Need some input from you guys

[stimpylu32]

I have a 22" bull , 22 Mag barrel coming to do my .224 GNR project , BUT i got to thinking , maybe a Hornet barrel would be a better choice . The mag has a 1 in 16 twist which will work well with the 35 & 40 grain bullets but the Hornet is a 1 in 12 which will let me shoot up to the 55 grain V-max . ( that i like alot )

The Reeder will be basicly a rimmed 222 , so what do you think , Mag or Hornet ?

stimpy

[DalesCarpentry]

I think definitely the Hornet barrel. The 55 grain are great bullets and you will not be disappointed.  Dale

[dw06]

I'd go with the hornet barrel,you could shoot your 55gr v-max and bet the 40gr v-max would still do well.

[quickdtoo]

I'd go with the Hornet barrel too, it's got the better twist rate and is made of the better 4140 steel instead of the rimfire's 1137.

Tim

[Swampman]

If you have a .22 Magnum, the Hornet would seem redundant.

[willyjohn]

I was thinking the same thoughts as Tim. Better twist rate and better steel.   Bill

[McLernon]

My buddy had a hornet and he found that even the 40 gr Vmax was just poking holes in ground hogs at 100 yards-----------several wounded animals even though well hit. You need a good bit of velocity(~1800 fps) to get proper terminal performance out of these bullets. The 55's would also likely not perform well either. So if you plan on using the hornet for hunting please keep this in mind.

Mc

[greg916]

You need a good bit of velocity(~1800 fps) to get proper terminal performance out of these bullets.

I think the 224GNR would likely give 3100 - 3200 fps.  I would use the Hornet barrel if for no other reason than the better steel.
 

[stimpylu32]

Mc

From talking to Gary Reeder , the 224 GNR will give in the range of 3600 FPS with the 35 gr. and 3200 FPS with the 55 gr. bullets . this round ought to fit well between my 218 Bee and my 223 Rem.

For some reason i have fell in love with 22 bore rifles .

stimpy

[Ditchdigger]

I don't know about you Stimp,allway's trying something different. Why not just rechamber to a 222,it pretty well has proved itself over the year's as a topnotch round and will shoot good even in a sporter barrel.The old Rem. 722 that I shot this year's PD shoot with was very accurate for just a stock gun with a horrible trigger.

[cwlongshot]

Its not possible to OVERSTABULIZE a bullet  ....go with the Hornet barrel!!

 On a similar note, if it weren't for the scarcity of the brass...the 225 Win might make for a dandy handy caliber!!

 CW

[trotterlg]

Actucally it is a bad thing to over stabalize a bullet.  At longer ranges it ends up flying through the air nose up because it is so stable, that at the end of the arc it flies, the nose is still pointing in the same direction as it left the muzzel (up).  This is why you see all the twist rates avaliable to the BR crowd in the custom barrel selections.  Find a bullet stability calculator online and then get a twist rate where your bullet will never have a stability factor less than 1 and you are all set.  You will also find that the twist required to stabalize a bullet is quite a lot less than popular opinion will tell you it is.  Larry

[Mac11700]

Its not possible to OVERSTABULIZE a bullet  ....go with the Hornet barrel!!

 On a similar note, if it weren't for the scarcity of the brass...the 225 Win might make for a dandy handy caliber!!

 CW

Some interesting reading on this subject for those interested..

http://www.nennstiel-ruprecht.de/bullfly/

http://www.nennstiel-ruprecht.de/bullfly/stab.htm#header_stability

Mac

[cwlongshot]

OK, but what are the yardages we are speaking of. It will be different for say a 22 Hornet compared to a 30-378 WBY.

I mean, if this theory of base hitting the ground first happens at say 1000 yards, because of the elevation held at, but the target is say 400 yards distant. What difference does it make? The bullet will do what its intended LONG before this base first ground contact ever begins to be a factor.

 I offer that this may happen, but his is in the extremist yardages, not target distances. If you could prove to me it would happen with in the range attainable for a given caliber. I would have to agree it would be a issue.


Because of this, it doesn't seem to me to be as much to worry about.

CW

[d_hiker]

extractor vs. ejector?  I think the other favorable things still would draw me to the .22 Hornet barrel.

[trotterlg]

Biggest problem with a bullet flying nose high through the air is that it totally screws up the BC it is capable of, it will decrease in velocity much faster than it should.  More is not better in all things.  In extreme cases it will follow a curved path like a pitcher throwing a curve ball.   Larry

[Fred M]

Here is an article I wrote several years ago that will shed some light on what Larry said above. More twist is not better for sure.
Consider a 30 cal 118gr to 125 gr bullet will put all the bullets in one hole with
a 1-18" twist why would you want to use a 1-10" twist instead with these bullets.

http://www.angelfire.com/ma/ZERMEL/twist2.html

If you want to argue about twist you have to prove it with math some simple some very complicated.  Yes a bullet will yaw with too much twist and will not be accurate.

[trotterlg]

This is the calculator I use, it is an exel spread sheet, so you need Microsoft exsel to use it,  but it works great..  I once had a 22-250 barrel with a 1 in 17 twist, it shot 40gr bullets at near light speed, didn't waste any energy spinning them up fast.  It would stabalize a 55gr bullet to atleast 100 yards.  Play with it, less can be more.  Larry

http://www.22-250.com/bulletcalc.xls

[georgeld]

Getting too deep for my feeble mind.

My Sako .223 has a 14:1, one holer all day with 35-40s and half inch or so with 55's.

I shoot a great many p/dogs, most under 350, but, some in excess of 400, a few much further
and it seems to hit them the majority of the time with 55's @ 3100fps. Main thing that makes more
hits is how many I've been shooting within a few months.  Long layoff's and I've gotta relearn.

Two things I found.  23gr AA2200 which is hard to find now.  35 & 40's made the same 3640fps.
55's with the same charge were 3100fps.  V max 40's by far the most accurate of 19 various bullets
tested with this load.

The 35gr were right in the hole out to about 225yds. After that, especially beyond 250-300yds
scattered  ALL OVER THE HILLSIDE.  I'm talking 50 yards apart, Left, right, high low etc. No way
in the world of guessing where they might hit, exept they'd be a long way from where they were aimed.  Those were the stubby bullets. Can't think now whether they were v max, or something else.  Not many of that weight made so it shouldn't be hard to figure out by looking.

This is the same twist the original  222mag Sako barrel had, which is the limit of my experience.

Stimpy, I'd go with the Hornet tube, especially if the steel is harder.

Let us know what you've decided and how it works out.

Wish you well with it.

George

[LaOtto222]

I think you know my answer, 22 Hornet Better steel more versatility with bullet weights. The 22 Hornet seems to do well with 1 - 12" twist with 35 through 55 grain bullets, so should your rimmed 222.