Author Topic: .22lr to 22 Hornet (Read 2454 times)

dieselten · « **on:** May 27, 2009, 06:31:22 AM »

I have a youth Handi .22lr. The barrel fits perfectly on by BC SB2 frame.

Could I just rent a 22 Hornet finish reamer and pilot and run it in till the headspace is correct?

Could I just leave the current extractor/ejector in place and have the reamer cut this to work with the 22 Hornet rim?

I know the slow 1-16" twist and slightly tighter .223 bore will work OK as all the original Hornets were re-chambered .22lr barrels.

necchi · « **Reply #1 on:** May 27, 2009, 07:33:48 AM »

oop's I responded with wrong info after re-reading the post

LaOtto222 · « **Reply #2 on:** May 27, 2009, 09:37:57 AM »

Please slug your 22LR barrel. I think you will find it to be .222" instead of .223". While .223" bullets would more than likely work in it, I am not sure that .224 bullets would. I would hope you reload and then reload only .223" bullets for your Hornet. The slow twist will make it a 45 grain bullet or lighter type gun. The .223" bullets are usually more expensive than the standard .224" bullets. They do make them, I know Hornady does and I think Sierra does too - but like I said they are more expensive and hand load only proposition. Factory ammo made in the USA all use .224" bullets now.

As far as doing your own reaming is concerned - DO NOT DO IT - unless you have a lathe or some other way to to hold the reamer perfectly square and centered with the bore. Doing it by hand or with a drill is not going to work. Try as you might, you can not hold the reamer perfectly square to the bore through out the whole process. Once you start cutting off of square the chamber will be ruined. If you have a lathe and means to set up in perfect alignment with the bore, you can run the reamer in until you get proper head spacing. This would involve cutting the rim to a depth to just have the head flush or a couple of thousands below flush with the barrel. I would not leave the extractor in while cutting the chamber, I would remove the extractor and replace it with a Hornet extractor or modify the one I had after the chamber is cut. I am afraid you will get chattering or some other unpleasant result like snapping off the corners of the reamer. Reamers are very hard and can not take a come and go contact while cutting. They need an even load all the way around. It would be better to shoot the gap where the extractor is than to have it moving back and forth while cutting. I have heard of people cutting chambers with a drill press. If this is to be done, you need to have a set up that you can set the barrel in with precision to the bore. A fixture where the barrel will held firmly and be adjustable in an arc so you can adjust it until it is perfectly vertical to the chuck. The chuck would have to be checked to make sure it at a perfect 90 degrees from Horizontal. Like chucking in a long straight rod and Plumb bobbing down it's length to make sure it is perfectly vertical. A plumb Bob up and run down the bore to make sure you are centered to the bore and the barrel is also 90 degrees to horizontal (perfectly vertical) as the chuck is. The drill press will need to have very little run out too. It would be complicated to set up and the process would have to be checked every little bit. In effect you would be making a vertical lathe out of it. I thought about it, but it would take a special set up and then you would not be sure you cut it well enough to make a precision shooting instrument. Being off center just a little bit will cause accuracy to go out the window and there could be no movement in the barrel while cutting the chamber. If it sounds like a precision job, you would be correct.

I am not trying to discourage you, just point out some trouble spots. If you want to give it a go - then welcome to it, it is not my gun - it is yours and you can do any thing you want this side of the law. Good Luck and Good Shooting

Lefty Dude · « **Reply #3 on:** May 27, 2009, 10:10:36 AM »

I am in the process of doing my 22 Hornet reloading, and needed bullets. Just returned from cabela's.
I usually buy .224" Speer 45 gr. Spitzers. They had Sierra .223" Hornet bullets 45 gr. for the same price as the .224" 40 gr. & 50 gr. bullets. $15.99 @ 100 box.
My Barrel is a Custom TC rifle barrel, .224".
If you do not re-load Hornets can be pricey to buy. You might consider a re-chamber to 22 Mag.

By the time you have the expense of the reamer & modifying the extractor, you can buy a Used Hornet barrel.
When I bought my Barrels a couple of years ago, the 22 Hornet was listed on the Barrel Accessory program price list.
I would contact Remington, they may have a Hornet barrel.

dieselten · « **Reply #4 on:** May 27, 2009, 10:34:00 AM »

Thank you for the very informative posts.

