Author Topic: 22 hornet group (Read 1979 times)

CATMAN308 · « **on:** March 06, 2013, 07:52:02 PM »

40 gr. Nosler Varmageddon
H-110 = 10.1gr
magnum primer

2687 fps average

shoots good!

cwlongshot · « **Reply #1 on:** March 07, 2013, 12:05:49 AM »

Shows some real potential!!

My H&R Hornet shoots very well with a max loading of Lil gun and a Hornady red tip 35g bullet. As well as my age old loading of 4198 and a 46HP. Both are under 1"at 100 yards.

CW

LaOtto222 · « **Reply #2 on:** March 07, 2013, 12:10:55 AM »

Good Shooting! H110/W296 has been my favorite powder for the 22 Hornet/22K Hornet.

Good Shooting and Good Luck

Crow Juice · « **Reply #3 on:** March 07, 2013, 01:33:45 AM »

I am using the following load in my savage 40 , with good performance on targets and yotes:
Rem 5 1/2 pistol primer
12.9 grains Lil-Gun
Midway 50gr dog town soft points
WW brass

cwlongshot · « **Reply #4 on:** March 07, 2013, 04:50:20 AM »

Quote from: Crow Juice on March 07, 2013, 01:33:45 AM

I am using the following load in my savage 40 , with good performance on targets and yotes:
Rem 5 1/2 pistol primer
12.9 grains Lil-Gun
Midway 50gr dog town soft points
WW brass

That's a single shot correct? So you are able to seat those bullets long.. Right?

My handi dosent allow very long seated bullets but my Savage 219 barrel did and I also like the 50g bullets.

CW

gendoc · « **Reply #5 on:** March 07, 2013, 12:27:16 PM »

it don't get much better'n this...............

this is #2 of our 4 hornet superlites. some of tha rest have been drastically reconfigured by J2
for other purposes..........

cwlongshot · « **Reply #6 on:** March 07, 2013, 12:59:47 PM »

Quote from: gendoc on March 07, 2013, 12:27:16 PM

it don't get much better'n this...............

this is #2 of our 4 hornet superlites. some of tha rest have been drastically reconfigured by J2
for other purposes..........

NICE GROUP John!!!

Mine is not as accurate as yours, at least with me shooting it, it ain't.

5 at just under a inch is enough for what I need.

CW

Crow Juice · « **Reply #7 on:** March 07, 2013, 01:46:58 PM »

Yes I can seat it long but I don't have too it is not a long bullet.

CATMAN308 · « **Reply #8 on:** March 07, 2013, 07:39:31 PM »

thanks - I'm going to Lil Gun next w/ same bullet.

Crow Juice · « **Reply #9 on:** March 08, 2013, 01:22:56 AM »

Cat , if you have a Handy with a tight chamber your are very lucky. I would like to know how your 50 grain loads shoot. I went to the heavier bullet to get more smack from my hornet. Everybody is shooting Hornets with lighter bullets but I have found the heavier ones beter for hunting. My Handy is in 223 but I hope to have a hornet barrel some day. FYI there was an article in the Backwoodsman on the Handy Hornet about 3 years ago . I kept it if you don't have it.

YRUpunting? · « **Reply #10 on:** March 08, 2013, 02:56:07 AM »

Quote from: Crow Juice on March 08, 2013, 01:22:56 AM

Cat , if you have a Handy with a tight chamber your are very lucky. I would like to know how your 50 grain loads shoot. I went to the heavier bullet to get more smack from my hornet. Everybody is shooting Hornets with lighter bullets but I have found the heavier ones beter for hunting. My Handy is in 223 but I hope to have a hornet barrel some day. FYI there was an article in the Backwoodsman on the Handy Hornet about 3 years ago . I kept it if you don't have it.

I just picked up my first copy of Backwoodsman after Swampman's post. Wish I would have found that magazine years ago! I have two handi 22 hornets to work up this spring. What's the volume with the Hornet article?

