Ruger 77/22 In 22 Hornet?

Balrog said:

22 Hornet is a neat round, but I have never seen the need to own one. I have never seen a niche for it. If 22 Magnum isnt enough, I move up to 223.

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See to me, I see a big gap between the 22 Mag and the 223. The Hornet is not a speed king, but it will accomplish anything within 200 yards than a 223 will without the muzzle blast, hearing damage, and with a lot less powder.

But I get that most people don't need see a need because they already have a 223, usually in an AR platform. So for the guy looking to keep his caliber list from expanding, the 223 makes more sense. But for those of us that like to have a big caliber variety, there is a niche than the 22 Hornet can still fill.

My Ruger Hornet shoots quite well with 45 grain pills pushed by Lil Gun. I did not want to shoot the lighter bullets but most guys like them. Getting the crimp right really made a difference in group size on mine. Every rifle is a law unto itself.

What do y'all do with 22 Hornets (other than target shoot)?

I brought my hornet to be a nice light weight walking around gun for hunting woodchucks on my farm. I keep the 77/22H sighted in at 200 yards with Hornady 35 gr Vmax. While I have shot chucks at up to 350 yards with other rifles, 200 yards will cover 90 percent of my shooting.

Balrog said:

What do y'all do with 22 Hornets (other than target shoot)?

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Shoot called in coyotes, lots of coyotes.

Varmints.

Kevin

Walkalong said:

Shoot squirrels in the head, shoot turkeys in the head where legal, quieter crow eradication.....

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How does 22 magnum not work for that?

Balrog said:

How does 22 magnum not work for that?

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.22 Mag can't be reloaded. If I had to guess I'd say 90% of Hornet owners also reload.

Balrog said:

What do y'all do with 22 Hornets (other than target shoot)?

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I shot a deer with mine last winter. Worked like a charm using Hornady 45gr softpoint match ammo. I wouldn't hesitate to use it again.

Before the war (WW2) hornets were very popular for everything from small game to poached deer. It was accurate and quiet. Brass restrictions makes one question what could a hornet do that a .222 or a handloaded .223 not do as well or better?
If you are set on a hornet consider a K, or. .17.

I've messed with two Rugers in .22 Hornet a No1 and 77/22H, the 77/22H produced better results than the No1 and I think my father traded the No.1 for it because he knew that it would easier to work with (the forearm attachment system on the ruger single shots make them hard to "tune"). I really liked the 77/22H and hope to get it from dad some day.
But if I were going to buy a new Hornet, I'd get a Savage or CZ depending on what mood I was in at the moment.

Reloading for .22 Hornet is as others have noted, a "special" endeavor. so If you want to go down that road look for a local hand-loader who has already successfully produced consistent loads with good brass life. there are many tricks of that trade and not all of them work in every gun or with every reloading setup (ie using stacked washers as a positive stop when neck-sizing).

The Ruger model 77.22H is a very nice rifle.

.22 Hornet ammo gets expensive fast. Therefore, many owners reload. Been re-loading .22 Hornet rifles since the late 1950s. Currently my .22 Hornet inventory is down to four: A Ruger #3, a BSA Martini with a Winchester model 43 barrel, a .22 Hornet barrel for my TC Encore, a Savage model 24 over/under with 20 gauge/.22 Hornet barrels: That Savage is my called in coyotes gun: #3 or #4 buckshot for the close range and the Hornet for longer range. The Ruger #3 has an after market barrel chambered with a reamer a tool and die maker classmate made to European specs.

One of the reasons i like to re-load the .22 Hornet; it's cheap. i have a big stockpile of .22 Hornet cases and bullets. The cases are mostly Winchester, The bullets are mostly.45 grain by various makers. The powders i use are Alliant 2400 and IMR 4227. One pound of powder loads about 600 rounds. Most of the bullets i use are 45 grain SP and HP. Heard a lot of good stuff about Lil Gun, got to give it a try.

Reloading for the .22 Hornet don't have to be difficult. The US made .22 Hornet rifles currently available often have large chambers, but not to worry.

1. Don't full length resize the fired case. Re-size a portion of the neck.

2. Collapsed cases when seating the bullet are prevented by chamfering the neck. .

alsaqr said:

...Reloading for the .22 Hornet don't have to be difficult. The US made .22 Hornet rifles currently available often have large chambers, but not to worry.

1. Don't full length resize the fired case. Re-size a portion of the neck.

2. Collapsed cases when seating the bullet are prevented by chamfering the neck...

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I reload for the 22 WCF and the 22 Hornet. Neck sizing helps your brass last longer. Chamfering the mouth makes it easier to seat bullets. I prefer cast bullets to store bought.

Pistol primers can sometimes shrink your group sizes.

Lots of other tips can be found on the net.

Kevin

I've had a Browning A-Bolt "Micro-Medallion" bolt-action rifle, chambered in .22 Hornet for the past 25 years that has proven to be more than acceptedly accurate with factory ammunition. It, and a Browning "low wall", single-shot rifle, chambered in .223, has been one of my favorite "walk around" varmint rifle for lo these many years.