Rare have I heard of a 22 hornet shooting well

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So what is it about this cartridge that makes it challenging ? Does the improved version improve its accuracy performance.
 
Fussy Hornets

Am not 100% sure why Hornets can be problem children but I have owned a few and I think there is more than one factor involved. Part of their problem is that generally they are built on actions more suitable for a rimfire. It would be interesting to hear from a person who has one built on a stiff front locking action with a 1 in 14 twist and a match grade barrel. With that setup I suspect that the hornet may improve a great deal. The 221 Fireball is not much bigger than a K Hornet and from most reports appears to be a very forgiving round but maybe this is a result of the strong rifles it has been built on?:confused:
 
per 64 win in 22hornet

hi
i sound what german said !
i owen a 22hornet standerd factory per64 mod 70 winchester it still shoots 40gr speers in to a true inch and 109yards !

it grate for bunnys(to 150yard) and fox's to (200yards ) but well never be a 222rem or 223 rem

i thinks people want to much the 22 hornet this days if all the hold are touching they not happy !
 
Well, I HAD one

Way back when, mid 70's, I had a standard chamber Hornet, in a factory Savage Model 340, that shot dime size 5 shot groups at 100 yards consistently with a Weaver K-6 using factory ammo( on calm days.....back before I knew what a flag could do for your shooting).
I traded that rifle because it was ugly,with that side mounted scope, poorly done impressed checkering, and crude with that rough handling bolt.
Incidentally, this is around the time I first saw a real live BR rifle at the range,with it's metallic red stock....it belonged to Gary O'Cock......it would take me 25 years to realize what a great sport he was involved in.
 
I've owned four Hornets, all High Walls. Back in the early 70's an old varmint hunter told me the secret to the Hornet was the rims. I made a tool to measure the rim thickness an only used the thicker rims. It's nothing to stay under 3/4" at 100 yards once you seperate the thin from the thicker rims. Yea you may go through a "few" boxes of brass to get a supply of thick rims but, isn't it worth it to have your Hornet shoot well? Just my two cents worth.

Jeff Aberegg
 
My Savage M40 shoots 40 g V Max pushed by Little gun under a nickle most all the time if i do my part that is. It has grouped under 1/2" several times.
Dick The Shooter
 
I don't know why, but....

I have had a love/hate relationship with the Hornet over a lot of years. Some of the factory ammo was pretty accurate, but getting consistently accurate reloads was another matter. I got clued in as to neck tension late in my relationship, and perhaps if I had stayed with it things might have worked out. I could get wonderful accuracy reloading .222 but never arrived with the Hornet.
 
I'd guess as much as anything it would also be the lack of a shoulder on the case. I've owned Hornets and shot K-Hornets and the K's seem to be more consistant.
 
There might be something in the action argument.

Here in Australia, we built a lot on the cadet Martini single shot action & they usually shot on the money. Though I didn't ever get round to buying one, the rifle we all lusted for was the Brno (CZ to you) Fox minature mauser built specifically for the Hornet. It shot up a storm, though no all that better than the Anschutz built on the match 54 action.

But that was a decade or three ago....
 
There might be something in the action argument.

Here in Australia, we built a lot on the cadet Martini single shot action & they usually shot on the money. Though I didn't ever get round to buying one, the rifle we all lusted for was the Brno (CZ to you) Fox minature mauser built specifically for the Hornet. It shot up a storm, though no all that better than the Anschutz built on the match 54 action.

But that was a decade or three ago....

My dad built one on the martini action in the 70's and that rifle still shoots great.
Got a mate with the Bruno fox with set trigger that shoots great and the Anschutz that is improved that shoots great.
I have a old sportco that i swapped for a carton of beer,it looks pretty rough but shoots better than the ones mentioned above
 
I think it's because the primer's effect is too large........ This is why the "Secret Trick" for making the Hornet shoot (kinda') is to use pistol primers. I'm not advocating this, just noting it.

al
 
This one shoots well...

...so I k'd it. Not a bug hole gun but you wouldn't want your big toe stickin out at 100tds:D

WW680 is a friend to helping the hornet on it's way for the reloader. This is 1949 BRNO ZKW 465

pf
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554 verl

5.54 verl the grand father of the hornet in an old sako bolt that shoots real well to 150yds
 
opinion

first, i have never owned a hornet.
however that said, i had a contender pistol. to get rimmed cartridges (i had a 357 herrett) to shoot well in the contender one had to resize the brass to headspace on the shoulder not the rim to squeeze out respectable accuracy. yes i know the hornet doesnt have much of a shoulder to headspace on. hence the reason to make it a Khornet, in my opinion that should bring grouping alot tighter. Fred
 
Hornet accuracy

I love this little cartridge from an aesthetic point of view, but it was a real PIA to get to shoot well!

I have three Hornets, a TC Contender (SS pistol), a Winchester Low wall, and a Anschutz 54. It has always been a real struggle to to get them under 1.5" at 100 yards for me and very frustrating.

A very good friend of mine inherited his Dad's Anschutz 54 in Hornet. His Dad was an Ophthalmologist and owned a lake cabin with other eye doc's in cabins near his. The group of docs used to take off each Wednesday afternoon and would go to the lake to shoot and visit. It was due to him and my friend that I was able to have a place to shoot and learned to reload from him. When he told me his Dad's gun was available I jumped at the chance to buy it due to it's history. I was aghast at how poorly I was able to get it to shoot - 2" at best at 100 yards.

Then I found Lil' Gun powder after some searching in the Forums. Happiness was soon found with 13 grains of Lil' Gun and a 40 grain Hornady A-Max bullet. The gun now shoots around 1/2" at 100 yards with this powder and Winchester Small Rifle primers.

George
 
I used to think that too,,,,until,,,

I finally bought a CZ 527 22 Hornet and then shot several other rifles of the same make as a freind was a CZ rep back then. All shot close to one hole,,,,,really. Then I knew I had struggled with a Ruger 77/22 Hornet for TOO LONG. Should have bought the CZ 22 Hornet long before I did. They seem to have no problem at all with all going well under an inch @ 100.
I have long since abandoned the 22 hornet and 22 K Hornet in MUCH favor of the 17 Ackley Hornet. No reason to even own a 22 Hornet for me any more.
 
I had a T/C barrel from Bullberry in 22 Hornet that would shoot 4/10's of an inch at 100 with speer 40g's and AA1680. I really screwed the pooch and left the rifle in my car overnight and the rifle was rusty the next day. Almost made me cry. I have a 10" hornet now that shoot just under 1" at 100 that I use for IHMSA, 55g FMJ and 5.5g or AA#2.

Mike
 
my savage M40 w/ 40g nos bt and lil gun shootsunder 1/2' all day long. My wife who shoots very very rarely can keep it under 3/4".
 
After 6or8 hornets I almost QUIT them The I got a CZ 527 made me in luv agin. W680 works best for me w/ small pistol primers.I dont shoot it often but when I do it brings a Grin . WELL UNDER AN INCH
 
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