Hornet Unicorn

[blixen]

After a year of searching, I finally found a .22 Hornet (that I could afford). It's a lowly H&R Topper, but I stumbled on to it at a fair price locally. It came with a Simmons .22 rimfire scope, which I used for the first range testing. I've since put a Bushnell Banner 4-12x on it for load development.

Good news: With Hornady factory ammo, it shot at under a 1/2" at 50 yards and about 3/4" at 75 yards. And that's with what must be a 12-pound trigger pull.

Next step is getting dies and finding some cast loads for it. I've got the Lee 55 grain flat-point mold that shoots well in my Triple-Deuce, but it may be too heavy for the Hornet.

Red Dot is pretty much the only appropriate powder I have on hand. I've got a bunch of 4227, but I'll have to research that.

[Bent Ramrod]

A friend had the H&R combination 20 gauge and .22 Hornet barrel set and the Hornet shot very well. I started with a Savage 219 break-action Hornet myself. Graduated to more expensive Hornets later, but practically speaking, the Savage shot as well as any of them.

If you have the mould already, it's definitely worth a try. The canard about stabilization of heavy bullets in the Hornet may hold for jacketed, but has never been a problem for me with cast boolits, at least at the walking-around ranges a Hornet is usually used at. Both my Ruger No. 3 and my Low Wall shoot the Ideal 225462 (~55 gr) very well.

[fecmech]

Here is the place to take care of that trigger.
http://www.perkloafm.com/pdf/Handi_instr_one.pdf

[blixen]

I took a look at the trigger/hammer surfaces and it appears the hammer release surface is mucked up. Part of it seems chipped. I've got two other NEF--shotgun and .22 lr, so I may swap one of their hammers into the Hornet. I've done a modest trigger guard on a NEF in the past--It's a bear to reassemble.

I'll see if I can polish a new "lip" into the old Topper hammer. If not, I'll order a hammer from Numrich--I assume SB2, SB1, Topper and shotgun hammers are all the same.

Bent, I'm going to shoot the 55 Lee (I think it's the Bator mold). If I have a problem, NOE has a 45 grain that looks like a mini-Ranch Dog.

[aspangler]

Hornet twists are "usually" 1-14 so should stablize the 55 grain ok.

[richhodg66]

Here is the place to take care of that trigger.
http://www.perkloafm.com/pdf/Handi_instr_one.pdf

Thanks for this.

I have an old 158 Topper in .22 Hornet I'm embarrassed to admit I haven't shot yet. I plan on restocking it first to make a full length stock.

My Savage 219 is my favorite Hornet, love it, and that mini Ranchdog from NOE works great in it.

[shoot-n-lead]

I have the H&R in 22 Hornet...but they ain't no love here. It is a gun and that is about all that I can say about it.

Even with my poor shooting, my 10" Contender will shoot circles around it...and I am just not interested in working with it...to find what will make it work. I just keep looking for a Savage bolt at a reasonable price...then the Handi will go down the road.

[rwadley]

If it was produced prior to 1987, it may be a 1:16 twist. If newer, it probably has a 1:12 twist. The newest had 1:9 twist, but yours is too old for that. I guess you'll have to measure the twist with a tight fitting jag and patch on a cleaning rod. As a FYI, it may not be the original barrel for the frame (shotgun?).

[blixen]

I'm guessing 1:12, but I'll run a jag down it. thanks. I plan to be intimate with the Topper's internals this weekend to fix the trigger, so i'll check it.

From what I've read about reloading the .22 Hornet, I'm planning on ordering the Lee collet neck-sizing die. I keep reading horror stories about reloading .22 hornet. The smallest thing I've done so far is .222 Remington.

I've already got the NOE expander plug for .226 and my 55grain Lee's slide snuggly into the .222 cases that are converted .223 once-fired.

This is an adventure.

[richhodg66]

I like the Lee neck sizer for the Hornet and have yet to lose a case. I have not found it difficult to reload at all.

[fatelk]

I have an old H&R hornet also. I fiddled with it a fair amount a few years ago. It didn't like heavier bullets at all, but did ok when I tried 45gr hornet bullets (though I never tried cast in it).

