Thought we could pool our knowledge here about this old round that still has a loyal following and could gain a bit of popularity again as the currant climate might favor an economical little cartridge as far as reloading goes. I've been playing with This round for 20+ years. I own 3 rifles chambered for it. For a start it didn't really jump out and grab me accuracy wise as far as factory ammo went, Then trying to handload for it became an exercise in frustration. I'm self taught with most of my hobby as far as hunting competitions and handloading goes as no one in my family was interested in it as I was growing up. I think the quirky thing with this little round is its really sensitive to the most minor of changes you make to it. As far as I've worked out now Is that Lil gun powder is the easiest powder to work with and my rifles prefer the pills at the lighter end of the scale.....
Most guns chambered in it will be at the slower end of the twist. Even .22LR conversions, so yes, the lighter pills more likely to produce accuracy as heavier pills can't be spun enough to stabilise.
Lil'gun pretty much gave the cartridge a new lease on life. An Ackley or K- reamer up it will improve it again.
4198 should get you decent velo.
.222 and .223 kinda do the same job or better. But I do have a soft spot for the little hornys. And that original soft-tapered cartridge, rather than a hard shoulder.
"Ahh, the good ol' days"
Stick to the light pills if they're working for you. I think speer (?) do a 40gn SP which is pretty effective on game.
I have a swag of mixed hornady I need to go through and maybe get rid of but I think they're all heavier, 55gn+
In the right place, if you're close enough, they'll kill anything in NZ. Quiet and low recoil too, so a good cartridge to progress the younguns to, from rimfire.
I've found as far as lil gun goes 12.5gr seems to be the magic number in all 3 of mine. A krico a browning and a H&R handi. I'm having a good run with 35gr vmax a 40gr hp unknown and 45gr speer. Also got some win 295 I think it is which gave good accuracy. 10gr 295 with a 45gr speer is doing 2869fps 12.5gr lil gun and a 35gr v max is doing 3100fps. Very economical to do sporting centerfire comps with.
Ive also found neck sizing the little hornet helps with accuracy as the fire formed cases will be held more consistantly in the chamber.
There has also been talk of using pistol primers in the hornet. I've found using federal sr primers to be good and honestly don't think Id see a measurable difference in the excellent results I'm currently getting. I'm told the federals are the softest primers something I think they are trying to achieve using pistol primers.
Different primers were about consistent ignition. Going to a pistol to cure light-strikes would be counter productive and you'd do better fixing your spring/pin.
Also, being a softer primer, if you were pushing the pressures there's a chance they're going to back/blow out on you.
I don't have the data in front of me, for any pistol vs 22H loading I'm not sure what the largest pistol round that takes SP is. .357mag? but I'd say powder column/capacity/pressure in the
**** is more.
If you were in a bind, sure, run SP. But if you have the choice I'd stick with SR.
I usually use SR or SR Match (Federal 205M), cos that's what I have.
Yea your usually holding a pistol a bit further away from your face than where its all happening with a rifle. I bought one of my hornets off a guy that tried pistol primers and one blew out and blinded him in one eye..
As far as factory ammo goes in the hornet I haven't really found a brand that shoots very well. The Hornady match stuff I have is about the best in my rifles but no where near the accuracy of the hand loads.
Adding as I think of things. Loaded up a batch today a drop tube helps with getting the powder into the tiny case.
So I've found out what my mystery 40gr pills are. Apparently they are winchester semi jacket real accurate as well. they are a strange looking bullet they look like a 22rf hp with a jacket that leaves about a third of the tip exposed.
Interesting... never seen em. Don't think I've seen any winchester branded projos, come to think of it.
Pics? Do they have the definite heel like a rimfire pill?
I used to use 80gr win psp in my 243. These could possibly be a 22mag pill.
As for pics that's the first snag I've got here, I've got an email saying that the attachments folder is close to its maximum permitted size and I need to visit the forum to resolve it. Not being a computer guy of any sorts I'm still trying to figure that one out, but my guess is that $$ are involved once find out what I'm supposed to do..
I finally finished load development for my browning A bolt micro hunter 22h at the range today. I've settled on a load using federal sr primers, 12.5gn lil gun and a 45gn speer fb projectile. Seating depth is very unscientific as all I do is make a dummy round that I keep to set the die up all I do is start a projectile in an unprimed necksized case the put it in the rifle and chamber it and close the bolt, then I get the round put it in my press with the seating stem wound out on the die and raise the round into the die. Then screw down the seating stem so it contacts the projectile lower the round out of the die and screw seating stem down half a turn and reseat bullet to that length and that's it, and now you have a round for setting your die to in future. I was totally surprised by the groups, a 3 shot group looked like 1 30cal hole in the target. Best shooting hornet I own now.