.22 mag Vs. .22 hornet

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ArkansasFatboy

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Guys I am considering a new rifle purchase and was thinking of a .22 hornet but I already have a .22 mag.Is there an advantage of the hornet over the mag. I would use it for coyotes and bobcats.It is pretty populated around here and anyting with a range of more than 300yds would be risky to shoot.
 
The Hornet should give you about 60-75 yds. more reliable range, better accuracy, and a very mild report. Factory ammo for it isn't much more expensive than the .22 mag. It also will come in more "varmint-quality rifles. The Ruger 77/22 in .22 Hornet is sweet. That rifle also comes in .22 mag.
 
I am a fan of the standard .22 mag. I shoot the same animals and have killed fox at about 250 yards with ease. I like the hornet, and I agree, some of the rifles are VERY nice, but the .22 mag comes in some very nice rifles too. I happen to shoot an old Glenfield rifle..like 35 years old or something like that and it works just fine, I hit pop cans at 200 yards with the 22mag. The biggest reason I like the mag over the hornet is because its a lot cheaper here in NY, and I shoot A LOT. The choice yours, but if your looking for a new rifle, take a look at the .222 or .223 choices. They would give you the "next step" up in power and be plenty accurate to 400 yards.
 
something to consider

If you reload go with the hornet or as suggested the .222 or .223. You can load very good varmint bullet which will explode/fragment on contact with almost any surface this will prevent ricochets, which you would be more prone to get with the lead 22 mag.
 
legitimate 250 yd shots with a hornet is do-able, and will hit with much more energy than a 22 mag. Plus if you are going to reload, there is about 1 million recipes for the hornet.
Besides , the 17hmr is better than a 22 mag is allready, so get the hornet and make it a much better, flatter, harder hitting round.
 
If you opt for a hornet, consider modding it to K hornet. You get a little more power and longer case life with less trimming. You can still shoot hornet ammo in a K Hornet - it just fireforms the case. Barrel twist on most hornets will limit bullet selection, but you'll still be ahead of 22 WMR.

22 Hornet, K-Hornet and 223
hornet.jpg
 
Realistic? How about 40 years+ experience;
On ground squirrels:
.22lr=75 yards
.17HMR=125yrds
.22mag 150 yards(with the new loads)
.22hornet 225 yards
.22k hornet, jet in a rifle,.17 Ackley Bee,.221,.222,ect.=250yrds
.17 Rem,.223=300 yards
.22-250,.224 weatherby,Swift-400 yards
.243,244 ,Roberts,.224 Jay bird or Clark ect=500yrds
25-06, .257Weatherby, .264Mag ect. 600 yrds
30 pound rail guns in stuff like my old .258 Condor (.257 200 grain bullets on top of full length .300 H&H case full of H870 from a 30" barrel with a 30x Unertl scope)- way out yonder!
 
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The .22 Hornet is sweet and I like reloading, so for me it would be boring just buying .22 Mag to shoot.

The .22 Mag is a good round though, and overlooked/dismissed by many.
 
For a rimfire round the .22 Magnum ammo is very expensive. i reload .22 Hornet and K-Hornet for less than the cost of quality .22 Magnum ammo. i have taken coyotes to over 200 yards with my .22 Hornet.
 
Difference between 22 Mag and 22 Hornet is about the same as the difference between 30-30 and 300 Magnum.

+- 700 fps

Is there an advantage of one over the other?

Yes, for some uses.

Bruce
 
What twist? If it's 1:16, 45gn is about as heavy as you want to go, and there are blunt hornet bullets that work best in the slow twists. 1:14 will let you go to approx 52gn (depends on design and legth as well as station pressure).

I mostly shoot 35gn Vmax, which I can push at 3000 fps from my K-Hornet with a mere 12gn of Lil' Gun
 
the hornets a great little round, if you got one you'll like it, better performance than a 22 mag, but check factory loaded ammo prices if your not a reloader or going to get into reloading before buying a hornet,

in my area gunshops federal, remington and winchester prices are right around $35/ box of 50 for the standard 45/46gr HP or SP hornet loading,

the hornaday 35gr vmax is around $16/box of 25, and when they have it in stock the prvi partizan runs about $20/box of 50,

while 22mag ammo runs around $11/box of 50.


but if your a reloader, then you can load 100 rounds of hornet ammo for approx

if you have to buy the brass in addition to components:
it'll run you approx $30/100

but if you've already got the brass:
it'll run you approx $15/100
 
.22 Hornet is a real darling. I've got one in a CZ 527 birch stock rifle. Beautiful walk around varmint gun with good range and accuracy. Report is really quiet, especially with Hodgdon Lil' Gun which seems to have a perfectly matched burning rate for the cartridge. How many other caliber/powder combos deliver top velocities with lowest max load pressures?
 
Hornet is definitely a reloaders round. It can get spendy if you don't reload.

If you are thinking of an NEF, a single is the perfect rifle as you won't have to chase brass in the field
 
There are a few nice singles. My current 22 K Hornet is a CZ-527, which seems to be a popular rifle for this caliber. Looking for a Browning 1885 Low Wall in Hornet.
 
Being an old codger,I have BSA Martini cadet's converted into medium barrel .17 Ackley Hornet with a 10x Lyman Super Target Spot and a .22K Hornet with a 8x Unertl 1 1/2" . The .22K was made by a New England smith in the 50's and little used till I got it in the 70's. The .17 was made here in California in the early 80s and is about 20% quieter than the .22 ! Actually I think part of the muzzle noise might be moved up out of hearing range on .17s, in my theory. I know .14s are REAL quiet, like a .22LR or less.
You know unless you try a .17 CF and the .17 Remington is the easiest and most spectacular, you are missing out. I use my .17 K Hornet more than the .22s. And I shoot a scoped .17HMR Ruger Hunter on my Ranchette more than anything else these days.
 
Spendy? It's 45 Bucks a Box!
If you are a reloader, get it. Brilliant little cartridge. If you don't reload, get the .22 Mag.... then bask in the knowledge that you should be reloading.
 
Hi AFB...

By the way, does that really stand for Alcohol, Firearms and Babes:confused:


If I might slide a wee but dangerous suggestion in here - if you really take a good look at the matter you'll see the .223 Remington is a much superior choice all the way 'round (eg. availability, variety and quality of rifles, ammo and components), and the .22/250 even better if you're going to insist on those 350-400 yd. shots.
It's great to be into reloading and wildcatting and "stretching" the effective range of your pet caliber and rifle with your keyboard - but it's also great to just have fun doing it the easy way.
The .223 is simply much more value for your buck and less hassle than the Hornet(s).

Running for cover now :eek:
 
In general, Shawnee, I'd agree. But in this case, it sounds like the OP has a specific purpose for the thing and has thought it through pretty thoroughly.

That said, it's a reloader's round, for sure.

Now, if you want a coyote whacker that will kill 'em dead, but drop to the dirt in 300 yards if you shoot it parallel to the ground rather than keep on going for 1/2 mile, and you are happy to reload it, the .25-20 is a neat round. Not a modern "varmint" round at all, but might be suited to the purpose in question.
 
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