22 Hornet load/ammo?

[just bill]

What ammo/loads are most accurate in your Handi Hornet 1-12 twist barrels?  What velocity,grain weight,etc.?

Bullet preferance on varments/predators meaning b-tip,h.p. s.p. from Hornets.

Thanks

Bill

[billy_56081]

  Different Guns shoot different loads accuratley. I really like 13 gr of Hoghdon LilGun over a 35 grain Vmax. I get .502 groups ,3 shot 100 yards, out of my superlight handi. I accurised my handi by making a soft vinyl washer out of an old watch band and placing it between the forarm and barrel lug making it a free float barrel. With this load.

  Hogdon recomends 13 gr of LilGun with bullets up to 45 grains. It appears to give very good velocity and much lower pressures.

[Paul5388]

I'm not sure you can get 13.0 gr of Lil'Gun in W-W brass.  I use 13.5 gr in R-P brass with a 40 gr V-Max at 2780 fps out of a 20" SL barrel.  It does a good job on stinkin' pecan eatin' crows! 

[just bill]

For accuracy testing did anyone test the 45&46 grain Hornet loads/ammo in the 1-12 twist?

[tuxdad]

For me, I've worked up loads for the 50 and 55, but not yet for the 46's..

If I remember correctly, according to hogdon it's a 1 grain spread with 12 grns being the low end.. I usually make 3 rounds in each load for testing off of a good rest...

Best of luck to you !!

Tux

[aulrich]

Because of time constraints I have been shooting factory ammo, to date I have only shot Hornady 35's and winchester 46 hp's in mine the 46's seem to have the advantage accuracy wise but I would not call that test definative. Though the on game performance of the 46's was quite good On a recent outing I did manage to shoot a coyote with the load but my gut tells me the bullet is a little soft for the big predator but it worked really well on the jack rabbits. I would extrapolate from there saying it would be well suited to foxes and groundhogs.

Accidently when I bought my last load of ammo I was given both the 46 gr hp and the 45 sp's so I am thinking the next time out for coyotes I'll check the POI of the 45 gr load and take it out. From what I have been able to find out the 45 is a little tougher so it should work a little better on the larger predators.

[just bill]

Aulrich,

In regards to accuracy from bench w) bags,scoped rifle,100 yards.  The Winny 46 gr hp factory ammo edges out the Hornady 35 gr same but not by allot.

My need is for Woodchucks/Fox mostly.  Did the 46 gr HP exit?  I shot a few woodchucks with the VMax and it did not exit and thats what I want.  You feel the 46 gr is soft enough to expand or fragment and not exit on that size varmints as a whole?

BTW- I have shot the 45 gr HP's and they were a bit less accurate as compared to the 46 gr hp's.

Thanks,
Bill

[aulrich]

On solid body shots I noticed that the 46 hps did not exit on the jackrabbits, fringe and gut hits were another matter.  I even recovered one bullet the core was still in the jacket  but it was pretty much done.  It was that lack of penetration that has me thinking that that bullet not the first choise for coyotes, so I would think it should work well for your useage.

[Paul5388]

I have not found the Win 46 gr HP to be all that accurate.  Even though I got this group, measured center to center,

it isn't the norm.  Normally, the 40 gr V-Max is much more accurate and doesn't seem to have a problem bringing down coyote sized animals at 125 yards.

I have shot all the way to 60 gr V-Max, but couldn't get the heavy bullet to stabilize.  I gave up on 50 and 55 gr, because I'd use them in .223 instead of a Hornet, if the game called for that much bullet.


50gr and 60 gr w/12.0 gr Lil'Gun (the 2 outside keyhole shots are with the 60 gr)

55 gr w/12.0 gr Lil'Gun

For some reason, I don't seem to have saved a group with the 40 gr V-Max, but it normally shoots MOA.