Author Topic: 22 Hornet on hold, advice? (Read 1248 times)

Canuck Bob · « **on:** February 25, 2012, 04:56:35 PM »

I've been considering a 22 Hornet for quite awhile. I finally found one and have it on hold till Monday morning. Before I pull the trigger on the deal can I ask how you guys feel about your Hornets. I've wanted a Hornet since I was a kid so advice on other calibers is not really needed, thanks.

I just want to know how folks have found their Hornets? Experience with the synthetic stock, iron sight model of Handi-Rifle? Any recent QC issues from the factory with the Rem takeover?

One reason I like this gun is the ability to take it down for carrying. I'm an oilfield salesman in western Canada and like to carry my rifles in my luggage. Any concerns here?

Flynmoose · « **Reply #1 on:** February 25, 2012, 07:27:49 PM »

The only problem that I can think of is having to wait until Monday morning. I have several Hornets, they will stay with me, love them. To get the most performance and satisfaction from them you should load your own ammo. Many report good results with factory ammo and great results with their handloads. The breakdown feature is one that I like very much. HAVE FUN!!
FM

Gaz-52 · « **Reply #2 on:** February 26, 2012, 12:06:36 AM »

My "fantastic plastic" Handi hornet has been reamed to K hornet and wears a Skinner peep sight . It was nothing to write home about straight out of the box , but thanks to the wealth of information on this site a new owner can work through any issues with confidence.
Reloading is a must to get the best from a hornet . Case life can be shortened if loaded too hot. IMHO the .22 hornet handi rifle is great for those who enjoy tinkering with something till they can get the best out of it. My biggest frustration is that I cant buy L'il Gun powder here in Australia

. Be prepared to experiment till you find a powder/ load/projectile combination that suits your needs. If you are impatient the Hornet may get the better of you

. Have fun .
Gaz.

ironglow · « **Reply #3 on:** February 26, 2012, 01:01:08 AM »

If you reload..you surely should try.. Lil'-gun

cwlongshot · « **Reply #4 on:** February 26, 2012, 01:02:17 AM »

I also love shooting my H&R Hornet! Its a great shooter!

For me its 100% handloads. My only stand buy 4198 and a Sierra 45 Hornet bullet is still a great shooter for this gun but the newer case full of Lil gun and the Hornady 35G red tip is a scorcher and shoots 5 into less then one inch at 100 yards. No self respecting "Handihaulic" would be without one!!

ironglow · « **Reply #5 on:** February 26, 2012, 01:53:18 AM »

CW;
Have you found the 4198 to be better with the heavier bullets ? If so, guess I'll have to try some, especially since I already have some on hand.

jeneks84k10 · « **Reply #6 on:** February 26, 2012, 02:44:18 AM »

I love my hornets as well.

When I was a kid I remember very specifically my grandpa shooting a coyote, to me it was miles away but I dont know the actual distance. Wanting to be like grandpa, I liked the hornet then. To make matters worse my dad had two of them that he used regularly and when I got old enough to shoot but couldnt handle much recoil the hornet was loaned to me for several years.

I didnt own one of my own till about a year ago when I walked into the gun store and there it was. $200 out the door and looked brand new. After I picked it up I couldnt put it down as it had one of the nicest feeling wood stocks I had ever seen on a handi. Since my grandpa has two of them and my dad has two of them that I can use any time, I am probably going to modify mine.

stimpylu32 · « **Reply #7 on:** February 26, 2012, 03:27:53 AM »

I have had a total of 5 Hornet barrels over the years , 2 have been re-chambered to other rounds , but 3 are still as made . One wears the factory iron sights and the others are scoped .

