22 hornet

[David78b]

Hi does anyone still use a 22 hornet for foxing or has everyone moved to bigger calibers now. I was thinking back to younger days, old boy next door use to have a brno in 22 hornet and use to let me have a few shots now and then when I was about 11 or 12 i thought it was amazing. Happy days.
any way was just wondering if any one still uses 22 hornet or has everyone moved up to 223,204,222,243 now. I use a 223 myself but have a always fancied a hornet. Perhaps one day I might.
Thanks

 

[landkeeper]

I miss mine !but then im looking back with rose tinted specs ,in those days i just used to point think a bit adjust and squeeze the trigger most of the time resulting in a dead fox ,no mod factory ammo but lots and lots of trigger time
Like most things in life going back usually leads to dissapointment

 

[Blobby159]

Hi does anyone still use a 22 hornet for foxing or has everyone moved to bigger calibers now. I was thinking back to younger days, old boy next door use to have a brno in 22 hornet and use to let me have a few shots now and then when I was about 11 or 12 i thought it was amazing. Happy days.
any way was just wondering if any one still uses 22 hornet or has everyone moved up to 223,204,222,243 now. I use a 223 myself but have a always fancied a hornet. Perhaps one day I might.
Thanks

Hi again 'David78b'... Yes I still have a .22 Hornet (rechambered everso slightly out to the .22 K- Hornet) that I still use quite extensively for both rabbit AND fox destruction, and for the last two years, cos of the real dearth of bunnies on land I shoot over, foxes have had the erm.... 'Benefits' of said more so. I fire 35gr V-Max bullets over a stiff load of H 110 powder in the initial unformed .22 Hornet cases and then change this over to 40gr BlitzKing projectiles over another strong load of (this time) Vectan SP3 powder to drive THEM along. I am/was toying with working up a good load for the 40gr BlitzKings in the initial unformed .22 Hornet brass before this damned lock-down shize became the necessity.

I want a better (more aerodynamic) bullet than the 35gr V-Max one as, though it is REALLY ACCURATE in my rifle (an old but proud Anschutz 1700) it loses its oomph quickly and isn't really ideal for foxey at much passed 100yds whereas the 40gr BlizKing is great for another 50, even maybe 70 yds or so, and I think - from experience - the latter Sierra bullets are somewhat more frangible too, after initial penetration, making them more of a humane proposition for the 100->175yd fox.

I also have to say that I am also experimenting (reinventing my wheel here to be honest!) with the specifically "Hornet" designated 45gr Sierra bullets that are hyper soft and really do expand well at range even when the velocities drop off quite a bit, as too, the 45gr Sierra "Spitzers" and the also excellent 45gr Hornady "Hornet" designated projectiles. In my earlier years with this BEAUTIFULLY Accurate Anschutz .22 Hornet rifle of mine those latter mentioned Three x 45gr exposed lead, soft-point bullets were my everyday choice, and they truly EXCELLED themselves (when it WAS the initial .22 Hornet and not the slightly larger, better shaped cartridge case of the "K" version). For the uninitiated this little .22 cartridge shoots way passed what one would think or expect it should given its tiny (REALLY Tiny) size. My old time loads with the three mentioned 45gr bullets were giving me around the 2,800fps and slightly above range with personal home-loads, and because of the afore mentioned and intended light constructions they killed way better than initially anticipated with good bullet placement. The latter mentioned placement was quite easily obtained too cos of that terrific accuracy I spoke of above!!

All in all, and though I have and do use BOTH a lovely & accurate .223 Rem700 heavy barrel AND a second hand,
also beautifully made Sako Vixen in .17Rem c/f, my rifle of choice is almost ALWAYS that .22 K-Hornet when I go out after local bunnies and foxes with my ancient (now) single-person lamping gear attached. That Anschutz's stock is soooo well made for me that it fits like the proverbial glove, and cos it is also a light-weight 'sporter' this allows relatively easy, quick and accurately fired standing shots, helped a lot with an extendable, seperate bipod and a light weight, Leupold 3x12x50mm 'scope with an illuminated, small central dot in its simplistic reticule.

