Sizing about .200 inch of the case neck is usually plenty. First, as almost expected, the Ruger shot groups with well-fitted reloads that were almost identical to the factory shells. There is also a very interesting Hornet powder on the market. 6775 Views 17 Replies 11 Participants Last post by AZ_Abert, Mar 31 . Winchester, the company that started it all back in the 1930s, now offers the most options: a 34-grain hollowpoint at 3050 fps and a 45-grain softnose and a 46-grain hollowpoint, both at 2690 fps. Read Our Story. and .220 Swift get most of the attention and ink. While 2400 can still be used, and works well in some guns, we have a more varied and capable selection of propellants today. Using a slightly lighter load with slightly heavier PPU cases, it consistently shoots .5-inch five-shot groups at 50 yards using Nosler Ballistic Tips and H-110. But no combination I have found is better suited for easing along eastern hedgerows and picking off varmints without greatly disturbing my neighbors. I fell for the siren song of the K-Hornet some 44 years ago when I had my Ruger No. Before the tool: .006 to .008 runout at the tip. It was quite popular in Europe, where the Germans call it the 5.6x35 mm R. CZ-USA still chambers its premium 527 Lux in styles targeting American and European markets. Another tool on my bench is the RCBS 2000 Progressive machine. What started as a small dream has become a multi-million dollar international business selling ammunition, reloading supplies and accessories. 5 Best Long-Range Hunting Bullets Available Right Now, Casting Your Own Bullets for Lever-Action Rifles, Savage Impulse Straight-Pull Rifle: Full Review, Top 5 Most Accurate Factory-Loaded Rifle Cartridges. Originally it was throwing its shots all over the place. This is one more step toward enforced alignment of cartridge, bullet and bore. The center pair show the Encores clear preference for full-length sizing, an opposite result to most rifles. I recently purchased a ruger #3 in this caliber and would like to load for it. To comply with the new e-Privacy directive, we need to ask for your consent to set the cookies. A bushing-style die is nice to have when searching for the most accurate load by varying case neck tension on a bullet. Neck-sizing cases rather than full-length resizing often improves accuracy and most definitely increases case life. .22 Hornet (Hodgdon Rifle Data) reloading data with 64 loads. Then, we will neck size only. We have K-Hornet dies for sale, from great brands like Forster, Hornady, Lee, Lyman, RCBS, and Redding Reloading Products. I measured the overall cartridge lengths for the other bullets I included in this report, and they are: Speer 33-grain TNT, 1.690 inches; Hornady 35-grain VX, 1.750 inches; Sierra 40-grain Hornet, 1.735 inches; Speer 40-grain SP, 1.740 inches; Sierra 45-grain Hornet, 1.740 inches; and Nosler 45-grain Ballistic Tip, 1.750 inches. Not only does the improved version give us more velocity, at times 200 fps more, it usually just begs to shoot. It started when Winchester spawned a small-game, black-powder cartridge in 1885 called the .22 Winchester Center Fire. The most unusual .22 Hornet rifle I have is an M4 Survival Rifle built in the 1950s for the United States Air Force. Handloading the .22 Hornet is a snap, but the thin wall of its case is easily collapsed during bulletseating unless the inside edge of its mouth is lightly beveled with a chamfering tool prior to the first loading. Some go to the trouble of weight sorting casesI do not. This powder is still available as Alliant 2400 and derived its name from the ability to drive a .22 Hornet bullet of the day at 2400 fps. The Shell holders are cut to .125" depth for proper headspacing. 6.8 Western Ammo Options: The Load of Long Yardage, Springfield Armory SA-35 Pistol: Rebirth of the Browning P-35 Hi-Power, A World Record Attempt: Practice Round and Media Day, Interview with Israeli Defense Forces, Part 1. No crimped mouths from shipping/handling. You can also buy the Winchester bullet as a component. 6.5 Creedmoor vs. 6.5 PRC: Which is Better? We use cookies to make your experience better. 