You can not go wrong with a Handi Hornet , if all you have axcess to is factory ammo , look at the Rem stuff , all of mine do well with it and handloading will bring it to a whole new level .

stimpy

Wyo. Coyote Hunter · « **Reply #8 on:** February 26, 2012, 04:48:15 AM »

Mine is a Browning Mico, but I love it..it gets quite a bit of shooting each year..from squirrels, rabbits to turkey it is a winner...

moorepower · « **Reply #9 on:** February 26, 2012, 05:20:02 AM »

500 rounds per pound of powder. Less than $42$ per 500 Midsouth 34 grain h.p. bullets. You are looking at less than .20 a round including brass figuring 7-9 shots per case.

Canuck Bob · « **Reply #10 on:** February 26, 2012, 05:26:12 AM »

Very encouraging! I do reload and have started casting for my larger bore rifles as well. I've been thinking of a peep as the rifle needs to break down and stay under 24" to fit in my suitcase.

Thanks

gcrank1 · « **Reply #11 on:** February 26, 2012, 05:29:59 AM »

Ive had 3 Hornets, only one was an H&R; Ive put about 5000 rounds through them, though over 3K of that was in one, and mostly cast, but over 1K was jacketed. The best thing I did for myself to reload was to get the Lee Collet Neck size Die set, which also includes a full length resizer for 'when you just have to'.
But, they are all gone now (and I am putting my neck on the line here). Not because it isnt a dandy little cartridge, but because, if you want some real load options, the case is too small. A .218 Bee would be (bee?) better, even was back in the day if you read the old journals, and a simple rechamber will get you one. Up from there is the .219WCF, and then the plethora of other hot rockers, but those two mentioned will do the most of the job in a rechamber with long case and throat life (and 22H cases are fragile, and in the field easily fumbled).
Cut to the chase.......My 22LR's and 22Mag cover a lot of ground, if I want to step up in a CF 22, rather than go to a 30cal., I would buy a .223 H&R. I could load it light to heavy, in powder/velo to projectile weight. Not as sexy as the old round?, no.......but holes where I want them always is. Truth is though, that I (emphasis 'I') dont need a CF 22; Ive cut back on my calibers and am happily more focused because of it.
That all said just for another perspective. I can fully understand your nostalgia for one (Im a romantic too), and you wont have any trouble selling it if you ever want to.

Canuck Bob · « **Reply #12 on:** February 26, 2012, 07:04:15 AM »

Thanks Gcrank. I went through the whole 22 Mag thing and seriousy considered it. The Hornet won because of the ability to reload up and down the power curve. The local shop has the Handi 223 HB in stock as well but it lost because it is rimless.

I decided to fool around with only rimmed cartridges awhile ago, currently 22LR, 32-20, 32 Special, 444, and 303 Brit. In my warped thinking the only reason to have a rimless cartridge is in a combat automatic weapon. I'm a die hard lever gunner and have found an early Browning 92 in the Bee cartridge I can't afford but the seller is patient. If I eventually step up to a Bee it will be in a lever.

This gun will be a woods loafer and except for a campfire rabbit or prairie chicken I rarely hunt these days (health issues). 100 paces is a loooong shot for me.

gcrank1 · « **Reply #13 on:** February 26, 2012, 07:18:58 AM »

Sounds like you are in for the 'fun of it', too, not much different than me. You have good criteria there, Im sure from more than a little experience, but from what you say, it sounds like the 32-20 is the ticket if you want/need more than the .22LR, other than you may consider the .22H a 'gap' in your caliber selection? FWIW, I went 32-20, then 25-20, then 25-35 (during and after the .22H) before I concluded what I stated above. If my .22LR and/or Mag dont do it now I just step up to the 30-30 with light bullets (WIn.'94) or 38-55 H&R.
It is fun messing about with the oldies, beyond the arguably 'practical' aspects of this or that cartridge. As we have seen, this has been going on a long time, and will be long after Im out!

.
Other than the cost of the bullets, the Hornet is way cheap to reload and has lasted for a number of reasons beyond 'my logic' (such as it is).

Canuck Bob · « **Reply #14 on:** February 26, 2012, 09:53:20 AM »

Well, you guys have convinced me and I'm pulling the trigger on the deal. I've just searched the FAQs, outstanding resource, and itching to ask you guys a ton of questions. These Handis are also a tinkerer's dream.

