Contender Barrel (Scoped)
Sporter (Scoped)
Both, for the fun 
Those that shoot cast in their Hornets may try small pistol primers instead of small rifle primers. It made a huge difference in accuracy in my Hornet. Don't use them with high pressure jacketed load though. I switched to the pistol primer because I felt the rifle primer was pushing the powder and bullet out of the case into the bore before the powder really got burning. Like said it made an improvement on the small capacity Hornet case.
I’m making notes for when I finally get a 22 Hornet! Love the old cartridges.
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For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast. Eph. 2:8,9
I think your idea of a second .223 makes a lot of sense for your situation
Don Verna
A C/Z 527 in hornet with a Leupold 4-12x ao scope is a sweet little walking around varminter. Iv'e had 2 and regret getting talked out of them. One was an american and the other was an fs both would shoot 1/2" to 3/4" till you got bored. Hornets can be a little bit of a pain to load for cause some are finicky but I found the combo of Winchester brass, lil gun powder, Remington & 1/2 primers, Hornady 35gr or 40gr v-max, or sierra 40gr hp's to give ground hogs and predators a very bad time.
I had a .22 Hornet for awhile and did some pretty good work with it. Got a couple of coyotes, and a really nice grey fox. It was a single shot H & R that I found for $150 at a gun shop back in 2010. I redid the gun, gave it a camo scheme and a Simmons 3-9 scope and a Caldwell bi-pod. I free floated the barrel myself, all told I had $300 into the gun. I handloaded for it, the thing loved 40 grain Nosler ballistic tips. I sadly ended up selling it because I needed to pay the bills. i wished I still owned it.
This is how it looked when I first bought and just put the scope on it.
This was the morning after I shot a late night grey fox. I shot this fox with factory loaded JSP at about 60 yards and it dropped like nothing.
This was what it looked like after I redid it and added the bi-pod.
Whatever cannot be remedied, must be endured.
My hornet is a Ruger #1, I load it with everything from plain based 45 grain cast @ 1050 up to 45 grain jacketed @ 3100+. You won't go wrong with a hornet.
22 Hornet can get spendy quick. For cheap and easy, a contender and scope sounds quick and painless. Look at a bulberry barrel. For bolt guns have heard conflicting reports about the two piece bolt and in - accurracy on the rugers. I was looking at Ruger #1s since they are indescriminate about oal compared to the mag fed repeaters. Ended up with an anschutz 1700 below the cost of a #1. Been half heartedly looking for a set of Wilson dies for it but have worked up a consistant load with lil gun.
Last edited by Greg S; 11-21-2017 at 11:58 AM.
Very nice work on that single shot. Nice camo.
I have a factory 21" Contender Carbine. It is sub MOA with a little gun and a 40 gr. spitzer..just over 2800 fps. It is death on chucks to 200 yds. and I wouldn't hesitate to use it on coyote. For all around varmiting I am a big fan of the .223. 55 gr. Sierra BT's are death on coyotes to 300 yds or so and they don't do too much damage to the pelt.
Last edited by Rick Hodges; 11-22-2017 at 11:08 AM.
I've been a Hornet fan for many years. Shot several Savage 23s and a couple custom SSs before I got a Ruger #3 back in the mid '70s. Have shot a bazillion varmints with it )fur and feather) up through coyote's. The barrel is almost shot out. Also have had a Contender for years with 10 and 21" barrels. I Picked up a Savage M40 a few years back which is a dream to shoot with both jacketed and cast.
I also have numerous .223s but never saw found the idea of downloading them to Hornet ballistics with jacketed bullets When Hornet rifles are available.
Attachment 207210
Larry Gibson
“Deficient observation is merely a form of ignorance and responsible for the many morbid notions and foolish ideas prevailing.”
― Nikola Tesla
I have a 14" Hornet barrel for my Contender and used it for many years for Sillywet, it is plenty accurate for PD's and other varmints out to 100 yds +/-. The problem is, where I live (if it is a problem) is that prairie dogs can present some VERY long shots. When I want to get really serious about things, I use a M70 Varmint in 22-250. I have nearly the same setup in 223 and it performs well too. The 22-250 will flat reach out there and is my #1 go-to for varminting here in Northern Arizona.
Maybe that 14 inch barrel must take away a lot of velocity, because I've seen Hornets shoot much further then that. In fact I've seen 22 rimfire magnums do that! With authority too! I'd say 200 yards + -.Originally Posted by ShooterAZ
On the other hand. Pistols are a LOT harder to hit things repeatably with, than a rifle. I wish I could hit as well with my contender as with a good varmint rifle, but that rifle stock HELPS, that's why people carry rifles
That certainly is true, but I've seen some of those Contenders shoot some very small groups far away!On the other hand. Pistols are a LOT harder to hit things repeatably with, than a rifle. I wish I could hit as well with my contender as with a good varmint rifle, but that rifle stock HELPS, that's why people carry rifles
I got a Hornet and a Bee both and will never be without one of each .
Eddie
Grumpy Old Man With A Gun....... Do Not Touch !!
That 218 Bee is a real hummer!!!
vzerone - A friend shoots one inch groups at 100 yards off his pistol-converted Uzi. (He handled the paperwork to allow it being converted to a "Pistol" tho it originally was a "rifle" originally. Years since I caught him, I want to see how he's doing. Contenders can do darn well, especially with glass... (My eyes sorta require glass, darn it, but it works.) We all have very different capabilities, from the "silver tongue" folks who talk someone into handing them their weapon (There's a LEO guy who is sorta famous for this one...) to those of us who just shoot good groups with glass, but can't talk anyone into anything. It's just a complex world
Iv'e still got a bruno 465 made in '58
Still shoots inch or under at 100 yrds.
Out to 200 yrds a lot of rabbits met their end and foxes to boot.
Set trigger and 8x power is hard at close in running shots thou.
likes 40 gn nosler plastic tipped stuff of 224" with the old 1:16" twist in the worn out 223" bore.
Just have to clean well after use.
Brass lasts till the primers fall out if you just slightly neck size just enough to hold the bullet and don't try and hot rod it ....just the accurate load.
Head shots if you eat things while a 222 will blood shot too much meat if you plan on shooting something for the pot.
IMHO anyway.
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| BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
| BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
| BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
| C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
| HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
| PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
| LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
| GC | Gas Check |
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