I've been loading 50 grain Hornady V-Max with 11.0 grains of IMR-4227.
They shoot pretty good, but I don't like having to seat them so deeply to clear the magazine in my 77/22H!

Thinking of using Remington 45 grain Spire Point bullets with 11.2 grains of Win 296 powder! The book shows 2700 FPS!

Is the CCI 400 a good choice for primers?
I know there's been a lot of discussion about using a small pistol primer instead!

Chuck,

I've been playin' around with the Hornet for quite a while, and I've found the best powder for it seems to be Lil Gun. Good velocity at low pressure. 1680 also works well. As far as primers go, I've used both rifle and pistol and have settled on small pistol primers.

I've tried Winchester small pistol primers with W296 and found no change in accuracy . Velocities were over 100 FPS lower when maximum safe pressure was indicated . Seems to have had the effect of reducing the burning speed of the powder .
I use the CCI 400 now and am getting 5 shots under MOA with cheap 40 gn projectiles .

Chuck, you are going to get velocity & pressure with WW296 but the Hornet isn't going to like it for accuracy. AA1680 is what I use. I haven't tried Lil gun yet, but shoot a lot of the AA 1680 in my Brno with excellent accuracy and velocity. Super cartridge for fun.

My Ruger Hornet does very, very well with the Remington 50 grain psp, 1 1/2 pistol primers, 296(a lot) @ 2650 fps. I just don't care if case pockets only last 3 or 4 shots.

308Sako wrote:

quote:

you are going to get velocity & pressure with WW296 but the Hornet isn't going to like it for accuracy.

I beg to differ. Every firearm is a rule unto itself when it comes to what recipes it likes or dislikes. You can take 2 identical rifles in the same caliber and with consecutive serial numbers, and chances are they'll like different loads altogether.

It all boils down to dynamics and barrel harmonics. So just because one rifle does poorly with a given powder has no bearing on how another will perform.

H110 and its identical litter mate 296 are traditional choices for Hornet shooters, and I've burned plenty of these powders (and enjoyed some very fine accuracy as well).

Bobby T, I must agree with you about the fact that all rifles are indeed individuals. No offense meant. It is possible that in a given rifle one powder (WW296) might be the best when statistical probability (AA1680 or Lil gun) would indicate otherwise. Yes, WW296 is a very suitable powder for the Hornet. It is in all reloaders interests to understand the limits of such a small capacity case. Regarding bullets and those best suited for the Ruger magazine... The 45 grain Nosler solid base hornet bullet is the most accurate bullet I have found for a field (magazine functioning) load. Just my observations ....

Yep, that 45 grain Nosler solid base is a wonderful bullet for the Hornet -- and certainly one with tremendous accuracy potential as I have found that you'd have to work rather dilligently to find an inaccurate load with it.

The bulk Rem bullets for the Hornet (both in SP and HP format) also do quite well, and the HP version is what I used to take a number of coyotes with a 10" Contender barrel.

You can take the Ruger 22 hornet magazine apart, file the front steel part a bit to lengthen it. I used an end mill in my drill press to remove plastic thickness from the plastic front wall of the magazine box to match the feelip change I made at the front. The factory box is limited to 1.8" cartridge length. Mine will feed 1.845" offering me the ability to magazine load the 40 grain v-max fairly close to the rifling origin. The 77/22 lr book shows the magazine breakdown. Sometimes a change in bullet profile will get your loads closer to rifling origin and allow better accuracy, more case volume,etc..

Chuck,

Try Lilgun and small pistol primers. High velocity, great accuracy, low pressures says it all.

I have the Ruger m77 sporter and load all my bullets to fit the magazine.

I have never tried Lilgun, but I think I may be real soon!

Thanks for all of the replies, appreciate it guys!