Favorite 22 Hornet components?

[Canuck Bob]

i am interested in people's favorite Hornet supplies for a new handi-rifle on its way. The rifle has 1-9 twist.

High pressure and fancy bullets are not a concern to me. I understand the cases are a bit delicate, any brand stronger? Looks like my choice is WW or Rem.

I'm planning cast lead soon and unless they don't shoot the Hornady SX series for jacketed bullets as they are the cheapest locally available bullets (cheapest expensive alternative, when did they make these things outa gold!), opinions?

For powder I've got new 4227 and Trail Boss that might suit the Hornet. Everyone raves about Lil'gun, is it a good powder for slightly milder loads, normal starting load pressures are my usual choice, opinions? I'm no student of powders and it seems some powder do their best while burning at high pressure thus my question.

I have 6 1/2 Rem primers for my 32-20, opinions?

[iceman]

When I had a hornet I played around with the Hornady 35gr Vmax with IMR4227. I don't know how fast they went, but they grouped real well and put a big hurt on our eastern hay fed groundhogs.

[jnyork]

I have had better luck with Remington brass than with Winchester. It is sort of a flimsy little case, dont expect to be loading it 15-20 times. Annealing helps. I found the Lil Gun to be a great powder with 4227 a close second, with Winchester primers, small pistol IIRC. Hornady 35 grain VMax=red mist on the prairie.

[Canuck Bob]

Quick note, Lil'Gun loads on the Hodgdon site are surprising. For the 45-50 gr bullet range some nice velocities for mild pressure. Now it is sinking in why folks like this stuff in a Hornet.

[earlmck]

It'll be hard to beat 4227 as an all-around powder, though for squeezing the last bit of velocity out of jacketed bullets you'd want Lil'Gun. And as jnyork said, the small pistol primers. I'd bet your Rem 6 1/2s are just fine: I've used CCI or Win 'cause that's what I had on hand.

I've done best cast bullet shooting with the Lyman 225462 (55 - 60 grains depending on alloy and mold) but have also done well with 225415 (about 52 grains from my mold). My Hornet is a 16" twist; it'll be interesting to see how your 9" likes cast bullets. They are fun little shooters and awful easy on a pound of powder.

I have a KHornet that likes any jacketed Hornet bullet in 40 or 45 grains I've thrown at it, but doesn't do well with cast. My Hornet does well with any cast bullet I've tried and has never seen a jacketed bullet. I'd expect it to do well with the same bullets as the KHornet. And by "doing well" I am talking 1.5" groups; maybe an 1" group once in a while if I hold my mouth right or the stars line up. But I haven't shot a group at paper in lots of years 'cause I have my loads for these and just use them for sage rat shooting (Belding ground squirrel) or for when I have a grandkid request to shoot them at cans.

[Rusty]

Over on castboolit.com there was quite a thread on shooting cast in the .22 range. I think it came to my attention as shooting cast in the .223 but they can both use the same boolit. Sports South has a Lee mould cut every so often the call the Bator. You might try looking that up and see what you find.

[AJMD429]

I thought I read that 2400 was 'the powder' for the Hornet; anyone use that powder...?

[pdentrem]

I use Remington cases as the Winchesters are too thin in the web area. CCI BR4 primers, Hornady or Nosler 40 V-Max/Ballistic Tips, no difference on the target and 12 grs of W296. Bullets are sitter at the lands. This load is for my Ruger No1B 26" barrel. Pact chrony claims right around 3000 fps. Factory loads show 2670 45 gr bullet.

I did try 12.5 but too hot even this rifle!

[jnyork]

I thought I read that 2400 was 'the powder' for the Hornet; anyone use that powder...?

I have three Hornets, I never was able to hit a hat at 100 yards with either of them using 2400.

Way back when in the early days of reloading, people had a tendency to use 2400 in darn near everything, or try to at least. There are better ways to go.

[AJMD429]

I did try 12.5 but too hot even this rifle!

How can any powder or charge in that little almost-straight case be too 'hot' for a Ruger No.1....????

[earlmck]

How can any powder or charge in that little almost-straight case be too 'hot' for a Ruger No.1....????

Now remember Doc, it's the brass case that is the weak point when the gun is hugely strong. So if you have to hit the lever to extract the fired case, the load was too hot. If the primer pockets won't hold a primer tight when you reload, the load was too hot. If you open the lever and you've got some smoke curling up and the primer has seemingly vaporized, the load was waaaay too hot.

Some of us learn of these symptoms by hearing about them. Some of us have to learn for ourselves the hard way.

[Bob A]

I am one of the Lil'gun fans. A great powder for the Hornet.
I am also a big fan of the 40 gr VMax. I suspect the 40 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip would also be a winner.
The advantage you have with a single shot handi is that you are not limited to the saami spec COAL.
The 35 gr VMax was invented for the Hornet to allow for the short cartridge length in the mags of repeaters.
The 35 VMax is a great bullet but is has a BC of .1
The 40 gr VMax and BT have a BC of .2 and
they are boat tail bullets. I load the 40 VMax out to 1.867 inches. This won't fit in the mag of a repeater.
The Boat Tail really helps with bullet seating. As others have mentioned, the hornet case is very thin
and you can crush the neck without hardly trying. The Boat tail bullets don't crush necks. They self align and
make seating the bullet very simple.
These bullets are also serious medicine for squirells up to coyotes.
I have read many testimonials for using small handgun primers. Maybe they are better. Hornady specifies
Small Rifle primers in the Lil'gun recipes. I have been using the SR CCI 400 with great success.

