225415 & the hornet

[mainiac]

Been playing with the hornet again,,,, 225415 with felix lube,sized .225. Most accurate load today was 6.5 grains of 2400- about 1700 f.p.s. At 8 grains, speed is 2105 av. and groups open up to 3.5 inches or so. My question,,,, Does ww alloy poop out at around 2100 f.p.s. in the 22,s? To go faster, do i have to find harder alloy,or different lube? Between 1400 and 1700 f.p.s. it shoots very nice as is, BUT, I would like to go faster. Lyman says to use straight linotype in the .22,s.

[johnly]

I've shot a 311291 cast from straight linotype at >2000 fps in my 308 match rifle at near MOA accuracy. Good metal makes good bullets.

John

[Bent Ramrod]

You might try a slightly slower powder. I use 4198 behind the 225462 (7 grains heavier than your 225415) and get just over 2000 ft/sec with under 2" groups. Slower powders may give a gentler acceleration up the barrel to a faster ultimate speed.

[shooter93]

And give IMR 4227 a try too....2400 is much to "peaky" I think and when approaching max the pressure curve gets all wrong.

[freedom475]

I only got a few reloads before breaking my brass with 2400and H110, I have since switched to LittleGun and find its more accurate and my brass lasts way longer. It feels/sounds like a lower pressure but am getting higher velocities.
My rifle is a Ruger77.

[JeffinNZ]

I used to shoot 5gr 800X under that bullet in my CZ hornet for 1900fps with very good accuracy.

[w30wcf]

mainiac,


Does ww alloy poop out at around 2100 f.p.s. in the 22,s?
In my experience, no, with the 225438 at 47 grs. and also the older 225415 at 51 grs. (w.w.+2%tin).

I was able to obtain 1" to 1 1/2" groups @ 100 yards at 2,600 f.p.s. They shot as well as jacketed bullets do from my '43 Winchester .22 Hornet.

To get consistant accuracy at that velocity, one has to pay close attention to detail.
a.) I used "match grade" bullets which weighed + - .1 grain.
b.) The gas checks were pre seated
c.) Bullets were indexed in both the lubrisizer and barrel.
d.) Bullets were cast with sprue plates having .07" diameter sprue holes to minimize base distortion.

Have fun!
w30wcf

[Bullshop]

One additional step to perfection with 22's that I would add to w30wcf's list is that if boolits are to be sized at all they should be pree sized in a nose first push through die, then lubed without additional sizing.
BIC/BS

[beagle]

Get hold of some babbitt and alloy it into your melt. I've shot cast 415s out of the Hornet (and the .223) at 2600 FPS with no leading and decent accuracy.

The brass life does suffer at those velocities though./beagle

[Larry Gibson]

I've shot a 311291 cast from straight linotype at >2000 fps in my 308 match rifle at near MOA accuracy. Good metal makes good bullets.

John

What is your "match rifle" and do you know the twist?

Larry Gibson

[Larry Gibson]

Been playing with the hornet again,,,, 225415 with felix lube,sized .225. Most accurate load today was 6.5 grains of 2400- about 1700 f.p.s. At 8 grains, speed is 2105 av. and groups open up to 3.5 inches or so. My question,,,, Does ww alloy poop out at around 2100 f.p.s. in the 22,s? To go faster, do i have to find harder alloy,or different lube? Between 1400 and 1700 f.p.s. it shoots very nice as is, BUT, I would like to go faster. Lyman says to use straight linotype in the .22,s.

What 22 Hornet rifles is yours? Do you know the twist?

As previously mentioned try H4227. I don't get quite as picky as 30wcf but I do pre seat the GCs. I drive them at 2500 fps (112,500 RPM) out of my 1-16 twist #3 Ruger with 1.5 MOA accuracy at 100 yards. This rifle would shoot sub MOA with 40-45 gr jacketed bullets. Out of my 1-2" twist TC Contender barrel with the same load accuracy goes south above 2000 fps (120,000 RPM).

