It started when Winchester spawned a small-game, black-powder cartridge in 1885 called the .22 Winchester Center Fire. Available in different sizes and red dot ready, it'll fit your needs, whatever they are. More .22 Hornet factory loads are now available than at any other time in the history of the cartridge. Read Next: Everything You Never Knew About Primers, and the New Technology Thats Revolutionizing Them. In Stock Item #: BA30201 $0.29 per piece. Using H-110 as an example, .10 grain can add 50 to 100 fps, at near maximum loads. Joseph VonBenedikt is with Joel Hodgdon to talk about the improved accuracy and long-range potential of the already reliable Core-Lokt ammo line. The barrels of Winchester Model 54 and Model 70 rifles in .22 Hornet have a 0.223-inch groove diameter and a 1:16 twist. Now there are many of the light .224-inch bullets that work well in Hornets. The period from 1873 through about 1960 is, for me, the most fascinating period of cartridge and firearm development. Improved Military Rifle IMR 4198. The action was glass bedded, and headspace was reduced by shimming the bolt to remove some of the slop between its front and rear sections. It left the factory around 1934 and was later restocked. All of them will make very good ammunitionits just a matter of tailoring the other components in your load to the case. 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. of Israeli Defense Forces, joins David Fortier for an exclusive interview for Shotgun News. Not only does the improved version give us more velocity, at times 200 fps more, it usually just begs to shoot. It was originally chambered in the companys then-new Model 1885 single-shot rifle. Essentially it is all taper. Ive heard and read many people lament the difficulty of loading the .22 Hornet over the years. .22-15-45 Winchester as it was known when introduced in 1895 and charged with blackpowder). To comply with the new e-Privacy directive, we need to ask for your consent to set the cookies. The .22 Hornet is extremely versatile and is favored among many. As ugly ducklings go, the BRNO Fox wins. First, you should use cases that have been fired in the rifle where the loads will be used. For around a century, shooters have enjoyed loading and shooting the .22 Hornet. This amazing little handgun has a 14-inch barrel, 14-inch twist, and provides the same ability to seat bullets out to the lands. Sign In; Create an Account; My Cart 0. 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. The Nosler and Hornady are 45 grains, while Sierra has 40- and 45-grain Hornet bullets. 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. These 4,000-fps bullets have pretty tough jackets and may actually act in a controlled-expansion manner, at the relatively slow Hornet speeds. Ive used them all at one time or another and found them all to be excellentbut they are not all created equal. 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. Test this accuracy, then try some that are .020 inch away, followed by some that have zero clearance. Ross used a variety of Hornet dies. My field experience with the Hornet has been fairly extensive over the last 20 years. The Speer Reloading Manual shows a MV of 2749 fps with a Speer 40 grain Spire Point bullet in front of 12.5 grains of AA 1680 powder. There is also a very interesting Hornet powder on the market. was no longer loaded, despite the fact that until 1932 no factory rifle had been chambered for the .22 Hornet. | All Rights Reserved. However, I am sure there would be some benefit. When we think about it, this makes perfect sense. Some 1-16 CZ Hornets wont stabilize 40gr Vmax well, but shoot 45gr Hornet bullets well. Reloading Supplies, Shooting Supplies, Reloading Tools. Gun Loads Forum - .22 Hornet Mine are from Forster/Bonanza. The most popular wildcat off the .22 Hornet is the .22 K-Hornet, developed by Lysle Killborn in 1940. Hornet cases are quite thin, and it is not unusual to see excessive stretching of the primer pocket when they are used with some of the maximum loads I see published by various sources. Since you are loading for a single shot rifle you don't need to worry about the col since that is generally a dimension set because of the magazine length. A dimensional schematic of the .22 Hornet cartridge. Further, this sloping shoulder now becomes a perfectly mated taper to the chambers taper. .22 Hornet Rifle (Using Hornady Reloading Data For Bullets) Winchester Ammunition also loads a 20-grain, polymer tipped bullet to 3,650 fps with similar trajectory, as does Federal. It also had a magazine that allowed a seating depth of around 1.9 inches. All shots groups are 5 shots at 100 yards. Today most factory loads and handloads utilize bullets from 35 to 46 grains and have very frangible