17 April 2011, 08:14
groundhog devastation22Hornet Your favorite loads
Recently got a Hornet and have Lil Gun, N110, A1680 powders on hand and 35 Vmax, 40 VMax, 46 gr PSP bullets. Just looking for starting points from others experience. Thanks in advance. GHD
17 April 2011, 08:22
ted thorn12 grn Lil-Gun and 50 grain Barnes WSR primer
12.6 grains of Lil Gun 35 grain VMax consistently gives me sub 1" 5 shot groups at 100 yards.
LWD
17 April 2011, 22:35
Larry Gibson12.5 gr LilGun (13 if you can get it into the case) under any of the bullets listed.
Larry Gibson
18 April 2011, 00:47
swampshooter12.5 Lil'gun under 35 gr. V-max. Gives me over 3,000 fps. and really unglues pd's. PS, sub 1" inch groups in my rifle also.
18 April 2011, 14:51
GerryMy American Pals are all using Lil Gun & my German Buddies are all using VVN-110. For me it's:
33 gr. Speer TNT, 12.5 grs. AA-1680, Remington 6½ primer, W-W brass, 1.70" O.A.L.
35. gr. Hornady V-Max, 12.5 grs. AA-1680, Remington 6½ primer, W-W brass, 1.72" O.A.L.
40 gr. Sierra HP, 12.2 grs. AA-1680, Remington 6½ primer, W-W brass, 1.70" O.A.L.
46 gr. RWS SG (Target HP) 12.0 grs. AA-1680, Remington 6½ primer, RWS brass, 1.70" O.A.L.
May sound absurd but sometimes (depending on what your brass cases will hold) I use the (even with Ball powder) the "hold the case on the Tumbler" trick. It'll help settle cases that are full to the mouth. A directly thereafter applied Lee Factory Crimp Die helps keep everything in place.
18 April 2011, 20:57
StonecreekI own three Hornets and I'm with Gerry on AA-1680 -- as much as you can get into the case with bullets of 45 grains and under. The favorite in my Kimber 82 is 13.5 grains of AA-1680 under a Hornady 40 grain V-Max for 2750 fps.
Lil Gun will give you a higher velocity -- at least some of the shots with Lil Gun will -- as this powder exhibits incredible velocity spreads in the Hornet, so you'll often get both the highest and lowest velocities out of a Lil Gun load.
But then the terms "Hornet" and "high velocity" are, or should be, mutually exclusive. A Hornet is designed to shoot a mild load at "mid level" velocities (somewhere between a .22 rimfire and the larger .22 Centerfires). If you want more velocity there are only two dozen or so other factory .22's which will give it to you.
18 April 2011, 23:39
k-22hornetMy Hornet is a standard Hornet, not the K, and it's a Ruger M77 sporter.
I use 13.0grs Lilgun under a 45gr Barnes XLC for coyotes, and 11.7grs Lilgun with a 52gr Sierra HPBTM for sheer accuracy (my kids call it the penny shooter). Both loads use a small pistol primer.
Lilgun has given me extreme SD's, in excess of 150fps, but only with the ligter bullets. The SD is reduced with heavier bullets.