hornets

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birdshot

New member
I like the looks of the remington 799, but i do not believe it to be as accurate as other hornets.
I really do not like the looks of the rear locking lug rifles, though I do believe the savage model 40 is accurate enough to be interesting.
I also like everything i have heard about the CZ, but do not care for the magazine.
Am interested in comments on any hornet rifles. also loads. I have a savage 340 hornet and a TC contender in the hornet, but have been wanting to upgrade the rifle.
 
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ELMOUSMC

New member
I have several Hornets and really like shooting all of them.I like my Savage model 40 best Hornets can be very tempermental about what they like to shoot.I spent a lot of time getting the right load for the model 40-12.8grains l'il gun 40 grain hpbt holds an in at 200 yds and will take cats at 300
My H&R on the other hand likes WW 45 grain sp but on its best day will only hold an inch or so at 100yds.My CZ likes Prvi-Partizan 45 grain sp factory loads and will hold 1 moa of chipmunk at 200 yds all day
Remember the Hornet isn't a .22-250 or a .223 but within its limits it can be a deadly accurate round and as with all rounds faster isn't always better.Have fun its a great round ELMOUSMC
 
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mrsleeve

New member
My Browning Medallion hornet, with nearly any good ammo in dead on inside 150 yards on Colombian Ground squirrels. I plug them off the deck all summer long.
 
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Judah Ben-Hur

New member
I have a Ruger 77/22 Hornet that has seen a few loads thrown at it. I didn't get real indepth with reloading for it because the trigger is "horrible". I'm fighting it at the bench and who knows when its going to break. It is going off next week for some trigger work. I did buy a Timney but ended up taking the sear back out and leaving the lighter spring because the safety didn't function correctly. I wasn't about to try and be a gunsmith with file in hand. :eek: I got to get it out this summer because I love the gun, wood, and feel of it. The stock has a flat bottom on it and it doesn't want to do the pendellum in the bag. Other than fighting the trigger, it did produce some 3/4 groups at 100 yards with a Nikon ProStaff 3x9. I'm sure with a little more scope power and foremost improved trigger it would be under 1/2 inch at 100 with the loads I've tried. I remember shooting the Winchester & Remington factory loads and the Remingtons were horrendous. Also, make sure of the bullet diameters are for your "Hornet" gun.

I used the following, refer to manufacturer for published load data and work them up safely for your gun.

22 Hornet
Winchester cases
CCI 400 primers
Sierra .224 40 grain Soft Point #1200
1.730 O.A.L
12.8 grains Lil' Gun
10 shots 3/4" @ 100, light breeze

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22 Hornet
Winchester cases
WSR primers
Sierra .224 45 grain Soft Point #1210
1.725 O.A.L
11.5 grains IMR4227 (compressed)
10 shots 3/4" @ 100, calm

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W296 with 45 grain - sucked all the way through loadings! :barf:
IMR4198 with 45 grain didn't shoot well either, measured like crap with my powder measure, moved on :mad:

img1229.jpg
 
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Crankylove

New member
I have a Ruger 77/22 Hornet, and love it. Always been accurate with just about every load I have shoved in it, and is a blast to shoot. It has never had factory ammo through it (cause I am too cheap to buy it), but has minute of squirrel accuracy with my hand loads out to 250-300 yards.

My favorite/most accurate load is:

10.5 grains W296
40 grain speer soft point
usually CCI or Win primers
 
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Savage99

New member
I never had a Hornet that I liked. When I started out handloading in 1953 it was with a 222. That cartridge was easy to load with reduced loads to keep the noise down.

A 223 should be able to also.

I would look for a 223 or a 222 if you handload and shoot reduced loads to equal the Hornet.
 
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dahermit

New member
I have a Browning B78 low wall .22 Hornet. It is a beautiful little gun, dark walnut, tapered hexagon barrel, my favorite. Shoots very accurate with Cooper double hollow point 46 grain bullets and Hodgdon Lil Gun powder. Good Trigger, light weight. Quiet enough, that I shoot ground hogs and fox (always looking at my geese), out of my gun room window.
 
