A friend of mine has a Ruger .22 Hornet but doesn't reload. I had told him I would reload ammo for him if he'd pay for the components and the dies. Well, to make a long story short he went to a gun show and purchased bullets, primers, cases and powder, but the powder is IMR 3031, which is not nearly the best powder to use for the 22 Hornet. I'm going to buy another pound of powder better suited for his .22 Hornet and use the IMR 3031 for reloading for one of my other guns. I shoot a .243, .308, .30-30, and 30-06. I have read that the IMR 3031 is very good in the .308.

What to you feel is the best powder for the .22 Hornet shooting a 45 grain bullet? I'm leaning towards Hodgdon's Lil' Gun. Also, which of my calibers would be the better use of the IMR 3031? (We've already tried to swap the powder, but no one will swap because there's a little rust on the can--powder appears OK--and the guy & the gun show are long gone.)

1680 or 2400

Lil Gun and pistol primers. AA1680 and WW680 have also worked well for me.

LiL Gun gives me high, but also very inconsistent, velocities in a .22 Hornet. I've settled on WW296. With 45 grain bullets, as much AA 1680 as you can squeeze into the case will also give you a pretty good load.

Red C.

My best Hornet load consists of partially sized RP brass, Lil Gun powder, CCI Magnum Pistol primers and Sierra BlitzKing 40 grain bullets- 0.005 off the lands. The velocity is around 2950 fps-instrumental recording off my Chrony and groups run right around 0.6 of and inch at 100 yards for three shots.

The CCI Magnum pistol primer gives very consistent velocities, where as Winchester small rifle primers did not. The 40 grain BlitzKing is much more explosive and deadly on Sage Rats and Prairie Dogs out to 225 yards than any other bullet I have used including the Vmax.

I hope this helps.

Larry

Lilgun and small pistol primers are an excellent place to start with a Hornet. I find the velocity spreads to decrease with heavier, 45gr and up, bullets.

Excellent speed, just over 2900fps with a 45gr Barnes XLC and 13.0grs Lilgun, low pressures and excellent accuracy. What's not to like?

As for the IMR 3031.

In your 308 try 39.5gr with Sierra 168 Match Kings, Sierra 165 HPBT Gamekings, 165 Nosler Ballistic Tips, or 165 Nosler Partitions.

I have killed a lot of game with this load, mostly with the 165 HPBT Gameking.

This load has shot very accurately in every rifle I have tried it in, from hunting and Sniper Bolt rifles to para-military semi-autos, to even a Savage 99 Lever.

I won't comment on loading for the hornet but I will tell you where to use that IMR3031.

IMR3031 is nearly the quintessential propellant for the 30-30Win with 170gr bullets...

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quote:

Originally posted by crowrifle:
Lil Gun and pistol primers. AA1680 and WW680 have also worked well for me.

This is the ticket for the Hornet, and the 3031 is great in the 30-30 and the .308 with 150's.

I get 14.4 grs Lil'Gun into a R-P case. I do a somewhat unusual thing - I feed the powder into the case before neck sizing it!!! My trick is to place a cardboard wad over the powder which gets pressed down by a punch in the neck sizer die, placing the wad just at the sized/unsized junction of the neck and that is at the correct seating depth for that bullet. I find the wad stabilizes the ignition of the powder from shot to shot. Pressure is still mild in my rifle. But then, I am using Fed 205 small rifle primers (can't get small pistol primers here).

Good advice above,

If I could get WW296 for my Hornet I'd use it and Small Pistol Magnum Primers, exclusively. That combo & any good 45 gr. bullet outght to make a very fine load in the .22 Hornet.

Also AA1680 is a very good powder with Samll Pistol Primers.

Haven't had any luck with L'Gun yet - everyone else is raving about it though.