.22 hornet minimum barrel length.

[Redgum]

Decided to finally ditch the HMR, its been a bitter sweet affair with the thing, good bags of long range bunnies on summer evenings to the frustration of trying to feed it the right diet and even that on occasion that has been unreliable. Must be the shooter you might say but I zero it side by side of the 243 and 308 and I don't think so, the difference I'm sure is that I have control over the ammo as I reload my own for the centrefires but no control over the hmr ( my .22lr is always dependably accurate with eley's).

My local RFD has a .22 hornet on the rack and I've always heard good reports on the rifle and of course for the price of reloading dies I will have control back. Now I would like to have a nice short truck rifle for long range bunnies and the occasional fox but how short without loosing the advantage.

[steve_b_wales]

Not sure what the minimal barrel length should be to avoid affecting accuracy, but the .22 Hornet is a brilliant caliber. Although I have yet to shoot any vermin with mine, it's very accurate and hard hitting. Reloading it works out at 27p per round approx (re using the cases)

[telf]

sure i read somewhere 18" was the optimum/best length

[Redgum]

Not sure what the minimal barrel length should be to avoid affecting accuracy, but the .22 Hornet is a brilliant caliber. Although I have yet to shoot any vermin with mine, it's very accurate and hard hitting. Reloading it works out at 27p per round approx (re using the cases)

No more expensive than hmr ammo then.

[steve_b_wales]

No more expensive than hmr ammo then.

Yes.

I've just purchased a .17 Hornet, and intend to reload that as well.

[Luckyshot]

No more expensive than hmr ammo then.

It's slightly more than the hmr to feed but much more reliable, the only down side is making sure you pick up your brass. I never do with the RF. My barrel is 18" and shoots spot on.

[Redgum]

It's slightly more than the hmr to feed but much more reliable, the only down side is making sure you pick up your brass. I never do with the RF. My barrel is 18" and shoots spot on.

Now that's a very good point.

[Underdog]

For rabbits mate you can load it cheaper still! Send off for some S&B 45grn full patch. Stick about 6grn of blue dot in and go for heads to 80yds+

[cliveward]

Redgum,

 

If you are reloading you can pretty much go as short as legally allowed due to the case / barrel volume ratio less speed is lost with the .22 Hornet. Mine is 13 or 13.5" from memory and I've never had a velocity problem.

 

It is a brilliant cartridge. I use 35 grain V-max over H110.

 

 

Cheers

 

 

 

 

 

Clive

[Redgum]

Redgum,

 

If you are reloading you can pretty much go as short as legally allowed due to the case / barrel volume ratio less speed is lost with the .22 Hornet. Mine is 13 or 13.5" from memory and I've never had a velocity problem.

 

It is a brilliant cartridge. I use 35 grain V-max over H110.

 

 

Cheers

 

 

 

 

 

Clive

Thanks for that, are bullets etc easily available, had a quick scan for dies and have not found much, would I need to fully resize new cases or being a thin cases would they resize themselves on first cycle in chamber, I think I read that somewhere. I look forward to the challenge, having spot on consistant loads for the 243 and 308 I only load what I need, starting all over with a new calibre is a something to look forward to. Do you think taking the barrel down to 16in would not stop the rifle being a 150yd varminter.

[nicholiath]

I tend to necksize .22 hornet and have improved groups by using small pistol primers plus applying a very light crimp with lee crimp die.

[wymberley]

Not for one minute saying you must, but before forking out for the dies and as you've rightly mentioned the thin cases, you could have a look at the Forster bench rest seating die to ensure good bullet/case alignment. Also, as and when it becomes necessary, instead of full length re-sizing you could also have a look at the Redding body die which is easier on the case as it's easy to set the depth so that the case fits the chamber nicely.

 

There are several good bullets available - Hornady Hornet, Speer Spitzer and the Sierra S Pt all 45 grain to name just a few. Avoid the Nosler and V Max type 40 grainers at first as you may have trouble getting them to stabilize in the 1 in 16 twist especially if you shorten the barrel.

 

Without being silly, any of the above over L'il Gun will get you 2850+ ft/sec and some 825 ft/lbs if you need it - a real fox round.

 

 

[Underdog]

Most Hornets are 1/14" now. My old BSA was 16".

 

It worked fine on 40 gen btips. CZ magazines can be modified if the longer bullets want to be used.

 

Personally I would just use the normal Hornet bullet shape today. Probably cheaper too.

[wymberley]

Most Hornets are 1/14" now. My old BSA was 16".