3 reamed out to .22 K-Hornet. This is a key safety and accuracy detail that is important to not overlook. Going lighter does not always mean getting shorter. Below, the out-of-the-box Ruger can be accurate, but bedding causes the horizontal strings. 2017 MidSouth Shooters. Realizing a lead bullet would not handle the velocities they sought, some made 45-grain lead-core bullets with jackets formed from fired .22 Short cases. 22 Caliber Short Neck Sizer Die With Zip Spindle, 22 Hornet Full Length Series I 2 Die Set With Zip Spindle, 22 K Hornet Full Length Series 2 Die Set With Zip Spindle, 22 Hornet Full Length Pacesetter 3 Die Set With Shellholder, 22 Hornet Collet 2 Die Set With Shellholder, 22 Hornet Full Length Sizing Die & Bench Rest Seater Set, 22 Hornet Bench Rest Ultra Micrometer Seater Die, 22 Hornet/218 Bee Decapping Rod Assembly For Bottleneck Case, 22 Hornet Type S Match Bushing Neck Die Set, 22 Hornet Neck Sizing Die For Bottleneck Case, 22 Hornet Neck Sizer Die Set For Bottleneck Case, 22 Hornet Deluxe Die Set For Bottleneck Cases, 22 Hornet Full Length Sizing Die For Bottleneck Cases. It can be very irritating to some folks. Mikey Hartman, Lt. Col. We have Hornet dies for sale, from great brands like Forster, Hornady, Lee, Lyman, RCBS, and Redding Reloading Products. Many folks , especially military trained folks, have it drilled into them through training, to use the proper nomenclature. Chances are very good that your rifle or handgun will show a marked preference, as all my guns have. For Email Specials, Giveaways, Newsletters, and More, Enter your email address here! The .22 Hornet case has a much longer neck than it needs and trimming it shorter is another option, but it is a pain when a large quantity of cases is needed for high-volume varmint shooting. Even though this was darned good accuracy in those days, he was not totally satisfied with the DuPont 1204 powder he was loading in the cartridge. Restricting speeds in the neighborhood of 2900 fps for 33- and 35-grain bullets, 2800 fps for 40-grain bullets, and 2700 fps for 45-grain bullets will usually result in acceptable case life. This video lists tips, data, dies. The .22 WCF stayed in production until 1935, but when Winchester decided to introduce a "new" varmint cartridge in 1930, the headstamp on .22 WCF cases was changed to read ".22 Hornet," and it was loaded with .223-inch jacketed bullets. Many rifles have a detatchable magazine to aid in the quick reloading of a rifle, such as an M16. Known for small game hunting the .22 hornet came to market in 1930. The barrels of rifles in .22 Hornet now being built by Ruger, Anschutz, and Savage have 1:14 twists. 6.5 Creedmoor vs. 6.5 PRC: Which is Better? The period from 1873 through about 1960 is, for me, the most fascinating period of cartridge and firearm development. Opt gr: Opt FPS: Max gr 11.0: Max FPS 2700: Disclaimer: Reloading can be dangerous as equipment differs and our published data can not take into consideration all the possible variants. Best choices in bullets for the .22 Hornet are the Speer 33-grain TNT and 40-grain Spirepoint, Sierra 40- and 45-grain softnose, Nosler 40-grain Ballistic Tip and 45-grain softnose, and Hornady 35- and 40-grain V-MAX and 45-grain Spirepoint. Taurus has redesigned this sporting pistol for performance. The top targets show what can happen when you change from Small Rifle Magnum primers to Small Pistol. Grosvenor Wotkyns, and later Col. Townsend Whelen, tweaked the cartridge for a while, and by 1930, the .22 Hornet debuted. For that kind of shootingand hittingthe nearly century-old Hornet remains a fine choice. The magazine is a device in which the cartridges of a rifle are held while awaiting feeding into the rifle's chamber. This length varies surprisingly, even with bullets of the same weight. Of the tipped bullets I rounded up for this project, the Nosler 35-grain Flatbase Tipped is the all-around best choice for the .22 Hornet. In front of 4.0 grains of then-Hercules Unique, it was deadly on red fox at 50 to 75 yards. The Hornady 35-grain V-MAX is absolutely spectacular, offering almost big-gun ker-splat out of the little case. While most loading manuals will give you data for 50- and 55-grain bullets in the Hornet, I rarely find these long bullets offer anything especially desirable. Sign In; Create an Account; My Cart 0. An issue with 40-grain tipped bullets is cartridge length restrictions of various magazines. Pistol, with a 14 barrel. