Hello all,
i'm new, so please be gentle.

I inherited a whole case of 62grain .223 bullets (just the heads)

I am new to reloading, and like to know if it's ok to use these bullets for my .22 Hornet brass?
Otherwise, it seems like a waste to throw them away.

If so, do anyone have data on reloading it?

Thanks in advanced.

What kind of .223 62 grain bullets? (I wasn't aware that there was such an animal...)

I just checked the boxes. Sorry about the error, but it says:

Berger Match Bullets 22 Caliber (224 Diameter) 62 Grain Hollow Point

I think you will find the 62gr close to useless in a Hornet. Most Hornets I know of are rifled with a 1 in 16" twist. OK for 40-50gr bullets, but beginning to get unstable with 52's. Also, with that weight, velocities possible (with appropriate pressure) will be quite low. So you wind up with slow unstable bullet which equates to keyholing or tumbling. The 62's will not be fully stabilized even in a 1 in 12". Save them for a 1 in 7-9" .223.

Curious,
I've tried 50 grain bullets in my Ruger, with a 1 in 14" twist barrel. The results were so-so, accuracy wise, so I really didn't try very hard to fine tune a load.
I'm quite sure the Hornet case won't hold enough powder to drive those 62-grainers fast enough to stablilze them, in a typical Hornet barrel.
I've had best results with 40 grain bullets, in both my Ruger and CZ.
Regards, George.

Hey curious22, I agree with the above. What I'd recommend you do is determine how much they are worth in your area and "swap" them out with a local Gun Shop for a more suitable bullet.

I never tried anything below 45gr in the 35 years I messed with 22Hornets(because they didn't make them back then), but I see people speak very highly of the 35gr and 40gr bullets when used with Hodgdon's Lil'Gun.

Wow! Didn't expect so many responds! Ok, thank you all for the great info!

Not to bring this topic up again, but I called Taurus USA today, and they said their .22 Hornet revolver have a 1:10 twist.

Anyone know if that twist is fast enough for 55 - 62grain bullet in the hornet?

Thank again

Curious22, it looks like you may have justification for a new rifle!

Yeah, a new rifle is nice. But I don't think the wifey will like the idea of me buying another rifle...

That Taurus may be easier to hide than a rifle....heheheh

Those bullets might just work OK in the 1/10" twist. Try 10 rounds or so to see.

Thanks for the help eldeguello!

I'll test it on a friend's gun and see, before i buy.

There are several websites that offer bullet stability calculators; Based on the length of a 62 grain 223 bullet I am not sure you could safely reach a stabilizing velocity with a hornet case. Too long a bullet for too small a powder capacity.

Thanks Old & Slow! Do you have a site that you can recommend?