Tell me about the 22 Hornet

[benzy2]

The problem I have with a hornet is that you basically are forced to reload it. With that being the case, you could just as easily down load a .223 to match performance of the hornet and then have all the advantages that come with the .223 case (a little easier to load, much more availability of cases, cheaper cases, etc). You also have the option to then load them to full potential if needed/desired. The reason I'd jump on a .22 hornet is if it comes is a more handy rifle than a similar priced .223.

All that said, the hornet does a lot of things right. The K-hornet removes a lot of the complaints of the standard hornet case design and makes it easier on reloaders. Some claim to never have a problem with the standard hornet case but others, even veteran reloaders, do have initial growing pains learning how to load that little case properly. The hornet plays a great role in that it pushes varmint type bullets pretty fast yet is much quieter for neighbors and is much more efficient in it's powder use. If you live with neighbors within a few hundred yards, especially the type that aren't gun friendly, it's a much better option for short range varmints than a full power .223 or up and extends range a bit from .22lr. Sure, it isn't the round I'd take to camp Perry to put on the 600 yard line but it does what it was intended to do very well and is a great option for people with sound restrictions.

 

[DM~]

Over the years, i've had several Hornets... They are all looong gone!

I don't see why anyone would pick a Hornet over a .223 Rem., these days?

The .223 can be loaded to the same velocity just as cheaply, the brass is better and cheaper, and if you want, you can load the .223 to higher velocities. Also, the long necks on the Hornet are thin and easy to crinkle while loading them.

Personally, i like the 22WMR MUCH better than the Hornet, and i don't have to reload it!! If i need more velocity than that, i move up to the .223 Rem...

DM

 

[BrocLuno]

Every 22 collector has to have at least one 22 Hornet

 

[MachIVshooter]

I don't see why anyone would pick a Hornet over a .223 Rem., these days?

-Lighter, more compact cartridge; Less burdensome in your pockets when walking in the field in pursuit of critters that are numerous, requiring significant amounts of ammunition be carried

-More efficient; As I already mentioned, the Hornet wil achieve over 80% of a .223's velocity with 40 gr. bullets using less than half the powder charge

-Mild report; Barely louder than a .22 WMR, they don't draw the kind of unwanted attention the .223 and other, larger centerfires do in certain settings.

-Nostalgia; They're just plain nifty, and represent an epoch in high velocity, small bore cartridge development.

The Hornet may not be for everyone, but to call it useless is just plain silly. It has it's place, and despite owning rifles in .17 Mach 2, .17 Rem, .22 WMR, .223, .220 Swift and 6mm Rem, I still find times when the Hornet's qualities make it better suited to the task at hand than the others. Like dispatching praire dogs in a rural but settled area; One place I used to frequent required shooting further than a .17 or .22 Rimfire can, but there were enough residences around I didn't want to draw the kind of attention my .17 Rem, .223's or .220 Swift would. The Hornet is just right for such an application.

 

[DM~]

-Lighter, more compact cartridge; Less burdensome in your pockets when walking in the field in pursuit of critters that are numerous, requiring significant amounts of ammunition be carried

-More efficient; As I already mentioned, the Hornet wil achieve over 80% of a .223's velocity with 40 gr. bullets using less than half the powder charge

-Mild report; Barely louder than a .22 WMR, they don't draw the kind of unwanted attention the .223 and other, larger centerfires do in certain settings.

-Nostalgia; They're just plain nifty, and represent an epoch in high velocity, small bore cartridge development.

The Hornet may not be for everyone, but to call it useless is just plain silly. It has it's place, and despite owning rifles in .17 Mach 2, .17 Rem, .22 WMR, .223, .220 Swift and 6mm Rem, I still find times when the Hornet's qualities make it better suited to the task at hand than the others. Like dispatching praire dogs in a rural but settled area; One place I used to frequent required shooting further than a .17 or .22 Rimfire can, but there were enough residences around I didn't want to draw the kind of attention my .17 Rem, .223's or .220 Swift would. The Hornet is just right for such an application.

Light load a 223, and it will have the same noise level as the hornet, as for carrying rounds, where do you walk that that's an issue??? A 10yr old could carry more than enough 223's to last a decent shooting session!

Nostalgia is the only thing that fits, and like i already said, i've owned numerous Hornets, from 52 winchesters to contenders. None of them made me want to continue with the quirks of the hornet case.

For the power it has, i'd rather shoot the 22WMR, as least them i don't have to pack the brass back home, and reload it! lol

DM

 

[Countryguy1982]

I have owned several 22 hornets over the years. I have hunted everything from yotes to deer with them. ( any 22 caliber centerfire expanding on up) is legal to deer hunt with in my state. Did it work on deer? sure it did just fine. ( one double shoulder) 3 neck shots and one just a tad far back , bout 3 inches behind shoulder. Is it a good choice for big game? probably not....... I will say this. .... Over the years , i have learned to calm myself down alot..... IF i get nervous , its usually ( after ) the shot. SO i somewhat consider myself seasoned. I take my shots. and only the right shots..... Marginal shots are not great with this caliber.... You don't have the room for error. a half ass shot and you will probably have a wounded animal. that will die a slow painful death....... In the hands of the right person. Sure it would probably be just fine.... But ask yourself this...... how many times do you think you will get the perfect shot in real hunting situations. I personally havn't had all that many.... So step up a lil to a bigger caliber an eliminate having to let that big trophy horn walk..... On the other hands . 22 hornet DID GREAT on yotes....... just rolled them a flip.... But from my experience anything from a 22 mag up works great on them. .... from what i've seen they don't seem to be all that tough of an animal.... If your wanting a 22 cal for target shooting. get a .223... hard to beat $7.00 a box for ammo... Summing it up....22 hornet is a fine caliber in the hands of the right person , with the right patience and disipline for taking optimal shots...... in the hands of a novice for hunting.... step it up a few calibers till you get some experience under your belt at least... if you are just wanting to shoot.... hell any caliber you get to squeeze the trigger on is fun and worth it lol. just watch your wallet.... it goes empty fast if you don't reload.

