My personal nemesis......the 22 Hornet

H

Herb in pa

Member
I've been playing around with cast bullets for the Hornet for some time and have had little to no success. I finally cast some NOE 225-46 WFN slugs that come in around 44 grains and sized them to .225". I used 7.6 grains of LIL GUN and Fed match pistol primer is some mixed brass (mostly PPU) that had 13 loadings on it.
Fired two groups at just 50 yards. First group was 10 rounds and measured .702" second group was 15 rounds and went 1.330" I'm going to retire this brass and try again with new brass.PA250043.JPG
 
R

Rushcreek

Well-Known Member
Not as good as your results, but the Lee 55 gr Bator at .225” over 3.2(.3cc scoop)grains of AA#2 is giving me squirrels head accuracy at 40yards from my .218 Bee.
 
Bret4207

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
The Bee has never had the infamy of the Hornet when it comes to being difficult to find good, repeatable loads that shoot to the same spot day after day. Thats why the K-Hornet, Bee, Lovell and various other small cased cartridges were so popular. I still wouldn't turn up my nose at a Hornet, just have to have some info behind you.
 
fiver

fiver

Well-Known Member
the BEE got all it's inconsistencies blamed on the rifle since it was 99% in the win 92.
in a good magazine fed bolt gun i bet it would have never been looked down on like that, plus it could have been loaded to a much higher pressure/velocity.
 
R

Rushcreek

Well-Known Member
My Hornet experience started with a Topper, then a Savage bolt action, then a Charles Daly(Armscor) bolt action. I never got the accuracy that I expected but I didn’t keep trying, either.
Then a 1894CL Marlin .218 and a Winchester 43 .218 showed up- and wowed me right away with little effort…..both handled 200 yard prairie dogs easily. My sister still has that Marlin.
Now I’m back to a Topper- but in .218 Bee(with a Tikka barrel).
Funny how things work out…..
 
CWLONGSHOT

CWLONGSHOT

Well-Known Member
I shoot more case in my BEE's then Hornets. Not sure why they both do well.

The lil Ranch Dog 22 is a favorite cause it shoots better then the LEE Bator. ( similar blunt plinker design)
Another I like allot is the Lyman 225450. Its a little "Gnome hat" bullet as my wife used to describe it.

IMG_0869.jpeg

As for powders, 4198 & 1680 are favorites.

CW
 
Bret4207

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
fiver said:
the BEE got all it's inconsistencies blamed on the rifle since it was 99% in the win 92.
in a good magazine fed bolt gun i bet it would have never been looked down on like that, plus it could have been loaded to a much higher pressure/velocity.
Click to expand...
It was loaded in a good magazine gun- the Win 43. There the rep was setting the lugs back into the re'cvr, a condition my 43 shares. Soft steel will set back even with hot loads in little cases where you try make a Bee into a Swift! I'd rather have the lever gun.
 
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P

Petrol & Powder

Well-Known Member
Please don’t take this the wrong way, but the 22 Hornet can be a difficult cartridge to love.

The slightly tapered case, left over from the black powder cartridge era, can a be a source of frustration.

It headspaces on the rim, which is fine when the rifle it is shot in is properly set up, but can be frustrating in an old previously abused rifle (which fits the description of a lot of secondhand rifles chambered in 22 Hornet).

Sort of like the 303 British, it can be rewarding when the headspace is right, the throat isn’t eroded, and you have the right loading. Or you can pull your hair out trying to get everything correct.

When I was younger, the varmint rifle cartridge that was coveted was the 222 Remington. You would see rifles chambered in 22 Hornet, but they were often treated like a .22 rimfire on steroids. Not well cared for and generally more of a tool than a precision rifle. People that had an old 222 Remington behind the kitchen door of their farmhouse knew what they had. Those rifles were revered for their accuracy.

The 222 Remington has been overshadowed by the 223 Remington. The Hornet hangs on and, in many ways, has a lot to offer. (less noise, smaller case, a bit more flexible with pressures) but it can really tax its owner when trying to nail down an accurate load.
 
