Reloading the 22 Hornet

[Teasel]

Hello folks a friend of mine has just started reloading for his 22 Hornet. 6.5 grains of 2400 to 55 grain FMJ bullet. The bullets are tumbling. This load is recommended by Lyman. Can anyone shed some light on this problem.

 

[dsink]

Sounds like his Hornet has to slow of a twist. The 22 Hornet is really at its best with 45 grain bullets.

It probably has a 14 twist but due to the low velocity of the small case, it will have a hard time getting some 55 grain bullets to stabilize.

 

[rockquarry]

Need to provide more information. Much depends on the rifle and barrel twist rate. Some 1 in 16" Hornet barrels will handle a 55 grain bullet, but that's pretty heavy (and long) for a Hornet. Even the ones that will stabilize a 55 grain bullet probably won't shoot it as accurately as a lighter bullet that's also shorter in length.

Your velocity is very low, probably around 1700- 1800 fps at the muzzle. A 55 grain bullet needs to be pushed considerably faster for decent accuracy. That can't be done using the tiny Hornet case and #2400. You can get a little better speed with something like 296, 1680, or maybe 4227.

 

[growr]

rockquarry is spot on.....My varminting partner shoots a .22 Hornet with 45 gr. V-Max and AA-1680 or Lil' Gun Powder with devastating results downrange.

I don't know his velocity, but it seems like he said around 2600 fps....

Randy

 

[old pipefitter]

I just sold my #1 Hornet. I liked the 40 grain Nosler Varmageddon bullets with LILL GUN. Its the perfect powder for the little Hornet.

 

[silentflyer]

I have had good luck with a 50 grain bullet sitting over 10.5 grains of 4227, haven't tried Lil'Gun but I hear good things about it. Bought a can but never got around to rolling out any yet,still have a lot of 4227 loads in the ammo locker.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

H or IMR 4227 is the original and traditional powder for 22 Hornet! 45 grain semi spritzer is the normal bullet, 40 gr. V-Max are a good way to go and the Hornady 35gr Hornet V-Max over AA1680 will do up to 3300fps, but I could never get good groups over 3100fps.

For primers the best is Remington 6 1/2. Small Pistol is also pretty good.

Getting good consistent brass is expensive! I Got a bag 250 Nosler, that should last 3 or so decades (most likely longer than I'll last!)

For best groups I recommend weighing most powders, but 4227 and 1680 both drop well from a Lyman 55 powder measure.

What can you expect from good ammo and a good gun? My pre 1958 340 Savage gets 1/2" 3 shot groups at 200 yards with 1680 and Hornady 35 grain bullets!

Ivan

 

[GBertolet]

My Ruger #3 had a 1-16 twist. A carry over twist rate, from old .22 LR barrels, that were often used for the Hornet way back when. Usually 45 gr bullets or less are tops for best accuracy. It's not the weight, but the bullet length that matters in determining the proper twist rate for bullet stability. Notice that dedicated Hornet bullets are more blunt than regular spitzers of similar weight, which shortens the length for the slower Hornet twist. I had best results with Lil Gun powder. It is recommended to try pistol primers in the Hornet with your load development, as it is theorized that a standard rifle primer will drive the bullet out of the case before the powder can be sufficiently ignited. This can cause erratic grouping. Try and see if it makes a difference.

I ultimately tired of the Hornet, and rebarreled it myself, to .357 magnum, which I thought was a more useful cartridge for my purposes.

 

[SMSgt]

If I recall correctly, not too common these days, older Hornet bullets were .223 diameter instead of the .224 used today.

 

[GBertolet]

Yes, the older Hornet bullets were .223. The newer Hornets of the last 40 years or so, are .224. Check the expander balls on the dies. My RCBS expander was for for .223 bullets. I called RCBS and they sent me a .224 expander. The expander size is not actual diameter, rather it is the proper diameter for the intended bullet size, whether it is .223 or .224.