With my best loads it will hold 1.5" at 100 yards or a little better, but nothing to brag about. One of these days I'll have to try cast in it. I'm interested to see how yours shoots with the heavier cast. Thanks for posting about it!

[blixen]

With my best loads it will hold 1.5" at 100 yards or a little better, but nothing to brag about. One of these days I'll have to try cast in it.
1.5" is nothing to sneeze at! I've often wondered about the credibility of sub-MOA claims (especially with cast).

I'm going to get methodical with this Topper and see what she'll do. I've gotten my .222 Rem. CZ to put 'em in a 2" circle at 100. But I often have fliers that ruin a 5-shot group. I have minute-of-jackrabbit head at 50 yards.

BTW, I dropped a hammer and trigger out of my .22LR Handi into it--with the tips I got online, good light and correct punches—it was only an 8/10 frustration. The original hammer's notch had chipped off--botched hardening? I'll order another hammer from Numrich, if they are still in stock--Brownells sold out. NEF parts might start drying up after the rifle's discontinuation.

Anyone trying their hand at trigger tuning should read stuff like http://www.perkloafm.com/pdf/Handi_instr_one.pdf

[rwadley]

Sometimes a drop tube comes in handy for 22 Hornet. Brass is often thin, too.

[Jeff Michel]

Congratulations on your new rifle, your going to love it. I've done OK with 55 grain in the Hornet. I've had better luck with the 225107 from NOE. If you haven't spent much time with a Hornet, keep an eye on your cases, they do have complete head separations more than any round I've encountered.

[fatelk]

1.5" is nothing to sneeze at! I've often wondered about the credibility of sub-MOA claims (especially with cast).

Yes, I was happy with it; it took a lot of tinkering to get that good. A friend of mine had an old Savage model 23 in 22 Hornet that had been passed down through the generations, that he had me help him work up a load for decades ago. That old rifle was impressive, consistently under an inch, with jacketed 45gr hornet bullets. It surprised me that a beat up old junker would shoot circles around some of my much nicer rifles.

My H&R in 45-70, on the other hand, I don't care to talk about much. I never had much success getting it to do much better than bust milk jugs at a hundred yards.

[blixen]

I dropped a trigger from a NEF Pardner shotgun into the .22 hornet. Much lighter trigger--I haven't measured it yet, but i'm guessing under 5 lb. I've also temporarily converted it to an extractor rather than chasing my brass.

I've located a used Lee collet die and seater. I also have some once-fired Remington and Winchester brass. It'll be a couple weeks before i can get to the range.

After I do some load development, i think i'm going to mount either a Nikon rimfire 4x on it or an old Weaver K4, with a fine cross hairs. I figure either will be great for a walking-around rifle.

[joatmon]

I've got a 40 Savage and an Encore barrel in 22 Hornet that shoot great but I have a K-Hornet reamer to use on both of them. Should make brass last a little longer. Have fun with that Handie!
Aaron

[quilbilly]

I have had a Contender carbine Hornet for decades which I believe has a 1/12 twist and it shoots cast boolits or jacketed of around 55 gr beautifully. For CB's I have always flared the mouth of the case a tiny bit and never had a problem seating. For my purposes, I have never used hot loads, however, preferring to keep velocities at around 1900 at the muzzle using either 4198 or 2400 powders. Accuracy has always hovered around or just above MOA.

[tward]

Going from 222 to 22 hornet you have to be aware that the neck thickness is much less on the 22 hornet. Tim

[rond]

I picked up a youth sized NEF in 22 hornet with a Tasco scope really cheap. Kept it out at the farm as a varmit tool, it has taken many critters, one of the most accurate guns I own.

[Skipper]

I'm guessing 1:12, but I'll run a jag down it.

Recent manufacture H&R's have a 1 in 12" twist.

[blixen]

Recent manufacture H&R's have a 1 in 12" twist.
Yep. Confirmed it with a rod.

i got a second-hand Lee collet die & seater. Cast a bunch of 56 gr. Lee flat points (I guess that's the latest version of the Bator). I ordered brass through my local Cabela's, but it has yet to arrive.
If if they don't, I'll load the 25 I have on hand and head to the range (probably take 10 of them to get the scope on).