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D

david s

Well-Known Member
It looks like you have it working but Lil'Gun has a reputation for being a bit erratic when used with lighter loads in the Hornet. A different powder choice might be a consideration.
oscarflytyer, the top Contender is in 22 Hornet, you really need to go for a Hornet, great fun.
 
oscarflytyer

oscarflytyer

Well-Known Member
David - yer Killin' me, Small! I know (or knew) where one was. And could prob scrounge up a bbl semi-locally. I need another caliber like I need another hole in my head, but...!

P&P - I have heard the 22 H can try your patience - and I have none! Funny your take on the 222 Rem. I was stationed in Germany. EVERYBODY there hunted Reh deer with the 222 Rem. It was THE caliber. ALl I had when I started hunting there was a 300 Win Mag! I did get a Win 70 FW in 6.5x55 as I started actually hunting. But I ALWAYS wanted a 222 Rem. Finally scratched that itch about 2 yrs ago. CZ 527 American. Not shot much, but love it. Want to really shoot it a lot more. Would like to take a yote or two with it. And it would work in my woods for small Southern whitetail, but.. Prob set up for crow too at some point.
 
todd

todd

Well-Known Member
i bought a used 10" TC Contender barrel in 22 Hornet that i haven't shot yet. i also 100 cartridges of 35gr Hornady V max, 100 cartridges of 45gr Remington HP, 75 - 100 cartridges ? Winchester SP. i also bought 300 cases of Prvi and 500 40gr V max and 4 lb of Lil' Gun.

i always wanted to at least shoot a 22 Hornet.
 
H

Herb in pa

Member
I've had no problems with jacketed bullets in this caliber, my rifle's (Anschutz) favorite load is the 30 grain barnes varmint grenade running at a chronographed velocity of 3188 FPS. The rifle's twist is 1 in 16". I'm hopeful this latest attempt will lead to some deal of success with cast.
 
B

BudHyett

Active Member
I was told that no single shot rifle collection was complete without a .22 Hornet. So I've bought two, first a Ruger #3 and following a Ruger #1B.

The #3 had a long throat, shot only a maximum charge of W-W 680 with a Sierra 45 grain bullet. It was accurized by trading and I bought the #1B. This rifle took over five hundred rounds to find a good load, buying a benchrest seater and seating long is the key. This load is a heavy charge of W-W 680 and a 35 grain Berger bullet. I kept working down the bullet weight spectrum.

I then bought a Ruger #1B in .218 Bee. This rifle is the most accurate Ruger #1 that I own. Shooting AA 1680 powder and the Sierra 45 grain bullet. Both rifles work well for prairie dogs to 200 yards.

The CBA Nationals have a Friday Fun Match day with the Quarter-Bore and Small-Bore matches. The Small-Bore matches allow gas checks and require fixed cartridges. The .22 Hornet and .218 Bee could be good choices for this match.
 
H

hornetguy

Active Member
Herb in pa said:
I've been playing around with cast bullets for the Hornet for some time and have had little to no success. I finally cast some NOE 225-46 WFN slugs that come in around 44 grains and sized them to .225". I used 7.6 grains of LIL GUN and Fed match pistol primer is some mixed brass (mostly PPU) that had 13 loadings on it.
Fired two groups at just 50 yards. First group was 10 rounds and measured .702" second group was 15 rounds and went 1.330" I'm going to retire this brass and try again with new brass.View attachment 36605
Click to expand...
That group on the left shows that it wants to shoot... it's actually a pretty good group for cast. You should try neck sizing only, switch to AA1680/680, and try either small pistol primers, or Remington 6 1/2's...
 
Intel6

Intel6

Active Member
I have been a fan of the Hornet for many years now. I do shoot PB bullets in some of them, but many are strictly for jacketed. It started out many years ago with a T/C barrel and I have added more Hornets throughout the years. Being stationed in Germany in the 90's helped me add some Anschutz Hornets to the mix. Back then there was a company that sold blem jacketed bullets and they listed some 32 gr. tipped bullets that were made for .22 Mag ammo and they were extremely cheap and I stocked up on them. Those became my primary bullets for may magazine fed Anschutz Hornets and the 40 gr. Vmax I use for the single shots.

In the pic below are my primary guns in Hornet that I tend to shoot the most. I have others but these always seem to make it out with me when I am shooting Hornets.

Anschutz 1433
Ruger #1B
T/C 14"
Anschutz Exemplar


Hornets.jpg
 
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