I use a Ruger with a reflex T4 suppressor little gun is the propellant of choice this side of the pond. Using a couple of drop tubes and tapping the case as you fill you can load 13.1gr for 3000 fps in the Ruger. Makes for a 200yd light varmint load. Any further then its a 22-250 job. But you get a lot of bangs for your Buck with a Hornet.Gareth.
Ps the Ruger has a Timmy trigger sear and I re cut the muzzle crown to 11 deg and fitted a boyds aftermarket stock. it shoots.

 

I have a Savage 219 in Hornet. I really need to get her out. No scope and cataracts forming shooting opens is not much fun.
I had a Savage 23 in K-Hornet that was a tack driver. The bolt handle was the locking lug and it was getting sloppy with headspace OS. It would have been a simple fix by a good Tig weld. I had 2 loads for it. 1 shot a cast lead bullet and the other shot a jacketed. The POA was the same horizontal and close enough vertical to interchange. I carried it squirrel hunting and just change mags for groung hogs on the way out.

 

I wish I had bought a CZ in Hornet when they were available . . . Have a Savage 340 that I really like and is a fairly accurate shooter if I do my part. Reloading for me, is done with a Lee Handloader kit - take my time - less case damage experience. Lil'Gun works great 12.6 gr with 35 gr Max - load seems to work for this rifle - good luck working up some loads for your's .

There are days I wish my Savage 219 was a Hornet instead of a .25-20. . .

 

I wish I had bought a CZ in Hornet when they were available . . . Have a Savage 340 that I really like and is a fairly accurate shooter if I do my part. Reloading for me, is done with a Lee Handloader kit - take my time - less case damage experience. Lil'Gun works great 12.6 gr with 35 gr Max - load seems to work for this rifle - good luck working up some loads for your's .

There are days I wish my Savage 219 was a Hornet instead of a .25-20. . .

I loaded the Hornet with a Lyman nutcracker AKA 310 tool. I weighed each charge on an old Herters non-dampened scale so 50 was an all night ordeal. I am not sure about the load only that it was 2400. I weight sorted each box of bullets too. When I bought my Lyman dampened scale I thought I died and went to heaven.

 

Got Anschutz Model 1771 good accuracy with factory ammo.

 

I missed the alarm to bid on a bunch of 310 die sets. I about cried when I saw what they brought!

 

I’ve got a Ruger 77/22 Hornet. It is not a full sized 77 action, kinda scaled down and a bit heavier than the 77/22, but not much. Shoots well, H4227 is what I use.

 

Mine is an older Brno.

 

My .22 Hornet is a Savage 23D, still wearing it's iron sights, still shoots straighter than I can. It's a great old rifle. I just loaded about 150 rounds using Lil Gun, those tiny bullets are a challenge for large fingers people!

 

I have a Bullberry Contender barrel in 22 K Hornet. I like it best as a high velocity cartridge. It does cast very well but not as well in a small game hunting sense as the -20 cartridges in my opinion.

The K Hornet chambers have varied over time a bit. My 1-14 twist throws Hornady 55 FMJBT sideways at 100 yards. I do not care because it shoots the 40 VMax well.

 

I have had my CZ 527 for quite a while, no complaints here, it is accurate and likes most of my loads, use it alot. been rather easy to load for.
Barry

 

My .22 rimfire suppressor from prairie tactical is .22 hornet rated and works great , it about the same size as my bull barrel H&r. The hornet is a fun cartridge and with powder getting expensive it costs very little to load.

 

I have contender barrels in 22hornet and 22 k-hornet. Would love to find a CZ527, I think my dad may have one.

 

There are some nice looking rifles listed here. I read that Ruger is offering this caliber in the Super Redhawk nine and a half inch barrel for a mere $1500.

 

I've had this CZ 527 in 22 Hornet for a few years. I picked it up as a clearance item at an LGS when CZ decided to stop making these.

The 22 Hornet is a difficult cartridge to load for. The legacy case design makes propellant choice difficult, and the small cases are very fragile. With a careful hand, a long enough barrel, and a little knowledge on propellant selection, and most of them are very good shooters. Heavily affected by wind, but for the type of game one would pursue with a Hornet, that's probably not much of an issue. I've never had a 1/4" push left or right matter on a racoon at 2am. The low volume of the case itself makes them excellent suppressor hosts, for just about any suppressor. I prefer to run full size rifle suppressors but most any can rated for 5.7x28 will do well on a 22 Hornet also.

Who else is a fan of the 22 Hornet? Does anyone else have any of the wildcat variations they like? K-Hornet? 17 Hornet? Any of the 20 caliber flavors?

