So picked up a .22 Hornet

[quilbilly]

My T/C Contender carbine Hornet has always loved cast. I have both molds that Lee has made in .22 cal. and the older "soup can" mold shoots a little better consistently under 1.5 MOA at 100 yards. The rifle like CB's at an MV of about 1800 fps using 4198 powder.

[Wolfdog91]

Interesting, well I'm planning on casting for. 223/5.56 soon and halve the molds already so it's good to know I can use the same Lee 55grain boolits

[Wolfdog91]

Excellent find! I've been loading and shooting 22 Hornets from the early '70s. Haven't found one yet that wasn't accurate. Most "inaccuracy" comes from using the wrong bullet for the twist [hronets come with twists from 11 to12" to 16"] Using the wrong weight/length bullet can easily give stability problems.

Also the very thin necks are easily bent crooked when dragged over the expander with typical dies. For best accuracy you'll want to NS only to the base of the seated bullet. I use a Redding Bushing die w/o an expander button to NS. However, the Lee Collet die works very well. Once NS'd I then use a short Lyman M-die to expand and bell the case mouth. I put a sharper taper on the expander mandrel to avoid scrunching the necks. I use the belled case mouths to also seat jacketed bullets. That has pretty much eliminated any scrunched necks [It's very easy to scrunch the thin hornet necks BTW].

Once properly NS 'd the Hornet cartridge can be very accurate with cast or jacketed bullets. Cast bullets can easily duplicate 22LR velocity and accuracy at a cost similar to high quality [not your bargain basement blasting bulk 22LR ammo] 22LR but with much better efficiency on the terminal end. I shoot a 225415 or 225107 at 1050 fps over miniscule amounts of Bullseye out of my suppressed Hornet. It's quieter than my 22 cal air rifle and the FN 52 gr cast bullet thumps squirrels and other small game/vermin as good, if not better than HV 22LR HPs. I also push that bullet into the 1850 fps range which duplicates the WRF Magnum terminal performance. In my 14 and 16" twist Hornets the 225462 is pushed to 2400 - 2500 fps which duplicates the original Hornet velocities. The 225428 is also, as mentioned, an excellent Hornet cast bullet.

With jacketed bullets out of 14" or faster twist barrels I've come to prefer the Hornady 45 gr Hornet SP. Loaded over 12.5 gr Lil'gun it runs 2950 fps out of my Savage M40 and is very accurate and super deadly on critters up through coyotes. In the 16" twist Hornets either the 40 or 45 gr Sierra Hornet bullets over 11.8 gr H4227 has always been an accurate and excellent "standard" Hornet load.

Thanks for the advice! I'll be sure to try and get a neck sizing die when I get the hardware for reloading this little guy

[Wolfdog91]

I love the 22 Hornet! I have been shooting a Ruger #3 for 30 years and as far as I can remember it has only seen 1 box of factory ammo. About a year ago I decided to try my hand at casting for it. I had only been casting for about 1 year but thought I could take a stab at it. This is the result of my efforts. Just so you know this is 10 rounds. This is my 22 LR replacement in the event I ever run out!
Attachment 269027

I'll be more than happy if I can get my cast rounds to do that! Lovely group BTW and I had the same thoughts when I learned that you can reload .22 hornet

[Elroy]

Thanks for the advice! I'll be sure to try and get a neck sizing die when I get the hardware for reloading this little guy

You can just use your full length die adjusted down only just far enough to size the neck to were the base of the bullet would be seated at as Larry stated .This will also free you up a little case capacity which you may need if you use LilGun..You probably should crimp them to keep the primer from dislodging the bullet before the powder catches. I used CCI 400s,but many think they are too hot,some use pistol primers.

[Larry Gibson]

You can just use your full length die adjusted down only just far enough to size the neck to were the base of the bullet would be seated at as Larry stated .This will also free you up a little case capacity which you may need if you use LilGun..You probably should crimp them to keep the primer from dislodging the bullet before the powder catches. I used CCI 400s,but many think they are too hot,some use pistol primers.

