Ruger 77/22 Hornet Success!!!

[Johnly]

My Ruger 77/22 VHZ was a marginal shooter, but shot 1-1.25  MOA using 50 gr. Rem PLHP pushed by H4227 and Federal 100 primers. It didn't like 40 gr. Ballistic Tip, but shot 40 gr. V-max bullets about as well that the PLHP load.  I was also getting good results with 45 gr. Starke bullets, but the sources for those bullets have dried up since Clint close down the operation.

All that information is out of date as of yesterday when I fired the first groups using the Hornady 35 gr. V-max. The accuracy improvement was hard to miss. All of a sudden the rifle started shooting .5-.75 MOA when these little bullets were pushed by 10.7 gr. 2400 or 12.0 gr. AA#9, the only two powders I tried.

This may not be my first choice in a Hornet bullet, but you sur cant knock the results.

[securitysix]

If you're one of those people who finds one load and sticks with it with no further experimentation, ignore me.  

Otherwise, you might consider Hogdon's Lil' Gun powder with the 35 gr. V-Max.  My dad had great luck with it out of his 14" T/C Contender.

[Johnly]

If you're one of those people who finds one load and sticks with it with no further experimentation, ignore me.  

Otherwise, you might consider Hogdon's Lil' Gun powder with the 35 gr. V-Max.  My dad had great luck with it out of his 14" T/C Contender.

Here's some loads that were posted to the Saubier group


Ruger 77/22 Hornet
WSR Primers
R/P Brass
35 gr v-max

12.4 gr H-110 –--- 3196 fps – SD 221* (worst group)
10.0 gr Enforcer – 2832 fps – SD 33
14.2 Li’gun -----– 2951 fps - SD 68 (best group)
14.6 Lil’gun –----3005 fps - SD 143
12.0 Win 296 –----3213 fps - SD 22*
10.7 2400 ------– 3003 fps – SD 130*

*These loads came from Hornady 5th edition and my barrel shot all their loads faster than what they had listed. I was suprised with the low lil'gun velocity but it shot a great group! Going to run the same loads through my NEF and the T/C soon.

It looks like Lil'gun shot well, but trying to get 14.2 grains into a Hornet casing takes some work, and I don't have a clue as to how they managed to fit 14.6 gr.  All in all it looks like Lil'gun is a bit slow for the 35 gr. bullet, so I'm going to give it a try with some 50 gr. PLHP and see if it shoots better than H4227. If WW 296 shoots, it ought to be a good balance between a full case and good velocities.

[securitysix]

Watch out with those Lil' Gun loads.  Hogdon recommends a max of 13, I think.

Yep, their site shows:

LIL'GUN 13.0 2842 24,000 CUP

In a K-Hornet, they show a max of 13.5 gr.  I suspect this is due to case capacity more than pressure, though, all things considered.  

What you may have to do is weigh a 14.6 gr. charge, funnel it in, and tamp it down with something to help compact it a little.  I'd bet it's a highly compressed charge.