I am SURE you can tell that I just LOVE that setup, and simply would NOT get rid of it unless I had no other choice whatsoever. It will simply be the first of my reloadable rifles 'in' - some 30+ years now - and my VERY LAST rifle 'out' if that just had to be so.... period!!

That help any 'David78b' ???.....

 

[mickyfinn]

Although i also use larger cal rifles I've had a 22H in my collection for over 12 yrs now, their was a time though i didn't use it for around 4 yrs then one day decided to take it out and I'm glad i did, really enjoyed it and now it gets used quite often for short range vermin.

 

[Triggermortis]

Recently bought a Brno fox model 2, absolutely love it, it sits between my 22lr and my Pair of .222’s,

 

[welshwarrior]

Sold mine 2 years ago often look at ads and really fancy another, maybe a super light single shot

 

[Nots so bad lad]

I have a CZ 527 American 22 hornet it loves 35 grain v- max awesome on urban foxing and bunnies

 

[old keeper]

There's always been something about the 22Hornet that once you've used one it's always there at the back of your mind!

It works well on foxes, reliably out to 150/175 yards and possibly a little more with the right load. A nice round to use on vermin overall.

 

[stubear]

My wife got me one for Christmas - a lovely Anschutz 1713.

Its not really a fan of the 35gn VMAX so I've got some heavier ammo I want to try with it, but then the plague hit and since then its been stuck in the safe! I've got a lane booked at Bisley in June so I'm hoping I can stretch its legs and get it zeroed then.

Its a lovely cartridge to shoot though - with a moderator there is basically zero recoil and very little noise, and its rather like shooting an air rifle albeit one that produces about 850ft/lb!

Theres not masses of difference between .222/.223 and the hornet to be honest, maybe 350ft/lb or so, and as a result I dont think I would particularly make a point of buying a larger CF .22 now.

From what I can tell of it the pros and cons are;
Pros: Less powder and less noise than a CF.22. Wont blow rabbits to pieces.
Cons: Harder to get ammo for than .222 and .223. Cant be used on the smaller deer species or on roe in Scotland.

Its a great cartridge for sure and if you have the itch then scratch it I think.

 

[pj1]

I love mine and it’s my only “fox” rifle. I would only contemplate going for a 222 223 etc if I was regularly shooting foxes beyond 200 yards. It is great for longer range crows and replaced my 17 hmr with the hornet for this reason. Use it regularly for golf course bunny clearance. It’s just a joy to shoot.

 

[Overlay]

Hi does anyone still use a 22 hornet for foxing or has everyone moved to bigger calibers now. I was thinking back to younger days, old boy next door use to have a brno in 22 hornet and use to let me have a few shots now and then when I was about 11 or 12 i thought it was amazing. Happy days.
any way was just wondering if any one still uses 22 hornet or has everyone moved up to 223,204,222,243 now. I use a 223 myself but have a always fancied a hornet. Perhaps one day I might.
Thanks

I used the 22 hornet for years and have grassed a considerable amount of foxes with it, just recently added a 17 hornet As well, the 22 has a Yukon 470 on With Winchester 40 grn SP and the 17 hornet day scope 20 grn Hornady next step is reloading for the 17
in a word they are both brilliant rabbit and fox rifles - I dont shoot any further than a 100 yds with 22 and having just getting used to the 17 have grassed 2 foxes with that 85 and 130 metres both head and neck shot but 100% instant drop to shot
prior to the hornet(s) I used the WMR I got a couple off runners so used my 222, the hornets fill the gap between the WMR and the Duce
Hornets I have found to be a brilliant mid range calibre, they do the job I know some guys stretch the range but the ranges I use them for they certainly do the job required, I did get calibre specific moderators, Which helps in all honesty I had one problem with a round that split On the 22, Hornady sorted that out and apart from that I‘ve had no problem with zeroing they are both very very accurate, reasonably cheap to feed and quite a nice little fox stalking rifle, they are enough gun for foxing as long as you don’t think it’s a snipers Range rifle, keep the ranges to around 100 and you’ll be amazed at the calibre

 

[mealiejimmy]

For me, it's a 150 yard fox rifle and a 200 yard bunny gun.
Cheap to run, very accurate and a delight to shoot.
I've often considered a rifle in 204 ruger, but it's quite a bit more expensive to load for and way too much power for bunnies.

