Help with 22 hornet

[Loony44]

The 22 Hornet has always interred me so I'm having E. Arthur Brown make a barrel for my Encore rifle. I only know what I have read and with the $ of 22 long rifle ammo, I think know is the time to get a 22 hornet.
My question to you all that have experience please advise me on specification. If you were having a 22 hornet barrel made how would you have it. They can make barrel 17" to 26" long and the following twist 1-7, 1-9, 1-12 & 1-14. I'm going to shoot the following cast bullet. Lyman 225107 & 225438 and maybe some when I can find them 45gn j-boolits.
Any and all help will be gratefully appreciated.
Thanks, Loony44

[Goatwhiskers]

The 9" or 12" twist would allow you to shoot heavier bullets, but then IMHO the cartridge was not originally intended to do that. My Handi has a 16" twist IIRC and shoots Sierra 40gr jacketed using A1680 well inside 1/4". Haven't tried cast in it yet, but I soon will. Haven't checked the twist in my Ruger 77/22 but it shoots as well as the Handi. Luck with yours. GW

[Wayne S]

http://kwk.us/twist.html,
just measure the length of your two different bullets, plug in the numbers
Also, I'd check Match Grade Machine for prices and both for a delivery time table

[Baja_Traveler]

Geez - that Match Grade Machine is selling a flawed 22 Hornet barrel for 500 bucks! Hate to see what a clean one sells for...

Could buy a complete CZ or Savage bolt gun for that price.

[TCFAN]

I have a 22 Hornet in a 10 inch Contender with a 14 inch twist that shoots cast and jacket very well over the 100 yard range.
Two weeks ago I ordered a 22 inch barrel for my Encore chambered in 218 Bee from MGM.I had a hard time trying to decide between a 14 inch or 12 inch twist.I went with the 14 inch twist.........Terry

[Clay M]

I have a Browning Low Wall in .22 Hornet. That little rifle likes the Nosler 40 gr Ballistic tip and a load of Lil Gun powder. For some reason that is the only powder the guns seem to shoot well ,but it will shoot dime sized groups at 100 yds with that combination. I think the gun has a 22" barrel with is perfect.

[CAVEMTNMAN]

I have a MGM 22 K Hornet on a Contender frame and it is super accurate at 100 yds (1/4" groups).

[atr]

I have a 22 hornet with a 1:16 twist.....it LOVES 40 gr Nosler Ballistic tip bullets and shoots accurate at 100 yds....
BUT with the 1:16 twist it performs poorly with heavier jacketed bullets.....I have not tried cast with this rifle...probably never will but if I were to shoot cast I would look for a barrel with a faster twist rate.

[Loony44]

Thanks everyone for your help, and thanks Wayne S for recommending MGM. Think I'm going with a 1-14 twist. when I get setup I'll let you all know how it shoots. Thanks again.
Loony44

[uscra112]

Someday I'll do a 12 twist .22 CF (probably a Lovell) so's I could do "Whisper" type loads with heavy-for-caliber boolits. What that would so to normal weights at higher velocities, I don't know. Got the barrel, just ain't found the right round tuit yet....

[Larry Gibson]

A 16" twist would be best for those 2 cast bullets. I have Hornets with 12, 14 & 16" twists and have been shooting cast in Hornets since '74 including those 2 bullets. I suggest the 14" twist as it is the best all around twist for the Hornet with jacketed or cast.

Larry Gibson

[gnoahhh]

I'm thankful for the 1-8½ twist in my Hornet (5.6x35R, but I treat it as if it were a Hornet). It allows for great accuracy with heavy cast bullets, and stabilizes 'normal' Hornet bullets too. Were I having a custom barrel made for the Hornet, I would go with the fastest twist I could get- unless I'm missing something here.

[.22-10-45]

My Shillen barreled Sharps Borchardt has a 26" 1 -14" twist. I can shoot 55gr. jacket or cast with excellent 100yd. accuracy.

[GBCAPT]

I have a CZ 527 hornet with the 1:16 twist and the .223 bore.

It loves 40 gr jacketed - especially the Sierra .223 Hornet 40 grainer. I have found the Nosler shoots well too, if I snip the tip off with a nail trimmer to shorten it.

There is a definite decrease in accuracy if I up to 45 grainers.

My results have not been great with cast. I have a NOE .225-45 WFN mold and had plans to use a hollow pointer with it for low velocity small game loads.

If I were to rebarrel it I would go for the 14" twist. ( my .222 has a 14" twist and shoots better groups than my hornet)

[Bad Ass Wallace]

I have a 1949 Brno ZK465 Hornet with 1:16" twist. The limiting factor is the magazine length and only the Sierra 45gn SMP (1210) will seat and feed from the mag.

https://i.imgur.com/TKQFi6a.jpg

[earlmck]

You got her figured -- that 14" twist will be fine for any bullet or boolit you'd want to shoot in a hornet. My 16" twist shoots the Lyman 225462 very nicely and it comes in at nearly 60 grains from my mold. The 225415 at 55 grains shoots very well also but I think the '462 beats it out by a hair. My rifle has never seen a j-word: the hornet is perfect for cast so I don't know why you'd use anything else.