Author Topic: Is there any interest in the small calibers?  (Read 10566 times)

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Offline Flynmoose

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Is there any interest in the small calibers?
« on: May 09, 2021, 08:06:57 PM »
I shoot 22 Hornets, 218 Bee and 221 Fireball. I have components to load for them and powder goes a long ways. I shoot larger calibers but always make range time for the small calibers. Does anyone else shoot and enjoy these calibers? I use Nosler 40Gr varmageddons in all three, plenty accurate for me.
Bill
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Offline wtxbadger

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Re: Is there any interest in the small calibers?
« Reply #1 on: May 10, 2021, 01:17:56 AM »
Picked up a H&R 22 Hornet barrel several years back and it quickly became my favorite for target shooting and varmints. Haven't gotten into reloading for it yet but have thought about it.
wtxbadger

Offline Mule 11

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Re: Is there any interest in the small calibers?
« Reply #2 on: May 10, 2021, 03:13:28 AM »
Picked up a hornet barrel last week and have not shot it yet. Have all the essentials for it though...

Offline neckisred

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Re: Is there any interest in the small calibers?
« Reply #3 on: May 10, 2021, 03:50:38 AM »
Shot a nice doe with my H&R 22 Hornet last season. Wiped it down and put it away, hopefully for a grandson.

Offline Drilling Man

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Re: Is there any interest in the small calibers?
« Reply #4 on: May 10, 2021, 11:15:33 AM »
  I'm not a big Hornet fan, but I really like the .222 Remington...

  DM

Offline mcbammer

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Re: Is there any interest in the small calibers?
« Reply #5 on: May 10, 2021, 11:42:04 AM »
     I  recently bought a .17 hornet . had a .22 hornet for 30 years .

Offline tunnug

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Re: Is there any interest in the small calibers?
« Reply #6 on: May 10, 2021, 01:43:26 PM »
Picked up a .204 Ruger handi, still trying to get the scope sighted in but work keeps getting in the way.

Offline billy_56081

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Re: Is there any interest in the small calibers?
« Reply #7 on: May 10, 2021, 10:56:49 PM »
I have a handi in 22 hornet,  it has killed alot of critters.
99% of all Lawyers give the other 1% a bad name. What I find hilarious about this is they are such an arrogant bunch, that they all think they are in the 1%.

Offline neckisred

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Re: Is there any interest in the small calibers?
« Reply #8 on: May 11, 2021, 12:40:53 AM »
  I'm not a big Hornet fan, but I really like the .222 Remington...

  DM
I'm a big 222 fan, but hard to beat cost and availability of 223 brass.

Offline Drilling Man

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Re: Is there any interest in the small calibers?
« Reply #9 on: May 11, 2021, 02:52:30 AM »
I'm a big 222 fan, but hard to beat cost and availability of 223 brass.
  True, but I've made a lot of .222's out of .223's...  SO, the cost is the same to me...

  DM

Offline neckisred

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Re: Is there any interest in the small calibers?
« Reply #10 on: May 11, 2021, 04:03:10 AM »
I'm a big 222 fan, but hard to beat cost and availability of 223 brass.
  True, but I've made a lot of .222's out of .223's...  SO, the cost is the same to me...

  DM
Thank you for sharing. I Google'd it and found several informative articles. Probably have a lifetime supply of 222 brass, but its always cool to learn new tricks. 8)

Offline Mule 11

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Re: Is there any interest in the small calibers?
« Reply #11 on: May 11, 2021, 06:13:09 AM »
I chose the hornet because of its lower velocity in case I choose to eat the long tailed Chinese rabbit...

Offline Dee

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Re: Is there any interest in the small calibers?
« Reply #12 on: May 11, 2021, 06:25:28 AM »
I've owned numerous 4570s and about everything between it and the 22 short.
My Marlin Golden 39A is my small game, critters getter. My everything else rifle is my 223/556. It is for critters, deer, hogs and whatever else.
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Offline Doublebass73

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Re: Is there any interest in the small calibers?
« Reply #13 on: May 11, 2021, 09:42:19 AM »
I have an AR in 5.56, it does everything I need it to do for deer hunting, etc. The rest of my hunting is done with shotguns.
"Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves."

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Offline Dee

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Re: Is there any interest in the small calibers?
« Reply #14 on: May 11, 2021, 01:07:20 PM »
I have an AR in 5.56, it does everything I need it to do for deer hunting, etc. The rest of my hunting is done with shotguns.

Same here.
You may all go to hell, I will go to Texas. Davy Crockett

Offline Drilling Man

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Re: Is there any interest in the small calibers?
« Reply #15 on: May 11, 2021, 01:28:02 PM »
I chose the hornet because of its lower velocity in case I choose to eat the long tailed Chinese rabbit...
  I've shot a LOT of small game with my combo gun, 12ga./.222 Rem., using MY swaged bullets, the jackets made from spent 22lr casings, loaded to 1,700 fps or so...  I swaged them "backwards" to make a solid, so as not to blow up so much eatin material!

  There was a time when they put a lot of meat on my table...

  DM

Offline Mule 11

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Re: Is there any interest in the small calibers?
« Reply #16 on: May 12, 2021, 05:50:14 AM »
I chose the hornet because of its lower velocity in case I choose to eat the long tailed Chinese rabbit...
  I've shot a LOT of small game with my combo gun, 12ga./.222 Rem., using MY swaged bullets, the jackets made from spent 22lr casings, loaded to 1,700 fps or so...  I swaged them "backwards" to make a solid, so as not to blow up so much eatin material!

  There was a time when they put a lot of meat on my table...

  DM
I knew someone was gonna bring up a reduced load.
Does this mean I’m invited over for dinner?