Crow Juice · « **Reply #11 on:** March 08, 2013, 05:10:28 AM »

I will dig it up and let you know or I can scan and send if you PM me.

gcrank1 · « **Reply #12 on:** March 08, 2013, 05:12:10 AM »

As a confirmed (or is it a 'should be committed'?) cast bullet shooter I put over 3000 cast loads downrange over several years and 3 rifles. It was fairly easy to get 3/10" to 1/2" groups at 50yd with jacketed so I knew what to reach for with cast. My loads ended up being about 1400fps MV and 40-45gr. bullets. I tried heavier cast in a 1:12 H&R but it wasnt as good as I had hoped, IMHO that caliber really shines with the tried and true 45 Hornet bullet as an 'all rounder'. In retrospect I decided a .223 would give me the widest load options, but I was also getting too fumbly with those small cases (a man's got to know his limitations).
I probably should have, though never did, go to the 'K' improvement.
It is a fun, economical cartridge and if you limit your distances for ethical hunting it is still a dandy.

LaOtto222 · « **Reply #13 on:** March 08, 2013, 05:59:12 AM »

I Stubbed my 22 Hornet to 22K Hornet. I got very good results with different loads. I loaded up a variety of loads and they all shot good, some shot better than others. I may have got better results with any of the loads, if I did any more work with them. I setlled on the 34 grain bullets, W296 powder and CCI small pistol primers with Remington cases. I liked it because the bullets were cheap, I got high velocity, low pressure and they were accurate. I did not work on shrinking the group because they were good enough. I am posting a picture of the rifle and some 5 shot groups at 100 yards. As you can see I used different loads, that I just looked at the book and tried, no load development with any of them. The barrel is a heavy 20" 1 - 14" twist Douglas.

Remember I just looked and my manuals and threw these together, no further load development was done. I do want to say that the Lil'Gun load and 40 Vmax was promising. I did not have any luck using this combination in the plain 22 Hornet at all. I ended up using 12.4 grains of W296, CCI 500 primers, Winchester cases and 34 grain MS HP with very good results. I did not work on the Lil'Gun load, because the MidSouth bullets are cheaper, I got very good velocity, low pressure and pretty good accuracy. This is basically 3 different loads and all shot well.

Good Luck and Good Shooting

Crow Juice · « **Reply #14 on:** March 08, 2013, 09:51:52 AM »

Backwoodsman vol. 29. Number 6 , Nov-Dec 2008
" Reloading the 22 Hornet"
I have it scanned in if somebody wants it.

CATMAN308 · « **Reply #15 on:** March 09, 2013, 02:26:38 AM »

Crow - thanks for pointing out the backwoodsman article. I'd love to read it, so I'll PM you. This was my first load I made up and first time out shooting this, so I'm really optimistic. When the barrel's broken in, and subsequent loads are neck-sized, I expect better results just with this same load.... but also seeing great results with Lil Gun, which I'm going to use in my next loads. I'm going to stick with the 40 gr noslers for now so I'm not changing too many variables. I usually use my 223 for my varmint hunting, and was looking for the hornet as a quieter alternative. Wish I could have suppressors where I live!

Crow Juice · « **Reply #16 on:** March 09, 2013, 04:28:19 AM »

For all that have PM'd me for the backwoodsman's article I will have it for your this weekend . It is scanned but I am going to add two other hornet loading article's.

cwlongshot · « **Reply #17 on:** March 09, 2013, 05:42:38 AM »

Quote from: Crow Juice on March 09, 2013, 04:28:19 AM

For all that have PM'd me for the backwoodsman's article I will have it for your this weekend . It is scanned but I am going to add two other hornet loading article's.

Way to go CJ!! KUDOS for helping our bothers out!!

CW

Crow Juice · « **Reply #18 on:** March 10, 2013, 04:21:24 AM »

I just want to follow up with some Hornet Loading observations:

1. I use Rem 5 1/2 pistol primers and had used them exclusively till last year . I noticed on my Contender carbine some black mark or venting at the edge of the primer on some of my shells . Usually ones that had been fired more than once. What I think is happening is as the case is used it grows to the maximum size it can reach in my chamber .This give good accuracy but even though the primer pocket is tight a soft primer can be pushed out a little as the shell moves back on firing. If you look at a single shot there is a little back and forth play necessary to allow closure .Small rifle primers fix this problem .

2.A Lee Collet style neck die is perfect for Hornets because you can easily adjust the collet diameter to give the proper neck tension . This can be done by chucking the collet in a variable speed drill and using 400 grit emery cloth to take down the diameter .001" at a time. Body sizing on hornets is rarely needed.

