22 Hornet advise

[Ledd Slinger]

Best advice is DO NOT push pressures trying to get extra speed from the Hornet case. The brass is paper thin and very weak. You will get split necks and blown primers. It is not a fast round so do not expect it to be one. Just load for accuracy safely below max pressures and have fun.

In my experience, PPU makes really good brass for the Hornet and comes with an excellent annealing. Winchester is barely decent and Remington sucks.

 

[Outrider27]

Good advice from Ledd Slinger. I got my Hornet re-chambered to K-hornet and I have never regretted that choice, but everything Ledd Slinger mentioned still applies. Don't push it and it works great.

 

[nakneker]

Best advice is DO NOT push pressures trying to get extra speed from the Hornet case. The brass is paper thin and very weak. You will get split necks and blown primers. It is not a fast round so do not expect it to be one. Just load for accuracy safely below max pressures and have fun.

In my experience, PPU makes really good brass for the Hornet and comes with an excellent annealing. Winchester is barely decent and Remington sucks.

I have other rifles I can push, I don’t typically run any of them too hot very often anyways. This would be a around the house Varmint rifle and just fun to plink with. Good info on the PPU brass, It’s about all I can find at a reasonable price. I ordered some.

I may leave this one as is and buy a second one to rechamber to a K hornet. Thanks for the input! Who knows, might recut this chamber after playing a bit.

Thanks Ledd.

 

[nakneker]

I have enough to get started when the rifle gets here. I don’t have any 6.5 remingtons but I have a few different kinds of small pistol primers and small rifle primers. Hopefully I can track down some the bullets mentioned here too. Thanks for the input guys!

 

[Ledd Slinger]

I have other rifles I can push, I don’t typically run any of them too hot very often anyways. This would be a around the house Varmint rifle and just fun to plink with. Good info on the PPU brass, It’s about all I can find at a reasonable price. I ordered some.

I may leave this one as is and buy a second one to rechamber to a K hornet. Thanks for the input! Who knows, might recut this chamber after playing a bit.

Thanks Ledd.

Yeah K-Hornet is nice because the sharp shoulder keeps brass from flowing and growing as much. Hornet brass is already too thin. When it grows and stretches thinner it just starts splitting. I had a 22 Hornet and a 20 K Hornet. Run normal loads to keep the brass healthy and they are fun little guns

 

[nakneker]

There is a little book out, actually a small series, concerning Hornet sized CZ 527s

Specifically, one aimed at magazine mods to handle longer Coals.

M.L. (Mic) McPherson

Modifying the CZ 527, .17 and .22 Hornet magazines, to handle longer rounds.

I got it on my Kindle, off Amazon

Dave

Ok, just looked it up. I’m not sure how many videos in the series pertain to the hornet but I’m gonna check it out. I fly a lot, it’ll be a good way to pass the time, thanks for the info!

 

[SmokinJoe]

When you are in an experimental mood, play with that TCM powder, it might have some good potential in the Hornet.

 

[brokeasajoke]

Lilgun never worked for me, at least the lot that I have. I got drug over the coals because I didn't do it like the book and use over 13gr of lilgun on another site. Well, stuffing that much powder in my case ended with a stuck bolt I'm my m77/22 even though pressure signs were there way before. Its possible I was blowing the bullet into the lands with the primer before the lilgun lit up. Haven't tried 2400 but 1680 seems to be the magic pixie dust for mine. Trail boss is great fun but only 3" or so at 100yds. Super quiet. Seems like 2400 used to be the go to powder years ago.

 

[tominboise]

This thread got me inspired to load up a few test loads for my 527 hornet. I used 34gr dogtown HP and 10.0gr 2400, along with Rem 6-1/2 primers. I neck sized using a Lee collet die and seated bullets using a Wilson hand die. Last time I loaded, I f/l sized and seated using a Lee seater. The result was over sizing of the neck and a bunch of seated bullets that bulged the case on one side or the other. This process was way better.

 

[AWS]

It's been a few years, I've had a couple and Savage 23 and a Savage 219, killed a lot of fox up in the Red River Valley with the 23. I never had the problems most speak of. I used a standard FL die but don't run the casing all the way in, usually about a nickels thickness between the shell holder and the die pretty much just sizing the neck. I did lube the inside of the neck with a Q-tip or nylon bore brush with Imperial on it.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

It's been a few years, I've had a couple and Savage 23 and a Savage 219, killed a lot of fox up in the Red River Valley with the 23. I never had the problems most speak of. I used a standard FL die but don't run the casing all the way in, usually about a nickels thickness between the shell holder and the die pretty much just sizing the neck. I did lube the inside of the neck with a Q-tip or nylon bore brush with Imperial on it.