 

[MachIVshooter]

Light load a 223, and it will have the same noise level as the hornet

I own/have owned more than a dozen .223's of all flavors and have loaded it all the way up and down the spectrum and beyond. At any level, it is louder and less efficient than a Hornet. The .223 it a good cartridge, and certainly better than a Hornet for the guy who wants to do as much as he can with as few guns as possible.

Me? I've sold off most of my .223's, now only having a few semi-autos. For Varminting, the .22 Hornet is great out to 300 yards and doesn't have the overheating issues of .223 and up. For longer shots, my .220 Swift outclasses the .223 by a big margin. For predators where pelts matter, the .17 Rem is superior to the .223 (tiny entry wound, no exit hole).

IMO, .223 is a jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none kind of cartridge. Hence, as I said, it makes the most sense for the guy who wants decent capabilities over a wider range with one gun as opposed to having multiple firearms with more specific applications.

as for carrying rounds, where do you walk that that's an issue???

50 or 80 rounds of hornet in your jean pockets is less bulky than 50 or 80 rounds of .223. When the shooting is well within the capabilites of the Hornet, why would I carry more bulky ammunition and burn more powder?

 

[DM~]

50 or 80 rounds of hornet in your jean pockets is less bulky than 50 or 80 rounds of .223. When the shooting is well within the capabilites of the Hornet, why would I carry more bulky ammunition and burn more powder?

And 50 rounds of 22WMR takes up even less space, and 22LR less yet...

No matter, i'm glad you like your hornet, but to me, the WMR does all i need it to do out to 150, and then i step up to something bigger than a hornet.

To tell the truth, i went from the hornet to the 222 Rem., but today i'd go to the .223 and never look back. I still have more than one 222 and more than one 223, but my 22WMR's get shot the most. Plinking rounds are $8.95/50 and hunting rounds are $10.50/50 and i don't have to pick them up or reload them!!

DM

 

[Float Pilot]

I own or have owned, 22LRs, 22 WRF, 22 mags, 22 Hornet, 218 Bee, 223s, 22-250, 220 Swift and even a 22 Savage highpower.

I like playing with the 22 Hornet. It is challenging and somewhat interesting to hand-load. And it is very pleasant to shoot. As was the 218 Bee.

Yes I still have a couple 223s and a 22-250 ever since I burned the barrel out of my 220 Swift. (The 220 Swift was fun to play with as well since it is something of an oddball.)
But they (223, 22-250) are so predicable that they have become boring....

But then again I like the 38WFC, 25-20, 45-75 and 50-90...

The 22 Hornet is fine for the gentleman hand-loader. Somebody who likes old wood and steel over plastic and alloy.

 

[cpt-t]

22 hornet

I have been hunting with a 22 HORNET for 40 plus years since 1963. My Son and I shoot CZ 527 in the 22 HORNET his is a FS model and mine is the American model. They are both scarey accurate and both shoot the same load under a 1/2 at a 100yrds. We load 35gr V-MAX`S and use IMR 4227 and H-110 2860 to 3100 fps. Low noise level, low recoil if any, and very light to carry, super for and old fat guy. I use mine as a walking around rifle alot shoot mainley pd`s , ground hogs, and coyotes.It is a 200 to 250 yd rifle for pd`s and ground hogs and I have killed some coyotes past 200yds but that is pushing things I think. One of the best things about the rifle is you don`t scare the farmer or his wife or the livestock even up close to the barn. I went to a farm last fall that the old couple had not let anybody hunt for ever and the coyotes had distroyed there lamb crop and their chickens and ducks they had to keep cooped up coyotes would take them the daytime. I shot 4 coyotes in less than 3 hrs they were not afraid and the low noise level didn`t seem to bother them. When I got back to farm house the farmer wife said I am sorry you didn`t see any thing. Then I told her to go look in the back of my pick-up. They said they had never heard me shoot at all. I shoot on them and there friends a lot no. Try a 22 hornet they are cheap to load for and you just can`t beat a CZ they are just great and their triggers are unbelivable. ken

 

[Float Pilot]

I just took mine (Ruger M77/22 Hornet) out to the range today.
I tried some CCI 450 magnum primers just to see what happens. Basically the magnum primer adds the same velocity as 0.3 grains of Lil Gun powder.
With 12.7 grains of Lil Gun and virgin WW-Super brass I was pushing 40 grain V-max bullets at 3,154 fps on average. But the group was not nearly as good as it is with standard primers. I managed an inch with one group when the bore was dirty, but in general it was not a very good load. 3,154 is a touch hot, although the brass looks Ok.
For some reason my rifle likes flat based bullets better than the boat-tailed V-max.

I would love to have a CZ or some other quality rifle in 22 Hornet instead of the Ruger.

 

[MachIVshooter]

For some reason my rifle likes flat based bullets better than the boat-tailed V-max

That's not at all uncommon, and AFAIK, is the reason for rebated boattail designs.