Backed out primers in 22 Hornet. Should I care?

[Crosshair]

So I made some 40 grain 22 Hornet loads with a small pistol primer and about 12.1 grains of Lil'Gun using my Lee AutoDisk. I zip out to the range and test them out. I get about 2,550 fps out of my Encore SBR with them. Everything fires just fine, but the primers on all of the cases are backed out slightly. From my understanding, this is a sign of low pressure, as the case doesn't stretch to come into contact with the breech face and re seat the primer.

The question is, should I care?

These cases are going to be neck sized and segregated to the specific gun. With that in mind, the primers backing out is irrelevant and the lower pressure/no stretching would provide increased case life.

Doing a search online, the worst I see that I should expect is accuracy problems. If those don't occur, then I should be just fine. Is there any problem with my logic here?

 

[horsemen61]

Ttrl

 

[Walkalong]

You’ll be fine if there are no function issues and there isn’t a lot of blowby crudding stuff up

 

[edwardware]

The backed out primers indicate that you started with excessive headspace, and that you still have some (at least the primer protrusion).

The possibility of head separations isn't past, but it is reduced; check cases carefully. Other than that, carry on.

 

[243winxb]

The pistol primer may have something to do with , how the primer looks? Have you compared to a rifle primer?

With no gas leakage, all would seem to be ok. The neck sizing should help. I don't see a problem.

Hodgdon has listed with their data-

Primer: Winchester SR, Small Rifle

 

[Blue68f100]

It's a indication of low pressure and maybe excessive head spacing to go with it. As is since nothing failed it's ok for now but you may eventually start leaking at the primers. I would bump the charge up to have the primers get reseated flush. This should also fire form the brass to your chamber. Which would be ideal if your only gong to neck size. Over sizing the brass will lead to case failure, aka head separation.

 

[jmorris]

The 22 Hornet out of a single shot didn’t give me great accuracy until I quit full length sizing and only sized the portion of the neck that holds the bullet.

Using the same everything but just changing that turned my Van Norman contender barrel from a 1.25-1.5” group at 100 yards to .350-.450 at 100 yards.

The differences are noticeable when measuring the case but the case on the left is “blown out” fitting the chamber the one on the right is a factory round.

I also set the bullet set so it is seated about .015” deeper when the action is closed.

Techniques that don’t always work for me but made all the difference with the Hornet.

 

[Crosshair]

Well I tried loading about 13 grains and I still have the primers backing out slightly. Velocity is about 2,700 now out of a 12" barrel. I'll load a bunch up and test accuracy. This first batch of cases I've neck sized and will compare for accuracy and primer backing out vs with full length sized ones.

Also loading up some 55 grains. Can't tell for sure, but this barrel might be 1-12". Check my Hornady manual. Max load is 10.7 grains for a 55 grain. Hodgdon starting load, 12 grains. Gonna start at 10.5 of Lil'Gun, cus that's what my auto disk drops, and see what happens. I'll shoot/chrony them next weekend.

Thanks for the advice thus far.

 

[earplug]

I agree that the backed out primer is a sign of excess headspace and a relatively low pressure load.
Higher pressure will stretch the brass case and reseat the primer. This would explain the accuracy improvement found by only neck sizing.
Have been around some old 25/20 rifles with the same issue. Case life suffers from full length sizing.

 

[Walkalong]

My Ruger 77-22 in .22 Hornet came alive when I tried the 40 Gr V-Max & 1680,
most folks report the 35 Gr V-Max working better. More folks like Li' Gun it it as well.

 

[GooseGestapo]

Don’t push the shoulder back!
My Ruger M77/22Hornet has a minimum chamber. It wants the case sized back to the shoulder with just a tiny pushback. Also, seat the bullet straight. This way it lays in the chamber the same every time, but no push forward by the strike of the firing pin.

Finally, try H4198. Nothing worked great in my Marlin M1894 Till I tried some H4198 and Sierra bullets.
3moa turned into 1moa.
I even use small pistol primers...