Yeah neck sizing alone on the Hornet is where that method actually works better and will prolong brass life. The less you work that thin brass the better

 

[PigButtons]

When you are in an experimental mood, play with that TCM powder, it might have some good potential in the Hornet.

I totally agree @SmokinJoe. Good advice.

To the OP, you already have TCM and it is by far the best powder for the Hornet that I've found. Start at about 8gr and work up slowly. When you find the best charge weight, start looking at seating depth. All my Hornets like more than 0.010" jump. One likes 0.025”

 

[moorepower]

What you really need to realize, is a powder that works in Remington brass will be overpressure in PPU. I use 13.2 LG in Remington brass with a spp and they are still rounded on the edge, so low psi. I get 1/2" groups with a bedded Savage 40, and have never lost a piece of brass, and am up to 4 and 5 loads on the brass. 2900 fps

 

[snert]

Lil gun makes velocity. It also is all over the place on pressures. data points look like a shotgun pattern. No free lunch. HaroldM used to post here. Heck of a guy. His research on this topic was enlightening and moved me away from LG to 1680, from a scientist POV. (I am not, and he is...just saying).

I an wearing my flame resistant suit, so...

 

[moorepower]

Lil gun makes velocity. It also is all over the place on pressures. data points look like a shotgun pattern. No free lunch. HaroldM used to post here. Heck of a guy. His research on this topic was enlightening and moved me away from LG to 1680, from a scientist POV. (I am not, and he is...just saying).

I an wearing my flame resistant suit, so...

I don't disagree with you on that, but it's better suited to a straight Hornet than the K. The shoulder does something to really mess with the process. I won't use in in a .17H. I am in no way offended. I only use mine out to about 200yds, then switch to a different gun. I can't say that I have ever had a miss, related to the higher ES numbers. From the looks of my SPP, my pressure is low, and my velocities are as high as I desire, "2900". IF I was shooting BR with it, I would not use LilGun, That 40 fps extreme spread is roughly .1 moa at 200yds. A 2mph puff of wind will move that same 40Vmax .64 moa at 200yds, so I won't be loosing any sleep about my ES.

 

[snert]

I don't disagree with you on that, but it's better suited to a straight Hornet than the K. The shoulder does something to really mess with the process. I won't use in in a .17H. I am in no way offended. I only use mine out to about 200yds, then switch to a different gun. I can't say that I have ever had a miss, related to the higher ES numbers. From the looks of my SPP, my pressure is low, and my velocities are as high as I desire, "2900". IF I was shooting BR with it, I would not use LilGun, That 40 fps extreme spread is roughly .1 moa at 200yds. A 2mph puff of wind will move that same 40Vmax .64 moa at 200yds, so I won't be loosing any sleep about my ES.

No doubt! Agree completly. In fact, the most difficult conversation I ever had was with a genuinely concerned guy who was terribly worked up about the "runout" in his cartridges caused (of course) by dies made by my (then) employer. After patiently listening to him go on and on, (and really being concerned that our product was causing his problem) I learned he was shooting a Hornet from a lever action of some sort. It was impossible to get him to be concerned about his paper thin crap brass in a cartridge designed by the same guys that designed a camel, in a two piece gun. In his mind his bad groups were runout. (I wanted to kill the guy who designed the run out gauge)
What I am saying here is I am likely THAT guy in my concern about Lilgun. It likely doesn't matter that it pops pressure unexpectedly. No PD will care. 200 yard groups will not care. The only thing that I saw in limited testing was that my Winchester brass primer pockets lasted longer with 1680 than Lilgun, for similar velocities.
Just don't send me over the edge by giving me a concentricity gauge!

 

[dellet]

My other concern about Lil’gun besides the pressure spikes and ES numbers is barrel temps. Always seems to heat things up faster and hotter.

1680 or Shooters World Blackout have become my choice for a K Hornet.

 

[nakneker]

I appreciate all the info. Rifle should be here in a week and half, I rounded up a variety of bullets thanks to a few members here, brass and some loaded ammo inbound, got a few powders to play with, should be fun. I’ll snag some of that TCM next opportunity. Thanks again for all the tips, it’s much appreciated!

 

[nakneker]

Found some TCM at powder valley, have three pounds coming.

 

[cinch29433]

Trailboss is your friend when fire forming hornets. Works great with 50gr cast bullets too. My 10 year old can shoot his baby roller for hours with that ammo.