.22 k hornet- do I have headspace issues?

[samwithacolt]

I have had this Ruger 77/22 hornet since I moved to Canada from the UK 7 yrs ago. I have'nt got to play with it much as I just have'nt had time. Now I'm living in Saskatchewan surrounded by gophers!
I have had a few head seperations and scrapped some brass that was ringed in front of the rim. I'm running 10.5 gr of Lilgun (and 35 gr vmax)as I'm scared to go any harder after blowing a few brass.
So tonight I seated a couple of primers as proud as I could and closed the bolt on them to seat them further. I did two cases and both had the primer 12 thou out of the pocket.
How bad is that? I notice spent shells have the primer sitting out slightly so the case is gripping the chamber at the neck and stretching backwards. I was going to order some new brassto fireform but I'm afraid it might be a waste of money. What's your thoughts on 12 thou headspace in a k hornet Ruger?

[dtknowles]

I can't say about the guns headspace but can't you back you size die out and have the brass headspace on the shoulder?

Tim

[samwithacolt]

I only size half the neck and they start to split before they even reach the shoulder. I did'nt anneal the brass I have before I formed it and some of it was used when I got it. I have tried using a peice of a thin elastic band around the case to hold it against the bolt face. It works, but it's fiddly. I could fireform new brass like that if I had to, might be enough to reach the shoulder like you're saying.

[BK7saum]

Back your sizing dies off a little so your headspacing on the shoulder. But you'll get stretch the first time on new brass unless you use some method to seat the case head hard against the bolt face.

[altheating]

Try putting a shim kit in the two piece bolt. Available at triggershims.com

[fouronesix]

Might be worth it to get at least some new Hornet brass and try fire forming a few so the shoulder is formed at the right place. Usually requires a load of about 35kpsi to fully form a sharp shoulder. To fire form the shoulder at the right place, try fairly hard cast bullets seated out so they heavily engrave in the lands when chambered. Then set the case sizing die to not set the shoulder back when sizing. This usually works for a few loadings until chambering starts to get too sticky.

If this works to overcome the headspace and separation issue, then fire form the rest similarly. If not, it may be time to consider the gun does have excessive headspace that requires a more serious remedy.

[M-Tecs]

You will have the same issues with the K Hornet. Try jamming the bullet into the lands to fire form. The K Hornet headspaces on the shoulder but you still need the rim, false shoulder or jammed bullets for the first forming if your rim headspace is off.

[303Guy]

I have had this Ruger 77/22 hornet since I moved to Canada from the UK 7 yrs ago. I have'nt got to play with it much as I just have'nt had time. Now I'm living in Saskatchewan surrounded by gophers!
I have had a few head seperations and scrapped some brass that was ringed in front of the rim. I'm running 10.5 gr of Lilgun (and 35 gr vmax)as I'm scared to go any harder after blowing a few brass.
So tonight I seated a couple of primers as proud as I could and closed the bolt on them to seat them further. I did two cases and both had the primer 12 thou out of the pocket.
How bad is that? I notice spent shells have the primer sitting out slightly so the case is gripping the chamber at the neck and stretching backwards. I was going to order some new brassto fireform but I'm afraid it might be a waste of money. What's your thoughts on 12 thou headspace in a k hornet Ruger?
My hornet has a large chamber and no shoulder yet I load 13.7gr Lil'Gun under a 55 7gr bullet and get indefinite case life. I never size at all and I don't bother checking for incipient head separation because I know it won't happen. Even an already cracked case survived several firings without the crack progressing. I never need to trim cases either. How? I lube the loaded cases the same way as for case sizing. The cracked case came to me that way.

One cannot load a k-hornet to those levels with Lil'Gun, though. Pressure would go through the roof. Lil'Gun is weird stuff.


I can't say about the guns headspace but can't you back you size die out and have the brass headspace on the shoulder?

Tim

[barrabruce]

Yep I have done the same last time I formed some cases for k hornet.
seat out long and try a 1/2 to 3/4 load for my gun.
cases form without the wobbly sided look.
I have had cases last that long that the primers fall out before necks crack.
I only size enough of neck to seat bullet which isn't much in my chamber.

I dip my cases in graphite powder with shot gun pellets in it for lube.

I may have even wiped a few clean once they tarnish up bad.
Cases now get wiped over with eds red on a rag for cleaning.

Virgin brass is the way to go. still using the ww cases from donkeys years ago but must admit I don't shoot it much.
Still shoots 3/4" at 100 yrds and more likely better with a good shooter.
Got boring after working up a load.
I use adi 2205 and some plastic tipped pointy things in it.
Think I'm lucky cos the sizing die rusted over the years and the neck expander don't do nothing but just rub the inside of the case.
I found mine likes 3/4 loads for accuracy and cases last heaps longer then trying to make it a 222

[TCFAN]

I have a standard Hornet and had the same problem of total case head separation.Once I started neck sizing only and using a Lyman M die for neck expansion my head separations went away completely.My gun is a Contender pistol 10 inch barrel...............Terry

[Cap'n Morgan]

The SAAMI call for a rim thickness between .065 and .055 The chamber recess can be anywhere between .065 and 0.072 deep. Your headspace could be as large as .017" and still be within specs, but I personally would prefer much less - perhaps .004.

[samwithacolt]

Thank you sir, that's what I was looking for.

[country gent]

The hornet is a fun little round but the body taper and gentle shoulder can make getting everything right touchy. Ink a fired case with a magic marker ( a few stripes full length of the body is fine) you want to see where the sizing die is doing its work at along the case length. I normally size my cases so that the neck is sized to with in .075-.100 of shoulder. The shoulder and body isnt touched just the neck. I also seat the bullets snug to rifling,you dont need to hammer bolt closed on loaded round you just want to feel a little resistance when closing. This holds the case head against the bolt face and helps slow the stretching. I have no real issues with case life. Ive had 1 case head seperation in many years of shooting my Hornet. Partial sizing will help alot with case issues.

[Blanket]

If you are having that much problems I would knock the barrel off and set it back a little. The K needs to headspace from the shoulder not the rim

[John Taylor]

A simple way to check head space is to add layers of masking tape to the base of a cartridge until the bolt will closes tight then measure the layers of masking tape. While a K can be head space on the shoulder is is best with both Hornets to have them head space on the rim. Most reloading dies work the neck to much for long brass life.