 

[Gene L]

My favorite! I have three or so rifles in Hornet. I load 12 gr. or 13 gr. of Li'l gun under a 35 gr bullet and get around 3100 fps and very accurately, I might add. I think the original powder for a Hornet was 2400, which was about the fps you'd get with a 45 gr. bullet back in the day. That's what I heard, at least. Li'l Gun is great in the Hornet.

 

[cpt-t]

Teasel: I have been shooting & reloading for the 22 Hornet since 1963 and it is one of my all time favorites. And I have had several of them over the years. ((( IMHO ))) The best 22 Hornet I have ever shot is my CZ 527 American, that I shoot now. And the best reload I have ever came up with is 11.0 grs of IMR 4227 powder with a Hornady 35gr V-Max`s bullet. At about 2860 FPS. This load will group 1/4 inch or less, at a 100yds off of a rest. On a quiet day.
ken

 

[Gene L]

I had a CZ .22 Hornet, but the tightest shooter would between a Savage (new one) and a Ruger 22H, a tack driverl

 

[Teasel]

The Hornet Rifle is a Weihrauch HW60J. Nearly new so the grove diameter will be .224. It shoots factory made ammo perfectly.

 

[gwpercle]

Your charge is too low. The long 55 grain bullet is hard to stabilize at such a low velocity .
The Hornady Manual shows :
starting load of 7.8 grains 2400 @ 1900 fps
maximum load 8.5 grains @ 2100 fps

6.5 grains isn't stabilizing the bullet , it might be doing at most 1800 fps probably or less ... bump it up until the bullets stabilize.
I would bet the factory ammo has a higher velocity !

If that doesn't work , try lighter bullet. Unless you measure the rifles rate of twist you just have to keep trying different components .
Gary

 

[max503]

If I recall correctly, not too common these days, older Hornet bullets were .223 diameter instead of the .224 used today.

That's because old Hornet barrels were .223 instead of .224. When I started shooting and reloading Hornets around 1980, Speer still sold .223 Hornet bullets but all guns at that time were being made with .224 barrels.

 

[max503]

My Savage 340 rifle and my TC Hornet pistol always shot best with 45 grain bullets and IMR 4227. They used to make a WW 680 ball powder that worked really well but it is now obsolete.

I shoot a cast 47 grain bullet with about 4.5 grains of Unique.
For me, it helps to partial-size the case. Turn the sizing die out 2/3 of a turn. It sizes enough of the neck to hold the bullet but it leaves the case body unsized. Makes my cases last longer and I believe it aids in accuracy.

 

[rockquarry]

I don't remember if I ever used Winchester 680, but did use AA 1680 during the last few years I had a .22 Hornet. 1680 and the 40 grain Speer bullet made the most accurate Hornet load I found. This was after using #2400 and various 45 grain bullets for many years in a total of around ten .22 Hornets that included Winchester high and low walls, a break-open Savage 219, TC Contender carbine and handgun, a BSA Martini, a Savage bolt-action and a CZ bolt-action. Most shot with decent accuracy, but none could compete with virtually any straight-out-of-the-box .222.

I don't miss any of the .22 Hornets, but if I ever found an affordable Model 70 in that chambering, it would be hard to pass up and they don't have much of a reputation for accuracy.

 

[bearmn56]

Like Gene L....I use 13.0gr of Lil'Gun behind the 224 34gr Dogtown bullets from Midway. These are made by Nosler. In my 22" CZ 527 Hornet, I am getting the same 3100fps. I started using small pistol primers many years ago in the Hornet. Extreme spread and accuracy both became much better over small rifle primers. Since the Hornet operates at about 357 Magnum maximum pressures, small pistol primers work great. Most Hornets have a 1:16in twist...as does my 527. As others have said, my best velocities have come from 34gr DT bullets. Fortys, 45s also give very good results. Longer 50 grainers and above do not give acceptable results in my gun. I do have a ZKW465 Brno that has been rebarreled to 22 K Hornet. It has a 1:14in twist and it shoots most bullets thru 55grains quite well. Bill Montana Territory

 

[Bullet Bob]

Not enough pictures.

Cooper Model 38 single-shot in the winderful .22 Hornet: