22 Hornet

[Frankr]

I kind of been thinking about a 22 Hornet..Hand loader...to play with and shoot small critters..and tree squirrels. Maybe a 77/22
I think it can be down loaded and be accurate for tree squirrels . right?
Some one said get a 22 Squirrel barrel for the 77/22 I don't know . Big expense in dies I say why not just use the hornet...I wonder how it shoots with Blue Dot. I have used blue dot for reduced rifle loads and found it to be extremely accurate.
anyone with experience with the 22 Hornet.

 

[stacy]

I SHOOT A 22 HORNET BUT I NEVER DOWNLOAD IT IT DOES WELL WITH LIL-GUN SHOTGUN POWDER AND 30GR BERGERS HP SHOOT ABOUT 3100 FPS!!!! SAVAGE MODEL 40 24'' MED HEAVY BBL

 

[TheOtherZilla]

Word. The 77/22 in a Hornet is hit n miss.. Some shoot well, most don't. Yes I have one. Shot all over the paper.. Sent it to Randy in Connecticut and $200 later it shoots rather well. There are many powders that do well in the Hornet but most people I know are using Lil Gun. Close to max. I load 40 grain Vmax. It's a fun round and cheap to shoot.

 

[swd]

My Hornet is my go to gun for calling coyotes in heavy cover. It's killed a bunch. I tried some reduced cast bullet loads for fun shooting but never did get them to shoot all that well.
Like Zilla said the Rugers aren't know for being great shooters. CZ makes a good one and the old Kimbers are great shooters. Pricey, but not too hard to come across.

 

[Yote Hunter]

My Ruger 77/22 Hornet was finicky as well. Shot pretty good with 13.0 gr Lil Gun 40 gr vmax and win s/r primer. Made unbelievable one shot kills out to 327 yards. Seemed to find fur pretty good but made shots from 50-300 plus yards a lot of fun.

 

[danny]

Try a CZ 527 or Browning Micro Hunter. The Ruger is too big of a risk, as others say, which you can back up with a simple Google search. I had both the CZ and Browning. Both were good rifles. I sold both. The Browning was a bit light for my likes and Japanese quirky for my taste, and the CZ was right hand, and the Lux version, as well as light. I shoot left hand. I got a LH Cooper Montana Varminter.

Danny

 

[Outrider27]

I took a chance on a 77/22 Hornet and it worked out well, but it was never shot as a Hornet - I took it out of the box and delivered it to my gunsmith to rechamber to K Hornet, a move I have not regretted.

 

[Hunter2678]

I had a CZ American 527 hornet that I devcon bedded and it shot great with my hand loads..I could regularly center hit golf balls at 150 yds in light conditions. My pet load was 11.6 A1680 with a nosler 40 gn ballistic tip @2650 fps. Sub MOA load all day long at 100 yds. The only downside is the that the hand loads were too long to work out of the factory mag so I had to single load them.

 

[snert]

I would skip the hornet altogether. Get a 221 FB and load it down with bluedot. I have used a 222 with Unique (I have had a pound for 35 years) 4-5 grains and a 40 grain hornet style bullet, great on tree squirrels. Easier to get and work brass and no issues with having to guess and hope that it will shoot cause it ISNT a Ruger 77

 

[219DW]

FJIM,
I've been shooting reduced power loads out of my 10" TC .22 Hornet in handgun silhouette competition for several years. I don't need full power loads to knock over the chickens, pigs and turkeys so I found a load that's mild and accurate. I've found that 5.0gr of Hodgdon Universal Clays, 53gr Sierra Matchking, Rem.6 1/2 primers, necksized WW brass gives me about 1750 fps and 1/2" groups at 50 yds out of the 10" TC barrel. CCI 500 pistol primers shot about the same when I couldn't find the Rem 6 1/2's. At times I've substituted 50gr bullets, mainly Sierras and even 40's and 45's, but the 53gr has always been the most accurate. I've not tried Blue Dot but don't know why it wouldn't work.

Dave

 

[Bangs OH]

I would skip the hornet altogether. Get a 221 FB and load it down with bluedot. I have used a 222 with Unique (I have had a pound for 35 years) 4-5 grains and a 40 grain hornet style bullet, great on tree squirrels. Easier to get and work brass and no issues with having to guess and hope that it will shoot cause it ISNT a Ruger 77

What he said.^^^^^^
Whenever I get the urge now to buy a Hornet, I get another Fireball, instead. Fwiw: last Hornets I owned - Savage 25s in both .17 and .22 - were not worth the box they came packed in; about as big a risk as the (older) Rugers w/2-pc. bolt. If I win the lottery, however, a .19 Calhoon Hornet (now around $1500), would be near the top of my "must buy" list.

 

[Stormbringer]

I have owned a few hornets. I still have a Ruger VHZ 77/22 Hornet. Mine shoots sub .50 all the time with factory Hornady 35 grain vmax ammo and LilGun and 40 grain Ballistic Tips and 35 Grain NTX bullets (only loads I have ever tried in it). This thing outshoots an Anschutz 1730 I had and a buddies 527 CZ.

The ergonoics on the Ruger are superior IHMO to anything made by CZ. I hate the trigger, magazine, stock, saftey, high rings and bolt of the CZ's (I have owned several of them). CZ's do all shoot great though if you can get past the ergonomics.

Never down loaded a 22 hornet of anything else for that matter. I have several calibers and would just shoot a 22 Mag or 22LR if tree squirrel's were my main target.

Mike.

 

[rmist]

As others have stated...I've never downloaded the Hornet either. Go to bullet is the 40 gr Vmax with Lil-gun 13.1 gr for me. My 77/22 is fine the way it came out of the box. Although I've contemplated sending to Randy at CCP. It doesn't really need. Honed the trigger parts and all is well. I made my own single shot follower and loaded longer makes a world of difference !! I also have a CZ 527 and it shoots great. This also has a single shot follower from Calhoon. Seems to me every one I own likes bullets seated long !! The Browning micro medallion shoots good too but I don't shoot it much. Try finding one of those hens teeth !! It's a great little round and powder goes a long long way !! Noise isn't much of an issue. Recoil...none. It's a great old round. If I was to do it again...a K Hornet might be a good way to go. Brass isn't that easy to find. I've tried the Privi partisan brass and is a little thicker than the Win I use . It's also a lot cheaper and available. I'd say go for it and enjoy it !! Have fun !!!

 

[Frankr]

Ok thanks guys.
Ah you know that hankering to play with something and to down load it to 22LR + speeds 1,500 to 1,800 and tune it to shoot well for the close work then pop out and stick in a 30 V-max at 3,100 for yote or G hog. kind of fun maybe.
A loadable center fire 22LR is fun....I know a fellow who has several 22 CCM's center fire loadable 22 mag.. and he has like a few thousand piece's of brass for them..puls he has all kind of cool little cartridges like that..I think he told me he has 22 different rifles..I wish cooper still made the CCM..
Some guys talk about the 22 squirrel cartridge and say it cool..but I looked into I and the dies ect are all real expensive...they push the hornet shoulder back to 30 deg then cut it off..

 

[chuckshooter]

I have 22k hornet that shoots great and when the barrel is shot out I'm going to turn it into a 20 hornet..... I think that is the right bullet to case configuration.. some people like the 17 hornet but my bore scope doesn't go into a 17 so no go for me

 

[swd]

I have 22k hornet that shoots great and when the barrel is shot out I'm going to turn it into a 20 hornet..... I think that is the right bullet to case configuration.. some people like the 17 hornet but my bore scope doesn't go into a 17 so no go for me

I don't think it's possible to shoot out a K Hornet, but it'd sure be fun trying!

 

[chuckshooter]

I don't think it's possible to shoot out a K Hornet, but it'd sure be fun trying!

This barrel started out as a rem 40x 220 swift...cut off 6in and threatened onto a martini and we have a fine shooting 22k. .I am worried about the litl gun powder that it shoots. I have heard bad things. But it's just a barrel

 

[Shaggy357]

I have a TC in 22 hornet and a BF in 22 hornet. Easy to make up loads at 22LR or 22Mag velocities. Tho the VV 3N37 and AA#5 loads shoot much flatter and drop the squirrels just as dead.

 

[hallobay]

I kind of been thinking about a 22 Hornet..Hand loader...to play with and shoot small critters..and tree squirrels. Maybe a 77/22
I think it can be down loaded and be accurate for tree squirrels . right?
Some one said get a 22 Squirrel barrel for the 77/22 I don't know . Big expense in dies I say why not just use the hornet...I wonder how it shoots with Blue Dot. I have used blue dot for reduced rifle loads and found it to be extremely accurate.
anyone with experience with the 22 Hornet.

 

[hallobay]

Pick up one of those little Handi Rifles in 22 Hornet, a tin of 22 pellets and some small rifle primers. Crimp ever so lightly and you are good to go without waking the neighbors