Look for the 40 Vmax in the 250 pc boxes. The go on sale from time to time. When they do, stock up.

Bob A

[Old Shatterhand]

Sako cases, small pistol primers, Norma R-123 powder, Sierra varminter 45 grs or Sellier&Bellot FMJ 45 grs.

My dies are Forster-Bonanza.

Pete

[Borregos]

My only 22 Hornet experience has been with handguns, Contenders with 10” and 14” barrels. I use 10gr of IMR4227, Federal #205 primers and Winchester or Remington bulk 55gr FMJ’s. I am using Remington cases at present and am on around the 9th reload with them, I had to toss Winchester cases after 17 reloads which I thought was a good run.
This load gets a touch over 2000fps with the 14” and around 1800fps with the 10”.

[Nath]

I thought I read that 2400 was 'the powder' for the Hornet; anyone use that powder...?

I have three Hornets, I never was able to hit a hat at 100 yards with either of them using 2400.

Way back when in the early days of reloading, people had a tendency to use 2400 in darn near everything, or try to at least. There are better ways to go.

I got 2400 to work for me but promised to not go there again!

My favourites were H4227, H110.

Pretty much any slower powders will work but a low velocity is returned. I used some BL-C2 for a slow kind of 22magnum etc.

Apart from Btips I have used Hornady's and cheap Sierra's Hornet options with very good results. I think you are in for some fun!

My favourite brass was RWS, lasted ages! Winchester, about three or four hot loads and a ring would start forming!

I got me some r-nose fmj's (cheap) and made a simple die to file the tip off a loaded round.
They made a good rabbit load.


Have fun

Nath.

[Nath]

Bob, before I forget, take care of that barrel!

Hornets don't get hot enough with just one shot to keep any water produced from condensing on the barrel interior. Even if you take just one shot before putting the gun away check for water droplets! Usually near the throat!

N.

[pdentrem]

How can any powder or charge in that little almost-straight case be too 'hot' for a Ruger No.1....????

Now remember Doc, it's the brass case that is the weak point when the gun is hugely strong. So if you have to hit the lever to extract the fired case, the load was too hot. If the primer pockets won't hold a primer tight when you reload, the load was too hot. If you open the lever and you've got some smoke curling up and the primer has seemingly vaporized, the load was waaaay too hot.

Some of us learn of these symptoms by hearing about them. Some of us have to learn for ourselves the hard way.

The weak part is the case not the rifle. Pushed back primer and short case life. No smoke out the back! Had a 270 Winchester that smoked out the back. Never did figure out why! Was 1 out of a box of factory fresh loads. Never found the primer and the case was pressed into the bolt face to a perfect fit!

[Hobie]

I like the 35 gr. VMAX in the Hornet (groundhog shot with it in chest died instantly) but it is a bit of a brick. Because I use the 40 gr. VMAX in the Bee I quit buying the 35 gr. One can use the same charge of Lil'Gun with either bullet in the Hornet. Both shot under an inch from my Contender. That is better than average accuracy from a Contender carbine.

[wolfdog]

34 grain Midway dogtown bullet, 12 grains Acurate 1680(or Win 680),WW Brass, Win small pistol primer shoots very well in my 342 savage. Does rude things to armadillos too.

[jerry b]

I shot the Hornet for years and thought I'd never be without one, but here I am without one. I still have dies, some brass, etc., but I doubt I'll ever get another.

I used Nosler 40 gr BTs to great effect, Hornady 40 gr Vmax at times. W-W brass exclusively, Winchester primers, Lee Collet dies and the Lee Factory Crimp die seemed to help consistency. My favorite powders were IMR4227 and Li'l Gun. I used a case trimmer since they do tend to stretch a bit with the shape.

What a fun cartridge and quite useful.

Edit: The Nosler 40 gr BTs were most accurate for me. Both powders were great. The L'il Gun really increased velocity (and noise). This is a cartridge where consistently good loading technique is essential.

[Rimfire McNutjob]

Sako cases, small pistol primers, Norma R-123 powder, Sierra varminter 45 grs or Sellier&Bellot FMJ 45 grs.

My dies are Forster-Bonanza.

Pete

That is the key right there. The best performing powder in the Hornet is Norma R-123 ... hands down. And I've been looking for more cans of it for years now. When Grafs ran out several years ago (2008-ish), that was the end of it in the States. I think Norma was having it mixed by Bofors but I'm not positive. I certainly wish they still imported it though. It's great in low volume small caliber cases like the Hornet, 5mm Schroeder, etc.

Do they really still have it available over in Sweden?

I suspect that today, the best powder we have available here in the States for use in the Hornet w/ 45 grain bullets is going to be 300-MP but I haven't tried it yet. I'm still experimenting with it in my 5mm.

Alliant lists a 300-MP load for the Hornet using the 40 grain VMax at 2944fps from a 24" barrel. They have the 45 grain Speer SP at 2763fps as well from a 24" barrel. It's on their web site if you're interested.

[.Dirty-.Thirty]

Annealing cases, I get 10 reloads with Remington brass. I been shooting Lil' Gun with the 35gr v-maxsbetter than my 40gr sierra and 45gr sierra . Small rifle primers for me, can't use the Small pistol primer in my handi due to primer piercing. The Handi hornet has been in 3 different twists with the current being 1 in 9" Mine is 1 in 12" and impacts 52gr A-maxs in keyholes with full loads of Lil gun. Please keep all the hornet info coming. I hope to soon add another, being a 1in 9''. .DT