Had a 77/22 hornet, glassed bedded, shimmed bolt, tried free floating and upward pressure on the barrel, factory ammo grouped about 2.0" @100' (5 shots)
Best handloads about 1.25".
Traded it for a CZ 527 American. It shot factory ammo ok, about 1".
Handloads .375" after glass bedding.
CZ's are well made firearms.
I give the 22 Hornet consideration at times, so far haven’t got into one. I did inquire with a local seller a year ago, but didn’t progress to buying.
I do like the 17 HMR round, especially for smallish pest control. The largest I took with one was a Fox, 35 yards, 20 grain game point, DRT. I have taken ****, possum, porcupine & smaller varmints with the 17 HMR, works fine. The 20 grain bullet is a bit more firm than the common 17 grain V-Max bullet.
I have also loaded lighter bullets in the 223 with Alliant 2400 powder. As I recall, they were 45 grain bullets at 2670 FPS, which is Hornet territory. I didn’t do extensive accuracy testing.
I have an old timer, Savage 23D in .22 Hornet. It's a good accurate rifle, but it doesn't like cast bullets, or more likely I haven't found the combination it does like.
Had a 77/22 hornet, glassed bedded, shimmed bolt, tried free floating and upward pressure on the barrel, factory ammo grouped about 2.0" @100' (5 shots)
Best handloads about 1.25".
Traded it for a CZ 527 American. It shot factory ammo ok, about 1".
Handloads .375" after glass bedding.
CZ's are well made firearms.
i have tried to love rugers for years on and off. most will not shoot! i bought one in a 257 Roberts brand new in the 80s, went through floating and everything else, got rid of it. had a 220 swift in the 70s that did shoot good. had a 280 rem, in a heavy barrel that shot well. i just sold a 250 savage that shoots so, so. i have another in a 243 that shoots pretty good but i may sell. i had a new hornet with heavy barrel, shot like a dog! it went away. yea a ruger has barrel problems, always have,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
I presently have 1 1/2 of the 22Hornet variety. A Savage 219, which I have to tear apart and fix whatever ails it. Also have a Win 43 project gun. Had new heavy barrel. Needs head spaced and stock fitted to heavy barrel. The Savage shoots well, put barrel on buddies 30/30 to try. I’m sure 43 will shoot if I ever get around to finishing it. I bought it the way it is from estate.
I have been shooting & reloading for 22 Hornets & 218 Bee`s since 1963. And I have had several rifles in both calibers. But now I am down to one Win model 43 in 218 Bee that I have had since 1963, that will shoot an inch or less at a 100yds. And one CZ 527 in 22 Hornet that will shoot 1/2 inch or less at a 100yds. IMHO the Hornady 35 gr V-Max bullets have given the 22 Hornet & 218 Bee a new lease on life. They are about the only bullets, I use in either rifle now. And again IMHO I think the 35 gr V-Max bullets are about as good as it gets, for most any varmint I use it for. I have even taken several Pigs and Coyotes with my CZ 22 Hornet. And I use it a lot
ken.
I had an old BSA in .22Hornet and I loved it. Unfortunately I had to make a choice of what to sell to buy the .17Hmr and the Hornet was the one to go as I had the .223.
Because of our stupid laws I can only have 12 guns or else I have to install a top of the range alarm system.
Why 13 or 14 guns would be any more dangerous to the unsuspecting public is beyond me, but there it is.
Loved the Hornet since I was a kid , didn't get one till I was grown . I got a Savage 340 and have owned a few others over the years . Will not be without one . I've killed every kind of varmint found in Tennessee and Alabama with it over the years and two deer . Really don't recommend it as a Deer rifle but both the two I shot were bang/ flop's .
I have one in a Ruger no.1B. It's a fine shooter with Lil' Gun and Magnum rifle primers. It's the opposite approach from years of misleading info about the Rem 6 1/2 primer used in the Hornet. If no one believes me, read the many articles by John Barsness regarding Mag primer in the 22 Hornet. My results match his. If not handloading, Sellier & Bellot is the factory ammo to use.
Anyway, the 22 Hornet is a superb cartridge under 200 yards. Think of it as a 22 Mag Mag.
I have a Ruger 77-22 Hornet in stainless. Laminated stock. Bright clear little scope.
Got it for a walking around rifle for groundhogs, before the coyotes cleaned them all out...
