22 hornet

[alsaqr]

I have the CZ 527. The chamber is cut to such tight tolerances that fired brass is hard to tell apart from new brass.

You hit on something very important there. The SAAMI spec chamber for the .22 Hornet is big and sloppy, some of the accuracy problems with the .22 Hornet are caused by that SAAMI chamber. European chambers are much tighter and the cartridge cases last much longer. i have a European spec chamber reamer a tool and die maker friend made for me.

I discovered a few years ago what the Europeans have known for a long time. The standard American chambers for Hornet rifles are much too loose for good accuracy. The European guns in .22 Hornet (5.6x35R) have much tighter chambers and as a group, shoot far better. This chamber-dimension discrepancy goes a long way toward explaining why Hornets have such a spotty accuracy history. Some guns shoot great, and some are worse than ho-hum.

http://archives.gunsandammo.com/content/the-22-hornet

i've been reloading the .22 Hornet since 1952 and currently own several guns in that caliber; my favorite is a BSA Martini that has the barrel from a Winchester model .43.

Couple times every year i get the urge to stick a 45 grain bullet from a .22 Hornet in the ear of a big wild hog.

 

[BoltActionPrepper]

it's a .17 hmr that you can reload for

 

[redneck2]

it's a .17 hmr that you can reload for

Well, it's probably about the same cost to shoot (reloads) and the same or less muzzle blast, but it's got mebbe 2-3x the whack. Heavier bullet at higher velocity and all that.

 

[Bushpilot]

875 rounds out of a pound of 2400...

 

[Magwa45]

Do any of you 22 Hornet shooters use the Savage Model 25 Walking Varminter? I am thinking of getting one of those for shooting around here in the Free State. It sounds like it would fit the bill and Savage makes some very accurate rifles.

 

[j1]

If I did not think that an attempt at humor or entertainment I think that you probably already know the answer. One of the finest rounds ever in the class of the 22 rimfire and 30 06 for big bore. Out to 200 yards it has no peer. Deer at 50 right in the eye and legal in Pa to boot. If everyone made full posts you would be a month in the reading.

 

[j1]

Shooting things.

 

[Sniper66]

I have been researching 22 Hornet for awhile and would love to afford an Anschutz but will probably settle for a Savage Model 25 Lightweight Varminter; have heard good things about them. Some shooters are absolutely sold on the CZ. As far as what to use it for...anything really, as others have written. I just like having lots of variety just for fun. I have two .17 HMRs and two .22s, plus several center-fires in different calibers. so now I need a Hornet and a .22 mag to fill my gun cabinet. Maybe I'll save up for an Anschutz in both

 

[Magwa45]

Check out this video for Hawg hunting with the hornet:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=pSWWRydL1wA

 

[cfullgraf]

What about case life?

I get 5 or so loadings in my 22 Hornet Contender carbine. Case life is better when i neck size. Main source of failure is case head separation.

European 22 Hornet chambers, particularly the rim, are cut tighter than US chambers. Accuracy is better and more consistent with the European rifles.

22 Hornet is reloadable, 22 mag is not.

 

[j1]

Nothing shot in the eye with a Hornet has yet gone far at all. Just down a little.

 

[VancMike]

What's it good for? I know you're pulling our chains, but I'll bite.

I've been shooting the .22 Hornet for about 40 years, and it has lots of value west of the Mississippi as well: sage rats (i.e., ground squirrels), tree squirrels, turkey, real rats, tree rats, starlings, crows and four coyotes.

Oh, and one feral cat that was attempting to raid a golden eagle nest (although I'm sure the eagles could have handled it just fine....)

I started with a Kimber (of Oregon) bolt rifle, but sold it when Browning began producing their Low Wall. It's extremely accurate and has shot, literally, thousands of rounds, mostly 30-45 gr. Nosler, Hornady, Speer and Sierra, as well as a bunch of Midway generics, which look suspiciously like Remington.

I still have a quantity of bullets remaining, and use 11 or 12 gr. of H110/W296, depending upon the bullet. It costs more for the primer than it does any other component.

I bought a large quantity of brass in the '90s, some nickel, and some are on their 7th reload. The nickel has worn on some of necks, but I have yet to replace any cases, so can't tell you how long they'll last.

As they were being released, I bought first the Browning Low Wall in 22 Hornet, then added .223, .243 and .260 Rem. Through the years, I've sold all but the Hornet. It remains....and will do so.

 

[SunnySlopes]

I know you're pulling our chains, but I'll bite.

No, I'm serious. I bought a B78 Browning in 22 hornet and haven't even fired it yet. I've never owned that caliber.

 

[Texan Scott]

feral cats...

 

[Samclrk]

Pertaining to some 22 Hornet rifles not being accurate,two distinct groove diameters are encountered for the Hornet.Some of the earlier rifles made use of a .223``groove barrel while all the more current models have the .224`` groove.The reloader must ensure that his bullet diameter corresponds to the groove diameter of his particular rifle.Midway has some Sierra .223 dia bullets especially for some Hornet rifles.

 

[Float Pilot]

Even my crappy Ruger M-77/22Hornet will shoot certain handloads at half minute of angle.
It works great on Fox and Coyotes with very little noise. It is also a real hoot as a target gun. I have a 16 power scope on mine.

 

[VancMike]

Speaking of Alaska.....years ago, on my first few trips to the north (including Canada's Yukon), almost all of the native peoples were using 22 Hornet rifles....they were easy and inexpensive to load for, easy to shoot, and if one couldn't kill with one shot, one didn't shoot. Mostly they were used for seals, rabbits and birds, but rumors abound about regularly shooting polar bears.

On my last trip, they'd pretty much made the switch to .223 Remington, mostly because of the easy availability of rifles, and cheap factory ammo. One guy told me he sold his beater Savage 22 Hornet (and I can only imagine what a native Alaskan means when he says "beater") for enough to buy 3 new .223s.

 

[Bob K.]

I find the Hornet great for getting rid of feral dogs here in the central U.S.

 

[Hanshi]

Well, it's an accurate and fun cartridge to shoot. I've killed several deer with mine; one shot each. Several years ago I converted 100% to flintlocks. But prior to that I really used that little hornet.

 

[Walkalong]

They are good for fun of course.