hornet loads

[trishbob40]

Whats your favourite hornet loads using 35grns up to 46 grns projectiles
rifle is a brono fox model 2.just like to see what other shooters are using in there hornets..
Trishbob 40

[bushchook]

40gn Taipan HP projectiles are cheap , accurate and good killers . A good place to start . The 40 gn Sierra HP is very similar in all respects but a lot dearer . 45gn Sierra Hornet soft point also shoots very well but I prefer the flatter trajectory of the 40 grainers .
Not sure of magazine length in the Brno . If it is long enough internally (47mm plus) you will be able to use the 40gn V Max which everyone raves about in the Hornet . Your rifle will have a .223 bore . You can safely shoot .224 projectiles though .
My rifle (CZ) gives best accuracy with AR2205 . Win 296 gives higher velocity by 150 FPS but not as accurate in my rifle unless I load hot .
Avoid Highland brass (splits necks). Winchester is OK.
Hornet is very sensitive to powder charge weight so work up in 0.2gn increments checking accuracy with 3 shot groups as you go. Switch to 5 shots when you see a group with minimal vertical dispersion .
Don't load hot unless you like case trimming and full length sizing .
Lee collet neck sizer reduces neck stretching and needs no case lube . Have a Lee die set for sale $40 . If interested PM me .Their seating dies are crap .

[Col. Pogy]

Hello. I have been shooting a hornet in the states for many years and would offer my experiences. Better accuracy comes with regular small pistol primers. Even with hot loads primers don't pierce, but at the 3rd or 4th reload you may have a little gas cutting from an enlarged primer pocket. Chuck the case then. I don't ever worry over that. Performance is what I want. I note also that the official pressure limits have been reduced over the years, while new guns get better. Mine is a Ruger 77/22H. That same gun is fitted for 44 mag at 40K psi. It will hold lots more pressure with a small case. I had good luck with the 40 grain Speer that's rated up to 220 Swift velocity. Its cheap too. Lil'gun is the best powder now, but max WW296 or AA1680. or IMR 4227 work well too. I use Lee's collet die with better results than full length sizing. I have not shot the little 35 grain vmax or 33 grain tnt but a shooting buddy uses them at 3200 FPS in his Ruger # 3. By the way I filed the plastic point off the 35 plastic v maxes for my 218 Bee lever gun, and they shot well and safely. You could do that if magazine length is a problem sometimes like rugers. Sure too, take a Ruger Hornet magazine apart and file out the steel front, mill out the plastic and get quite a bit more length for the 40 vmax. Magazine assembly instructions in the 10/22 manual from Ruger. You may reduce mag capacity by one though. On the Lee seaters, take out the little seating stem and file off the little machining nib on the top end, smooth well, grease the threads and the place under the cap where the stem pushes and I will do better for you.. My Hornet gives 2650 FPS with WW 296, 1 1/2 Remington primers. and bulk purchase 50 grain Remington PSP bullets, all into 5/8" - 1" at 100 yards. That's my go to load now that I've tired of endlessly trying loads. One last observation. The thin case necks lose neck tension quickly after the second or later loadings. So I load for a year's usage only. Its not so with new factory ammo or your first reload of the firing. They will keep a while. Now these are my experiences. Perhaps there is something here to think of for your reloading? Cheers, pogy

[Chrispy]

try the Winchester 40gn 22magnum projjie. Cheap and reasonably effective on game. I use Winchester brass, Win small rifle primer and 11 grains of ADI 2207. This is my general plinker load. This pulls a 1 to 1.5 moa group.

Have used Hornady Vmax 35gn and 10.5 gn 2205 with spectacular results. excellent groups (less than half an inch at 100m). But too expensive for my liking.

All this out of my very old Martini cadet... that I picked up for $100

I wish we could get Hodgen Lil gun here. That would be the ducks nuts for the Hornet. But according to the Winchester Rep, it will never be imported here. SOB.

I'd try the Tiapans, I like them, so did the Martini, but not as much as the Win projjies.

Cheers
Chrispy

[pete152]

All this out of my very old Martini cadet... that I picked up for $100

So when you are sick of that old rifle , I will give you $100 for it , break even.

I love the hornet, I shall have to try these loads in my Savage model 320. Old but fun.
Cheers,
Peter

[lowndsie]

What are some of the velocities u guys are getting with a 40gr pill??? I have a Martini 218Bee improved that I use only 40gr Vmax's with. Cant recall the exact load atm but I get 2800 to 2900fps out of it. I tried 35gr Vmax's but found that they dropped off VERY quickly and were no more explosive than the 40gr Vmax's. The little 35grainers are dumpy looking things compared to the 40's.

[jimbo]

OK guys, here's one out of left field for you. I know a bloke who owns and runs a large grain store. He had a constant problem with rats and mice, plus lots of cats that were attracted by them. Poison was risky, so he came up with an idea. He had a 17 Ackley Hornet, so here's what he did.
Take a Hornet case, and drill out the primer pocket until you can fit a shotgun
primer into it. No powder is required. Load a .177 air rifle pellet into it and he assures me it knocks rats and mice for six, and killed a cat outright with a head shot at about ten yards. There is no reason why this shouldn't work with a standard Hornet and 22 cal air rifle pellets. The best thing about it, is that it is very quiet.

[kjd]

OK guys, here's one out of left field for you. I know a bloke who owns and runs a large grain store. He had a constant problem with rats and mice, plus lots of cats that were attracted by them. Poison was risky, so he came up with an idea. He had a 17 Ackley Hornet, so here's what he did.
Take a Hornet case, and drill out the primer pocket until you can fit a shotgun
primer into it. No powder is required. Load a .177 air rifle pellet into it and he assures me it knocks rats and mice for six, and killed a cat outright with a head shot at about ten yards. There is no reason why this shouldn't work with a standard Hornet and 22 cal air rifle pellets. The best thing about it, is that it is very quiet.

Buy an airgun!!! or use 22 Long Z's I dont think .17 and .22 pills are the same diameter as their centrefire counterpart!

[ogre6br]

go to Lweis at beeman au and get an Airgun and save your face when the case lets go from having to much metal remved while being drilled.

I used 2205 and 296 in my Hornet but found 680 better once I had made it into a K hornet.

2400 is supposed to be the thing for hornet loads- never could find any in the shops so never tried it.
Sold my hornets years ago- never were as accurate as I wanted.

I still have a few hundred unfired win brass if anybody wants them- will swap them for something usefull to me

later
P

[bushchook]

Tried 2400 in my Hornet and wouldn't rate it as good as AR2205 or 296 . Still have the original container near full .