 

It worked fine on 40 gen btips. CZ magazines can be modified if the longer bullets want to be used.

 

Personally I would just use the normal Hornet bullet shape today. Probably cheaper too.

Yep, some are 1/14 (some are 1/12) like the Savage and Ruger. Some like the Anschutz, Weihrauch and CZ are 1/16.

Edited June 11, 2015 by wymberley

[steve_b_wales]

Most Hornets are 1/14" now. My old BSA was 16".

 

It worked fine on 40 gen btips. CZ magazines can be modified if the longer bullets want to be used.

 

Personally I would just use the normal Hornet bullet shape today. Probably cheaper too.

I use a CZ. How do you modify the magazine?

 

Steve.

[wymberley]

I use a CZ. How do you modify the magazine?

 

Steve.

No doubt UD will put you straight - it's something to do with the plastic insert I believe - but just for info if it's any use, you can get a purpose built single shot conversion for the CZ magazine - James Calhoon?

[Underdog]

Wyberley is right. The magazine uses a plastic insert. We use to sand them to give a little more oal.

 

My savage was 1/14!

 

U.

[steve_b_wales]

No doubt UD will put you straight - it's something to do with the plastic insert I believe - but just for info if it's any use, you can get a purpose built single shot conversion for the CZ magazine - James Calhoon?

My CZ magazine is an all metal construction.

[Underdog]

My CZ magazine is an all metal construction.

Maybe they changed them but the insert I remember fooled me into thinking it was steel.

[steve_b_wales]

Maybe they changed them but the insert I remember fooled me into thinking it was steel.

Double checked, and it's a metal insert engraved 22 HOR. The rifle is approx 6 years old.

[Underdog]

Double checked, and it's a metal insert engraved 22 HOR. The rifle is approx 6 years old.

Not the plate or carrier mate. Its at one end. Cartridge head end if I remember. Take it apart.

[kent]

Look up some pistol data for the hornet, you cant chop it too short in theory at least. The magazine mod on the cz is more than taking the plastic backer out (although this must be done and some taken off the back non bearing face) the feed lip also needs a re-work / re-make to get the feed just so on the CZ as after the mod it will be a bit too short not sure on the annie of which I am unsure of never having examined one closely. Using 40 grain v-max will put you over spec length, arguably its worth it as this has the best BC of all in a Hornet (35s are pants) I usually use 45 grain Seirra and the rifle is well up to 200 yards even a tad further running 2800 with lilgun it will keep to a taget the size of a fox heart / rabbits head out to 130-140 if you get the PBZ set up right as far as trajectory goes and needs 2 moa for 200 yards

 

Steve,

Your looking at the feed lip on the CZ mag the back packer is plastic and sits pinned inside the mag housing. In order to remove it you have to remove two tiny pins. In order to alter it to suit longer rounds you take some off the back edge, when your done you can only fit one pin so you need to consider bonding the part in. Its certainly not marked hornet and under normal use you wont even notice its there al it does is save CZ making another type of mag and the housing etc just for the hornet

 

Personally speaking I should only consider CZ in Hornet and the reason is the fact that they do not chamber std stock .22 cf barrel blanks as a separate operation (this is what gives us .223 spec twist rates in many rifles). The concentricity is key to the hornet shooting well.

 

Enough said

[wymberley]

Double checked, and it's a metal insert engraved 22 HOR. The rifle is approx 6 years old.

Steve, I don't know - don't shoot CZ, but for clarity it's not the follower I'm on about but I thought there was a plastic insert either at the front or the back of the mag which could be trimmed. I f it is all metal now, someone might now if that also can be filed.

 

Edit: Oops, sorry Kent and UD - I didn't see Page 2

Edited June 11, 2015 by wymberley

[Underdog]

Can you informs of where you found out of this special operation at CZ Kent? Please.

[cliveward]

I use the Lee collet neck sizing die and it works very well without stressing the brass at all. It's no bother to run new cases through it just to be consistent.

 

Due to the thin case, just be careful deburring after trimming. It only needs the edge knocking off, not sharpening into a razor sharp coring device.

 

Small pistol primers are a good idea as mentioned earlier.

 

I've not tried the over crimping yet, but concensus is that it does help by making the neck tension more uniform for a more consistent velocity.

 

It's not difficult to reload at all, and I even do very large batches for mine on a full progressive press with case feeder. From memory in many many years and thousands of rounds I've damaged 2-3 cases.

 

 

Cheers

 

 

 

 

 

Clive