296 and if I was forced to have just one, it would be my pick.

Little gun is great for heavy bullets, but it's fluffy nature makes it somewhat self limiting with light bullets in the 30-35 grain range where getting the larger charge in some cases can be a problem, even with a drop tube.

Brass:

.22 Hornet brass varies a lot in terms of internal volume.

In my experience, Hornady brass has the lowest volume by a significant margin.

The thicker case walls do help improve case life, particularly with higher pressure loads. But frankly if you are primarily interested in either velocity or maximum case life, then you need to have your chamber reamed to .22 K Hornet. It'll get you another 100-150 fps and case life is much improved due to the reduced taper and sharper shoulder.

Hornady also uses a smaller than normal flash hole in their .22 Hornet brass, small enough that some decapping pins won't fit through it. You'll feel the increased resistance and if you ignore it you'll start breaking decapping pins.


Remington brass is at the other end of the spectrum with by far the largest case volume. There's enough of a difference to require different loads in Hornady and Remington brass if you are loading to the same velocity node. Remington is also a better choice for loads using lighter bullets and Lil Gun, as the larger volume reduces the effort needed to stuff a larger charge in the case.


Winchester and PPU brass are both pretty squarely in the middle. The caveat here is that Winchester no longer makes its own brass, so its volume and other traits can change as soon as Winchester changes its supplier.

I tend to buy Hornady 35 gr V max factory loads when I can find them at a good price as it's accurate in every Hornet I own and makes a good benchmark to beat when working up a load for a new Hornet. The brass is ok, but the smaller capacity and smaller flash holes are a pain.

I also buy PPU factory .22 Hornet ammo in their 45 grain loading just because it is inexpensive. I can get 500 rounds for $170 shipped from SG Ammo, which works out to $0.34 per round.
That loaded ammo price compares $0.34 per round for just PPU .22 Hornet brass from Midway, and .28 per piece from Grafs and Sons. I've found it to be decent brass. The ammunition isn't all that accurate, but the brass is decent and you can always pull the bullets and develop your own loads for them if you prefer. If you go the K-Hornet, route its the cheapest way to end up with fire formed brass.


Bullets

I'm a big fan of the 40 grain V-Max in two of my three Hornets. One of them is a Rem 799 Mini Mauser (Zastava made) and the other is a Zastava M85 Mini Mauser. The major differences are the stocks and the barrel lengths (20" versus 21.5"). I put Interarms Mini Mark X stocks on both mine anyway.

It's capable of sub half MOA accuracy if you work at it and 1/2 to 3/4 MOA if you don't put much effort into the load.

It is however a long bullet for 1-16" twist. All three of my Hornets have a nominal 1-16" twist, but the reality is that the 1885's 1-16" twist is a lot slower than the 1-16" twist in the others. Even with a 24" barrel and more velocity my 1885 won't quite stabilize the 40 gr V-max.

I use the 30 grain Barnes Varmint Grenade in it. It produces accuracy that is as good as it gets in that rifle and it's inexpensive.

Bullet diameter has changed in the .22 Hornet from .223 to .224 and unless you are shooting a really old .22 Hornet, you probably want .224" bullets.


Gratuitous .22 Hornet gun porn:

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

BB57, I really like your 22 Hornet Gun Porn!

Ivan

I had a Anschutz 54 with a bull stainless barrel and a stunning stock (It hade made as a display gun for the shot show and the NRA convention around 2005 or 6) It only shot so-so! All German made center fire rifles must by law have a free bore chamber! That's fine for big rounds but really messes with accuracy on 22 Hornet and 222 Remington. With my best hand loads, 1/2 to 3/4 MOA was all I could get out of that gun. So when times got tight, it was in the first batch to go!

I had a CZ in Hornet in the late 90's. It was a barreled action in a junk plastic stock! For the price I thought it should be much better than a 1.25 MOA gun.

