A quick glance at a 22 Hornet round is sufficient time to realize this cartridge has been around for a long time. The rimmed base and sloping shoulder angle offer two strong clues that denote its antiquity. Can this be the oldest center-fire varmint cartridge with ammo still available at the sporting goods store? Curiosity was such that I decided to delve into the history of twenty-two caliber center-fire cartridges… and it turns out these varmint eradicators have been with us for a long, long time. And, by the way, the twenty-two center-fire was just about the only chambering for varmint rifles from the late 1800s until 1971 when Remington introduced the 17 Remington. There were a few other cartridges such as the 25-20 Winchester in the mix, but for many years the twenty-two caliber was considered by most hunters to be the ideal size for varmints.
Read More...