Travis,

There is a reloading tip a super seniors at the rifle club told me that helped accuracy for the shallow shoulder cartridge. Place a shim washer between the press and full length sizing die. The result produces a small unsized portion of the neck. The chamber diameter shoulder and first part of the neck helps center the cartridge and bullet to the barrel. This same technique also works on 25-20 and 32-20 cartridges.

I love the Hornet and wildcats based on it.

22 Hornet: For Standing iron sight IHMSA and NRA pistol silhouette I use a T/C Contender barrel with a 1 in 7" twist. It shoots the Hornady 62 gr FMJ and 88 gr bullet perfectly. Very low recoil with more than enough power to roll the targets and much less wind deflection than a traditional bullet.

22-K Hornet in a SS Ruger 77 with 40gr VMax bullets is a tack driver at 100 yards.

270 REN T/C Encore barrel with scope. A straight wall .277 wildcat I also use for standing pistol silhouette matches. .

The most accuraty powder I have found for all is VV N-110.

 

Mines a Contender carbine with a 21" factory barrel re-chambered to KHornet

 

I had a 22 Hornet in my younger days. Would have one now but they are not easy to find. Loaded it with 4227. Nothing wild, 45 gr Hornady hornet bullets.
Crow hunting with a friend and daw a yearling black bear. Neck shot him and he went down like a rock. Amazing the penetration. Saw it take deer. Made the longest shot on a crow I ever made. Doubt if I could equal it again.
I really don't have a lot of use for one. Don't shoot varmints much. I have a 22 mag that works for my uses.

DEP

 

I had a 22 Hornet in my younger days. Would have one now but they are not easy to find. Loaded it with 4227. Nothing wild, 45 gr Hornady hornet bullets.
Crow hunting with a friend and daw a yearling black bear. Neck shot him and he went down like a rock. Amazing the penetration. Saw it take deer. Made the longest shot on a crow I ever made. Doubt if I could equal it again.
I really don't have a lot of use for one. Don't shoot varmints much. I have a 22 mag that works for my uses.

DEP

That's what I struggle with in terms of mine often. Very little use for it anymore, and projectiles for it cost about as much as 223 rem projectiles anymore. Then I take it out and it will agg 3/4 MOA for 6 five shot groups and I remember why I own it. It's fun the 1 or 2 times a year I do get to use it for shooting racoons off of deer feeders, and things like that. For yodel dogs, shooting pigs in the ear etc... AR's get the nod.

 

I have a 94 Marlin in 32 20. Mire than once I have wished it was a 218 Bee which is close to a hornet. Would take a barrel refine mainly. For my purposes it would be slightly handier.

DEP

 

have a 94 Marlin in 32 20. Mire than once I have wished it was a 218 Bee which is close to a hornet. Would take a barrel refine mainly. For my purposes it would be slightly handier.

I got a Bee to finish my set of 32-20, 25-20 CL's.

I get more speed and better accuracy from my Savage Bmag, so I sold the Bee.​

 

Anyone else have a Ruger 77-22 Hornet (Stainess) who is disappointed in the accuracy? Mine will only do 1.5" at 100 yards.

Since I got it for a walk about rifle for ground hogs, it was OK out to 150 yards, but still disappointing when shooting from a bench.

 

Anyone else have a Ruger 77-22 Hornet (Stainess) who is disappointed in the accuracy? Mine will only do 1.5" at 100 yards.

Since I got it for a walk about rifle for ground hogs, it was OK out to 150 yards, but still disappointing when shooting from a bench.

Yes I do, as per my post I re-cut the the muzzle crown to 11 deg and fitted a Timney trigger sear, it is now a very accurate rifle. Better again with a Boyd's aftermarket stock. Off the Land Rover bonnet with a by-pod it will nail Grey squirrels raiding Pheasant feeders out to 180-200 yds all day if I do my part ?. The mods made all the difference. The bullets are Hornady V max molly coated with little gun powder. Gar.

 

I now have a 223. Mainly shoot it of the bench and carry it in my side by side. Don't really shoot it much but it's good practice for the deer rifles. Mostly I would use yhe hornet on something I don't eat and the 223 works also. 223 is not so much that great but the availability of ammo and components is such that it's useful.

DEP

 

Yes I do, as per my post I re-cut the the muzzle crown to 11 deg and fitted a Timney trigger sear, it is now a very accurate rifle. Better again with a Boyd's aftermarket stock. Off the Land Rover bonnet with a by-pod it will nail Grey squirrels raiding Pheasant feeders out to 180-200 yds all day if I do my part ?. The mods made all the difference. The bullets are Hornady V max molly coated with little gun powder. Gar.

What powder and bullet combination are you trying? The 22 Hornet is a very hard cartridge to load for.

I replaced the Ruger sear with one from Volquartsen. A big improvement. This was back in the late 90's when moly was all the rage. I used 4198, 2400, H110, and IMR 4227. Bullets were 40, 45, and 50gr moly coated Berger Bullets at 0.224. None of the variations I tried with those components made any significant improvement.