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. The Hornady load sends a 20-grain V-Max bullet out of a 24" barrel at 3,650 fps with a trajectory of just over plus-or-minus 3" over 300 yards. The .22 Hornet case was eventually beefed-up a bit to strengthen it, and due to the reduction in capacity, some of the early load data is excessive for todays cases. If the ghosts of prairie dogs taken by the little rifle through the years could somehow rise up from their graves and bark in concert, the earth would surely tremble. The old Model 70 likes the 40-grain Sierra bullet, but this one wants a big dose of W-680 powder instead of the faster W-296. Before there were scopes or red dots there were iron sights. This neck sizing does two things. RCBS shell holders are manufactured to exacting tolerances. Joseph Von Benedikt visits with Aaron Oelger from Hodgdon about the unprecedented demand on the shooting supply industry. The stock has quick-detach sling-swivel posts and a thin rubber buttpad. Turning the die out to resize only about 0.230 inch of the neck retains a close neck-to-chamber fit for positioning a bullet in better alignment with the bore. These 4,000-fps bullets have pretty tough jackets and may actually act in a controlled-expansion manner, at the relatively slow Hornet speeds. This is my recipe for loading the hornet, PLEASE CONSULT A RELOADING. The RCBS X die eliminates case growth and also rules out the often necessary neck sizing. On the other hand, my Winchester Model 54 also has a 1:16 twist, yet it shoots the Hornady bullet like a house afire. We show you how. Outrider27. Mine are from Forster/Bonanza. My favorite all-around Hornet bullet is the last surviving, old-fashioned Nosler Solid Base. Everything that is wrong with the regular round is instantly erased. If you use cases that have been prepped by the factory, as some are, its unnecessary. To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine. We have 2, an 1885 Winchester Low Wall reproduction by Browning and a Ruger 77/22 Hornet rechambered to K Hornet. It was a .22 Hornet, that I bought and ultimately sent down the road, but the rifle came with about 400 rounds of the original owner's handloads. Though I have only owned three Hornets, they have each had clear preferences when it came to primers. When LilGun powder is used, I have found that at least a standard rifle primer and often a Magnum Small Rifle primer give best accuracy. If you have a bad barrel, crooked chamber, bad crown or bedding problems, there is little or nothing you can do with ammunition to make accuracy better. Find 22 Hornet Reloading Dies, and 22 Hornet Die Sets for sale here: Get the right 22 Hornet Die or 22 Hornet Die Set for your press here at Midsouth. Learn the difference between revolvers and semi-auto pistols and what makes them different. And like many cartridges of this era, it lives on today with a devotedif not overly largegroup of fans. When we think about it, this makes perfect sense. The custom M-84 K Hornet with spectacular wood from Calico Hardwoods and stock by Don Allen is a 12-minute rifle with a Leupold 2-7x. A forum community dedicated to Sharpshooters and Sniper enthusiasts. Give a Gift At the time, I had access to a 100-yard indoor shooting tunnel and was astonished at what I was seeing on paper and over the Oehler chronograph system. Some rifles of foreign make still have the older twist rate, and those built by Anschutz are good examples. Search. All shots groups are 5 shots at 100 yards. They might be yours too.. Who knew wild turkey's were so stupid!? It didnt take long to realize that this was a completely different animal, and the last 15 years in the field have proved it tom me over and over again. Who knew wild turkey's were so stupid!? Hornets are by far my favorite little rifles. The standard .22 Hornet on the left compared with the .22 K-Hornet on the right. The .22 Hornet is a small cartridge where charge variations, neck tension, seating depth, and many other factors are more