LaOtto222 - wouldn't the use of a correctly sized pilot in front of the reamer act to center the reamer? Especially if the pilot was long enough to ride the lands before the reamer started cutting?

mitchell · « **Reply #5 on:** May 27, 2009, 12:16:53 PM »

dude you can mess up a chamber on a lathe if you dont watch what your doing (been there) a drill and a steady hand is not the way to go

stimpylu32 · « **Reply #6 on:** May 27, 2009, 01:29:00 PM »

When I had my 218 Bee , 22 Rem Jet as well as my 224GNR done , all were done with the extractor or ejector still in place , the key is the amount of material to be removed . Also both of the 22LR barrels that I have slugged were .223 while the 22 mag barrels are running at .224 , ( I've checked qiute a few ) .

As the others have DO NOT try to do this by hand , a lathe is the only proper way to cut a chamber as far as I'm concerned .

stimpy

troy5775 · « **Reply #7 on:** May 27, 2009, 04:52:20 PM »

The 22 hornet is a center fire, wouldn't the offset bore on the 22lr throw the firing pin off on rechambering to a center fire? That is why you can ream to a 22 mag because it is a rimfire also.

troy5775 · « **Reply #8 on:** May 27, 2009, 04:53:14 PM »

I am assuming a offset versa barrel

quickdtoo · « **Reply #9 on:** May 27, 2009, 05:28:50 PM »

Quote from: dieselten on May 27, 2009, 06:31:22 AM

I have a youth Handi .22lr. The barrel fits perfectly on by BC SB2 frame.

Rustyinfla · « **Reply #10 on:** May 27, 2009, 06:44:53 PM »

I think you'd be money and time ahead to just purchase the barrel you want.

As an aside you can also cast lead bullets for your .22's I bought a Lee Bator mould from Sports South several months ago but have yet to fire it up.

trotterlg · « **Reply #11 on:** May 27, 2009, 06:58:50 PM »

I have a hornet rougher and finish reamer. I did the chamber adaptor Quick has with them on a .22 Handi RF barrel. Pay the shipping both ways and the price of a Hornet ejector and I will chamber it for free. Larry

LaOtto222 · « **Reply #12 on:** May 28, 2009, 12:00:32 AM »

There you go - a very generous offer, Larry. Larry will do it right, he has a lathe. When cutting a chamber by hand, even if you have a pilot that fits the bore, the back side will have enough play in it to make the chamber mouth too big and out of round. It has been tried many times and with unsatisfactory results.

dieselten · « **Reply #13 on:** May 29, 2009, 06:29:24 AM »

Quote from: trotterlg on May 27, 2009, 06:58:50 PM

I have a hornet rougher and finish reamer. I did the chamber adaptor Quick has with them on a .22 Handi RF barrel. Pay the shipping both ways and the price of a Hornet ejector and I will chamber it for free. Larry

A very generous offer that I can not refuse. Thank you in advance. I will send a PM for your shipping address.

Thanks again

trotterlg · « **Reply #14 on:** May 29, 2009, 10:40:50 AM »

All you need to promise is to publish a range report and show us you still have all your fingers whe you are done.

Just joking, I have some factory Hornet rounds, and will test fire it before I send it back.

Larry

dpe.ahoy · « **Reply #15 on:** May 29, 2009, 12:52:28 PM »

Larry, you have earned your wings for Handi-Heaven many times over! I would love to meet you and shake your hand. A finer person I don't think I could say I know, as good, maybe, but not better. DP

mike4 · « **Reply #16 on:** May 29, 2009, 01:11:35 PM »

if it turns out half as nice as the 17 Fireball barrel larry rechambered for me you will be very happy and think he wont even call himself a gunsmith.

zoner · « **Reply #17 on:** May 30, 2009, 02:30:43 AM »

the 22 hornet is a fine cartridge,but if you do not reload it is a very expensive caliber to shoot....there's also an issue with case life. Keep in mind that you could download a 223 to 22 hornet and still use it as a full bore 223 if you wanted....just an idea

Bladeforger · « **Reply #18 on:** May 30, 2009, 04:45:25 AM »

Kudos to Larry. What you're doing is awesome!!!

myarmor · « **Reply #19 on:** May 31, 2009, 01:43:10 PM »

I gotta add to that as well. I am glad you are with us Larry.