construction. Updated Apr 8, 2022 12:49 PM EDT, We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. When testing loads be mindful of small variations in charge weight. Mikey Hartman, Lt. Col. With care during the loading process and mindfulness of the cartridges capabilities and limits in the field, it is one of the most enjoyable cartridges I have ever used, and truly one of the unsung little gems of the sporting world. LEE 22 Hornet RELOADING DIES - 2 DIE SET FREE SHIPPING. Nevertheless, the 35, driven at nearly 3100 fps was more than a match for the ground squirrels I pursueas long as ranges were kept under 175 yards or so. Trimming to a consistent overall length is very important. Ok guy, hopefully some of you out there have loaded for a .22 Hornet and can answer this for me. Thats not to say some of the older designs dont provide stellar accuracy and on-game performance, because they can and they often do. Bullet technology being what it was in the 1950s, the .17 Hornet was mildly successful. Ive had very good luck with 40-grain bullets and IMR-4227 paired with the Federal Gold Medal Match Small pistol primer, for example. Before there were scopes or red dots there were iron sights. Ackley necked the Hornet down to .17 caliber in the 1950s, creating a .17 Hornet. More than a few other wildcats were made, but Killborns has kept most of its legs. ARMSCORs RIA 5.0 ST semi-automatic 9 mm Luger pistol represents the companys first handgun to be designed and manufactured here in the United States. With an overview of some of the ways to make Hornets happy, lets look at the three rifles to see how they responded to some coddled ammunition. Length of pull is 13.5 inches, and overall length is 37.75 inches. Often, the mild small pistol primers are much more accurate than rifle primers. 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. 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. Sectioned cases show why the Sako brass is so much heavier and has less internal volume, which can have a drastic effect on pressure and accuracy. Upon examination, I found that, as with most factory rifles, the bedding of the action was not done very well at all. With smokeless powders having more energy-to-weight, the same 45-gr. Neck-sizing cases rather than full-length resizing often improves accuracy and most definitely increases case life. Subscribe to OL+ for our best feature stories and photography. The six-round rotary magazine has an interior length of 1.80 inches. I weigh every tenth charge when I am producing varmint ammunition to ensure that they are not straying from the intended number. Pat Mundy The neck-sized case (right) uses the expanded neck portion to positively center the rounds in the chamber. This rifle defies the rules and prefers full-length sized cases. Most of the dedicated Hornet bullets will have quite thin jackets and are reasonably explosive on impact. The improved version with almost no body taper, a sharp shoulder and short neck all of a sudden becomes an almost perfect cartridge. Reloading the 22 Hornet | Outdoor Life Among Whelen's circle of friends was Winchester executive Edwin Pugsley who gave orders to build a special test rifle on the Model 54 action for the "22 Hornet," as Whelen decided it should be called. Accuracy is repeatable; results to 200 yards are deadly on Pennsylvania woodchucks and crows. Another tool on my bench is the RCBS 2000 Progressive machine. In such places as Australia and New Zealand, the cartridge was not only was popular with small-game and vermin shooters, it was a favorite for cadets in training as well. Once Fired Brass - Bullet Casing - US Reloading Supply On the other hand, my Winchester Model 54 also has a 1:16 twist, yet it shoots the Hornady bullet like a house afire. Therefore, if you have different case brands, be sure to keep them sorted. 1, New England Handi-Rifle, Thompson/Center Contender Carbine, Savage Model 40, and the Savage Model 24F combination gun with its .22 Hornet rifle barrel and 12-gauge shotgun barrel. 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. Hornets are finicky. The best bullets for the .22 Hornet have come a long waytake advantage of the benefits they offer. At the other end of the spectrum are the light bullets designed to stand up to extreme speed from a .22-250 Remington or .220 Swift. Again, this is a time-consuming process but one that is only necessary once in the life of the case. That is, to prove that you have accurate cartridges, you must have an accurate rifle. Loads published by Hodgdon show LilGun pushing 40- and 45-grain bullets faster, but the 13.0 grains maximum charge for those bullet weights fills a case to the brim, and spillage rules out loading on progressive machines used by many serious varmint shooters.