22 Hornet

[DLCTEX]

I loaded some Hornet rounds with the 225-348 Lyman last evening for testing, hopefully today, if the rain holds off. I loaded using SR 4759, 7.5 and 8 gr. and fired a couple shots each at 25 yds in the back yard. Looked good at that range. Did the same using Red Dot, 3.5 gr. Very mild. I was surprised at how full the case was with the 4759, all the way to the base of the boolit with 8 gr. I am much more comfortable with it than the RD due to the impossibility of getting a double charge. With RD it's hard to see the powder in the case even under a bright light.

[cbrick]

I loaded some Hornet rounds with the 225-348 Lyman last evening for testing, hopefully today, if the rain holds off. I loaded using SR 4759, 7.5 and 8 gr. and fired a couple shots each at 25 yds in the back yard. Looked good at that range.

It's a very small world, great minds must really think alike. Last night I loaded ten 22 Hornet test rounds with 8.0 gr 4759 and the Lyman 225438. I can't get to the range for probably a week so I would be very interested in hearing your results.

Rick

[Kraschenbirn]

Currently, my only Hornet is a Ruger #3 but, so far as I'm concerned, here in the Illinois flatlands it's a "Must Have" caliber for varminting/pest shooting. Most farmers...even those who hunt/shoot...are rather hinky about letting someone hunt their land with a "high-power rifle" but most have little or no problem with "small bores" like the Hornet or the .17 HMR or, even, the old .221 Rem.

Bill

[dualsport]

I've read many posts saying Trailboss and small pistol primers work great in Hornets. Is it good enough that I should start looking for a .lb of Trailboss? I have the primers, and a variety of other powders, been using 2400.

[cbrick]

I tried TB and the groups were terrible, a five shot group could be covered up with 5 cents as long as you used pennies and two targets side by side to collect up all the shots. In a 10" Contender I couldn't get the velocity up to 1000 fps with 45 gr boolits.

I called Hodgdon about it and they laughed, said that you couldn't get enough TB in a Hornet case and it wouldn't work. It didn't!

If you try it and it works let me know what you did that I didn't.

Rick

[Wicky]

I have a Sako 78 shoots like a dream - j words only - I have a mold but never used it, one day.
I use 45 semi points with win 680 - yes I still have some. Squirreled away a couple of tins and you get a lot of loads from a tin in the hornet.
I used to use it on rabbits 'til the drought and the calici virus all but wiped them out. Haven't seen a rabbit around here for about 10 odd years.
I use it for roo's occasionally but not too often any more.
It is one of the cartridges every one should have IMHO.

[DLCTEX]

The weather wasn't conducive to shooting yesterday, so I loaded more test rounds with the 225348 using Red Dot, Green Dot, 231, 2400, Unique, and Sr 7625. I fired a couple from each loading to check for pressure, then loaded ten rounds of each. With the current weather pattern I don't know when I'll get to shoot them for grouping. I will say that 231 is a pain to weigh out those tiny 3 gr. charges. If it doesn't meter well I probably wouldn't use it much even if it proved to be the best. I need an indoor 50 yd., no 100 yd. range.

[Mugs]

Try 4.5 grs. 231. I've had excellent results with that load and the RCBS 22-055, 1640 fps. from a 12" TC. Will stay around 1 1/2" at 100 yrds. Don't have any problems with metering from my powder measures.

Rick
How is the LASC range handleing all the rain?

Mugs
IHMSA 5940L

[DLCTEX]

Quote:Try 4.5 grs. 231.
Any idea what the velocity is?

[Mugs]

1640 fps.
Mugs

[DLCTEX]

Ok Mugs, I trudged through the sleet and snow and loaded 21 rounds with 4.5 gr of 231. Now I need a weather break, but it doesn't look likely for 10 days or more. We Texans like moisture but prefer it in liquid form.

[wistlepig1]

DLCTEX, blame it on the gound hogs, he saw his shadow. If it make you feel any better its going to be 2 tonite, snowing, muddy at the range for a month and ON Tuesay I used my Hornet to make sure 18 of the little rat bast**ds will not see their shodows next year!

[DLCTEX]

We got down to 14 last night with light snow. We don't have any groundhogs to take it out on and their cousins, the mighty prairie dog, wasn't sticking his head out yesterday. I know this because I had to make a call in the country past a small dog town and tried for an opportunity to test a round or two, no takers.

[dualsport]

My post #65 was a real brain fart! I said Trailboss but was thinking of LilGun. I haven't read about anyone using TB in the Hornet. Anyway, it's a good wake up call for me to be paying attention when citing load info. Could be problematic.

[303Guy]

Lil'Gun is great stuff in the hornet. It likes heavier boolits or tight neck crimping. I use Fed SR primers. These are quite mild primers I believe. Lil'Gun might not work as well at lighter load levels. Only one way to find out. Chamber pressure with Lil'Gun is quite low so boolit fit may be more important than with faster powders.

[Bert2368]

I did try Trail Boss in the hornet... 3.2 gr with some 225438 GC boolits cast 40+ years ago and lubed with old NRA formula found in my dad's junk box. It didn't work spectacularly well, but it worked- I may try it again with the plain based boolits from Bullshop. The starting load came from someone here, don't remember who.

I'll look for the target.

[Bert2368]

Here's the target from the trail boss experiment:

[Bullshop]

Try some of them PB boolits they are working really good for me.
BIC/BS

[dualsport]

WHAT!? Don't tell me that, I just bought 3,000 .22 gas checks! I want a 200 yd. squirrel load for my Vanguard .223, gonna start with the Bator and old Lyman 224450, the pointy spire point, both with at least a 30 bhn. But just in case, could you expound on that pb stuff a little more?

[Bert2368]

Dualsport- Where and what kind of squirrels do you hunt from 200 yards? I've never shot one past 50 for some reason.

Bullshop, what powders are you using for rifle loads with those PB Hornet bullets?