You have helped out a lot and continue too.
Good man.

-Aaron

trotterlg · « **Reply #20 on:** June 03, 2009, 11:25:01 AM »

Got the barrel today and will post some pictures of the reaming and ejector fitting later tonight I hope. Larry

trotterlg · « **Reply #21 on:** June 03, 2009, 05:58:44 PM »

OK, it is all done. I will shoot it in the morning and ship it. Where else but on GB's can you get free one day turnaround rechamber service? I did a couple of things on this one. First picture is the barrel as received. When they cut the rim for the RF the reamer was so dull it pushed up a ridge around the rim cut. To head space it properly I had to remove it before I started. Unless you have chucked one of these things in a lathe to work on you have no idea how crudely they are made. This time I used the RF ejector. I put a shim behind it to hold it slightly higher than flush and cut the chamber with it in place, so it is a perfect ejector for the chamber, and it does not cost for a hornet ejector and I don't have to mill out the ejector slot. I will put he ejector money in with the barrel tomorrow. Good luck, My reamer cuts a very short throat, so be careful with the seating lengths. Larry

myarmor · « **Reply #22 on:** June 03, 2009, 06:22:06 PM »

Once again, nice work Larry. I look forward to seeing how it shoots.
What load are you going to test it with, factory or handload?

trotterlg · « **Reply #23 on:** June 03, 2009, 06:26:36 PM »

I just shot it, it was a factory S&B 45gr SP. Looks good, I still have all my fingers. Larry

quickdtoo · « **Reply #24 on:** June 03, 2009, 07:39:36 PM »

Another fine job, Larry!

Tim

MSP Ret · « **Reply #25 on:** June 04, 2009, 03:38:06 AM »

Larry you are really the best. Thnaks for all you have done for me and others here. I also would like to shake your hand and buy you a dinner (or a drink, or both!!)....<><....

dieselten · « **Reply #26 on:** June 04, 2009, 05:03:00 AM »

Larry,

Thank you very much for your services in this matter. Don't bother with the ejector money, just keep it on account -

...on account of you're a great guy!

I am anxious to get started loading & shooting. I will post pics of the rifle when it is assembled, and hopefully groups too. I will start with 40 Grain Sierra .223 bullets and some IMR 4227, seated to be just behind the rifling.

Thanks again, you are the man.

trotterlg · « **Reply #27 on:** June 04, 2009, 02:42:58 PM »

It's in the mail, you should see it monday. Now for range reports. Also, it was one of the Micro-grove barrels like the Versa-Pac barrels, don't think it matters (I have heard it takes less pressure to push the bullet into the rifling), just an observation. Larry

dieselten · « **Reply #28 on:** June 07, 2009, 11:46:21 AM »

It was waiting for me when I got home from the range on Saturday. I assembled it, loaded some ammo and test fired it into some phone books. Everything looks great so far. I loaded Sierra 40 grain .223 bullets over 10.2 grains of IMR 4227. My COAL was 1.705 to place the bullet just behind the rifling. Upon opening after firing the ejector launched the empty into orbit!

It is kind of hard to tell without removing the ejector because even in the down position it is still a little above the chamber, but it looks like the head space is perfect, with the head of the cartridge flush with the rear face of the barrel.

Nice Work!

The earliest I will be able to range test it is next weekend, today I had a golf game lined up. I also have to make a new forend for it. Right now I only have the original black plastic forend the youth .22 came with. It looks crummy when assembled to my BC action and stock. I will get a schnabble forend from GSI and fit it up. I also need to order a couple of the plastic forend spacers for this one and another project I am working on.

Thanks again Larry, great job!

dieselten · « **Reply #29 on:** June 13, 2009, 04:59:51 PM »

Went out to the ranch today. I want this to be an iron sight rifle, so I mounted a WGRS peep sight from a BC. At it's lowest setting I could not capture the shots on paper at 50 yards, they were about 18" high I think. So I pulled it off and used the open barrel sight. The gun shot 3 shots into about an inch at 50 yards with the open sight. I set it up to be 1" high at 50 yards and had a great time. The rifle claimed 2 snakes and a turtle in the stock tank. I used the load listed above. It was about 100 degrees here today and there was no shade around the tanks, so 3 shots and the barrel was smoking hot.

All in all the rifle performed great. Larry thank you again for an excellent job.