If doing this best to deprime with a deprime die. Then back off FL die to desired sizing of neck. Leave case in die and back out deprime expander rod until the expander bumps solidly into the sized neck still being sized. Screw the expander rod in 1/2 turn. Pull sized case neck out just so it is over the expander ball but not all the way out of the sizing portion of the die. Tighten the expander lock ring/nut. That centers up the case neck with the die as the case is with drawn. That will give concentric neck sizing. Very similar to what Bonansa Benchrest dies do.

[richhodg66]

I bought my first Hornet, a Savage 219, specifically to replace rimfires. Couldn't get .22 LR ammo, and it bothered me. I haven't shot jacketed through mine. Tried the 225415 and 225438 through it, both worked fine, but I bought the NOE 45 grain WFN and bought mine all plain based. That bullet and two grains of Bullseye is my favoriet squirrel hunting load now. Kills out of all proportion to its power levels.

Shortly after that one, I decided I need a repeater and got a Stevens 322 (Savage 340 with a butter knife bolt handle). It won't feed to WFN, but Midsouth was still selling the Bator mold then, picked one up, cast them very soft since it was gas checked, and shoot them with six grains of 2400. Also squirrel head accurate at realistic small game ranges, a little more destructive as well.

The advice to try jacketed is BS, the Hornet works great with cast and if you want the jacketed performance levels the .223 will do it better and easier and there are more rifles out there in it.

[MOA]

Nice find Wolfdog91. If it will shoot jackets than you have a nice little shooter regardless if it shoots cast as good. Can you shoot cast??? Any savings???? Maybe. Lot has to do with how much time you have to devote to the casting, cost of getting setup to cast for this small but great cartridge. Do you cast for anything else already? How much shooting of the hornet do you plan to do in a year? Are you going to hunt or just poke the paper a bit? Here's MHO. IF you shoot paper a lot or you predator hunt a lot than maybe casting for it could be worth it. If you already cast an reload than its just a good designed mold and some additional reloading die equipment specifically for loading cast lead in the hornet. Will it beat buying jacketed? Likely at best it'll be break even. But, if jacketed goes up or becomes unavailable you have a different story. I like being as self sufficient as I can. My driven goals are in the minority when you look at the population in general. Much will depend on how you view where you want to be on the independent scale. The cartridge uses very little powder. A little bit of lead goes a long way. The main costs are primers, brass, dies, checks for full velocity loads, and load development time and effort. I decided for me since I knew I was going to be casting lots of calibers and since 22's are more difficult that it would be a canidate for a master caster mold. Lots easier and for me at least faster. I don't do gang molds well. Here's my bin of casting one afternoon. There's a 45-70 in the middle to give some scale to the image.

The boolits before sizing and lube.



The rifle.




Have fun with it no matter be it j-words or cast, shooting the hornet is a blast.

[richhodg66]

Barry, that looks like my Stevens 322 except mine isn't that clean. Good shooter, though. I need to get it out this Fall for some squirrels, been itching to squirrel hunt lately.

[Mk42gunner]

I'll be the contrary one here, and say that I don't find casting the small ones (.25 and .22 cal) any more difficult than getting good results with .30 cal on up. All it seems to take for me is a bit more attention to detail, and maybe a slight bit more heat.

Once you start getting good boolits, glance at the base when cutting the sprue, then dump and refill the mold. Gotta keep the mold hot for the tiny ones, kind of like using a two cavity aluminum mold, run it fast and hot.

As far as cast in the Hornet goes, figure out what you want to accomplish with it. If you just want a basic small game reloadable gun to replace a .22, it isn't that hard. Even if it only shoots four MOA, guess what Four MOA at 25 yards is an inch group. That will take most squirrels and rabbits. It is when you start trying to et close to jacketed performance that it becomes trickier, more attention to detail.

Robert

[MOA]

Rich, this is my little Savage. Great shooter with j-words, and very good with cast as long as I don't try to drive them too fast. The barrel had less than 50 rounds through it cause it came with the original two boxes of ammo that were purchased with the gun. One full box and the other had over 20 cartridges still in it. Made in the 50's, I purchased it in 1981, had the barreled action metal refinished, re-crowned and then hot blued. I refinished the stock in 1990 with a clear matte polyurethane finish. I had my gunsmith inlet the stock for the scope mount and mounted a 3x9. Great shooter and very happy the groups with cast are good too.