3.A very light crimp with a Lee Factory Crimp die, helps accuracy on a Hornet . I have found them to be usefull for all my loading.

4.I have a Redding t-7 dedicated to Hornet production and I use a Lee Disc Powder Measure to drop charges . Both my Hornets like as much Lil-Gun and you can stuff in and 12.9grs is about it for Remington and Winchester cases . When I determined my load I just opened one of the disc holes up till it gave me the correct charge.Then I put a Lee Powder Rifle Charging Die and Disc powder measure on the turret. You will need to remove the return spring on the powder measure because it is too strong for Hornet cases and well damage the mouth . When you throw the charge the powder measure will be in the fully up position . Just push it down and you are ready to go again. This give very accurate charges. Lil-Gun and AA1680 are so fine that the repeatability in my set up is less than 1/10 grain. Because this step saves so much loading time I highly recommend it for high volume Hornet shooters.

5.This is not a Lee Commercial because most of my dies are RCBS . It just happens that their products lend themselves to Hornets. For bullet seating I prefer Hornaday dies.

6. Most of my cases are Winchester and I bought 2000 a couple of years ago at a close out . However , I think Remington are more consistant . When you look at them together the Remington are defiantly thinner but this does not seem to effect case life.

Crow Juice · « **Reply #19 on:** March 10, 2013, 04:25:12 AM »

One more thought regarding powder . Since I haven't seen Any lil-gun or AA1680 lately I have been looking at substitutes . I regularly see Enforcer and AA No.9 . These are potential substitutes and I would like to know if anybody has tried them.

gcrank1 · « **Reply #20 on:** March 10, 2013, 05:08:22 AM »

A BIG + 1 on the Lee Collet Neck sizing Die for this caliber (and others, of course, but especially the 22H).
In my experience the Lee Collet Neck Sizing Die is adjustable and through said adjustment range can fine tune your neck tension for jacketed or lead bullets of different diameters. For cast bullets I love these dies when available for a caliber and even modified a 30-06 to do 30-40Krag.

nanuk-O-dah-Nort · « **Reply #21 on:** March 10, 2013, 07:10:33 AM »

Thanks for the write up, CJ

I've got a 22H in the mail, and will be loading for it this spring!

gcrank1 · « **Reply #22 on:** March 10, 2013, 07:17:41 AM »

Ya know, looking at the Topic Line' for this almost had me thinking it would be another '12 step group'........

; and it sucked me right in

.

Goatwhiskers · « **Reply #23 on:** March 10, 2013, 10:57:37 AM »

At the moment my Hornet is a 77/22 that I accurized. Went thru several of the above mentioned powders and was running 1/2" or so groups. Switched to A1680, 13.5gr pushing a Sierra 40grHP gives .226 group, yeah I know no pic it didn't happen. To stay on the Handi topic I have one coming, hope things work out as well. Goat

Need to add that these were neck sized 1/8" and no crimp. GW

gcrank1 · « **Reply #24 on:** March 10, 2013, 11:34:49 AM »

Fine performance of you and the rifle, just the same! That would be a load I'd try for sure.

gendoc · « **Reply #25 on:** March 10, 2013, 01:03:34 PM »

yall take a guess how many shots my group pic has..................

compare top and bottom holes to tha center.
i'm blind an i can see'um + i pulled tha switch.

gcrank1 · « **Reply #26 on:** March 10, 2013, 01:49:02 PM »

I always make a one hole one shot group myself.........then wreck it

. My two best shootin' buddies are Bob and Weave.

Crow Juice · « **Reply #27 on:** March 10, 2013, 09:35:51 PM »

Hornet Brothers , I sent the files to all that sent me email addresses . If you didn't receive them let me know . This is my first shot on Gmail and I sent each of you 4 very large files.

nanuk-O-dah-Nort · « **Reply #28 on:** March 11, 2013, 12:58:07 AM »

got 'em

thanks CJ

nanuk-O-dah-Nort · « **Reply #29 on:** March 11, 2013, 01:00:10 AM »

Quote from: gendoc on March 10, 2013, 01:03:34 PM

yall take a guess how many shots my group pic has..................
compare top and bottom holes to tha center.
i'm blind an i can see'um + i pulled tha switch.

I count 8!

if I get it right, do I win the rifle?