.22 Hornet results

[Mauser66]

Just a few loads from a couple of months ago for my 1968 ZKW465 Brno .22 Hornet. Still amazed at how well it shoots and how good Lil'Gun powder is.

I have since changed to CCI small pistol primers and find them better than the Remington small pistol primers. And have taken the 35gr VMax load down to 13gr, which lowered the ES. I worked up to 13.5gr with no pressure signs. The once-fired R-P cases fit in up to 14gr, just. Obviously each rifle is different and work up accordingly and with care. I neck size only down as far as the base of the bullet will be seated to. These are just my amateurish observations.

The H110 does well, but Lil'Gun beats it in my old Hornet. The Nosler 40gr Ballistic Tip has to be seated deep into the case to function in the magazine and I crimp all my Hornet rounds with a Lee factory crimp die. The Nosler 40gr is really good on foxes and with 13gr Lil'Gun touches just over 3000fps . I have Speer 40gr and 45gr to try, but still stuck on VMax and Noslers.

Even the Winchester factory 45gr SPs do really well in this old rifle. PPU and Sellier and Bellot are slow and group out to 2".

PS forgot to add that I use a Lee expander die to very slightly flare the case mouth before seating, as recommended by Muir and others. Stops cases buckling and badly seated bullets.

 

[Muir]

It's amazing what a well loaded Hornet would do. Good job.~Muir

 

[old keeper]

Excellent results. I have recently started reloading for my Weirauch 22 Hornet. Thanks to excellent advice from Muir I have ended up with pretty well the same results using Lil Gun, 13.5 grn load but I have been using CCI small rifle primers. Would switching to pistol primers make any significant difference or is it a case of "suck it and see"?
I too use the expander die and lightly crimp the end product. Without the expander I found it all but impossible to seat the bullet without messing up the case neck. I am very happy with the Hornet and have zeroed it at 150yards which does for me at present.

 

[Hornet]

hornet results

Well done lads, yes they are rather good arent they, more people should try one and be amazed at just how good they can be made to behave

 

[Muir]

Excellent results. I have recently started reloading for my Weirauch 22 Hornet. Thanks to excellent advice from Muir I have ended up with pretty well the same results using Lil Gun, 13.5 grn load but I have been using CCI small rifle primers. Would switching to pistol primers make any significant difference or is it a case of "suck it and see"?
I too use the expander die and lightly crimp the end product. Without the expander I found it all but impossible to seat the bullet without messing up the case neck. I am very happy with the Hornet and have zeroed it at 150yards which does for me at present.

I use them. My son uses them. My Marine Marksmanship Instructor buddy uses them (was the first that I know of) and Mauser 66 used them. They work. If not better than small rifle primers, then they will be no worse and you'll not be out anything. I like Federal but CCI's are about identical.~Muir

 

[Mauser66]

A few weeks ago I played about on JBM ballistics calculator for the first time. Thought to do some comparisons with Hornet rounds. Forgive any obvious errors in the settings, mostly gobbledegook to me, but I think it's ok. Have chosen a 160 yard zero.

Amazed at how much better the 40gr Nosler BTip and 50gr SXSP are against the 35gr VMax. The little 35gr really loses it pretty fast. Must see what the SXSP will do in my Hornet. I've assumed 2800fps for the SXSP with Lil'Gun powder, but could be more. My Sako 45gr bullets came out of the Brno Hornet at 3110fps over 4 shots with an ES of 36 (witnessed). That was with 13.5gr Lil'Gun with no pressure signs - I'd worked up to it. But the group opened up to just over an inch, where as at 12.5gr it was well under an inch, though we didn't have the chrono set up.

If the 50gr can reach 2900 ish in the Hornet then that's amazing, but I'll assume 2800fps anyway. Not that you need high velocity to make the SXSP work! Hell of a good bullet for foxes and crows.

Anyway...I thought it was interesting to make some comparisons. Lil'Gun powder lifts the Hornet almost to .222 levels.

Old Keeper, after listening to Muir and the others and experimenting for myself I much prefer CCI small pistol primers. They definitely reduced groups for me, but, as you already know, each rifle is its own story.

Working up Hornet loads has really got my mind back into reloading. For years and years I just loaded to shoot deer and foxes on the cheap (of course you never really save that much when you reload..always something else to experiment on), but it has been so satisfying to build up good loads for the old Hornet.

Cheers.

 

[Muir]

M-66: Find a cheap barometer and humidity gauge and set it to the local weather some day (barometer) These two factors will influence your trajectory. I will admit, the 35 grain VM is pretty close to my 170 yard zero trajectory. A lighter bullet with a better BC is the Midway Dog Town bullet if you can get them. They weigh 34 grains (HP) and while not as accurate as the bug-hole cutting 35 grain Hornadys, they still hover in the .5" region.~Muir

 

[just]

Got some 50g spsx's with 12.5 g of lilgun ready for the CZ 527, not sure they will work though !? had no joy with the 50 g v-max, they keyholed at 100 yds (was warned ) ! The spsx seem slightly shorter though so maybe, we'll see ??

 

[Mauser66]

100 yard grouping with SPSX in Ruger .22 Hornet + in second part of film vixen and cub shot with SXSP.



and the Hornet with SPSX at 500 yards...blimey!

 

[Selous]

Interesting backstop on the video, must have had some great ricochets!!!

 

[liamnjs]

Wow, that seems incredibly quiet. It's always hard to tell from a video- for those of us who have never been around one, how does the noise of that round compare to similar calibres?

 

[just]

My Cz's loud, but not quite as loud as the bigger say .223/.243 etc cal's. It's the ASE Utra silencer he's got on ! My friend tried one on/without on a .308, there's a hell of a difference !

 

[Harry mac]

Interesting backstop on the video, must have had some great ricochets!!!

What video? Has there been a link edited out?

 

[Hornet 6]

What video? Has there been a link edited out?

No, post 9 has two videos showing.

Neil.

 

[just]

Got the CZ Hornet to group some 50g spsx's today at about 3/4" at 140 yds ! Must be the shape/length of the bullet rather than weight because the 50g v-max was all over the shop with large key-holes !! Strange !?

 

[private fraser]

Terrific post,loads of info and the video's are very good, well done Mauser.
I have a Ruger 77 in .22 Hornet and can't fault it...once I had the famous Ruger trigger pull lightened. I used to use factory Remington 45 grain sp but I don't they expanded properly in a fox,one or two went a few yards into cover and could be hard to find. The Hornady v-max I use now drops them on the spot.

fraser

 

[Harry mac]

No, post 9 has two videos showing.

Neil.

My work computer must be hiding them. I'll have another look on my lap top when I get home tomorrow.

 

[Mauser66]

Got the CZ Hornet to group some 50g spsx's today at about 3/4" at 140 yds ! Must be the shape/length of the bullet rather than weight because the 50g v-max was all over the shop with large key-holes !! Strange !?

Well done! I must get a box and try them.

 

[nicholiath]

Got the CZ Hornet to group some 50g spsx's today at about 3/4" at 140 yds ! Must be the shape/length of the bullet rather than weight because the 50g v-max was all over the shop with large key-holes !! Strange !?

Hi, what primer and load of powder were you using? also what oal? i would like to try the50gn spsx but was always informed that the twist rate in my CZ 527 was no good for anything above 45gn!