Once-shot or used Hornet brass is hard to come by and usually costs more than new Winchester! I don't know what people are thinking they've got.

[Skipper]

Yep. Confirmed it with a rod.

i got a second-hand Lee collet die & seater. Cast a bunch of 56 gr. Lee flat points (I guess that's the latest version of the Bator). I ordered brass through my local Cabela's, but it has yet to arrive.
If if they don't, I'll load the 25 I have on hand and head to the range (probably take 10 of them to get the scope on).

Once-shot or used Hornet brass is hard to come by and usually costs more than new Winchester! I don't know what people are thinking they've got.

I don't shoot 22 hornet so I don't know about price, but here's some:

https://www.diamondkbrass.com/.22-HORNET-100.html

[dtknowles]

I don't shoot 22 hornet so I don't know about price, but here's some:

https://www.diamondkbrass.com/.22-HORNET-100.html

Like the man said new and in stock at this site for a lot less than that mixed headstamp used brass.

http://www.sportsmanswarehouse.com/sportsmans/Winchester-Rifle-Reloading-Brass/productDetail/Brass/prod9999003755/cat100137

Tim

[blixen]

Thanks. I stopped at the local gun shop, which never has brass beyond .223, and they had Winchester Hornet! Bought 100 for $0.27 a case including tax. That's the best I've seen..

I'll do some shooting this weekend.

[blixen]

Loaded 75 rounds. I used the NOE neck expander and the 55 gr. Lee boolits went in easy-peasy.

[blixen]

Range day was extremely gusty, ranging from 6 o'clock to 3 o'clock. But I figured I could check function and fire form the new cases.

The trigger is great, 2-3 pounds and crisp.

the groups were ok but too many fliers-- a couple in every 10 shot group. The wind makes it hard to nail down the problem, but the groups were circular.

two grains of Red Dot under the 55 Lee did well, 2 inches at 50, with fliers.

3 grains of RD gave a cluster of 1 1/4" at 75 yards. W/flyers. Guesstimate based on my old Lyman=1500fps.

I've got quite a bit of H4227, so I tried it-- best group--7 gr.-- was 2" at75yds. With fliers. Guesstimate =1600 fps.
but at 8 gr. And 8.5 gr. The groups opened up to almost 4".

Finally, I shot some 1.3 gr. red Dot groups at 25yrd, and got nice touching clover leaves. Sounded like a standard vel. .22. Great squirrel load. Guesstimate = under 900 fps. Through the scope, I could see the boolits flying down range.

[rhouser]

I think the lee collet die in 22 Hornet was the best investment I have made for reloading my hornet. That and LIL GUN take all the challange out of reloading for the hornet.

Blixen, could you give a little more info on the NOE neck expander? I have NOE Molds, but, didn't know they made a neck expander for hornet. Does this go into a press? Sorry, but, would love more info.

thanks rch

[blixen]

I think the lee collet die in 22 Hornet was the best investment I have made for reloading my hornet. That and LIL GUN take all the challange out of reloading for the hornet.

Blixen, could you give a little more info on the NOE neck expander? I have NOE Molds, but, didn't know they made a neck expander for hornet. Does this go into a press? Sorry, but, would love more info.

thanks rch

Look here: http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/index.php?cPath=88&osCsid=aguq6heliirn3ieu991tc8idm7
In goes in the Lee expander die that just bells the opening of the case. Putting the NOE expander plug into the Lee Universal Expander body makes it a two-step opening.
http://www.titanreloading.com/universal-expanding-die?search=expanding

[Texas by God]

I want one to rechamber to .218 Bee. Just because I like it better than the Hornet.

[rking22]

I was going to do the Bee once upon a time, if memory serves, the Bee is shorter than the Hornet so would not cleanup the chamber. I was looking at a Ruger #3 an was told it would not shoot well. Now I'm a Hornet fan, but still would like a Bee sometime!