.22 Hornet (40 grain V-Max)

247sniper

Well-Known Member
Did some load development last night with my .22 Hornet, man i love that rifle!

Loaded some round up,

5 x 12.0 grains
5 x 12.2
5 x 12.4
5 x 12. 6
5 x 12.8
5 x 13.0
5 x 13.2,

40 grain V-Max with Lil-gun powder seated 20 thou of the lands, the 12.8 grins to 13.2 grains all printed groups like this !

5 Shot group.

http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/i37 ... C1459B.jpg

(The flyer was me
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)

Far better BC bullets far superiour over the little 35 grain V-Max's, they will be far flatter shoting and much much better in the wind. Ballisticly it looks good for 300 yards.

Im going to try the 12.8 - 13.2 again tonight at longer ranger as last night was only 100 yards and Im going to chrono the loads, should be around the 3000ftps mark.


Will report later folks.



Steve.
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Ok guys, here we go.

13 and 13.2 grain loads shot the best, identical groups in fact.

I chronoed the chosen load of 13.2 grain which i have no chosen as my pet load.

On my chrono,

(Chrono sat 10 yards away from muzzle)

Shot No

1) = 2949ftps
2) = 2996ftps
3) = 2956ftps
4) = 2969ftps
5) = 2989ftps

5 shot average = 2971 ftps this gives a true MUZZLE velocity of 3019 ftps

Extream spread = 47 ftps.

I finished of by playing around shooting some clays set out at difffernt ranges, it was blowing a bloody gail but dialed out the wind very well.

These 40's real do transform the little hornet, totally out shoot the 35 grain V-max for fun.

They maintain velocity and energy far better and offer far better down range performance to.

Will get out on the bunnies these next few days and see how they perform.

Hope this has been of some interest to some folk.

ATB


Steve.
 
Glad to see another Hornet man, btw. I love it. It is my main tote-along rifle when I'm in the wilds. I'll share something on load development that a rancher buddy of mine shared with me. His wife has a CZ 527 American and she shoots it alot. He got tired of loading for it so to speed things up he simply scoops the case full of Lil Gun and seats a 35 grain bullet on top. She never noticed a reduction in accuracy, (and she would) or performance.(ditto)

Lil Gun is a pretty forgiving powder for the Hornet. The best there is, in my opinion. Carry on with your work!:thumb:~Muir
 
247, What kind of hornet are you using?
People say they are hard to reload for and inaccurate, but honestly I have never found that at all.
 
247, What kind of hornet are you using?
People say they are hard to reload for and inaccurate, but honestly I have never found that at all.

Hiya mate, my Hornet is a CZ 527 LUX, it's I a lovely looking rifle and shoots awesomely !

Factory Winchester 46 grain hollow point shoots half inch groups all day long, 35 grain vmax on a calm day shoots 1x bug hole group and so does the 40 grain vmax. I read or heared somewhere one day of people unable to get a accurate load, with all the bullets I have mentioned along with Lil-gun powder I have failed to find a crap load, all easily 0.5 inch or less !

As far as I am concerned they are great little vermin/fox busters, a 40 grain vmax at 3019 ftps = many many dead rabbits at upto 250 yards no bother!

I am another Hornet lover !
 
Yep a 40 gner at over 3000fps is sure a deadly combo. I used to have a Brno Fox which I regret selling. It had a pitted barrel and at the time I had aspirations of making a 20 K Hornet, alas I couldnt get a barrel in 20 Cal locally at the time. 2004 I think. I should just got a new 1:14 twist tube for it. Even with a pitted barrel it still shot well, just was a pain to clean.
 
I have recently started using the Sierra 45 gn soft points under h110 and I have to say I am most impressed with them, at range they are flatter than 35 gn vmax,and not so explosive, so dont make quite the same mess if I want a bunny for the pot and am without the rimmy,also although it might be my imagination, I seem to think I get better neck tension with these, would like to try some lil gun under them as a comparison.
 
When I used the 45 grain Sierra's with H110 I found you could make decent velocity and accuracy, but at the cost of case life.
13 grains of Lil'Gun worked wonders, accurate and fast, velocity was from memory just about 3000fps from my 18 inch barrel.
The Hornady version I have just bought has an even better BC and should shoot flatter.

Neil. :)
 
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