.22 Hornet vs. .222 Remington?

[blixen]

That's .22 HORNET!
I'm trying to make my mind up between two calibers I've always wanted to own. I'll likely go CZ.

i would be shooting exclusively cast in the rifle.

BTW, I know .223 makes more economical sense, but I've always craved these calibers. And, sadly, I can't afford both.

mainly I'm concerned about achieving good accuracy with cast boolits and have heard the Hornet can be frustrating.

[chrispy]

22 hornet is a very small case capacity, but hampered by a very thin and sometimes fragile neck thickness. Very small powder variations can lead to pressure spikes or velocity differences. Also, finding a small cast pill may be an issue. That said, I want to build a 22 hornet to shoot cast, for my daughter when she is old enough. Lastly, head spacing is off the rim, I found issues with US made brass in my Brno fox II, it was a euro snob and only liked premium euro brass, so I turned it into a rimless 221 fireball, and never regretted it.
The 222 has a few advantages, longer, thicker, case neck. More forgiving case capacity, and reasonable price as well. As it is designed for heavier pills, a suitable cast bullet should not be hard to find.

[richhodg66]

Never had a .222, but the Hornet is easy to get good results from cast with. I've loaded all mine down, wanted to replace a .22 LR, so never have gone beyond that much. Mine are old enough to be the 1 in 16 twist and they have no problem shooting that Lee Bator bullet very well.

Get some kind of neck size dies, I use the Lee collet type dies and haven't had any problems, no lost cases yet.

The .222 does have some advantages and should be a great choice too.

[RU shooter]

I'd go with the triple deuce , me and my dad both owned a few of them my older rem 700V was just an amazing shooting machine and his 340 is no slouch either . Nice long neck and brass is easy enough to get or even reform from the common 223 brass if needed . Plus it can do everything the hornet can do and much much more .

[dale2242]

Get 1 of each.
I love them both....dale

[kenyerian]

I love them both also. I have had them both but now I am down to two Hornets. I stayed with the Hornet because it is my favorite caliber barrel for my contender. I also have a Handi rifle in the hornet. If I was still groundhog hunting I would still have the 222 but there is not many places left here in SE Ohio to hunt them.I like the 225-37-FN 225107 made by Noe. Very economical to reload and plenty of pop for small game. Good for coyotes. Doesn't tear up the fur.

[fryboy]

I own both plus the 223/.556 ....the most fun ? Oddly for me the hornet lolz
Umm make it a Khornet if not the 222 starts looking better but for ease of finding economical factory loads ( if the need ever arises ) the 223 sadly wins

[Hickok]

Just my opinion, but I think if a person could get a rifle in the .221 Fireball, it would be a perfect cast boolit rifle.

[376Steyr]

+1 on the .221 Fireball. If necessary you can make your own brass out of plentiful 5.56 empties. Something to think about when the next Panic strikes and the ammo makers stop making Hornet brass for the duration.

[.22-10-45]

I have both & use cast in each. The Hornet is a custom job with a 26" Shilen C.M. match grade oct. brl. on an original paneled action Sharps Borchardt. Chambering done by the Late Ed Shilen himself. Leupold 12X fixed. The .222Rem. is on another custom rifle, a Ruger No.1 with std. 26" sporter brl. This also has Leupold 12X fixed scope. When I first started shooting either, I tried every jacketed bullet including custom match grade to find out just how accurate they were. This was my benchmark for cast. Five years later & a couple of custom moulds, and tweaked loading tools, I finally equalled best jacketed accuracy with cast. The Hornet has shot some 3/8" groups at 100yds..but more usual is 1/2" to 3/4" The best jacketed accuracy with the Ruger was 7/16" & I have been able to duplicate this with cast.

[CWME]

Another vote for the .221 fireball. The .222 rem is fun too. I make both cases from .223 commercial brass. I never saw eye to eye with my hornet and sold it. It was me not the caliber.

[floydboy]

Can't speak for the Hornet or Fireball but I love my 222. I shoot a GC'd 225415 over 21 grains of 4064 which is a nice case full of powder. Usually get MOA. Haven't experimented with many powders or boolits yet buy plan to. Only real expense is the powder. Built on a Savage action with 26" McGowen barrel.

[MarkP]

Another vote for the 221 FB; I love Hornets as well I have both. I can match jacketed accuracy with either. I do not have a 222 but have a 17-222.

[blixen]

I appreciate the feedback, but you guys are killing me! I can't buy both, but I might be able to follow-up with the other in a year or two. The Fireball interests me too, and I think I saw that CZ did a limited run in .221 Fireball.

Unfortunately, I'm plagued by nostalgia. Mid-20th Century, when I was in my formative shooting years (5th/6th grade) I experienced a .25/20 (pump with tang sight), a .219 Zipper Marlin lever, .222 and a .22 Hornet among relatives who banged away at ground hogs and foxes in their fields in Pa. Over the years, I've passed up over-priced Sav. 342s in .222 and .225 Win. and a Sav. break-action in KHornet and never had the bullet to bite to buy on a CZ or other Euro-mauser.
Now, I'm going to sell off some stuff, scrimp and do it.

[blixen]

BTW, local gun shop guy tried to talk me into a Savage lightweight/walking varmiter in .22H. 24" barrel. I know Sav. makes good barrels, but I was put off by the plastic camo stock.
Anyone, have thoughts on this rifle?

[Cheshire Dave]

I have a CZ .222 and it's very accurate with jacketed and pretty good with cast. Haven't worked enough with cast to really make it shoot. Will shoot 1/2 inch with 50 gr, Vmax. I hope to get a Savage 219 in 22 hornet to play with cast.

[fryboy]

Brass/ammo for the hornet is hit and miss ...reforming it from other cases is a bit more intensive than the 222 ....of course this is looking ahead and with forethought so ... In the end it will be a question of which one makes you feel the warmest

[Mk42gunner]

I've owned both the .22 Hornet and the .222 Remington. In factory form or with J-words, I believe the .222 is more accurate. I have not played with cast in the .222, but brass will always be available for it as long as you don't mind altering .223/5.56mm.

My .222's were a Rem 788 (never should have gotten rid of that rifle) and a Savage 340. The .22 Hornets were an H&R 158 and a Savage 219, A buddy also had a Ruger 77/22H.

The factory Hornet is quieter than a .222, but for cast loads I don't think that will matter.

I have not had both in an equivalent rifle, but I would bet the deuce wins.

All the CZ rifles I have been around have been good guns.

Robert

[Mitch]

the hornet is a picky round.think about it a small case so a small change is realy big.be it powder,bullet,sizeing,primers and anthing else that goes with loading it.i am shopping for a cz 222.I have never shot a 222 that didn't shoot decent to great most were great shooters.the bad part is none of the guy who have them will part with em.

[MT Chambers]

My tupperware stocked Tikka Varmint special in .222 was no hell with cast boolits, so I've found the best are the K-hornet and the .218 Mashburn Bee, but would like to try a Cooper in .221 Fireball.