I'm trying to tame the wide velocity variations in my 22 Hornet handloads.

I was wondering if anyone knows if it would be better to leave enough room in the loaded Hornet case so the LIL'GUN powder is uncompressed, left loose so the primer flame can engulf the surface of each powder granule easily?

Or

Cram the case full, use moderate compression?

I tested using a once fired case that I could get 13.7 grain of LIL'GUN in and still seat my Sierra 45 gr Hornet bullet to my desired 1.770" COAL.
(I could do this amount of compression in the un-neck sized case just with thumb & finger pressure no press required).

My thinking here with compression, the powder burn is retarded as the primer flame can't reach through the mass of compressed powder granules.
So I will possibly (likely) get a little less velocity as the cartridge is gaging on so much powder it can't burn it efficiently so the end result is less velocity and possibly less variation in the velocity that I do get.

Now I know by the load manual that more that 13 grains of LIL'GUN is a over load but with Hodgdon manual showing how low the pressure is I was hoping I could this trick might stabilize the velocity variations.

My last range session with 13.3grs of LIL'GUN and 45gr Sierra cci500 primers in Winchester cases left the fired case with the spent primer slightly protruding after firing. I read that this is a sign of low pressure, so I'm thinking I have some more head room to increase load pressure a bit more.

It is difficult to get small ES with Lil'Gun in the .22 Hornet. I use it in 3 different Hornets; #3 Ruger, 21" Contender and the Savage M40. I use the 45 gr Hornady Hornet bullet over 12.5 gr in WW cases with WSP primers. The ES for 10 shot strings is still in the 60 - 70 fps range. However, 100 yard 10 shot groups run in the .5 - .6" for all three rifles. The M40 will sneek down into the .3s if the wind isn't blowing and my hair is combed just right. Velocity runs 2700 fps in the 21" barrel to 2950 fps in the 24" M40 barrel. I have measured the psi of the 12.5 gr load in the Contender barrel at 20, 000 psi which is very mild. The protruding primers are probably becasue of the low pressure. I have tested 13 gr of Lil'gun but accuracy and the ES did not improve. In neck sized cases the 12.5 gr comes up to 1/16th or so of the case mouth and I don't spill any powder so I use that charge. Can't ask for better than that.

Larry Gibson

What gun are you shooting these loads out of? Is it a Contender?


I load 12.5 grs in mine. I don't worry about the ES, when I'm getting itty-bitty little groups from it.

I'm using a Ruger rifle model K77/-VHZ it has a 24" barrel.

The Hodgdon load data shows only 31,600 CUP for 13.0 grains of Lil Gun and a 45 gr Hornady bullet. So the pressure is relatively low. The Hodgdon data shows only 24,000 CUP with 13.0 grains of Lil Gun and the 35 gr VMax.

LWD

13.0 grains of Lil-Gun with 45 gn Sierra Hornet bullets and Fed Small Pistol primers is the best combo for my Ruger 77 Hornet.
Accuracy is 1/2" to 3/4" for 3 shots at 100 yards.
I tested heavier charge weights of powder, but accuracy was not good above 13.0 gns, all the way to a full case load of the Lil-Gun.