Contender .22 Hornet.

[leftiye]

Well it finally happened. I shot my .22 hornet barrel in my contender with my first guess at a cast boolit load. I think I've got a G-2 barrel on my old Contender frame. It fails to hit the primer hard enough a lot of times, and doesn't like to unlock. Funny, but until it is fired the lock/unlock works fine.

The good news is that 12 grains of Alliant 2400 with a small pistol standard primer behind a 225438 that I made ugly (modified) - shoots puurty well (estimated 2000 fps.)! Didn't actually put it on paper yet, we were sighting it in by shooting at a white spot painted on a rock at 125 yards. Not professional, I know but my son in law has said we could set up a shooting range at his place, but we havent done any setting up yet, just shooting rocks. I'm going out there to build a bench next week. We were just looking at places to shoot today.

BTW, Lar's Carnauba red thinned with bullplate lube (6 to 1) is one fine lube, no leading and (apparent) great accuracy out of the two guns we shot today. I'll get a picture of that boolit in here as soon as I can. It's the 225438 with an extra bearing band (wide) on the base of the ogive. I'm quite pleased with how it shoots.:grin:

[jsizemore]

Sounds like the interlock safety is not dropping out of the way entirely. Could be that your reloads are seated out too long or the throat is a little short.
Take the barrel off the gun and check your reloads in the chamber. If the rim doesn't sit flush with the rear of the barrel and you can't remove the loaded round with your thumb operating the ejecter, you'll need to make adjustments in either your overall cartridge length or boolit sizing.
The reason the gun won't open is because of too much pressure from too long overall cartridge length or tight neck/throat.
This from being match director for 8 years at IHMSA and NRA hunter pistol matches.
Good luck.

[jsizemore]

I don't know the weight of that bullet, but two manuals I have that show load data for a hornet IN A PISTOL says a max load of 10gr of 2400 behind a jacketed 45gr bullet in a barrel 14" long. They got 2500+ fps.
Be safe. Good luck.

[leftiye]

Pressure signs are good. Standard small pistol primers are flat, but not too flat. I'll pull a boolit and weigh the charge just to be sure what's in there before I load any more. I'm thinking of slowing it down just a tech anyway as I'm not interested in high speed so much as a nice P. Dog ,small game meat load. As stated it's pretty accurate and doesn't lead at all. I used that lube in some 120 grain .327 Feds. that are about max pressure also without leading, and with fairly good accuracy. I think I've got a winner with that lube.

Thanks for the help on the lockup problems, I'll take the barrel off and check that. I have also heard that the new two piece locking lugs don't like the older frames. Thanks for the feedback.

[Rocky Raab]

I am afraid that your unlock problems may also be from an overload. I've only blown two rifle rounds in my entire reloading career, and one of those was with 10 of 2400 in a Hornet. I am permanently scared off 2400 in the Hornet as a result.

If 10.0 was an overload, what might a charge that's 20% higher be? Holy Hannah.

[1Shirt]

I use 2400 in Hornet for cast, but go with about 7.5 as max for the little 338 blt.
Shoots great. Think the Lyman manual lists around 8 or so max. Good luck!
1Shirt!:coffee:

[leftiye]

Tweren't an overload, and it didn't display high pressure signs. Possibly because of the small pistol primer (which didn't even crater - SP primer would perforate at pressures that would only flatten small rifle primers), and the fact that my boolits are seated out somewhat longer than usual to fit the throat of the barrel. No sticking at all. As I said, I'll pull one and see how much powder I really did put in them. They were loaded months ago, and I may be mistaken about how much I used. I did research it thoroughly with the goal of a relatively slow load at 2000 fps. Not offered as advise to anyone. All loads should be worked up, and test fired for pressure signs before loading a batch - as you all know. BTW, 2400 was originally developed expressly for the Hornet.

[Rocky Raab]

If you believe that the primers, brass and especially the 2400 powder of today are the same as they were 110 years ago, you make entirely too many assumptions.

I sincerely hope that you mis-remembered that charge weight, because 12 grains is a grossly severe overcharge. In the Lyman 49, the highest charge of 2400 is 8.3 grains with a jacketed bullet, and only 6.0 with a cast slug. Your load would be a DOUBLE charge if that's what you actually fired.

[leftiye]

Whatever, Have it to yourself. See ya, bye. All of your own assumptions ansd assertions come to naught - there WEREN"T any high pressure signs.