I was worried the Handi was too cheap to be a shooter. Snooping around this forum has me relieved a bunch.

Gcrank, your right about the 32-20. Its a dandy. Also the fun is in the whole deal now because I rarely hunt. I plink on old logging roads and clearcuts in the Rockies, I'm a lucky guy with quite a collection of trophy pine cones and stump knots!

The major grief with heritage cartridges for me are shooting and tooling supplies. We don't have many 32-20 pistol shooters so bullets are rarely stocked and cases are hard to find sometimes. It looks like the Hornet will be ok for cases. Canadians can't import from the US without expensive Export permits and agents. Also the case designs are a little flimsy in comparison to 223s or 308s. In my mid-range loads it is no problem.

trapdoor45 · « **Reply #15 on:** February 26, 2012, 01:36:28 PM »

Great accuracy. My experience is using Lil Gun and 40 gr Sierra varminter HP and 30 gr poly tipped for the best results (Look at the Hogden reloading catalog for powder weight). Midway 34gr Dogtown is good (less expensive) but not the best. I use a Savage Model 40 single shot. Now to the good part!! Using the single shot for a Hornet means that you do not have to buy "Hornet" bullets. Boat tails, long ogive bullets can be set out as far a necessary in a Handi. There are no magazine length or ejector mechanisms to worry about.

Dave

cwlongshot · « **Reply #16 on:** February 26, 2012, 01:49:31 PM »

Quote from: ironglow on February 26, 2012, 01:53:18 AM

CW;
Have you found the 4198 to be better with the heavier bullets ? If so, guess I'll have to try some, especially since I already have some on hand.

I have only ever used 35, 40 and 45 grain bullets...

The handi allows for the longer bullets as (trapdoor45) Dave mentioned, the singe shots are not limited by masgazine legnth constraints.
Try both 4198 and 2400 are both good powders for the Hornet!
CW

ironglow · « **Reply #17 on:** February 27, 2012, 03:31:42 AM »

CW;
Thanks for the reloading tips..I'll have to try some of your loads.
I have my second .22 Hornet (H&R) now, the first was a Savage 219L which I gave to my grandson. Savage had a wonderful thing going with their over/unders and single shots. I can see where their O/U guns may be too costly to produce, but surely, a nice ss rifle would be a winner. Actually, appearance wise, I figured the regular 219 rifle to have cleaner lines than the 219L with the side mounted opening lever.

gcrank1 · « **Reply #18 on:** February 27, 2012, 06:18:59 AM »

Regarding longer bullets: you may be able to go longer(heavier) than the 45 gr. if you have a newer model (any gun) with the faster than the old std. (1:16 IIRC) twist. In my experience in those faster loadings (and the higher pressures) 'may' stabilize a longer projectile (see Greenhill), but its a crap-shoot and you cant go much longer anyway. With the 1:12 twist (or even faster) you have much better options, though the limited case capacity will hamper you. In sub-sonic / heavy bullet loads you need the faster twist to stabilize for sure.

cwlongshot · « **Reply #19 on:** February 27, 2012, 07:41:41 AM »

Also like the Savage 220/219 firearms! I have a 219 with both 30/30 and Hornet barrels as well as a 220 shortie 12ga.

The 30/30 shoots pretty good the Hornet has seen allot of use and abuse. It's barrel is baby pitted inside and I had to remove almost 3" from the muzzle to cut out the cancer! Same with the 220 it's barrel was is pitiful shape and rusted very badly. Both must have been stood on there muzzles in a barn/outbuilding on the bare ground.

Not expensive guns but a part of history with inexpensive guns that fed people for allot of years. My Savage 23's are about the same 1920-30's vintage and patina. Just cool old guns!

CW

Canuck Bob · « **Reply #20 on:** February 27, 2012, 10:29:10 AM »

I ordered the gun today. 2-3 weeks away.

Thanks for the advice.