New member w/.22 Hornet

[Dick West]

Hi,
I've been casting for about 5 years, but consider myself a self-taught rank novice. Cast is the only thing I shoot, btw. So, I appreciate the philosophy behind this site.

Current challenges:

I'm enjoying the heck out of a .22 Hornet Topper break top, and a battered .222 Rem. CZ. I lucked into both at prices i could afford this year. I'm load developing with the 55gr. Lee mold (some version of the Bator). My funds are limited so I've been using vintage Red Dot and H4227 that I picked up at an estate sale. (My standbys for .30 cal used to be 4759, unique and 2400, but i can't find them locally.)

Issues: I'm getting promising groups with both, but too many fliers.

Long-term project: My wife has a 7x57 Spanish sporter that shoots jacketed well despite a .291 bore. I'd like to develop a cast load for it that would be sufficient to drop a mule deer or a small elk. I'm wondering if the answer is the NOE 170gr. .291 at 2,000 fps. But this is a distant project at this point.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Any guidance appreciated.

 

[KHornet]

Well, welcome Aboard!

Paul

 

[Intheshop]

Howdy,and welcome.

I'm interested in the Hornet and 2400(hopefully you'll find some)so will be watching that.

 

[Dick West]

I'm thinking of buying a pound of Lil Gun. I've read that it's consistent with lighter cast loads in the Hornet and .222 Rem.

Meanwhile, I'm trying to use up a bunch of old IMR2447 in my .22s and .30s as a replacement for my beloved but deceased 4759. Not much joy, yet.

 

[freebullet]

Welcome!

4227 should work in your 30's. I've burned quite a bit in a few 30 cals. It's a little more temp sensitive at upper end charges than I like but, performs well in x39, 3030, 308, & several others when kept in its happy zone.

I usually find joy with it about half to 3/4 of listed book charge range. If the book says 13-18gr I would expect reasonable results & clean burn from 15-17gr. That's just a generalization but, my experience. I shy away from top end loads with it due to temp sensitivity.

Red dot is one of my favorites. In large cases in can be position sensitive though.

If funds are tight I'd be inclined to ask for some bullets to sample before buying the mold. Really helpful folks here might be willing to send you some to try.

 

[Dick West]

thanks for the helpful info. I'm hoping to try the 4227 in my Rem. 722, chambered for .300 Savage. BTW, the 722 puts plain-based 165 Ranch Dogs into a 2" circle with 6 grains of Red Dot. But I haven't been able to get it to group well with 4227. I'll folo your advice on 3/4 loads--see what happens.

 

[fiver]

get the 4227 into the 20-22 gr area in the 300.

I know you didn't ask my opinion on the 7x57 [one of my favorite calibers BTW]
but it is marginal on deer and nowhere enough for an elk with cast.
for Fox/yotes and stuff like that the 7mm is perfect with lead.

 

[Dick West]

I respect your opinion, fiver. I have my doubts, too. I'm thinking the 7x57 with a good jacketed load could do it for deer--but even that would be pushing it for elk. (can't get a tag anyway!)

What we're considering is antelope, which, IMHO, would be doable out to 200 with the 7x57.

Thanks, for the 4227 suggestion. I've tried it in the Rem. 722 with 14-17 grains behind a 165 ranch dog with inconsistent results of about 3-4 inch /100y. Then I got distracted by the Hornet before i could walk the .300 sav. up a few more notches. I'm low on cast bullets, but I hope to try again this weekend.

 

[fiver]

the 7x57 is a perfect 200yd rifle.
a 139gr bullet [Horn Interlock is my preference] at 2700 or so fps is deadly on antelope or deer.
yours probably shoots the heavier bullets better [nice looking rifle BTW] which is not a handicap.
the 154 at @ 2600 is also going to get the job done.

I shoot the Ackley version mainly now and Littlegirl shoots my old tang safety Ruger, both rifles have taken everything from rock chucks to coyotes, and from Antelope to Moose.
when the wife was shooting the 7x57 rifle I built for her she shot through 2 mule deer [Bucks] from end to end [over 6' of penetration] and never did find the bullet.

 

[Dick West]

7x57 Ackley! You are a renegade.
My wife's 7x57 has a Timey trigger and a shortened butt that fits her perfectly (i've gotten forehead scope cuts to prove it's not my rifle.)

