22 Hornet, favorite components?

[Canuck Bob]

What are your favorite reloading supplies and tooling?  I'm starting from scratch for a new Handi, thanks?
 
 

[moorepower]

Remington brass, highest capacity.
Hornady 40 grain V-max, just cause I like them.
CCI small pistol primer, you don't need a LR primer for 13 grains of powder.
Lee collet dies, and no I don't crimp.
O.A.L.  much longer than book, not close to touching
13.3 grains of Lil Gun, low psi, high velocity, kind of.

[twoshooter]

Lee works just fine, but it is not as good as RCBS over a lifetime. I have heard the Lee collet dies extend the case life on the hornet, I have not used them long enough to personally confirm. I am shooting Midway "Dogtown"34 gr bullets for now, they seem to work fine. I use std sm rifle primers (some say pistol primers are more accurate, but not in mine), and 2400 and IMR 4227 powder.

[LaOtto222]

First there are thousands of 22 Hornet rifles and there about as many recipes that work. The trick is to find the right combination for your particular rifle. Now that the disclaimer is out of the way, I have found a recipe close to Speer loading manual #14 that works well in my 22 Hornet. Winchester case; 34 grain Mid South Varmint nightmare (instead of the Speer 33 grain); CCI 500 primer (small pistol);with 12.4 grains of WW 296 or H110. I seat the bullets to a OAL of 1.765". I neck size with a Redding 221 Fireball B/NK N6 S type die with a .238" collar. I have a Lee full length die when I need it. I really like the Lee collet dies, but mine leaves the neck over size and does not grip the bullet well. BTW - I do not crimp, since it is a single shot. Since the 221 Fireball and the 22 Hornet are the same length, I tried the 221 die and it worked well, so i stuck with it. I use a RCBS 222 Remington precision seating die, the one with a window in the side with a special case holder. I have it adjusted so I can seat bullets for a 22 Hornet, 22 K Hornet, 221 Fireball, 222 Rem and 223 Remington by turning the micrometer head to the proper bullet seating depth. I have since gotten precision bullet seating dies for the 221 and 223, but still use it for the 22 Hornet and 22K Hornet. I tried Lil' Gun, I worked on it very hard, but it gave me 300  fps swings in velocity which pushed accuracy out the window and blew out primers on occasion. The 296/110 powders are better for bullets under 35 grains anyway so I went with the 34 grain MS bullet and got very good results. I only tried the beginning load of 12.4 grains. I got such good results with velocity North of 3000 fps, I did not try any thing heavier. Cases seem to last pretty well - for a Hornet. I suspect the pressure is not real high using small rifle pistol primers, but they give real consistant results

Good Luck and Good Shooting

[moorepower]

Alliant 300mp powder is also one I would like to try. I have heard that Lee will make you an undersized mandrel, or some guys sand them down. In general I am not a huge Lee fan, but the collet dies work well for the Hornet. LaOtto is right, there are alot of powders that work well. Before I bought the Hornet I thought people were nuts for wanting an obsolete slow round, but they are a blast and if you are on a budget they are very affordable to hand load.

[trotterlg]

AA 1680 powder is probably the most commonly used now, and it also runs good in the 17 hornet.  With a Handi I would go with a small rifle primer, the loose fireing pin may give you problems with the pistol primers, I just use CCI 450's with every thing and it works for me.  Larry

[quickdtoo]

Lil'gun using Hodgdon data, Rem Brass, 35gr Vmax, SP primers(on SB2 frame) and the Lee Collet die are my chosen pieces of the puzzle, 10 shot groups in an inch with most inside half an inch at 100yds.    Be aware SR primer may be needed on large firing pin SB1 frames to avoid primer issues, I got slightly cratered primers with my load on a shotgun frame, others have had pierced primers. 

Tim

[Canuck Bob]

Couple of things jumped out so far.
 
Rem cases have higher capacity does this indicate slightly less strength?
 
AA 1680 is interesting as Paco Kelly likes it for heavy loads in a 32-20 another cartridge I load for.
 
I should have noted I'm in Canada and the mail order US sites are off limits.  For me it is the big bullet manufacturers, Hor., Speer, Sierra, Nosler, and the high end or no lead folks (too expensive).
 
One thing seems fairly constant, the Hornet likes light bullets.  Even folks with the faster twist current Handis report great results with lighter bullets.
 
Tim, if I understand things correct a new 22 Hornet should be a SB2 frame?  Please correct my schooling, the SB1 is not heat treated and the SB2 is?  Thanks for the heads up on the big pin in case I ever consider a used one.
 
LaOtto your bushing neck size die trick is very interesting as I will load cast in this rifle if I can actually cast those little bullets.  Due to the cast angle I'll be picking up a Lyman M die with expanders for jacketed and cast specs I think.   

[Crow Juice]

I am currently loading for 2 Hornets ( contender carbine , Savage 40 ) but I will have a Handy soon . I have used AA1680 but I am using Lil-Gun these days . Lately I have been loading 50gr Dogtown Soft points and both guns like them . The Contender really likes them . I use WW cases , Rem 51/2 small pistol primers and a combination of dies . I use a Lee Collet die  for neck sizing and a Redding body die when the case need resizing. I do crimp with a Lee Factory Crimp die and I think it is very important for loading Hornets . I now crimp all the ammo I load with Lee Factory Crimp dies.
Over the years I have loaded a lot of 40 gr Nosler BT's as well but they are costly these days . I also use both a Hornaday seating die and a Lee Seating die . I charge cases with a Lee Disc Powder Measure which has one of the ports opened to give 12.9 grs of Lil-Gun when it drops the powder . I have all of this set up on a Redding T-7 which is dedicated to Hornets. One thing that has happened to me over the years using pistol primers is an occasional  primer failure . This has only occurred on my Contender with new brass . I believe  this is being caused by the case not resting on the frame of the gun firmly with unfired brass . Once fired  brass  seems to rest firmly on the frame because it expanded to the chamber dimensions and the case rests firmly on the frame.