important because of the very small volume of powder consumed and the need for shot-to-shot consistency. PPU and Nosler cases are both significantly more robust and therefore heavier. Plastering the crosshairs on the shiny nose of a standing groundhog will place the bullet somewhere in its vital area out to about 225 yards. Learn the difference between revolvers and semi-auto pistols and what makes them different. A nightmare or a handloaders dream? Custom Mossberg 500 at the Range and Live Turkey!. Search. Sign In / Register. Just the reverse is true; a small gentle primer seems to make most Hornets happy. They made their own .223-inch bullets by using jackets formed from .22 Rimfire cases. Here is where we begin to see the extremely fastidious nature of the little shell. Its relatively low bulk density makes it less than ideal for 33- and 35-grain bullets, but it does a great job when teamed up with bullets weighing 40 and 45 grains. of Israeli Defense Forces, joins David Fortier for an exclusive interview for Shotgun News. That said, does it make a tenth of an inch of difference at 100 yards? of muzzle velocity. Case preparation is essential. Some 19 years later,Remington would chamber the No. Powders include IMR, Winchester, Hodgdon Make sure to watch till the end. Improved Military Rifle IMR 4198. It is usually very accurate, quite violent on impact but with enough integrity to plow through plenty of coyote or even the skulls of larger beasts. The .38 Smith & Wesson Special, designed in 1898, rocked the handgun realm with its ballistic performance making it a cartridge for the history books. As it turns out, it may also be the best magnum pistol powder. No single component is more important or more variable in the .22 Hornet than the cartridge case. Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives. When Nosler introduced the streamlined plastic tip to varmint bullets nearly 35 years ago, the Hornet was one of the cartridges that benefitted immediately. Often, the mild small pistol primers are much more accurate than rifle primers. Velocities with published data and 40-grain plastic tipped bullets exceeded 2900 fps and accuracy for five shot groups was consistently in the .5- to .6-inch range at 100 yards. More .22 Hornet factory loads are now available than at any other time in the history of the cartridge. And there is the 35-grain V-Max from Hornady and now the 35-grain Varmageddon from Nosler. The Fora platform includes forum software by XenForo. 2023 Outdoor Sportsman Group. The author's Browning A-Bolt in .22 Hornet has sent many a ground squirrel to the great beyond. Taurus has redesigned this sporting pistol for performance. was no longer loaded, despite the fact that until 1932 no factory rifle had been chambered for the .22 Hornet. Notably, in my A-bolt, the Federal small pistol match primer works very well, too. It had a 23-inch barrel. gas checks became too much of a hassle. The .22 Hornet is extremely versatile and is favored among many. This is because of some problems with the factory bedding, especially in the forend area. On the other hand, if you like to put some effort into fine-tuned handloads and see real results, the Hornet is for you. Case Sorting Sierra Load Data With The 22 Hornet. Second Media Corp., 111 Peter Street, Suite 600, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2H1, Canada. It is especially happy with 45-grain bullets, at times beating H-110 in the speed department, while reducing pressure. Ive had very good luck with 40-grain bullets and IMR-4227 paired with the Federal Gold Medal Match Small pistol primer, for example. As Storm said, COL isn't a big priority in a single shot rifle.It looks as though you aren't getting a decent crimp on the bullet.There isn't much of a shoulder to gauge with on a .22 Hornet.I suggest you try to run the round through your loading die a might tighter.Try turning the die a quarter turn tighter and see if you get a better crimp. The cartridge had widespread popularity as a small-game, target and varmint round. Upon examination, I found that, as with most factory rifles, the bedding of the action was not done very well at all. The case is virtually identical to its parent .22 