I've got a few boxes of Hornady 139gr, but i might try a heavier bullet to see if it has a marked improvement. Somehow, shooting jacketed bullets doesn't intrigue me as much as cast.

 

[fiver]

yours would need a good impact slug done and would probably need a 291 or so boolit.

when I was a kid I knew Parker pretty well.
to not have one or two of his cartridges around the place just seems wrong.
when I sent the second x57 Ackley rifle off to be made into the 300XCB I picked up a Ruger in 250 savage and had it cut into the 250 AI.

 

[KHornet]

My 7x57 took 10 head of African plains game, 4-5 deer, and a couple of
elk for a friend who borrowed the rifle. Longest kill was well over 400 yds
on a red hartabeast (a 450 lb animal). A fine ctg!

Paul

 

[Pistolero]

Like Paul said--

Don't doubt the 7x57. I killed a number of African and American animals, including a nice
big elk cow & 49.5" kudu bull. One shot only, each one. I loaded the ammo for a woman who used it on
everything she hunted in Africa (plains game) and she dropped everything one shot, too.
She used my Hornady 175 RN at about 2400 fps, only recovered about half of them.

I wouldn't hesitate for an instant to shoot an elk with a 175 or 160 gr standard design
or a 140 gr TSX. Our outfitter in Africa asked for some Barnes bullets ammo for his 7x57
and I loaded it for him, middle of the road velocity 140 TSX. He was thrilled with it, killed
a Kudu with it at 200+ yds (similar to elk) with one shot, was worried that he couldn't get
more, so I sent 80 rds over to him with the woman with the 7x57 later that year -
you can't import ammo in a different caliber from your gun to RSA.

Std Remington factory 140 is fine for deer, I'd use the 175 RN (factory or handload) for elk, or Barnes 140 or Nosler
Partition 160 if I was handloading for elk.

Bill

 

[Chris]

Regarding the 7X57. Two words: Karamojo Bell. His testimony and that of our friends above should about seal the deal.

 

[9.3X62AL]

I had a 22 Hornet (Ruger #3) that showed promise with castings--Ideal #225438 @ .225", lino alloy, Carnauba Red lube, 9.0 grains of 2400 giving (you guessed it) about 2400 FPS. 1.3" to 1.7" 5-shotters at 100 yards. Alas, that action and a scope atop it was almost unusable with my DePuytrens Contracture issues, so it was replaced in April with a CZ-527 Lux that is a lot easier to feed. Early days with the redcoats show promise, after rat season next Spring I will re-visit the castings question.

 

[KHornet]

My #3 has well in excess of 4000 rounds thru it now. Sports a 4x12 Bushnell,
has a split fore arm bubba'ed with gorilla glue, and a few well earned scratches.
Longest kill with it was a bit over 250, and a 2nd or maybe even a third shot
(cant remember). Think I will probably relegate it to strictly cast for the remainder
of its shooting life. It and my 77 Ruger in 7x57 are probably the last two rifles
I would ever consider selling if in dire straights.

Paul

 

[Pistolero]

Further info on 7x57. The now-retired head of Highveldt Taxidermy, one of the largest in South Aftrica,
spent some time showing me his photos and some of his trophies like a full body leopard laying on a
cradenza in his office, and an elephant head. He killed everything, including lion, with 160 Nosler partition
in his 7x57, a beautiful old Oberndorf commercial pre-War Mauser. I was amazed by the lion, but he had
killed several, and did allow that you "needed to be careful about bullet placement". He had taking rhino
with it, too, used a South African solid called "rhino" that I had not seen before or since.

Bill

 

[Edward R Southgate]

Not a cast load but every Hornet I ever owned likes the Hornady 35 gr V Max with either 12.5 gr of Win 680 or the same of Little Gun or AA 1680 and a small pistol primer . I got a raggedy old Savage with a slightly bad chamber ( 3 out of 5 necks crack ) that shoots 1/2" groups @100 yds with this load .

Eddie

 

[KHornet]

Agree that the little 35 gr VMax is a shooter in hornets, K's, and 222's.
On calm days will shoot to 200 adequately for PDogs.

 

[Pistolero]

I will get some of those 35 gr VMAX and give it a try.
Got the rifle in hand, looks nice, need to mount scope. Scope mount is there, with picatinny
rail on top of it.

Bill