22 Hornet

[wch]

I'm now the owner of my first 22 Hornet; I understand that the round can be problematic when reloading.
So-will any of you share your accurate load(s) for this caliber?
I need a starting point.

 

[watercam]

I like H110 w/ Barnes 35 gr. Varmint Grenade bullets. 12 gr. is below max. and works well to 400 yds. in an 1893 Low Wall that was rebarreled. Would not hunt past 200 yds. However...

 

[B Mize]

Don't believe all the internet rumors about reloading the Hornet being a problem.
I load around 6-700 a year to shoot in Hunter Pistol matches and have never crushed a case.
I load lite loads so I will be no help with data. There is plenty of data out there though.

 

[284driver]

Aa1680 and 40 g nosler bt works well in mine

 

[coonhunter70]

Try some Lil'gun powder.

 

[LHSmith]

Don't have this chambering anymore, but I remember reading on this site (and Precision Shooting magazine) about newly released Alliant Power Pro 300MP powder, and how it takes the Hornet to a new level.

 

[nosualc]

Lil' Gun powder, small pistol primers, 35gr hornady VMAX worked best in my rifle.

YMMV.

-nosualc

 

[SmokinJoe]

WCH, you'll find a lot more discussion about Hornets on saubier.com . It is a fun round to play with. What rifle do you have?

 

[wch]

Smokin Joe:
I actually have two; one is an older Sako model 78 that I have shot with factory loads and the other is a CPA rifle, a modern copy of the Stevens 441/2 single shot rifle. I have yet to develop loads for either.
The CPA rifle is the one I'm most interested in as far as load development, my ultimate aim is to find an accurate load for both rifles.
I love to shoot these rifles-low noise, no recoil, sorta' like a grownup's 22 LR!

 

[MGYSGT]

I like the 40 gr. Blitz or the V-Max powered by H110

 

[swampshooter]

Lil' Gun powder, small pistol primers, 35gr hornady VMAX worked best in my rifle.

YMMV.

-nosualc

+1- Works great in my rifle, over 3,000 fps, sub moa groups and devastates PD's out to 200 which is as far as I've tried to shoot with it.

 

[moorepower]

100% pure fun. I use 40 grain V-max, but I am going to try the 35 grain V-max, as I bought 500. I got off 16 shots at a dog patch that normally you get 2-3 shots. The dogs just kept poking their heads up wondering why my gun was so quiet. No recoil, 500+ rounds per pound of powder. I have never lost a case, yet, and am getting really good case life. I use the Lee collet die, and while I am not a rabid fanatic of them like some folks, they do work well on the Hornet. I use Lil Gun and sp primers. I know some don't like Lil Gun, and A1680 works real well. I want to try the 300MP. I just got my 22K reamer, and will soon be improving my Savage 40. Before I bought 1 I had no idea why anyone would want to step back from a .223, but now that I have 3 of them, I shoot them more than anything else.

 

[Outrider27]

We have 2, an 1885 Winchester Low Wall reproduction by Browning and a Ruger 77/22 Hornet rechambered to K Hornet. While the K Hornet has proven less finicky, neither of them could be considered problematic and both are a ball to shoot and easy to load for. Since I have only used what I have around, all reloading has been done with 4227, H110 and WW296, using small pistol primers. We've had too much fun plinking to seriously look for the most accurate powder/bullet combination.

 

[Scot]

My Hornet is a Ruger # 1. I can seat the bullets out for great accuracy. I, too, use small pistol primers with Lil Gun and 35 gr Bergers and 35 gr v-max's. Love the Hornet...its a fun rifle.

 

[Powder monkey]

x2 on the ruger #1

40gr zmax
11.7gr imr 4227
cci br-4r
r&p case
1.880 coal

 

[treeman]

don't try to make a 223 out of it and you will be happy with accuracy and case life

 

[moorepower]

A 40 grain bullet will run 3000 fps. and the cases will last a long time with Lil Gun or 300MP. Any one that says other has no used the newer powder. No need to castrate it into a 22 WMR to make it live.

 

[stacy]

Lit-gun 35gr berger win brass cci450s getting 3150fps in a savage mod 40

 

[BigDMT]

I'm now the owner of my first 22 Hornet; I understand that the round can be problematic when reloading.

Who told you that??? That's bull. The 22 hornet I used to have shot just about everything I tried in it.

Reliant 2400 worked good in mine, so did AA1680 and Hodgdon Lil' Gun because they give really good speeds with bullets up to 40gr.
Which charge and bullet will "your" rifle like best? Well who knows, that's something you'll have to figure out with testing. I always tell people that guns are just like humans, every one is different and has slightly different tastes.

 

[mike4aera]

I use 40 grain Nosler ballistic tips and 40 grain Vmax bullets, 12.0 grains of Lil Gun, CCI small rifle primer. Trim your cases to 1.395 and go have a blast shooting this caliber. COL is 1.810 for my rifle. This recipe is very accurate out to 230 yards. I am going to try the 35 grain lead free bullets since I live in Calif.