Comparison of two different cartridges same caliber

[45-70 Chevroner]

I'm not too sure how to word this but here goes.
Lets compare the 22 Hornet and the 223 Remington shooting cast boolits only. The 223 will handle weights up to 70 grains if the twist is fast enough. The Hornet will handle up to 55 grains, so lets hold the weight to 55 gr. The hornet according to my Lyman 4th editon cast bullet manual using the proper load will do a little over 1800 fps with the 55 grainer. The 223 with the 55 will do a little over 2300 fps. The shooting will be at 50 yards or so for small game only. I know both are capable of a 100 plus with those loads. Here's my delima I have a 223 14" TC. I have dies and lots of brass. Is it worth getting into a Hornet, I would have to start from scratch to get into a Hornet. Is there any real difference one over the other giving the parameters I gave.

[17nut]

38SPL and 357MAG

7,65x21 Parabellum and 300-378Wheatherby

Did i win?

[earlmck]

I know both are capable of a 100 plus with those loads. Here's my delima I have a 223 14" TC. I have dies and lots of brass. Is it worth getting into a Hornet, I would have to start from scratch to get into a Hornet. Is there any real difference one over the other giving the parameters I gave.

I have a feeling you have already answered your own question. If you were going to only shoot cast boolets and you didn't already have a 22 cal centerfire, the hornet would be your best bet. But the only advantage the hornet would have for your 50 yard cast boolet shooting would that it would get the job done with a little less powder. It will make the same velocity with cast as the 223; in fact it might have a slight advantage in that the 16" twist of the hornet could keep cast boolet shots together at higher velocity than the 14" twist of the 223. But nothing at 50 yards would ever know the difference.

My favorite hornet load uses the Lyman .225462 which casts up at 58 grains out of my mould using linotype. I shoot these a bit above 2300 fps using H4227 or H110. I don't presently own a 223 but would expect to do well with it and the same boolet, probably still using the 4227 though might try 4198 or RL7 in the 223 case.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I have had rifles in 22 hornet, 222rem and 223rem.

I really like the 22 hornet, reduced case capacity is a plus for cast boolits, but the cases have delicate necks, which reduces case life...and finding used brass can be difficult, and often times you end up with someone else's junk if they weren't properly preped/resized before you received them.

Because of that, I prefer the 222, with it's long neck, it's more cast boolit friendly than the 223.

that's my 2¢.

[sundog]

Triple deuce with cast is the bees' knees!

[country gent]

Ill throw a favorite of mine into the mix also 218 bee. I have 22 hornet, 218 bee, 222 rem ( 14" contender) 223 / 5.56, 22-250, and 220 swift here. I don't do a lot with cast boolits in them but they are all respectable rifles. The hornet has some brass issues and over sizing the tapered thin case can be a problem but it does perform admirably. The bee is a nice short case that almost duplicates 222 ballistics with modern powders. The others are more into the high performance range to me. A 22 hornet with 1-14 twist barrel and 50-55 grn cast bullets should do almost all small game nicely. Same with a bee a 1-12 twist on the bee might open it up to 60 grn bullets also. The 222 and 223 will run the full range of bullet weights depending on twist rate. Same with the 22-250 and Swift. Another in this upper end range is the 225 win. A great round but is hard to find.
The big plus to the Hornet and Bee for a cast bullet rifle is 1) the small powder capacity and 2) the short powder column. Best of both might be a hornet with chamber reamed to 22 Ackley improved hornet. This gives the shrap shoulder a little more capacity and a nice neck. Something to consider.

[runfiverun]

heck no.
you got the rifle and brass in hand.
make it do what you want.
you can get the 223 down to 22lr velocity's and up near jacketed velocity's with cast, I see no advantage in tracking down another rifle,brass,dies, etc.. just to compete for your time.

maybe if you needed a 400yd varmint rig then something else would be In order.

[45-70 Chevroner]

I don't think there is a winner here, except for me by getting some good info here that has really substantiated my thoughts as per "runfiverun" and "earlmck". And the rest of you.Thanks guys.

[Hick]

In my 223 Remington I shoot cast all the way from 1200 fps (plain based) up to 1800 fps (gas checked) with great accuracy. The only reason I don't go above 1800 fps is that my CZ 527 has a 1:9 twist. With the huge amount of brass available (mostly range pickup) and the excellent accuracy I think 223 Remington is a great choice for cast. My favorites are the Lyman 225646 and the Noe 225-55FN-- both excellent cast bullets that run around 60 grains.

[runfiverun]

1900 is selling the round and yourself about 800 fps short.

[GhostHawk]

When the .22lr crunch hit I was sitting on a fair stash. But I still hung up my Ruger 10/22. No point in burning ammo that is hard to replace.

So I started with some 55 gr FMJ's from Monmouth at a decent price. Still have most of them.
But it worked. So I bought the Bator in a 6 cavity. And started going lower, using Red Dot for powder. Found a good node, bullets were gas checked, lubed with BLL. Good accuracy, quieter, and then went lower yet speed and powder wise. Ended up at somewhere in the 1300 fps range. With the 55 grain bullet compared to a 40 gr in .22lr it still had better energy than .22lr. Accuracy was about 1" to 1 1/2" at 100, no gas check, 4.6 grains of Red Dot. Darn cheap round to load. Primer and couple cents worth of powder.

As quiet as .22lr, aimed at a squirrel eye, 10 shots out of 10 would have killed the squirrel.
I suspect if I wanted to put the gas check on it would improve a smidge.

Why spend the money for rifle/barrel, brass, dies to do the same thing?

There is simply not that much difference between them.

.223 brass is free for the picking most places people shoot.

Cast some bullets, start low, see what you can do, see what works for you.
Its a journey, enjoy the trip.

[bstone5]

Have a H&R single shot in 223. Shot powder coated and gas checked cast bullets in the gun using a low velocity load. Fun to shoot and not expensive to reload with cast bullets. My 9 year old grandson shoots this rifle a lot at the gun club. He got his first deer a 8 point and a bobcat last Saturday morning. He shot both with a 222 Remington 600 using jacket bullets. He was real excited about the bobcat, shot it thru the throat and I will have the bobcat head mounted for him.

[Wayne Smith]

Ghost, I assume you are shooting a .223 - you didn't specify.

Chevroner - you're shooting a TC - Contender? Then it's just a matter of ordering a barrel in the twist you want to acomplish what you want if what you have won't do it.

[45-70 Chevroner]

Ghost, I assume you are shooting a .223 - you didn't specify.

Chevroner - you're shooting a TC - Contender? Then it's just a matter of ordering a barrel in the twist you want to acomplish what you want if what you have won't do it.

I've had this 223 TC barrel for a long time and I have shot a lot of cast boolits through it. My main quarry was to get a feel of others ideas between the two. I am going to stick with the 223, I have three molds I can use with the standard 1 in 14 TC twist.

[beagle]

Got to side with runfiverun, why reinvent the wheel. The .223 will do whatever the Hornet will and you're already set up. However, if you have the dreaded "got to have just one more disease" like most of us, go for the Hornet. It's an entirely different ball game./beagle

[GhostHawk]

Sorry yes, .223 in H&R Handi rifle.

I don't think there is a wrong answer here. You can either buy another barrel or shoot the one you have.