Hornet primers

[JeffinNZ]

I have bought a Zastava Hornet for my 11 year old daughter (she shot her
first bunny with it the other evening) and once the factory ammo is gone (no, I
didn't buy it; came with the rifle!!) we will need to load. I have been loading
some 225415s over 2400 the last couple of days with encouraging results and have
tried CCI small pistol and Winchester small rifle primers thus far. There
appears little difference between the primers so far. I still have CCI small
rifle to try also and intend to buy some Remington 7 1/2s this week.

Any experience on the forum regarding primers in the Hornet? It has been
suggested small cases are more susceptible to such variations. I am really
interested to know if it is a factor of the strength of the primer or the powder
it is lighting. IE: does ball powder need 'X' primer whereas Unique doesn't
care?????

[Cleve Branch]

I have been told you should use mag primers with ball powder. But I haven't done any test myself. I think I read that in a loading manual.

[muskeg13]

It's been a while since I loaded for and shot my CZ Hornet, but I remember that the group sizes @50 yards were much smaller when small pistol primers were used, like 1/2 those with small rifle primers. This was particularly true with cast boolit loads in the 1500-2000 fps range. My cast boolits loads were with both 225438 and the LEE-Midsouth Bator molds, using mostly 2400 and Unique. There were no problems or surprises with pressures or hang fires. Several brands of standard small pistol primers were used with similar results. In the future, unless I work up max loads with jacketed bullets, driving up pressures, I intend to stick to small pistol primers in my Hornet.

[farmerjim]

All cast with CCI small pistol.

[Outpost75]

Winchester primers have powdered aluminum added to the mix as a fuel, which scatters hot incandescent particles through the powder charge, which aids ignition of spheroidal propellants and is helpful in cases such as the .45 Colt, using Bullseye powder, where the powder charge occupies 20% or less of the available powder space.

In my experience standard Winchester primers gave more uniform velocities in light smokeless cast bullet loads in cases such as the .303 British, .30-'06 and .45-70 than other popular brands, including their magnum primers. Federal primers also use aluminum fuel in their mix, and they perform similar to Winchester, the only real difference being that Winchester uses "basic" lead styphnate, whereas Federal uses "normal" lead styphnate and their primer cup and anvil point geometry are made to meet commercial sensitivity standards in regard to drop ball height to determine the "all fire" vs. "none fire" limits. Winchester large rifle are more like the 7.62mm NATO military (US M34) primer. CCI sells an M34 primer clone, which less less sensitive than their normal commercial primers, but the primer mix is the same as in their regular primers.

For a small case such as a .22 Hornet, I'm not sure primers are going to make a great deal of difference. Factory loads in the .22 Hornet are assembled with primers resembling the Remington 6-1/2 or Federal 200, which are commercial equivalents of the WW2 era .30 carbine primer in which base metal thickness of the primer cup was 0.018" +0.0015/-0.0000

[fryboy]

I have to admit I've wrung out the primers more with j-words rather than cast ( mine's a Khornet anyways ) my groups do fair with the same mold ,gator checks using #2 or lino have been about 1/4" tighter using r-p 6 1/2's vs. the 7 1/2's
As for ball powders ... Up to around about the 08 case ... I've had great luck with standard, if I experience a hangfire I'll switch but that's only happened once with a fairly slow ball powder

[GabbyM]

Rem 6 1/2 is what they had for the little cases prior to the 1950's. When Remington came out with the big 222 Rem cartridge in 1950 they introduced the 7 1/2 primer for it. That 7 1/2 primer is a magnum primer. The 6 1/2's are more like a pistol or magnum pistol primer. Federal primers are fairly mild and would be the next step up in power from a Rem 6 1/2. I can't imagine needing more heat in a Hornet than a Fed 205. Due to the small case volume.

[M-Tecs]

Rem 6 1/2 or small pistol have worked best for me in the Hornet.

[Ken in Iowa]

It's been many years, but my K Hornet groups suffered with Remington 7 1/2 over 6 1/2. I was using 2400 and 4227 and j-words.

7 1/2 primers are better suited in 222-223 class cartridges and higher pressures.

[Scottyh]

My Hornet likes the Lee Bator over 7 gr. of little gun with a pistol primer.

[richhodg66]

I use small pistol primers, but I load light loads.

I just shot my Stevens 322 the other evening, the Lee Bator bullet, cast very soft, gas checked and in front of about 5.5 grains of 2400 is very accurate in it and should be a great squirrel round, though I haven't used it on game yet.

Is the Zastava the same rifle as the CZ 527?

[JeffinNZ]

Is the Zastava the same rifle as the CZ 527?

Very, very similar. Rather dinky mini Mauser.

[Mk42gunner]

I haven't done a lot of shooting with my current Hornet, a Savage Model 219, but I have not had any problems using Winchester small pistol primers with any powders yet.

Rich, the Zastava (at least the one we get in the States) is the same rifle that was known as the Interarms Mini Mark X, Charles Daly Mini Mauser, Remington Model 799 and maybe a few others. The CZ is a totally different rifle, kind of like comparing a Winchester Model 70 to a Remington Model 700. Both American center fire bolt actions, but made by different companies.

Robert

[kenyerian]

I have always had best results with small pistol primers with the 22 hornet.

[CLAYPOOL]

I have one of those. Scope bases have it where a Burris scope can't go down enough to center. More checking later...

[GabbyM]

I have a CZ-527 in 222. As in my avatar.
It is the finest made rifle I have ever laid hands upon.
Not even made in the same nation as a Zastava. Either rifle is worth every penny of the price.
Zastava cost les so that is what you get.

[flint45]

Iuse only small pistol in my hornet WW&CCI.

[Larry Gibson]

I've velocity and pressure tested numerous combinations of bullet, powder and primers in my 22 Hornets. I've found with jacketed top end loads using 4227, 2400 and Lil'gun that standard SR primers give the best accuracy and internal ballistics, especially with 40 gr bullets. I've found the 7 1/2 and WSRs to both be very consistent. My most consistent and most accurate 22 Hornet load is the 45 gr Hornady Hornet bullet over 13 gr Lil'gun with a WSR primer. It runs 2940 fps out of my Savage M40 with a measured psi of 21,000.

However with lower pressure cast bullet loads I've found SP primers to be the most effective when powders such as Bullseye, Red Dot, Unique and similar are used. With lighter charges of 4227, 2400, 4759 and 5744 with heavier cast bullets it is a toss up between the SP and SR primers with testing determining which is best for a particular rifle. I have three 22 Hornet rifles and 2 prefer the SP primer while the 3rd prefers the SR primer.

Larry Gibson

[Screwbolts]

I use SP primers in my K-Hornets, 4227 has always been my go to powder in the Hornets, K'd or regular. 219 and 322,both K'd, run the BRP 47 hornet boolits very well. NOE offers a clone. My brothers H&R 22 Hornet runs the NOE 225-55 FN great with its 1-9 barrel.

[acoop101]

Even with full tilt loads of lil-gun (13 grains) small PISTOL primers have always offered the best groups with no signs of pressure.