W.C.F. The Mossberg 500 Pump Action Shotgun is one of the most popular home defense shotguns on the market. Probably due to the small charge of powder burned, rifles in .22 Hornet sometimes indicate a preference in primers. The barrels used were originally in .22 Long Rifle with a 1:16 twist and groove diameter of 0.223 inch, so bullets were sized accordingly. All are spherical and flow easily through the powder measurean advantage both for speed of loading large volumes of ammunition and consistency of charge from shot to shot. I traced this to a bit of a bedding problem in the forearm. This is Hodgdon LilGun. Mag is acceptable, magazine is prefered.A clip is a whole different device. I installed a Rifle Basix RU-R trigger kit, and it has a claimed pull weight adjustment range of from 14 ounces to 2.5 pounds. Woodworth was first to bag a woodchuck with the new cartridge at 150 yards. There are a number of dedicated Hornet bullets from Nosler, Hornady and Sierra. LEE 22 Hornet RELOADING DIES - 2 DIE SET FREE SHIPPING. It also had a magazine that allowed a seating depth of around 1.9 inches. $41.00. of Israeli Defense Forces, joins David Fortier for an exclusive interview for Shotgun News. 22 Hornet - What Powder do you use. I was so enamored with the performance of the A-Bolt that I ventured into my first centerfire single shot handgun not long afterwards, with the purchase of a T/C Contender. Speer has 40 and 45 grainers, as well as a flatpoint for the .218 Bee; Nosler offers 40-grain Ballistic Tips, and Hornady has the 40-grain V-MAX as well as the delightful little 35-grain V-MAX that is in its factory ammunition. A little case with a small bore in front of it, burning relatively fast powder, really does not need a huge violent flame to get it going. The best bullets for the .22 Hornet have come a long waytake advantage of the benefits they offer. Reloading Glossary; Dealer Locator. Handloaders have gotten more performance than factory ammo makers have been able to until recently. The end result was an all-day, everyday, .5-inch rifle that is just about as sleek as a bolt rifle can be. PPU Hornet Brass By Joe T. on Apr 24, 2023 . more than the standard Hornet. | The improved version with almost no body taper, a sharp shoulder and short neck all of a sudden becomes an almost perfect cartridge. As a rule, the 1:16 twist is too slow to stabilize bullets heavier than 45 grains, and some slow-twist rifles I have shot would not stabilize anything heavier than 40 grains. The 18.5-inch barrel measures 0.750 inch at its muzzle, and it has a 1:14 twist. All Shooting Times subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. After trying several bullets from 45 to 52 grains, I finally settled on a Sierra 45-grain Varminter bullet in front of 20.0 grains of IMR 4198 and producing 2,888 fps from the 22" barrel of my No. The Ruger is about the longest at 1.820 inches, while the CZ/BRNO magnums are shorter at 1.730 inches. I wanted to get a load that would be accurate and a good bullet for small game so i decided on the 40 grain nosler ballisic tip. Also, Hornet cases will grow as you use them, and often grow at different rates. The design of the Ruger trigger is as simple as dirt, and replacing it takes only a few minutes. The neck-sized case (right) uses the expanded neck portion to positively center the rounds in the chamber. Find a full line of 22 Hornet ammo from all major brands at the best prices. By using Dillon or Midway spray case lube, it is possible to turn out ammunition almost as fast as the average Hornet shooter will use it. While in most rifles I usually worry in full-grain increments, or at worst .5 grain the Hornet will notice .10-grain changes. Cold Shower Face And Body Wipes | An NRA Shooting Sports Journal, Review: Taurus G3 Tactical | An NRA Shooting Sports Journal, Video Review: Browning Citori Hunter Grade II Over/Under Shotgun | NRA Family, Video Review: Savage 93 Minimalist Rifle | NRA Family, Video Review: Springfield Armory XD-M Elite 4.5 OSP in 10mm Auto | NRA Family, Make Mine Metal: The Alloy-Frame KelTec P15 | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Preview: Smith & Wesson Performance Center M&P9 M2.0 Competitor | An