.22 Hornet good all rounder?

[Big_Sam]

Just a quick question, I'm putting in for my FAC in the new year when I get the cabinet, so wondering if the .22 Hornet would do to cover for long range rabbits and the occasional fox. It seems to be a good all rounder for shortish ranges (150yards) and fairly reasonably priced. I am also a bit of a noise fanatic and like to keep things as quiet as possible, and the .223 seems a bit noisy still. Not to mention it is vastly overpower for rabbits, I do want to eat them, not scrape them up!

 

So looking at the .22 hornet it seems to be the ideal bridge between a HMR and a .223.

 

I am trying to keep the number of rifles down to save money and space. I have a .22 PCP that I can get upgraded to FAC, and along with a .17HM2 that I am going for, the .22 hornet seems a good compainion.

 

I might not even go for a .22LR as the 17HM2 has less ricochets and the .22AIR would be fine for close range and around buildings. Oh, and I might do the SGC for the extra tenner, that would take another place in the cabinet.

 

Cheers,

 

Big Sam

[OneEye]

Have you seen the price of the ammo? It's a pretty good calibre other than that - but you'll need to reload them unless you're a Rothschild.

[bk]

Is the hornet a pricey round? I've been granted one to get to grips with a centrefire, before I can get the .222 I applied for and the .22LR opened

[Big_Sam]

Depends how much you fire it I suppose. Yes I would be looking to do my own reloading, I have heard this makes the cost about 25p a round, not too bad really.

[trakker01]

rounds are cheep enough, you can get them @£32 per 100...... don't think thats too bad..

 

as it does 2600 fps....& flat to 150yds... if set at 100yds...& does all you need

 

.....( try that with a rimmy.... )

[OneEye]

The local gun shop quoted me a price of £25 for 20 rounds. Just looked at Peter Lawman's site and he's listing it for, ahem, rather less.

[Baldrick]

The Hornet is good, but only to 150 yards. I recall that Dunganick on this forum is a fan of the Hornet. It has a rather pronounced trajectory, compared to a .222. It's such a soft-shooting round that you can see the impact without losing sight of the target, compared to the noticeable recoil (and muzzle blast) of a .22-250. Provinding you know your limitations, it's a great little calibre.

 

You'll like the .222 though. That really is sweet.

[dunganick]

The hornet is a great little round, however if i had to choose between a .222/.223 or the hornet, it would be the .222/.223 all day long.

 

Yes the hornet is better than an HMR or .22lr, but its not a patch on either of the .222 or .223 for its longer range stuff.

 

The hornet can shoot pretty flat out to about 170 with the 35grain v max, but it is a light bullet and has a rubbish b.c so it pretty much stops dead in its tracks at 200.

 

The .222 or .223 can be setup so they are only 2 or so inches low at 200yrds and only 4 or 5 low at 250 and still have the muscle to dispatch a fox at those ranges.

 

The .22 hornet is a great little round if your into collecting guns and enjoying shooting them, but as a work tool the .222 or .223 are the much more sensible choice.

 

A silenced hornet and .222 are not so different tbh, and even an unsilenced hornet running our handloads is doin 3100 fps, so its got a fair crack to it.

 

Its also expensive to run, poor choice of rifles its avalible in, reloading it is a bit of a pain with paper thin brass, and a limited range of projectiles avalible for it.

 

Having said all this, its one of my fav guns to shoot. But i dont personally own one, i let my dad do that, i just like using it.

 

GM or gemini (who ever he is these days) has a recently got a new (to him) hornet and is handloading it, he will (if he see's this thread) explain his problems with getting it to shoot straight, however he has won, and loves it. He has always been a hornet fan if i recall.

 

Another vote for a .222 here. Top round, walks all over the .223 imho.

[Big_Sam]

Well, some interesting views there. I supposed that the age of the hornet is beginning to show, a quick look in the shop shows the prices for the rifles being the same as a .222, so that might end up being a better choice.

 

I could always put down for both

[casts_by_fly]

sam,

 

The hornet is a great little niche caliber. It is bigger than a rimfire but smaller and quieter than a 223. You can load it down with 35-40 gr heads and have a 22LR or push it up and hit the low end of a 223. It can be quiet if you like and for a lot of practical hunting ranges (200 yd or less) it is a great choice.

 

But then you run into the problems. Factory ammo is expensive and typically not the best for accuracy. You should be a reloader or else you'll be pulling out a lot of hair. But then if you are a reloader you can do the same stuff I mentioned above with a 223. You can load a 223 down to LR velocities or crank them up well past what a hornet can do. And, 223 brass and ammo is generally inexpensive and accurate. So while the hornet is a cool cartridge, it isn't the most practical and wouldn't be a 'first gun' for someone who doesn't have another one.

 

That said, the 17 K-hornet is probably my next purchase. Super quiet, uses virtually no powder, and still sails a 25 gr head pretty quickly and accurately.

 

Thanks,

Rick