The Savage 340's and 219's from the 1950's seem to be the best performers I have come across. The 340's with serial numbers are from the 1970's and later. They are usually OK but just not on par with the 1950's! (that's from my experience with about 20 Savages in 22 Hornet)

I am surprised to hear BB57's Browning 1885 wasn't a little more accurate. Most people don't talk group size in MOA or actual distances. Most people say "It's a tack driver!" or something like that. It is very interesting to hear actual measured performance.

ITB

 

[muddocktor]

First of all, I want to thank you all for the advice and help you are giving me. The gun I am shooting this out of is an old Savage 340-C which I think is a 50's vintage gun as it was a gun my Dad had bought in the early 60's (I presume, might have been earlier) as my first centerfire gun, so it has a lot of sentimental value to me too. It was passed down to my younger brothers to get them started up with and then a few months ago my next younger brother gave it back to me since he wasn't shooting it. So Ivan, you know the potential of the gun since you happen to have one yourself. BTW it still has the Weaver K6 scope on it that it had back when I was a kid and it's still pretty clear and in good shape.

For now at least, I will be staying with the powders I have on hand to play with, as well as the primers too. The reason I bought the .223 diameter Sierra bullets was that I remembered using the Speer version of that bullet when I was young and had good luck with it and they are the only ones making a .223 diameter bullet any more. I bought the rest because I figured that the Savage is new enough to actually be bored for .224 bullets and wanted to compare to the .223 bullets. And I went with the Midsouth VNE bullets instead of a 35 grain Barnes or other lighter brand because of experience with them in 223 Rem ammo and I had found them to be pretty darned good, especially at the price point at less than 10 cents a bullet in 500 lot quantity. I bought the Hornady V-Max to compare against the VNE in the Hornet. So if it turns out that the Hornady 35 V-Max is the more accurate I can always make some more 223 screamers with the VNE bullets.

So I guess I will be starting off with the Hornady V-Max and some of the VNE bullets with the same powder loads and see how they compare.

I think I will stick with the CCI 500 or 550 primers to start with and H110 powder and then maybe try the Rem 5 1/2 and see if there is any notable difference. For load data, I have Sierra 2nd, 5th and 6th manuals, Hornady 3rd, 4th and 9th, and a Speer #11, plus the online sources to go through.

 

[df06]

I've loaded for the 22h about 20 years, and have had multiple rifles in that chambering.
The best, load (accuracy and velocity)I've found is-
Win brass
Fed sm pistol primers
13.2 gr Lil Gun powder, this is a full case
Various 40 gr bullets, I prefer Berger 40 hp.

I currently have two Anschutz rifles that easily shoot five shot groups sub 1" with this load.

 

[Eddie Southgate]

You won't go wrong with any of the above advice . I only have one Hornet at the moment and it's a Savage 340 like yours . It's favorite load is the same load that has always worked best in the Hornets I have owned as well as the.218 Bee guns . I use 35 gr V Max over 12.5 gr W680 lit by a CCI small pistol primer in either Remington or Winchester cases . I still have a couple of pounds of W680 but also have the 1680 and Little Gun and both work just about equally well . I also have H110, 4227 and 2400 and although I love and would not want to do without them for other things the 1680 and LG out do them in my Hornet . Glad you got your 340 back and hope you enjoy it as much now as you did as a youngster .

 

[oldbrownhat]

I'm following this discussion as I have a c.1938 A-G Parker .22 Hornet they built on a large-frame Martini which I guess I shouldget around to loading for after ignoring it for several years. I'm also thinking of maybe mounting a "scout" style scope on it, as one model back in 1938 was advertised with an Ajack 2 1/2x scope mounted forward of the breech.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I had friends with BSA target 22 RF Martini rifles they competed with. In later life they make a very heavy 22 hunting rifle. But that was all left handed competitors could get until Anschutz made left handed Model 54's.

yours is the fanciest Martini I've ever seen! It is beautiful!

Ivan

 

[bigwheelzip]

The inventors of the cartridge.