NRA Shooting Sports Journal, NRA Women | New for 2022: 20-Gauge Beretta A400 Xtreme Plus, Preview: Springfield Armory 1911 DS Double-Stack 9 mm Pistol Lineup | An NRA Shooting Sports Journal, Find More Great NRA Publications Perfect For Every Interest, Discover Everything That The NRA Has To Offer. I also have a very exotic and wonderful K. This one began as a Kimber Model 84 action that was welded and reworked into a Hornet. Gold $$ Contributor. They include the Anschutz Model 1730, Ballard Model 1885, Browning A-Bolt Micro Hunter, Browning Model 1885 Low Wall, BRNO ZBK 110, Cooper Model 21, CZ Model 527, Ruger 77/22H, Ruger No. Handloading the .22 Hornet is a snap, but the thin wall of its case is easily collapsed during bulletseating unless the inside edge of its mouth is lightly beveled with a chamfering tool prior to the first loading. I have done this on my old Fox, because it loves ammunition that is wedged into the lands. It was designed for .410 shotshells and has quickly adapted itself to big revolvers and the little rifle. Before the tool: MOA at 50 yards but most much worse, 2 to 3 MOA. As for powders, W748 and H110 for many years have been the ones to beat in the .22 Hornet. Length of pull is 13.5 inches, and overall length is 37.75 inches. The bedding of the rifle is much improved over the first one I shot back in 1994. Handloads include the (left to right) Hornady 35-grain V-MAX, Sierra 40-grain, Nosler 40-grain Ballistic Tip and 45-grain Solid Base, Winchester 46-grain hollowpoint and Speer 46-grain flatnose. . Hard to tell. Come join the discussion about optics, modifications, gunsmithing, styles, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more! Before there were scopes or red dots there were iron sights. With this combination, the old, huge rifle often gives us a 34-inch group and sometimes much less. This is overall cartridge length, or more precisely, the bullets relationship to the chamber throat. One of the rifles I used to shoot data for this report is a Ruger 77/22H customized in 1995 by the late Jim Clark Jr. of Clark Custom. The six-round rotary magazine has an interior length of 1.80 inches. Before we leave the subject of cases, be sure not to overlook case brand. When loaded to early .22 Hornet velocity, it is also an excellent choice for inexpensive plinking. Older rifles, such as the Winchester Model 54 and Model 70, have a rifling twist rate of 1:16 inch while those of more recent production, such as the Ruger Model 77/22H and Savage Model 40, have a quicker 1:14 rifling pitch. Metallic Reloading; Rifle Brass; 22 Hornet; . The .22 WCF stayed in production until 1935, but when Winchester decided to introduce a new varmint cartridge in 1930, the headstamp on .22 WCF cases was changed to read .22 Hornet, and it was loaded with 0.223-inch jacketed bullets. Therefore we begin by looking for ways to cause the cartridges to be pointing straight down the barrel before the primer lights. He convinced his friends at Hercules Powder Co. to develop a new propellant. Wolfe Publishing Company | 2180 Gulfstream Suite A | Prescott, AZ 86301. When I load shells for Hornets, I have two criteria: accuracy and lots of them. Reloading. We will be happy to answer any of your questions and ensure that you have the right supplies and equipment for a day at the range or in the field. Copyright 2023 National Rifle Association, Women On Target Instructional Shooting Clinics, Volunteer At The Great American Outdoor Show, Marion P. Hammer Women Of Distinction Award, Women's Wildlife Management / Conservation Scholarship, National Youth Shooting Sports Cooperative Program, The .38 Smith & Wesson: History And Performance, 7.62 NATO And .308 Win. The case walls of the .22 Hornet are thin, and a good chamfer allows the bullet to start into the case easily during bullet seating and not collapse case wallsa complaint that is often heard by new Hornet owners. In the slightly heavier realm, both Speer and Hornady make excellent 45-grain pointed soft points with thin jackets that will expand reliably, shoot fairly flat, and penetrate more deeply for larger varmintssuch as eastern Groundhogs, western Rockchucks, and predators. 2023 Outdoor Sportsman Group.