Cheers

Bruce

 

[Dave881]

Hi, I have got a CZ 527 in 22 hornet and its a brilliant little rifle, nice and light, very accurate and generally a pleasure to use, my only complaint about it is that it can be a bit funny feeding sometimes from the mag but it's not really that big of a deal. Mine shot sub half inch groups with factory 35gr v max and I have developed a load last year with sierra 45 gr hornet soft points over 11.5 gr of lil gun that on testing was shooting just under 0.25 inch groups at 100 yards. It's a great gun for rabbits foxes and other vermin at sensible ranges and is one I don't think I will get rid of to be honest. I only bought it because it was something a bit different and old school and as I reload I only bought 100 factory rounds to get me started and give me some brass to reload (the factory round were quite expensive to be honest).
I have also shot 204 ruger quite a bit and it's not really a fair comparison, they are totally different cartridges. 204 factory is a little more expensive but it's great for foxes, rabbits (headshots only, which is no problem out to 200 yards plus) and general vermin. The 204 comes into it own when you want to stretch the ranges out a bit and I have used it out to around 500 yards which was great fun but not your every day kind of shooting. I would say I'd you fancy a hornet then get one, I don't have a rimfire now as the hornet covers everything I need from a small rifle and you can pick up some bargains as it's not very popular, I got mine with scope mod and a bipod for around £400 and it had only fired 80 rounds. Hope this helps
Dave

 

[Fox Red]

Yep, I have a CZ527 in 22 Hornet. I reload using 40gr V-Max with Lil Gun and get just over 3,00fps with 11.6gr using RWS brass.

To be honest, it's one of my favourite cartridges. VERY underrated and in my mind, more capable than the much promoted 17 Hornet when it comes to foxes. It'll also keep up with my pals 17H out to 300 yards on rabbits (I have stretched it much further, too).

As for foxes, sub 200 yards and you're good. I'd never get rid of mine. To be fair, I do use the CZ527 204 much more, but the 22H puts a bigger smile on my face. It's so economical for what you get and sits well between my 22LR and 204 Ruger.

 

[shendy]

Very underrated calibre

 

[Ttocs]

I’m a fan too. Great little cartridge when you don’t want too much noise. I use a 204 on the open ground where it’s difficult to tell if a fox is 150 or 200 yards but for foxes and rabbit work around the fields it’s a great little tool. I load a 40gr v-max over Lilgun for 3030fps. The 40gr has a much better bc than the 35gr and, despite the extra weight, shoots flatter; point and shoot out to 170yards for mr fox. Quiet, accurate and cheap to shoot; what’s not to like!
N

 

[Blobby159]

Here you go now.... Today I shot this "group" simply trying to get my .22K-Hornet rezeroed after bumping it taking my Anschutz rifle out of the back of my 'jeep' and putting her into my new, bigger gun cabinet a couple of months back. Like I say this was NOT me shooting intently to getting a good group, but the results are pretty good in themselves. .. The widest pair of bullet holes I measure here as being close to 0.685" and this was shot at a measured 150yds.

This means my ACTUAL Group (given on the 100yd scale) would measure approx (0.685 x 2) / 3 which in my book gives a group of approx 0.457 minutes rounded up. So a good sub-half minute of an angle grouping for FIVE shots from an ageing 30+ year old rifle that has been used LOTS... I'd call that pretty goodtt,... Yes??

 

[sir-lamp-alot]

I had one a couple of years ago and there was nothing really wrong with it I took foxes out to about 175yards with it but I personally wouldnt push it much further than that on them you do how ever need to reload for it I found factory ammo a total waste of time it was exspensive and inacurate.

 

[Smellydog]

Hornet is fantastic.
It gets knocked due to most factory ammo being loaded quite soft in deference to some old weak actions.
In current actions and reloaded the tiny case can shine as some have illustrated.

 

[Ttocs]

Here’s a 100 yard 4 shot group from my Anschutz 1730 from my load development. It’s on a 1” stick on target on 1cm graph paper.
N