 

[oldbrownhat]

I had friends with BSA target 22 RF Martini rifles they competed with. In later life they make a very heavy 22 hunting rifle. But that was all left handed competitors could get until Anschutz made left handed Model 54's.

yours is the fanciest Martini I've ever seen! It is beautiful!

Ivan

A-G Parker really went to town on this one. And the 1938 catalogue shows that the engraving and checkering were standard. Cost 'way back then was shown as £6.10.0 (about $8.50 USD). The model with the Ajack 2.5x scope was £25.

Here's some more Martini porn:

 

[smoothshooter]

I used to load Hornet ammo by the hundreds in the 1970's, and can remember what a pain it could be to get consistent groups.

If I wanted a .22 centerfire with that power level nowadays, I would buy a .222 or .223 and simply download it to Hornet levels.
Much easier to get good groups and easier to reload. Brass lasts longer too.

 

[elpac3]

Used to have difficulty getting good groups with a Win. Model 43 in .22 hornet. Used to use 2400 / 4227 with 40 to 45 grain bullets.

Was reading here on the forum and saw a suggestion to switch to 296 /H110. Made the switch and went to the 30 grain varmint grenade. I am now able to get very tight groups - even shot a ten shot one hole group off the bench.

Using standard small rifle primers. Had experimented with pistol primers but had ruptures - stick with rifle primers.

 

[BoCash]

I agree with many on these replies, especially BB57 and his interesting facts on primer brands.

Have owned and reloaded for 3 different Hornets, one being an older Ruger 77/22 Hornet that sprayed shotgun patterns and was never consistent. I could not handle the 2 to 5 inch groups. That one rests in someone else's rack who appreciates it.

Currently loading for a CZ 527 and an Anschutz 1730DHB and still learning that they like lighter bullets. I did have good luck with Hornady 40 V-Max, but had to load them singly into the CZ's short magazine or set them so deep that the case mouth extended beyond the curvature of the bullet.

I have finally settled on Hornady 35 V-Max, Speer 33 TNT, Speer 40 SP varmint, and Sierra 40 Hornet .224 for the Hornet. While I won't rule out using 40 gr. V-max, the previous 2 40-grain offerings do not require so much length in the magazine.

Have all the necessary Hornet powders, but have settled on Little Gun as being the "perfect one."

Also use Winchester Small Pistol primers and never had a problem with one yet.

The one area not explored is the use of 30-grain bullets. That may be a project for the coming year.

One thing I learned is that a tenth of a grain of powder one way or the other can make a difference in this tiny case, so I now use a RCBS pistol competition powder measure.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

The one area not explored is the use of 30-grain bullets. That may be a project for the coming year.

One thing I learned is that a tenth of a grain of powder one way or the other can make a difference in this tiny case, so I now use a RCBS pistol competition powder measure.

I have about 400 Berger Varmint 30 grain bullets and 100 Berger MEF 35 grainers. I picked these up from a friend that quit loading for 22 Squirrel (a short version of the 22 Hornet) and his 22 Chipmunk (a even shorter version), but high quality 17 HMR made the tiny varmint cartridges obsolete! I haven't needed to play with them due to the 35 gr. V-Max.

I understand about the variance of 1/10th grain being a huge percentage of the Hornet's load! (about .57%) My BR-30 Redding powder drop is designed around Bench Rest cartridges and isn't accurate enough at charges half that size! So I use my Lyman 55 and work up to my charge on a digital scale! But I like the idea of an accurate drop for charges that small!

Ivan

I knew a different varmint hunter that on his last prairie dog hunt, could only shoot dogs at close range (80-100yards). He didn't have a rimfire with him, so he used his 22 Squirrel. He had 350 rounds, he and his adult son would take turn using the one rifle until their rounds were shot up, then retire to their hotel room and reload them, and do it again the next day. He and his son had over 900 dogs in 3 days! (trimming and forming a quantity of that tiny brass would drive me nuts!)