[Screwbolts]

MOA, are you sure that is a SAVAGE? I believe Rich is correct it is a "STEVENS" 322 in 22 hornet, with the beautiful butter knife bolt.

I have both of the Stevens 322 and 325. My 322 is 1x16 twist to the rifling and will not stabilize the 55 gr boolitz but will make tiny groups and has harvested lots of coyotes with the NOE 46 WFN . My rifle will shoot cast up to jacketed velocity with ease.

[MOA]

Screwbolts, to be perfectly honest with you I'd have to look again. But, I'd be forced I think to remove the scope mounting plate to view the name. I got this way back in 81 along with other long arms that carry both the "Stevens, Savage, Springfield" names it's hard to remember they all look so much alike.

[Three44s]

Wolfdog91,

I sense that being self-sufficient is your main goal. In other words not being beholding to the whims of the makers of 22 rim fire?

The cost of the ammo within a few pennies is not the issue, it’s being able to fire a shot when it’s needed.

As you have the rifle and molds, why not?

I really like the Lee Collet neck sizer for the Hornet once my brass is fire formed to that particular chamber.

I must confess that I have not cast smaller than 25 caliber rifle thus far. Just done jacketed in 243 and smaller, but since you are in the mix you might as well go for it!

If you have issues with the mold you have for your Hornet there likely would be a member happy to send you different cast bullets to try before you invest in a different mold if the need arises.

Please keep us posted as to your success or issues as your endeavor unfolds!

Best regards and luck!

Three44s

[Screwbolts]

WD91, I would verify the barrels rifling twist in that Handy rifle. Some of the handy rifles have a 1x9 barrel, my brother has one. it really likes the NOE 55 gr boolit that is very similar to the LEE 55 gr pill.

[303Guy]

I love my hornet. It's an Anschutz 1431/32 which means it's built on the shortened 1431 222 action. Very smooth action and nicely fitting stock. The barrel is rust damaged but it shoots just fine. Using very thin walled cases I can load it up 2740 fps with 55gr bullets. It has a 16 twist which with full power loads stabilizes 60gr flat based bullets.

When I came to load for it, my brand new loading die set was missing. I know where it went. Anyway, I resolved to load without sizing since the chamber had been reamed out a bit to clear away rust damage. So it's a bit of a chore to load for but cases never wear out. One day I should polish the rough chamber so I don't have to lube the loaded rounds to prevent case body separation.

Cast boolits are a whole nudder matter. I just never got the hang of my RCBS 55gr mold. Groups weren't all that bad but jacketeds are easier and more accurate.

[DonHowe]

I do not understand the talk of .22 bullets being so hard to cast. Granted I would not recommend a beginner start with a .22 cal mold but if that is the caliber you wish to cast for it can be done. DO NOT give up if your first few attempts fail or produce less than satisfactory results.
The key to casting good .22 cal bullets (or any other caliber bullets) is to let the mold dictate how fast you cast. It is all about mold temp. Start with a CLEAN preheated mold then if not getting good fill out (wrinkled bullets) speed up your rate of casting or increase your alloy temp. Mostly I do this by casting faster thus keeping mold temp higher. This is much easier for small cavities with aluminum molds vs iron molds.
If the whole idea behind casting and reloading for a .22 Hornet is to save money expect it to take a long time to amortize the cost of even basic equipment. If you are of the mindset that every penny of cost must be justified (some of us are born that way) then you are probably better served buying factory ammunition or at least shopping for discounted components for reloading.
Or finding another hobby/sport. Reloading/shooting is rarely going to pay for itself monetarily.

[cwlongshot]

I have a project Savage 340 in 22 Hornet I need to get back to.

I believe that I know have all the parts needed. But I still need to find a stock hnless I alter factory thats not 100% out if the question.

This has nearly a 1.50 dia bbl a-fitted. So its a range gun. Im going to make its a single shot fun gun. Thought about a rail gun type stock too. Poor mans bench rest fun shooter.

CW

[BlackPowderLove]

My cousin used to have a little H&R .22 hornet like that. It was an accurate little devil. I do not recall what we used to load up for it, but it took a lot of fox, crows, and coyotes on the farm.

IW

[Goofy]

Small bullets giggle when the mould is in big clumsy hands. Persevere, it ain't that tough.