22 hornet to k hornet

[olafhardt]

I recently got a Savage break action stamped "22 Hornet". It turned out to have been rechambered to K hornet. When I fire 22 hornet in it I just get split cases. This is the first time I have attempted fire forming. Help!

[stubshaft]

Did you anneal the cases before loading?

[15meter]

Are these reloads? The K-Hornet was designed to fire form with factory fresh ammo. If it is splitting factory loads, I suspect you may have a chamber that the boy reaming it may have gotten a little heavy handed.

I've got a buddy who has 2 K-Hornets. A Ruger 77/22 that he had opened up and a Kimber originally chambered as a K-Hornet. Both fire form with factory ammo and reloads with no problems.

If reloads, it may be a little to much for older brass. Annealing may get you there. If they are hot loads, as in Hornady's Ruger #1 and #3 loads only you may want to throttle them back to original Hornet loading or less. I think my #1 loads are in the 3100-3200 fps, when original factory loading was in the 2400 fps.

A little gentler whack may get you there.

Good luck. I know I like my Hornet.

[Mk42gunner]

I have limited experience with the .22 K Hornet, I bought a supposed to be original Winchester Model 43 once upon a time. Imagine my surprise when out popped a .22 K Hornet case.

The gun shop was very accommodating on taking it back since it wasn't marked correctly. I would have kept it but I think the guy that did the rechambering was drunk, most of the cases had a very unsightly bulge about halfway up the case.

However getting back to the original question, none of the factory fresh .22 Hornet cases split upon firing.

My recommendation is if you have any empty brass, to do a good anneal on it before loading and see if that works. If it doesn't there are more involved and expensive options to make a usable rifle out of it.

Robert

[Tripplebeards]

I just bought a savage 24F with a 22 Hornet on top. Guess I’ll find out when I fire it if it’s been re chambered to the K.

[Screwbolts]

I have never had a problem with spit 22 Hornet cases of Winchester or Remington brands when fire forming cases in 2 rifles that I personally reamed to K-Hornet using a Manson reamer.

I suspect that the OP might be firing Privi or Hornady 22 hornet ammo. My experience with them cases they are thick and heavy.

OP: Some more info from you might help get answers . Like maybe the brand of your factory Ammo, if you are using Factory. Or the load you are using? or maybe the brand of Cases you are reloading.

[barrabruce]

Anneal the necks will help if it’s old brass.
Load so the bullet just contacts into the lands.
I was taught to use a mild load to fire form.
Making them long helps keep the case centred in the chamber and rim on the bolt face.
Stops egging at the Webb as well.

[Gonefshn]

I second what barrabruce said. Lighten the loads. Maybe it was a bad reamer job. You could try swaging the barrel and take measures on the chamber. I had the same thing happen. I purchased an old topper with a 22 Hornet barrel. I fired 50 rounds through it a few rounds in I noticed they turned to K Hornet no biggie. The good news was I only split 2 out of 50 Privi 45 gr.

[Bigslug]

My experience was identical to Mk42gunners - bought a Winchester 43 that had been converted and nobody had bothered to stamp on a "K" after they did it.
Fortunately, my Pops and I had gone through an Ackley-Improved period, so I wasn't a stranger to this kind of work.

The first thing I would try would be loading a small sample of cases with the bullets touching the lands. This will lock your brass against the bolt face and (hopefully) have the case expand only in the directions you want it to (forward and out)

Annealing the case necks and shoulders would be the next step. Expect to lose a few all the same. It's not a thick case like a .308 or .30-06. Mine seemed to split open a eye-shaped gash at the shoulders when they went.

[gc45]

Interesting thread. I never use light loads in my 77/22 Hornet that I reamed to K version. I load 13.5 of 1680 and crunch bullets down until they just barely touch the Lands and fire! perfect cases every time, also can use these new cases for gopher shooting while fire-forming them at the same time. My bullet is the Nosler 40BT - Long live the K-Hornet!

[maddog13]

I just had my Contender carbine 22 Hornet re-chambered to K Hornet. Friday I went to the range to fireform cases. I went with new PriPartisan brass, 34 gr Midway Dogtown HP, 10.5 grs 296, and Winchester SR primer. I took 60 rounds with me and got 55 perfect cases and 5 throwaways. After reading about folks having trouble fire forming PP brass I felt like I came outta that pretty good.55 out of 60 really isn't too bad

[brokeasajoke]

I was told to lube my brass which goes against all I've been told over the years as it causes excessive bolt thrust but it works. Instead of stretching part of the case it allows all the case to stretch so they say. So a light coat of oil from my fingers gets me a nice fire formed case. If you can anneal the brass before hand it would be even better.

[maddog13]

The Pripartsan brass is definately thicker than the Remington and the Winchester brass. Fortunately I am sitting on 2- 100 rd bags of new Pripartisan brass I bought a while back.....when it was reasonably priced.

[Mr Peabody]

I just had my Contender carbine 22 Hornet re-chambered to K Hornet. Friday I went to the range to fireform cases. I went with new PriPartisan brass, 34 gr Midway Dogtown HP, 10.5 grs 296, and Winchester SR primer. I took 60 rounds with me and got 55 perfect cases and 5 throwaways. After reading about folks having trouble fire forming PP brass I felt like I came outta that pretty good.55 out of 60 really isn't too bad

I thought the Hornet used small pistol primers, does it matter?

[brokeasajoke]

I thought the Hornet used small pistol primers, does it matter?

I believe most data books call for a SR primer but it's standard practice to use a SP primer

[salpal48]

I also have a Savage That was converted to K hornet ( Not by Me). What I ended Up doing was to Expand Hornet Brass to Try removing The neck . Then reducing back down just enough to Chamber
Some were Ok some were Not

[gnoahhh]

Hornady makes a hydraulic case forming die. Not particularly cheap but it works a treat for making my K-Hornet brass. Put a Hornet case in the die and whack the piston with a lead hammer and the water pressure expands it perfectly. Doesn't seem to matter if annealed first or not. (And best done outdoors as you can imagine how messy it is!)

The rifle for which I go to the effort to make brass: Winchester 54 w/8x Lyman Targetspot Jr. Re-chambered by Lyle Kilbourn (The "K" in K-Hornet) himself to be his personal rifle.