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cz223

New member
I kniow that the hornet still has a loyal following, but I can't imagine why. There is nothing that the hornet can do, that the 223 or even the 222 can not do better. For that matter, I would be willing to bet that there are few things that it can do that the 17HMR can not do as well. The slightly smaller bullet diameter, .223 as opposed too .224, means a whole new set of components whereas, if you were to go with a the 223 or 222, you would be able to use those bullets in any of the many 22 cals. I have several friends who have had 22 Hornets over the years and none of them have been super accurate. But, if you must have a Hornet, I would stay away from the 77/22. I have owned two, and neither have been very accurate. I am a big fan of Savage rifles and, despite the fact that the barrel is not removeable on their model 40, I would probably buy that rifle.
 
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B.L.E.

New member
The slightly smaller bullet diameter, .223 as opposed too .224, means a whole new set of components whereas, if you were to go with a the 223 or 222, you would be able to use those bullets in any of the many 22 cals.
Click to expand...

Only the very early .22 Hornet rifles had .223 barrels, the modern ones are all .224.
The reason the very first .22 Hornets had .223 barrels was because they used rechambered .22 rimfire barrels, or so I have heard.

100 yrds, 13 gr Li'l Gun, Remington cases, Sierra .224 40 gr hollow point #1385, CCI small rifle primers, Ruger No. 1

IMG_0134.jpg
 
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birdshot

New member
follow up

thanks for all of the replies. in response to the 222 is better, well i agree. the point of the hornet is not that it is the best, it is just plain fun to take an archaic round out to the range or dog town. also with "new" powders like lil gun the hornet has gotten a brand new pair of shoes.
I have heard good things about the accurate 1680 also, i am interested in trying a batch as soon as i find some. for now i am filling remington cases with lil gun. i don't care for the way the powder clumps but the informal testing seems promising from both of my guns.
Thanks for the recommendations and especially the personal eperiences with the various recommendations.
 
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Magnum Wheel Man

New member
yep... there are better cartridges out there, but just like the 30-30, 7mm Mauser, 45-70, 375 H&H, etc... the Hornet is an older round that refuses to die...

I have "several" 22 Hornets, & a couple cartridges based on the Hornet brass...

as far as rifles... I really like the CZ that I currently own... if I had to replace it with something else, it would be a Martini Kadet 1st... Browning Micro Medallion 2nd, new CZ ( like the looks of that new magazine ) 3rd, & either Savage or Ruger 4th...

I shoot my 22 Hornet Contender barrel quite a bit, & haveing rifles, a Contender, & a Revolver all in the same cartridge, I try to reload for each gun specifically ( chambers & throats are different between several of the guns, & the cylinder is only so long on the revolver )

also with new components, the Hornet is getting a bit of a revival... the new Hornady V Max 40 grain bullets work really well in a couple of my guns, as do a couple other newer bullets... Hogdon lil gun is supposed to work really well in that cartridge, & I have a couple pounds I'm test loading with ight now... I'm hoping for equally good results with it... BTW... I also shoot 222, & 223 out of several guns, & the lower noise & recoil propertys of the Hornet are very apparent when shooting the guns side by side... & while I don't often go out to 300 yards with the Hornet, like I would with the 223 or 222 I easily get minute of gopher accuracy out to 150-200 even from a handgun with the 22 Hornet in a much more efficient cartridge
 
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PetahW

New member
[There is nothing that the hornet can do, that the 223 or even the 222 can not do better.]

You are in error, cz223 - the Hornet can work in the more densly-populated areas, where larger cartridges won't, simply because it's quieter, and won't disturb as many neighbors.

I'm regularly allowed permission to hunt/shoot on farmed acerage where other shooters with more strenuous chamberings have been asked to leave.

birdshot - I have a pre-M1 CZ-527 Hornet, a Lux - that has it's mag shortened even more flush than the M1, and the TG webs removed. Issue mags are still usable, if I ever feel the "need for feed".
The CZ is a mini-Mauser, while the 77/22H is a mid-bolt locker.
I've previously owned a Ruger Hornet, but the fit/finish/wood of the CZ-Lux is better, with the accuracy about par.
Both require specialized scope rings - I used Ruger on the 77/22H, and Burris on my CZ-527.
.
 
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