22 Hornet, voyage of discovery...

[Bo Diddley]

You forgot crimp!

I've never bothered, although I have the crimp die and really should see if it makes much of a difference as everyone tells me I should.
It's like the small pistol primers, never bothered with those either, I just stick with CCI or Federal primers Small Rifle.
You will love your Hornet when you get your homebrew sorted, mine is my favorite rifle of all time, so easy and cheap to load for.
Welcome to the "Hornet Owners Club"

 

[Smellydog]

I've never bothered, although I have the crimp die and really should see if it makes much of a difference as everyone tells me I should.
It's like the small pistol primers, never bothered with those either, I just stick with CCI or Federal primers Small Rifle.
You will love your Hornet when you get your homebrew sorted, mine is my favorite rifle of all time, so easy and cheap to load for.
Welcome to the "Hornet Owners Club"

I never bothered with pistol primers. Don't understand why. They are just a thinner cup really.
Have crimped and have not. Just do what is required I say for each rifle I say.

 

[hammo]

I've never bothered, although I have the crimp die and really should see if it makes much of a difference as everyone tells me I should.
It's like the small pistol primers, never bothered with those either, I just stick with CCI or Federal primers Small Rifle.
You will love your Hornet when you get your homebrew sorted, mine is my favorite rifle of all time, so easy and cheap to load for.
Welcome to the "Hornet Owners Club"

Its early days for me, but the little hornet definitely has the potential to snatch number one slot from my trusty cz 527 204. Obviously it has nowhere near the range or punch, but at sensible ranges has enough. Looking at the app on my phone, the hornet is reasonably flat shooting out to 150m.
I might even let the 204 go, as I have kept to two centrefire rifles for a while, and now have three. I would rather have fewer rifles that are used more often.
Not sure yet if I would regret that. The 204 is 'mint' and they stopped making them a while ago.

 

[Bo Diddley]

Its early days for me, but the little hornet definitely has the potential to snatch number one slot from my trusty cz 527 204. Obviously it has nowhere near the range or punch, but at sensible ranges has enough. Looking at the app on my phone, the hornet is reasonably flat shooting out to 150m.
I might even let the 204 go, as I have kept to two centrefire rifles for a while, and now have three. I would rather have fewer rifles that are used more often.
Not sure yet if I would regret that. The 204 is 'mint' and they stopped making them a while ago.

I'm sure you will find the hornet lacking on some nights, I had one night this last winter which I'm still kicking myself about, really strong winds with a little cloud and a half moon, I was expecting to catch up with a pair of foxes around the nooks & crannies end of the farm, I took my hornet, but ended up finding them poking about on a 60 acre freshly harvested beet field, managed to walk & stalk to within 150 but the one I was going for knew I was there by then, I never allowed enough windage and had a clean miss with the 35grain Vmax, I should have taken the .223.
I'd keep the .204 personally.

 

[kenbro]

What brand of Hornets has everyone got?
I’ll start with Ruger#3.
Ken.

 

[tim@tcs]

What brand of Hornets has everyone got?
I’ll start with Ruger#3.
Ken.

Ruger 77/22

 

[cjs66]

HW60, or it might even be a 66, can't remember. Love it though.

cjs

 

[Fox Red]

Its early days for me, but the little hornet definitely has the potential to snatch number one slot from my trusty cz 527 204. Obviously it has nowhere near the range or punch, but at sensible ranges has enough. Looking at the app on my phone, the hornet is reasonably flat shooting out to 150m.
I might even let the 204 go, as I have kept to two centrefire rifles for a while, and now have three. I would rather have fewer rifles that are used more often.
Not sure yet if I would regret that. The 204 is 'mint' and they stopped making them a while ago.

I’m going to stick a NV scope on my 204 and use it for foxing (liking the look of the new Pard scope with LRF) I’ll use the 22 Hornet for rabbits beyond the 22LR ranges, opportunistic day time foxes, crows and magpies etc. I’ll then use the 1/8 twist semi custom 223 for long range vermin and fun on the gongs.

 

[hammo]

I’m going to stick a NV scope on my 204 and use it for foxing (liking the look of the new Pard scope with LRF) I’ll use the 22 Hornet for rabbits beyond the 22LR ranges, opportunistic day time foxes, crows and magpies etc. I’ll then use the 1/8 twist semi custom 223 for long range vermin and fun on the gongs.

On my 204 I use a pvs14 add on with a top of the range ffp hawke scope. Absolutely crystal clear image even on 20x zoom.

 

[Bowland blades]

The factory PPU rounds continue to shoot very well indeed! My order from kranks should be here next week, so can start knocking out some homebrew.
I am tempted to go for @Muir's method of filling the case with lil gun to the brim and seeing how that goes.
Any 22 hornet/lil gun users have pearls of wisdom to share?
Using PPU 45gr projectiles, PPU cases.

Just fill them up with lilgun. you are 2 grains back on capacity and using lilgun you are pretty safe to fill up if the rest of the gun is sound

 

[Bowland blades]

Stop worrying about pitting in barrel or over thinking it …. A barrel is a consumable it will shoot or it won’t .. I’m sure it will … if it doesn’t, rebarrel it and you’ve a lifetime of knowing exactly what it will have done / had thru it

Paul

Nobody should worry over a hornet bore as regards erosion , just corrosion ! I dont know how long it takes but it wouln't surprise me if was into 10k and it still bug holes . ... rem 6 1/2
Just managed to build a hornet performance clone for the 223 rem with 4895 powder 23.5 grains just hovering under 2800 fps with very low deviation figures with the ppu 45 grain soft point ( so performance wise i perhaps dont need the 22 hornet? ) However the hornet does this with half the powder and half the blast !

 

[hammo]

PPU cases filled to the brim with 13gr of Lil gun. 45gr PPU SP.
2590fps, very consistent varying by just a couple of fps between rounds.

 

[hammo]

A tidy little three shot group, then adjusted left with one shot to confirm. This is only at 40m as I was restricted for space today.still looking very good though. Going by my Strelok app, that should be bang on at 125m, and about 2cm high at 100m.

 

[Bowland blades]

PPU cases filled to the brim with 13gr of Lil gun. 45gr PPU SP.
2590fps, very consistent varying by just a couple of fps between rounds.

cant get 13 in a regular PPU case normally due to the thicker brass

 

[pigeonbasher]

HW60, or it might even be a 66, can't remember. Love it though.

cjs

hw60j

 

[hammo]

cant get 13 in a regular PPU case normally due to the thicker brass

i must have some mutant ones. Deffo 13gr to the brim. I know I have loaded 100.

 

[Smellydog]

Some won't brim a case and compress it with a seated bullet, they get frightened.

 

[Klenchblaize]

Multiple aggressive taps of the powder funnel (while still fully engaged with the neck) will settle Lil-Gun much better than simply a long drop tube.

K

 

[mealiejimmy]

cant get 13 in a regular PPU case normally due to the thicker brass

With the filler funnel still attached, put an old electric toothbrush against the side of the case and switch it on.
The vibration from the toothbrush will make the powder settle and allow more into the case.

Cheers

Bruce

 

[Bavarianbrit]

With the filler funnel still attached, put an old electric toothbrush against the side of the case and switch it on.
The vibration from the toothbrush will make the powder settle and allow more into the case.

Cheers

Bruce

I don't have an electric toothbrush but the missus has a battery powered item, unused for years now that might work.