My rifle has the stainless barrel and retains its factory stock and muzzle crown.

It's a hoot to shoot, but the best I've been able to do is 1 1/4-1 1/2" at 100 yards. I confess that I was expecting groups no more than half that size. One of these days, I'll do more work on it and see if that can be improved.

One of the accurizing suggestions I found for the 77-22 was to shim the two piece bolt. But I never got around to doing that.

No doubt I was spoiled by my Rem 788s in 222 and 22-250.

 

I replaced the Ruger sear with one from Volquartsen. A big improvement. This was back in the late 90's when moly was all the rage. I used 4198, 2400, H110, and IMR 4227. Bullets were 40, 45, and

The projectile itself is a major driver to precision, but in a 22 Hornet, with the required ogive designs and the twist rates, it's not as big of a deal. Powder selection is the biggest part of this. None of those powders listed are optimal for the Hornet. Yes they work, but work, and work well are two different things. Unfortunately, unless I want to violate the NDA I signed, I can't tell you WHY those powders really don't work well. I've been trained by a professional ballistician and some things I'm just not allowed to talk about. There are classes you can take if you really want to know. VV N110 is the best propellent I have found so far in the Hornet and even that requires a drop tube, but it's taken the 3 Hornets I've gotten to play with from what you experienced, 1.5-2moa guns down to 3/4-1moa rifles. Give it a try if you can find some. About 9.5grs with a 35gr bullet is where they'll start to come alive. Closer to 10grs keeps them shooting that way in colder weather. I've never modeled VV N105. I should look just to see. Might be an option for heavier projectiles.

 

My dad had a 22 hornet.I asked for years to borrow it and shoot a deer with it.He refused and said it won't kill one.When he passed away I got the 22 hornet.The 1st year I took it for deer and got one.I looked up and said "I told you so dad".

 

I was lucky enough to acquire a Winchester model 70 with bull barrel, apature sights and palm rest in .22 hornet . I reload for it and in my opinion it is no5 any different than any other cartridge except for its small size I do pinch the fingers a lot especially after handling the big .45 caliber stuff. I do have some groups somewhere using 296 and H110 and with no fine tuning really good results never took time to go nitty gritty with it. If I remember wright I even used .223 dia bullets . If you reload for it it sure don’t use much powder it is probably as cheap as 22 long rifle with more punch. I only neck size I did remove the apature sights and put a scope on it I do need more magnification to bring out the real potential.

 

I've had this CZ 527 in 22 Hornet for a few years. I picked it up as a clearance item at an LGS when CZ decided to stop making these.

The 22 Hornet is a difficult cartridge to load for. The legacy case design makes propellant choice difficult, and the small cases are very fragile. With a careful hand, a long enough barrel, and a little knowledge on propellant selection, and most of them are very good shooters. Heavily affected by wind, but for the type of game one would pursue with a Hornet, that's probably not much of an issue. I've never had a 1/4" push left or right matter on a racoon at 2am. The low volume of the case itself makes them excellent suppressor hosts, for just about any suppressor. I prefer to run full size rifle suppressors but most any can rated for 5.7x28 will do well on a 22 Hornet also.

Who else is a fan of the 22 Hornet? Does anyone else have any of the wildcat variations they like? K-Hornet? 17 Hornet? Any of the 20 caliber flavors?

Another CZ 527 here. I have a couple of suppressors for it, but need to move the front sight and get it threaded.

 

I had a love/hate relationship with the .22 Hornet for many years. Factory loads were better than my reloads. At the very tail end of my reloading I "discovered" that neck tension played a big part in end results. I wish I had known that from the start. If you only have one rifle for it, just neck size the minimum amount needed.

 

I was partial sizing too. leaving a collar to center the bullet and hold the case to the bolt face to reduce case fatigue. I still got head seperations eventually.

I eventually did get a Lyman M die for it. It certainly helped seating.

 

Another CZ 527 here. I have a couple of suppressors for it, but need to move the front sight and get it threaded.

Best thing I ever did for mine was getting it threaded. Whisper quiet.

I had a love/hate relationship with the .22 Hornet for many years. Factory loads were better than my reloads. At the very tail end of my reloading I "discovered" that neck tension played a big part in end results. I wish I had known that from the start. If you only have one rifle for it, just neck size the minimum amount needed.

Yes, it sure does. Most factory brass and dies squeeze the necks just a little too tight, for .223 diameter bullets. The little tiny tangent projectiles get misaligned easily due to the extremely tight fit, and damaged also, and then the rifles won't shoot the part. I stopped using mandrels a few months ago but the hornet is one I still use a mandrel for.