Author Topic: 22 hornet splitting on neck (Read 638 times)

hunterwinco · « **on:** May 08, 2006, 10:41:31 AM »

the background: I have just started loading for my handi hornet. 12 grains of lil'gun, rem once fired cases, win primers, lee dies. I had been trying to get an idea of case life with this min. load. Loaded up 5 cases..all went well. Loaded those same 5 cases again, fired them at the range and upon my post firing inspection, noticed that each case neck was split just below where the bullet was seated. Is this just what you get after 2 reloads with the thin cased hornet? I forgot to mention that I am full length sizing. Any tips, pointer, suggestions welcome!

Fred M · « **Reply #1 on:** May 08, 2006, 12:08:07 PM »

You are over working the brass too much sizing down and then expanding with thw expander plug.

Brass is too hard and the necks have to be annealed.

Use a bushing die or try a LEE collet die.

Take measurements and find out how much brass you move with each movement. Wich is , size without expander plug and measure, size with expander plug and measure, and then measure the neck with a bullet seated.

If want to get good case life on the small case necks you need to anneal.

Search for annealing and you will find out how to do it.

Paul5388 · « **Reply #2 on:** May 08, 2006, 06:50:50 PM »

I haven't annealed any of my Hornet brass, but I do use the Lee collet neck sizing die, like Fred said.

The only problems I've had with brass has been brass that someone else had before me that developed pin holes or split.

I load 13.5 gr Lil'Gun in Rem brass, CCI 400 primer and a 40 gr V-Max with a 1.935" OAL at about 2780 fps out of a 20" superlight barrel. That only leaves .15" of bullet in the case, but it shoots pretty good.

hunterwinco · « **Reply #3 on:** May 09, 2006, 05:31:19 AM »

thanks for the feed back folks! I was planning on trying annealing them...but I was hoping to get more than two loads without bothering! 13.5 g must be a FULL case! -lol thanks again!

Paul5388 · « **Reply #4 on:** May 09, 2006, 07:33:40 AM »

Not quite if you use Rem cases, but it runs over in Win cases! Since they're loaded so long, it doesn't even compress the load very much. Of course, the Handy will take a long load like that without a problem.

I checked the capacity the other night, in connection with another forum and found my Win cases hold about 13.0 gr of Lil'Gun level with the case mouth. The Rem cases will hold 13.8 gr level with the mouth. I guess that's a good example of the necessity of following load data, including case brand!

hunterwinco · « **Reply #5 on:** May 09, 2006, 08:46:56 AM »

No Kiddin! I have read before that the Win case wont hold as much but I never did the analysis since I only have remington cases.

Paul5388 · « **Reply #6 on:** May 09, 2006, 12:30:44 PM »

Theoretically you should be able to weigh your cases and that would tell you the heavier ones are thicker than the lighter ones, but the extra weight could be mostly in the head. Actually filling the case with a ball powder would give you the capacity, if you calculate it's volume by using Lee's VMD (Volume Measure Density).

I don't know why the link is messing up, but the information is still there for you to cut and paste.

Fred M · « **Reply #7 on:** May 09, 2006, 05:34:05 PM »

Weighing these small Hornet cases does tell you something. The volume 0.8gr of powder = about the volume 0.75gr H2o.

8.6gr of brass has the volume of 1.0gr of water. So a weight difference 8.6gr of brass would change the water volume by one gr or 3/4gr of powder volume.

This is important on the small cases since 2/10 of a gr of powder change pressure signifficently. Amongst other items the Hornet case stretches or get longer very easy which changes the case volume.

This is one of the reasons people chamber it for the K-Hornet which stops the stretching. The Hornet case is not one of the most handloading friendly cases and requires to keep the lid on pressure to get good accuracy.

This of cource requires very uniform charges no more that .05gr+-. That is a 1/2 10th of a grain+-.

Paul5388 · « **Reply #8 on:** May 09, 2006, 05:52:04 PM »

I suggested a ball powder just because it's easier to work with. It's possible, due to surface tension, to over fill with water, but it isn't as easy to correct as over filling with ball powder.