Offline Drilling Man

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Re: Is there any interest in the small calibers?
« Reply #17 on: May 12, 2021, 12:03:54 PM »
  Yeaaa, as long as I don't have to feed you something I shot with a .222!  lol

  DM

Offline Mule 11

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Re: Is there any interest in the small calibers?
« Reply #18 on: May 12, 2021, 01:38:42 PM »
  Yeaaa, as long as I don't have to feed you something I shot with a .222!  lol

  DM
I’m not picky about what I eat. Just the company. Thank You...

Offline jedman

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Re: Is there any interest in the small calibers?
« Reply #19 on: June 09, 2021, 03:17:43 PM »
I have several 22 cal. centerfires but currently I am kinda likin my 256 Win mag handi that I built since it is so versatile.
I built it with a 1-10 twist barrel and it shoots bullets up to 100 grs. very accurately and with a 75 gr. HP it is great for varmints out to 250 yards. I found a simple way to convert 357 mag brass to 256 so brass will never be a problem and it just seems to be much more than it’s small size looks like.  8)
 jedman
Current handi family, 24 ga./ 58 cal ,50-70,  45 smokeless MZ, 44 belted bodeen, 44 mag,.375 H&R (wildcat),375 Win.,357 max, .340 MF ( wildcat ), 8 mm Lebel, 8x57, .303 British, 270 x 57 R,(wildcat) 256 Win Mag, 2 x 243 Win,2 x 223 Rem. 7-30 Waters &20ga.,

Offline Lloyd Smale

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Re: Is there any interest in the small calibers?
« Reply #20 on: October 13, 2021, 01:22:43 AM »
i consider anything 6mm or smaller a small bore so i have a 243, 6mm, 240 wby, 22250, a FEW ars in 556. have owned a couple 22 hornets a 220 swift a 222 and a 22 high power. rim fires MANY
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Offline Buckskin

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Re: Is there any interest in the small calibers?
« Reply #21 on: October 13, 2021, 03:30:25 AM »
The 204 Ruger is one of my favorite rounds, shot countless yotes as far as 500 yards with it.  Pretty impressive how accurate a 32 gr bullet can be at 500 yards, albeit in perfect conditions...  I have it on the Encore platform and it's my most accurate rifle, legit .3 MOA gun.  I have 223 AR's as well, accurate but not in the same realm.
Buckskin

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Offline gene_225

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Re: Is there any interest in the small calibers?
« Reply #22 on: October 13, 2021, 04:26:07 AM »
I mostly shoot.22 lr and.223 Rem. Of late, I tried .223 loaded with Trail Boss. Funny thing though, when loaded point forward the bullets were flying sideways at 25 yards with a 2.5-3" group but when loaded back end forward I got a fair group at 25 yards. These were fmj boat tailed bullets out of a handi rifle. Kind of interesting development.

Offline Buckskin

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Re: Is there any interest in the small calibers?
« Reply #23 on: October 13, 2021, 07:02:20 AM »
I mostly shoot.22 lr and.223 Rem. Of late, I tried .223 loaded with Trail Boss. Funny thing though, when loaded point forward the bullets were flying sideways at 25 yards with a 2.5-3" group but when loaded back end forward I got a fair group at 25 yards. These were fmj boat tailed bullets out of a handi rifle. Kind of interesting development.

My guess is not enough powder.  Are you trying to run subsonic?  Not that I would expect much out of a handi...
Buckskin

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Offline Mule 11

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Re: Is there any interest in the small calibers?
« Reply #24 on: October 13, 2021, 07:31:01 AM »
“Not that I would expect much out of a handi”

Now you’ve went and done it...

Offline Buckskin

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Re: Is there any interest in the small calibers?
« Reply #25 on: October 13, 2021, 08:34:46 AM »
“Not that I would expect much out of a handi”

Now you’ve went and done it...

There is some tongue in cheek intended,,,, some.
Buckskin

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Offline orerancher

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Re: Is there any interest in the small calibers?
« Reply #26 on: October 13, 2021, 09:18:47 AM »
Shoot only Cast Bullets in My 223 Handi and 22 Hornet

The 222, 223, Bolt Actions, and 223 Contender get Jacketed....

Offline orerancher

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Re: Is there any interest in the small calibers?
« Reply #27 on: October 13, 2021, 10:04:55 AM »
Also really like My .22TCM   2,000fps from a 1911!   Now I wanna get a Bolt Action in that Chamber!

Offline BUGEYE

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Re: Is there any interest in the small calibers?
« Reply #28 on: October 13, 2021, 02:21:30 PM »
I mostly shoot.22 lr
Me too Gene, I go to the range early and relax shooting my .22 rifles and then someone will come along and grab the bench next to me and start busting my eardrums with ARs and AKs.
I'm shooting on the 50 yard range, why don't those people go use the 100 yard range and leave me and other rimfire shooters alone.
There oughta be a rule. :)
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Offline gene_225

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Re: Is there any interest in the small calibers?
« Reply #29 on: October 13, 2021, 03:43:10 PM »
I mostly shoot.22 lr
Me too Gene, I go to the range early and relax shooting my .22 rifles and then someone will come along and grab the bench next to me and start busting my eardrums with ARs and AKs.
I'm shooting on the 50 yard range, why don't those people go use the 100 yard range and leave me and other rimfire shooters alone.
There oughta be a rule. :)
There is at our range. Only pistols up to .44 mag and .22 rim fires allowed on the 50 yd range. Center fire rifle and pistol cal long arms on the 100 yd range, no multiple pellet cartridges allowed anywhere. The range is in a wetlands area adjacent to a pereniel creek is why no shotguns.

Addressing the powder question, the case is full of Trail Boss, but the bullets may be unstable flying that slow point forward. Just wanted to see if I could get something like .22 mag velocity out of the .223. seems maybe if the bullets are point to the rear it will work.