The Hornet is a classic cartridge and a bit of an oddball. It looks like a 30-30 round that was put in a hot dyer for so long that it shrank.
I thought about making mine a K-Hornet... but since it has to be fire formed, that was one more firing on the brass just to size the stuff... So why bother.
I have a Ruger M77/22 Hornet... The tow piece bolt needed to be shimmed and it needed a new barrel crown... Oh and a trigger job... But now it does OK with some loads.
The report (sound) is about like a 22 mag rifle. With loads using trail-boss powder it is like a loud pellet gun.
Some Loads from the Ruger
34 grain HP Dog Town bullet
13.0gr Lil Gun
WW brass “Virgin”
CCI-SR
1.798 col
NO CRIMP
Vel= 3,182-3,171-3,141-3,156-3,133
0.450 in grp. At 100 yards
34 grain HP Dog Town
13.0gr Lil Gun
WW brass Virgin
CCI-SR
1.798 col
Roll Crimp
Vel= 3,136-3,132-3,115-3,193-3,154
0.940 inch group at 100 yards
34 grain HP Dog Town
13.0gr Lil Gun
WW brass, neck sized only
Remington 7.5 bench rest
1.798 col
Roll Crimp
Vel= 3,169-3,298,3,210-3,225- no read.
1.288 inch group at 100 yards
40grain Sierra flat base HP
12.3gr Lil Gun
WW brass neck sized
Rem 7.5 bench rest primer
1.798 col
roll crimp
Vel=3,154-3,176-3,143-3,259-3,188
3.70 inch vertical string
50 grain Speer TNT HP
12.0gr Lil Gun
WW brass “virgin”
CCI-SR
1.802 col
roll crimp
Vel = 2,845 fps
0.90 inch group at 100 yards
50 grain Speer TNT HP
12.0gr Lil Gun
WW brass Neck sized
Rem 7.5 bench rest primer
1.802 col
roll crimp
Vel = 2,891-2,844-2,870-2,906-2,960
2.566 inch group at 100 yards
40 grain Sierra HPs,
12, grains of Lil Gun.
WWVirgin brass
CCI-500 Pistol Primer.
At 100 yards they gave a 0.60 inch group. Good load.
Same powder load with a 55 grain Hornady SP
gave 2,800 fps and a 1.75 inch group at 100 yards.
Also tried some very quite TRAIL BOSS loads.
3.0 grains of TRAIL BOSS, WW Brass and a Magnum Pistol primer.
34 gr Dog Town bullet was 1,625 fps and a 1.5 inch group at 100 yards. IT WAS WINDY.
40 gr Sierra HP was 1,414 fps and a 2.0 inch group at 100 yards
55 grain Hornady SP. NEVER LEFT THE BARREL.... DO NOT ATTEMPT>
40gr V-max
12.0 gr AA#9
WW Virgin brass,
CCI-500 pistol primer
1.802 col no crimp
Vel= 3,133 fps and a 1.4 inch group KINDA HOT....
40gr V-Max
13.0gr Lil' Gun
WW virgin brass
CCI-500
1.804 col o crimp
Vel=3,144 fps and a 1.0 inch group (book load, but shoots much faster than other bullets)
45gr Speer "Hornet" soft point
12.0gr Lil' Gun
WW virgin brass
CCI-500
1.766 col no crimp
Vel= 2,835 fps and a 0.85 inch group
45gr Speer (Hornet) soft point
11.5gr AA#9
WW Virgin brass
CCI-500 pistol primer
1.766 col and no crimp
Vel= 2,962 fps and a 2.75 inch group
IMR-4227 listed accuracy loads
34 grain dog town bullet
11.5 grain IMR-4227
Rem virgin brass
Remington 1.1/2 primer
1.745 col
Vel= 2,550-2,542-2,486-2,582-2,569 fps (2.0 inch group)
40 grain Sierra HP flat base
11.7 grain IMR-4227
Rem virgin brass
CCI-500
1.790 col
Vel=2,578-2,595-2,574-2,655-2,602 (0.75 inch group)
40 grain Hornady V-max (EKC's bullets)
11.7 grains IMR-4227
Rem Virgin Brass
CCI-500 primer
1.807 col
Vel=2,588-2,635-2,586-2,584-2,644 fps (1.25 inch group)
45 grain Speer Hornet flat base soft point
11.3 grains IMR-4227
Rem Virgin Brass
CCI-500 primer
1.765 col
Vel= 2,399-2,446-2,493-2,499-2,395- (2.5 inch group)
55 grain Hornady Flat base soft point
10.7 grains IMR 4227
Rem virgin brass
CCI-500
1.805 col
Vel= 2,257-2,281-2,265-2,245-2,259 ( 1.25 inch group)