It's perfect for carrying around, report is not very loud, as mentioned. The caliber is very flexible for handloading--but the the case necks are thin and very easy to collapse when seating the bullet. Case capacity is small, so this caliber does best with 40-45 gr bullets. You can load 50 grainers, but the velocity drops below 2400 fps. There are also 30 gr bullets that can be pushed past 3000 fps.
Bullets of 50gr and below are almost entirely intended as varmint rounds. These bullets have paper thin cases for instant expansion and disintegration. They are intended to expand explosively at velocities below 2800 fps. If you intend to hunt anything larger than raccoons, please, please, please, do some homework and pick a bullets intended for better penetration. Even coyotes are too big for the 40 gr and lighter pills for a body shot, or for a hit that's an inch or two off. Please a bullet that's more strongly constructed.
My biggest complaint is that the Ruger lacks accuracy. Best mine will do is 1.5-2" at 100 yards. I've tried multiple powders, bullets, and charges. I'm convinced it's the rifle. Don't know how or why, but the Ruger 77-22 Hornets have that reputation, while other rifle are often tack drivers.
Every once in a while I haul mine out and try it again, but I keep getting the same result. It's the rifle...
I had a Ruger #3 for many years. I had the same problem with accuracy as you. I liked it because it was a low powered 22 and I could use it for 22 rimfire applications like squirrel or rabbit hunting and be able to reload ammo with cast bullets for about the same price as rimfire and my handcrafted ammo was always available, unlike 22 rimfire these days,
I have one in a Ruger no.1B. It's a fine shooter with Lil' Gun and Magnum rifle primers. It's the opposite approach from years of misleading info about the Rem 6 1/2 primer used in the Hornet. If no one believes me, read the many articles by John Barsness regarding Mag primer in the 22 Hornet. My results match his. If not handloading, Sellier & Bellot is the factory ammo to use.
Anyway, the 22 Hornet is a superb cartridge under 200 yards. Think of it as a 22 Mag Mag.
My dad had a Ruger no.1 that never shot a group that I ever saw. It shot many patterns but no groups. Never found anything it would shoot . Not the only Ruger Hornet I have seen that would not shoot .
My experience with the Hornets and Bee rifles has been that they shoot their best with small pistol primers . I tried many different small rifle primers loading for my 340 and the sr gave 1-1.5 average groups , Switching to sp primers gave 1/2" -3/4" groups average . Pretty much the same in all the others as well as in my m43 Winchester in .218 Bee . The load I use with the sp primer is 12.5 - 13 g of either W680 , AA 1680 , or Little Gun with a 35 grain Vmax . The Ruger is the only rifle I ever shot that would not put that load into a 3/4" or less group off the bench at 100 yards .
in order to make a hornet shoot you need to use rem. #6 1/2 primers. they are made especially for the hornet and the bee. the reason small pistol primers shoot the best is because they are close to the rem 6 1/2 # a small rifle primer is too hot. the flame from it will jump the powder charge and start the launch of the bullet before the charge ignites. the primer makes all the difference in the world,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
My dad had a Ruger no.1 that never shot a group that I ever saw. It shot many patterns but no groups. Never found anything it would shoot . Not the only Ruger Hornet I have seen that would not shoot .
My experience with the Hornets and Bee rifles has been that they shoot their best with small pistol primers . I tried many different small rifle primers loading for my 340 and the sr gave 1-1.5 average groups , Switching to sp primers gave 1/2" -3/4" groups average . Pretty much the same in all the others as well as in my m43 Winchester in .218 Bee . The load I use with the sp primer is 12.5 - 13 g of either W680 , AA 1680 , or Little Gun with a 35 grain Vmax . The Ruger is the only rifle I ever shot that would not put that load into a 3/4" or less group off the bench at 100 yards .
Owning seven different Ruger falling blocks, I can attest that many things can be improved upon on this rifle's design to make it shoot better before altering loads. That being said, my no.1B in 22 Hornet shot over 2" groups with any load. I recalled reading an article by John Barsness having the same rifle with the same problem, and he went with the Magnum small rifle primer with Lil' Gun and it improved accuracy significantly.
Now, I'm a concenricity (bullet runout) nut. Which many here think is snake oil. My Hornet ammo was straight and all I did was switch primers and I was shooting under 3/4" at 100 yards. Don't care why, just glad it happened this is what I'm going to load.
As for the 218 Bee, I have four. I use CCI small rifle primers in all with H4198 and CFE BLK with excellent accuracy. Only the Ruger no.1 is scoped, but the no.3, Win 43, and Browning 65 shoot great with the same loads and open sights. Thinking of just going CFE BLK for all.
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