Fred & to those interested,
Good points and I am also a fan of the 17hmr
I guess my point was. The 17hmr is often noted for it's accuracy at 100,200,etc. In my case both my 22 Hornets are approximately as accurate for day in and day out outdoor conditions. If there is a slight breeze the Hornets average a little better and they seem to average a little better at 200 yards most days. If it's ideal conditions my 17HMR will shoot many 5 shot groups in the .750" range like your photo, which is tough to beat. But, my HMR is a CZ and apples to apples from what I see a CZ 22 Hornet with reloads will beat it, particularly at 200 yards day in and out.
I don't like to reload. If I was going on a Gopher,Ground Squirrel colony varmint hunt, I would likely just take the 17hmr for inside 200 yards and a bunch of ammo.
But on Woodchucks the 22 Hornet has more than
" a little extra power" and it's nice to have even for a hedge row walking gun. With a rim mag to anchor Woodchucks and keep them from the hole. I find 100-125 yards with well placed upper body shots and 150 yards with head shots about the maximum distance. The 22 Hornet anchors them at 175-200+ yards
with upper body shots. Nearly double. While walking & stalking I can often get with in 125 yards and in fact enjoy the "hunt" aspect of such, when fields are fresh cut the 150-200 yards is nice to have and needed. Then if one wants something in hand if a coyote shows up the extra power is their. I prefer low recoil, low muzzle blasts varmint calibers and prefer walking over bi-pod,prone long range set Woodchuck hunting. In open areas the 22 Hornets muzzle blasts is about the same. In fact I recently shot a .221 Fireball and felt it was about the same. I notice with a tin roof over head like at a rifle range the Hornet sounds louder because of echo but am convinced in open hay fields there is little difference. I like this for around the farms I hunt.
Shooters often quote how inexpensive .223 factory ammo is as compared to others. Like so many other aspects of the 22 Hornet it is often over looked. The quality Hornet (example Hornady) ammo actually costs 20% less as you get 25 rounds rather than 20 for a little less money to boot. There is also European made (Europeans are avid Hornet hunters) that is near the price of value .223 ammo, about $8 bucks for 20. Rim mag ammo keeps going up and likely won't even off in the near future. I don't like to reload but am bullheaded and don't enjoy paying the price as if "held hostage" although I can afford, when I can reload more power with everything else the same.
I just think the Hornet gets over looked. With "ranch'ete sprawl" out west and hedgerow hunting woodchucks back East for a walking varmint gun up to coyotes, it may have better use today than decades ago?
In break action the rimmed case is nice. As you noted the pressures are low for Handis. Lil Gun powder has increased brass life and seems a "no brain-er" for simple reloaders whom are more hunters than bench shooters like myself. I rather hunt than reload but for less than 30 bucks I bought a Lee Classic reloader in 22 Hornet and a freind out west modified a Lee dipper for 12.8 grains of lil gun. Between that and the standard .7 Lee dipper that comes with the kit. I have been able to dip and hammer out reloads from once fired in my chamber Hornet ammo thats plenty accurate from a Handi, for it's 200 yard range, on a budget.
So that's my "pitch"
on the Hornet. I think it gets over looked particularly in Handi where the rimmed case, low pressure is ideal and they (H & R) seem to produce them as accurate as any other break action and even more accurate than some bolt actions with a little tweaking. You can shoot a Hornet all day long with out barrel heat issues, in fact it seems to heat up less at the range than my CZ sporter in 17hmr. Accurate barrel life for a Hornet may be the longest of all center fires? For Woodchucks, Fox and Coyotes that extra power while still having no recoil and low muzzle blasts just feels comfortable.
And as noted above " I would hate to give up a nice rim mag like the 17hmr but if push came to shove, I guess I would before the Hornet.
I also enjoy your posts, appreciate the help you have given here and respect your reloading,smithing,shooting background. I am not looking to argue, just sharing my experiance with woodchuck hunting mostly.
Here is a Woodchuck I shot in the field accross the street from my home this summer with the vintage pre-war Winchester Model 70 S.G. Hornet. It was at 220 paces. I did not want to shoot this distance as the gun wears a vintage Redfield Widefield 4x scope and I did not feel confidant but was not able to get closer in this case as he kept standing, looking directly my way. Because of the distance I first tried to go prone and use my fanny pack as support but could not get comfortable. I had no choice but to sit and use my sticks. All I could do with the little scope was aim "fat & high". I got lucky and whacked him dead with a upper body impact from a 46 gr hollow point reload first shot. He never even tail flagged.........and in fact was knocked back over rather than fall forward.
This I can not do, nor come close to doing, with a 17hmrHere is that Woodchuck.
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y276/Bill1227/IMG_1817.jpgAs this seasons Woodchuck hunting winds down. I often reflect on the seasons most memorable shots. The above shot was one of them, along with a couple 150 yard head shots with the HMR and another shot with a Hornet which I had no choice but to shoot from the kneeling position and whacked him hard. I didn't have as many standing off hand memorable shots (some of my favorites) this season. But, just last season I had a great one (for me) with the 17hmr as I was walking nearly knee high hay in which most give up. I had a huge Chuck stand at what tuned out to be 75 paces. His head only being visible barely above the hay with the sun reflecting off it. I quickly pulled up with out thought (thankfully) and as the crosshair rotation approached his pumpkin squeezed the trigger and nailed him in the pumpkin. Last season I kept in practice off hand with the 22lr on my home range. This season I did less of that............and it showed, when the off hand standing shots came.
Sorry
Morning coffee ramblings..............I love to talk small varmint rifles and varmint hunting
