The Hornet is a Stinger

[cdbeaver]

Perhaps this isn't the place to put it, and perhaps no one gives a hang, but I'm going to give a brief range report on my H&R Handi .22 Hornet anyhow.

I loaded four each of 11.0, 11.5 and 12.0 grains of H110 behind the Hornady 35-grain V-Max and went to the range, specifically to attempt to find the best load for the bullet, and incidentally to test out the new Leupold VX-1 3-9 scope I'd just installed.

Let me state at the outset, these loads may not work in your rifle. They worked fine in mine, but each gun is different as all except the most anal will agree. Start low and work up.

The 11.0-grain load printed at about 1.12 inches in a group, with three in a very decent .75-inch triangle and one flier that opened up the group. The 11.5 load was simply outstanding, with three inside .345 inch and a fourth that opened everything up to about .75 inch.

The 12.0 group simply wasn't in the same league with the other two. I may have flinched because of the horrible Hornet recoil.

By the way, the Hornet is one real sweet cartridge . . . low report, low recoil, low reloading cost and just plain fun to shoot. No wonder it's been around since the 1920's.


As all will probably know, the H&R Handi Rifle is not an expensive firearm. I paid $82 for the barrel (after paying @ $210 for the original rifle in .45-70 govt. The Leupold scop may be a bit of overkill, but I do like those Loopies.

I'm not calling this rifle combo a record setter, but I do believe it is at least a tad above average.

 

[P95Carry]

I may have flinched because of the horrible Hornet recoil.

By the way, the Hornet is one real sweet cartridge . . . low report, low recoil, low reloading cost

Which is it CD?? Just curious.

Never had or even shot a Hornet ... must be one of the few never tried. Odd .. Speer #13 doesn't even mention the 35 grainer, but Lee does. Looks like your loads were all in right area.


Interesting that your 11.5 seemed to be the ''sweet'' load .... as so very often, a sub max load can best suit many rifles. Always been my experience .. only exception being perhaps my .223 Rem loads for Mini .. where they have to be ''stout'' enough to cycle well. But then hey .... Mini .... hardly the archetypal tack driver!

Group?? Whats that!?

 

[cdbeaver]

P95:

That "horrible Hornet recoil" thing was a bit of tongue-in-cheek attempt at humor. The Hornet is truly a sweet little cartridge. Perhaps that dates back to when I was shooting darts with a triple deuce, and there just wasn't anything any better (1950--60).

By the way, when I got back home I sat down and loaded 50 rounds for more paper destruction. I threw the loads with my new Hornady Lock-n-Load powder measure, and it was so accurate it was uncanny. I checked every fifth throw on my scale, and only once was it off as much as a tenth of a grain.

The 35-grain Hornady V-Max is relatively new. I'd been shooting 40-grain V-Max to great satisfaction in the Hornet and decided to load some 35's for the heck of it.

I will tell you this: it doesn't take much breeze to throw the 35's off as much as two to three inches at a hundred yards.

I also think the jacket on the 35-grain V-Max will not withstand the speed of my .22-250. Haven't tried it and don't intend to. The 50-grain V-Max works to perfection in the Varminter.

 

[P95Carry]

I can just imagine the potential for wind drift!! Nearly mentioned it. I guess anything that light .. in fact .17's and most all .22's will always have that prob.

I sure wouldn't go that light in 22-250 either .... you might succeed in getting phenomenal velocities but yeah, I'd doubt they'd hold together! Little doubt in my mind, the 22-250 with the 50 grainer is a real winner. Again not a rifle I own but a guy at one club has one and he loads with a 50 ... damn, does that thing shoot tight.

My yet have to get one!

 

[Vern Humphrey]

For Hornet lovers, the 35-grain Hornady V-Max is the bullet of choice. In repeaters, it has the added advantage that it has the same shank length as heavier bullets, but a shorter nose. This allows you to load it so it almost touches the rifling, and still keep OAL short enough to feed through the magazine.

Here are Humphrey's Rules for the Hornet:

1. Fireform your brass. SAAMI brass and chamber dimensions for the Hornet are a bit sloppy. Fireformed brass will almost always shoot better.

2. Disturb the brass as little as possible. I use a Lee Collet Die. Because the collet activates against the shell holder, I "adjust" it by putting two washers on the shell holder. This results in only about 0.2" of the neck being sized. The unsized portion of the neck centers the bullet in the throat.

3. Use Hodgdon's Li'l Gun. My load is to fill the case, tap it to settle the powder, top it off and strike it (draw a straight edge across the case mouth.)

4. Load the Hornady V-max out far enough to almost touch the rifling.

These loads clock over 3,000 fps from my Kimber M82 and shoot routinely into less than half an inch at 100 yards.

And the final rule:

5. CHEAT! I shoot crows from my front porch, resting the rifle on my hand on the bottom bar of the porch railing. I have rocks and stumps paced off, and wherever the crow is, I know the range to a couple of feet.

 

[Selfdfenz]

Vern,

I have had great luck with a plain old set of Lee's with my Hornet but now I have an excuse to get a set of collets for it.

Li'l gun uh........hmmmm......3k c/the 35 VMAX..hmmmm....

THX

S-
(sound of feet clomping off into the distance....)

 

[ThreadKiller]

Popping crows with a Hornet... heaven. I too shoot Lil' Gun in my Hornet. I started with that powder. It works so well I haven't bothered with anything else. The Hornady 35 Vmax works well in my Model 70. It knocked out some of those tough western Nebraska prairie dogs this past December.

Two five shot groups@ 100 yards.

Tim

 

[P95Carry]

Damn!! Threadkiller, that 10 ring group looks well sub MOA .... geez .... what a lousy rifle. (NOT!!).

Shooter didn't do so bad either!

 

[ThreadKiller]

Thanks! I had a good day and the rifle isn't for sale. It was a nice calm day and obviously everything went well. A dime will cover the center group. I wish I could do that all the time.

I see no reason to go away from Lil' Gun in my Hornet.

I partially size my Hornet cases with a Forster FL die and seat bullets with the Forster/Bonanza Benchrest seating die. I only size about .2 of the neck. I weigh the cases and chamfer the flash holes. I also uniform the primer pockets. I think it pays off in the Hornet because the case is so small.

Tim

 

[theCZ]

Yep, I'm definately jealous! I've been trying new things for my Anschutz 1730(?) Hornet and been getting very inconsistent results. Different bullets, three kinds of powder, pistol and rifle primers. Such is life, and I'm not too worried about it right now since my varmint rifle right now is a model 70 .270 win with 110 grain sierras doing a respectable .75" 100 yard group at supposedly around 3100fps (but I don't believe what the manual says).

 

[0007]

I had good luck using 4227 + 40gr Hordany's in my reloads. Shooting out of a Savage break-open SS with the original weaver G-6. Grouped about 3/4" at 50yds.

 

[ThreadKiller]

I run Hornady 110 HP's fueled by IMR-4350 out of my 270. They shoot very well and are tough on coyotes and prairie dogs. Makes a good "wind" load.

Kicks up a lot of dust when shooting prone over the prairie though.

Tim

 

[BigG]

Do you normally fire FOUR SHOT groups? First I heard of that.

I take it back. Now that I think of it MAS AYOOB fires five and picks the best three, IIRC.