.22 Hornet loads..

[Freebore]

I just purchased a new .22 Hornet in a Brwng A-bolt (they are the only ones making a LH hornet). I looking for load data that someone has used regularly. I have an array of bullets on hand 40v-max, 40b-tip, 52 nosler match, 50 sierra's, 55 b-tips. I have H-110 and H4227 powders in hand. Federal Bench Rest small rifle primers and 200 new brass w/full length and neck sizing dies. Any loads appreciated though. I'm not looking to make this rifle what it shouldn't do. I have a 22-250 and a 220 Swift.
Mainly for turkey and predator hunting across fields.

 

[7mmRHB]

Freebore , the powder of choice for the 22 Hornet is Li'l Gun and which ever 40 gr bullet your gun prefers. The 40 NBT has a higher BC and shot well in my gun. Winchester brass holds more powder and the more the better with this powder.

If you're going to make the OAL fit the magazine then your charge will be 13 - 13.4 gr with a 8" drop tube. If you load single shot you will be able to get close to 13.9gr with the long drop tube and the bullet seated long. .020 jump to the lands seems to be a good starting place for seating depth. Velocity will be around 3000 to 3080fps depending on your bbl.

PM me if you want more details. ----- 7mmRHB

 

[loaders_loft]

try the 35gr v-max they were made for the hornet. I use 12 gr of lil gun but it shouldn't take long to find your load - the min-max spread is only a grain or two...

 

[Fiftydriver]

One more tip, drop the small rifle primer and pick up some standard small pistol primers. Lil-gun ignites very easily and you do not need the larger primer blast of the small rifle primer, in fact it can raise hell when in many cases when you use a compressed load, the hotter primer can start the bullet moving before the powder itself really ignites. This raises heck with velocity consistancy and also in accuracy results.

 

[fireball10x]

I'm using 13.2 grains of lilgun and a 40 vmax in my CZ,I have 2 clips and I modified one clip so I could seat them out farther.I tried the 35s but they slowed down pretty quick and the 40s grouped better at 200 yards.I use cci small rifle bench rest primers and they work great I tried pistol primers and had the firing pin put a hole in one and had gas escape maybe it was a bad primer.Now I just use the BRs.And I use Forster dies and my brass is 4 years old,years ago in other hornets I had I used 296 powder and 45 grain hornet bullets and a different brand dies and I used to have to trim my brass everytime I loaded them and now they don't seem to stretch.I don't know if its the dies or powder.The last hornet was an Anshutz.

 

[Freebore]

Thanks for the info!
I have shot the rifle this past week and the 40's V-max and the Bal-tips did well at 100yd running @2965fps with less than 1/2" 5 shot groups for both bullets. Lil' gun 13.4gr 205M primers. I tried some 55 fmj but they didn't even hit the target at 100, don't know where they went!. They where running pretty fast I think for that little case though (2850+).
I did bump the load to 13.9 for the 40's running them at 3050 but they did not group well at all. I'm just looking for a good load to about 150 with the ability to hit well at 200 with this rifle. I have some 52gr match bullets (Nosler) to give a try also.

Kirby,
I had come across that info reading a few articles on the Hornet using pistol primers. I will give them a try somewhere along the way.

loaders_loft,
The 35gr Hornady factory's shot well in this rifle too but I want to shoot something heavier. They where the only factory that have shot at advertised velocity 3105 - 3120 fps

 

[fireball10x]

The 40 vmax and lilgun is hard to beat in the hornet,I shot 2 fox at 200 yards and it put around a five inch exit hole in them.I also shot quite a few woodchucks out to 225 yards with no problem,any farther than that I use my 221 fireball or 204 ruger and for real long ones my 6mm ackley improved. Have fun

 

[Freebore]

Just came back form the range after trying those 55 fmj again. I used a shower door cardboard box piece as a backer (just in case I needed it) low and behold I needed it. That thing has shot the worst group I have ever seen come out of a rifle barrel including a smoothbore black powders!! They had to be almost 3 feet apart..one in the upper right, one in the lower right, one in the center, one lower left and upper left.
Thank goodness it doesn't shoot those 40's that way! Back to the range tomorrow with the 40's