Larry Gibson

[Ricochet]

Some of that surplus WC680 might be just the ticket for a Hornet.

[georgewxxx]

I've always found that the faster you drive a boolit, the smaller you want to size them. hornet's above 2000fps usually like .223 or .224....Geo

[45nut]

Radial expansion due to the rpms?

[georgewxxx]

Probably that plus the extra pressure needed to push it faster on the boolit base. That theory seems to hold up with any caliber if you're trying to build a hunting load. Smaller is better. Speed on a target load needs to be enough to exit the barrel only. Sizing size can be almost anything within the caliber criteria for paper punching. That's one reason unsized boolits seem to shoot so well.

[shooting on a shoestring]

I shoot a #3 Ruger in Hornet. I tried a new 225415 mould, 55 gr boolit, would not stabilize. Switched to a new 225438 (two lube groove version) 45 gr, shoots good. I use H110 and Lil'Gun loads to go over 2500 and under 2700 fps. I've seen several 1.25" 5 shot groups at 100yds, then some with fliers (currently working on that) but no leading. I use WWs water quenched, lubed with Felix lube. Several times I've fired 50 rounds straight just as fast as I could load, sight, fire. Once ran 100 rounds that way, still no leading. I'm happy.

[Greg]

Mainiac-

I shoot the 225415 in a Brno 22 k-Hornet;

air cooled wheel weights, apache blue lube, sized .225 and a small pistol primer. I’ve had great success with Accurate Arms 2015 the sweet spot is 12.2 grains in this k-Hornet. Other powders that have proven good in two different k-Hornets...SR 4759, IMR 4198, Hodgdon’s 322

Two things that I think are important in the Hornet sized case; a good ‘M’ die and small pistol primers.

[leftiye]

SOS, what twist do you have in that Ruger? I have the 225438 myself, and two Hornet guns (one in 10" twist) and was thinking about getting a 225415. I thought 1 in 10 should stabilize it, is that wrong?

[mainiac]

Was shooting the hornet again today, with the same 7 grain load of 2400. Shot multiple groups under an inch @ 80 yards(dont ask "why 80?" ha!) Played with seating depths,and stopped crimping the case, and i think ill just shoot this thing at 1800 f.p.s. and be happy! This must beat the .22 magnum rimfire hands-down. 35 rounds today, and the bore is very clean and shiny. BTW, the gun is a stevens 322, with 16 twist. I'll find some linotype some day,and maybe i'll try the high speed thing again.

[drinks]

Mainaic, why wait for BHN 22 linotype when water dropped/ oven heat treated wws plus 1oz per 10 lbs of chilled shot will give you BHN 28-32 bullets?

[johnly]

What is your "match rifle" and do you know the twist?

Larry Gibson

Remington 40XB 308 with a 27" 1/12 twist barrel.

The load was 25 gr. of 4320 and 0.7gr Dacron

311291 cast from linotype, weight segrated, and sized .309 and lubed with 50/50.


John

[mainiac]

Mainaic, why wait for BHN 22 linotype when water dropped/ oven heat treated wws plus 1oz per 10 lbs of chilled shot will give you BHN 28-32 bullets?

Having never oven treated bullets before, i didnt think of it. Thanks for the tip, now ill have to re-read the oven treating thing and give her a try. As i recall, you size before baking correct? If so, i only have one .225 size die, and if i run bullets in and out of the machine with no lube, will this be alright? And then assumingly, after the heat-treating i can run them back threw this same die,to seat check and lube? How much temp,and how long? Thanks,

[Gohon]

I just sit all the bullets on a platter and hit them with "One Shot" before sizing and then I size and install gas checks. Then I do my heat treating and then a lube with Lee LA. I know, I know........ everyone says not to install gas checks prior to heat treating but I've never had a problem with a gas check coming off or even a loose check. I'm using the Hornady gas checks and they seem to have a good grip on the base.