22 Hornet

[mleonard]

I just bought a Thompson Encore in 22 Hornet. Does anyone have any favorite loads for this caliber? I'm hoping to load a reasonably accurate round for shooting at 200 yards. My guess is that this would be about the maximum range for this caliber. Any suggestions?

mleonard

[Blackwater]

ML, I've loaded for several Hornets through the years. My current one is an 1885 Browning Low Wall, but it's at the shop getting some TLC, and I haven't had a chance to load for it yet. All I can tell you is that Hornets can be notoriously individualistic. WW cases ususally are thinner and have more powder capacity than RP's. Some guns show a preference for one or the other brands of brass, and with its small powder capacity, even small changes in internal case capacity can make for surprisingly large PERCENTAGES of variations, and thus, can affect what is a max. load in any given rifle. I've always tended to get best performance (read that accuracy) with IMR-4227, but I'll be trying that, plus H-4227 (won't be same as the IMR variety), AA-1680, and Hodgdon's Lil' Gun. I've been hearing that Lil' Gun often gives others velocities not obtainable with any other powder, and it does this at LOWER pressures, too! Also, many have touted its accuracy, and seem to indicate that whatever turns out to be the top load in your gun will likely also be the most accurate. Pretty fortunate combinations of characteristics, eh? I haven't tried it myself yet, but hopefully, it won't be too long before I do. I already have 2 cans of it, and that's a LOT of powder for a Hornet!

You'll find manuals can be all over the place with what they list as max. loads, so you and I and all other Hornet fans are kinda' gonna' have to just experiment to find what combo of primer/powder/brass and bullet winds up being the "magic" load for our rifles. One of the reasons for this variation is that the SAAMI specs for reamers have varied through the years, and many chambers can vary quite a bit. Despite all that variation, however, most Hornets can be coaxed, with a bit of effort, into shooting VERY well. With the very pleasant little shooter-friendly Hornet, having an excuse to shoot more is REALLY an asset, I think.

BTW, one lil' trick that many have used to get sometimes near one-hole groups is to use small PISTOL primers in the Hornet. Seems the small powder space and powder charges only require minimal spark to get them going properly, and some believe the hotter primers (small rifle and small rifle mag.) are just TOO forceful, and lead to excessive variations that wind up showing on target as larger groups.

Have you tried any of the 30 something grain bullets in yours? I've never shot them, and think the 40-45 gr. bullets are about optimum, expecially if you're out on a shoot whatever shows up mode, that might make a target of anything from a field rat to a large coyote. That lil' 40 gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip surely is mighty streamlined, and word is we may get as high as 2900-3000 fps., and an outside chance for slightly over 3000 fps with that little bullet.

I've also got some 45 gr. Speer flat points and some 46 gr. Hornady "Bee" HP's with crosshatched jacket, that look like they'd be great gray squirrel fodder at much reduced velocity - maybe along the lines of the .22 WRF. The .22 mag. has always been a bit much for tree squirrels, if you plan to eat them, but WRF just might do O.K. on them. I've got a couple of cast bullet moulds for it, too.

The little Hornet is an experimenter's dream. I doubt you could ever do ALL the experimenting with it that's practical and productive. If you want a good load quick, try IMR-4227 in both Rem and WW cases, to see which works the best, and then try different primers - INCLUDING the small pistols. Those small powder charges can make a primer change a significant component of your load.

None of this is very specific, I realize, but that's because they vary so much from gun to gun. Still, though, a "good" load ought to be easy to find, and those "magic one holer" loads should come with a little tinkering and some time. Pretty nice proposition, eh?

[Porkypine]

I've got a mannlicher stocked CZ527 in 22 Hornet that I truly love......If the wind isn't blowing it shoots sub 1/2" groups and is a bane to pasture poodles out to about 250 yards......

It likes Lil Gun and 35 gr Hornady VMax....Try about 13 grains with Federal small rifle match primers.......Work up to that, it's a compressed load.....

With that small of a bullet, it's VERY wind sensitive, but I like it, LOTS....Like ol BW says it's an experimenters dream.....I havent tried pistol primers in mine, but as hard as the firing pin indents the rifle primers I might think about it for a while....

John

[bulletnose]

I shoot two .22hornets, a 10" t/c bull, and a super 16 t/c. Both are very accurate.
My favorite load is a nosler 40gr. B.T. win. sm. rifle primer R-P brass, and LiL'Gun
powder. Load specs say 12.5gr powder, but I could only get 11.5grs. in that small
case without compressing the load. A quick call to Hogedon and they told me it
was OK to go with whatever I could stuff in there as long as I did not exceed 12.5gr

11.5grs. works good for me and is as I said, very accurate.

[bulletnose]

I apologize for my lapse in memory. I re-checked my load notes, and that
11.5 grs. of lil'gun should read 12.0 grs. of lil'gun. Thats why I keep notes,
so many numbers-so little brain space. Oh well, we're all getting older.
I just wanted to make that little correction. Enjoy your Hornet, it's a great
little shooter!

:usa:

[redhawk44]

I have loaded and shot the Hornet for 50 years and I have never found a better powder for it that WW 680. However, it is no longer made.

Finally, I tried AA 1680 thinking that perhaps it was their attempt at copying the WW 680--it ain't.

It is, however a good powder in the Hornet. 14 grs. (yes, you can get 14 grs into a Hornet case) behind the 45 gr. Si. Honet bullet is good for 2750 FPS in the Ruger 77/22Hornet and groups as well or better than any other thing I have tried over the years.

Hornet brass is thin and weak, and since it headspaces on the rim, there is usually some extra headspace present, so back your dies up about one turn from the shell holder so that what little shoulder the Hornet has, will be in contact with the shoulder area in the chamber and your brass will last a little longer.

Another thing, pistol primers are plenty primer enough for the little Hornet case. I use Federal #100 small pistol primers with very good results.

[twodum]

I've had good luck with IMR-4227, AA 1680, H-110, and best of all, Lil' Gun. However, with my brass, the Remington is quite a bit lighter than the Winchester. Also, in my Ruger 77/22 Hornet, in order to get rounds to feed through the magazine, the Hornady 40 gr. V-Max must be seated so deep that the ogive is inside the neck of the case.