Has anyone any experience with enlarging a hornet chamber? Mine is rough and ugly and makes marks on the cases but other than that, does no harm. However, I have developed quite a nice load using Li'Gun and heavy for hornet bullets using R-P cases. Now I have a batch or Winchester brass, which have considerably less internal volume. So, I was thinking of polishing out the chamber to obtain the same 'case volume' with the new brass. I do not size the cases anyway, so no problem there. I might of course, get similar velocity with the 'smaller' cases without increases bolt face thrust by simply redeveloping my loads. Then I might not be able to go back to R-P cases with the same load if I enlarge the chamber. I have no intension of reaming - just polishing.

Why don't you have it reamed out to K specs?
Pete

quote:

Originally posted by 303Guy:
I have developed quite a nice load using Li'Gun and heavy for hornet bullets using R-P cases. Now I have a batch or Winchester brass, which have considerably less internal volume.

I find this part of your post very interesting.

It just goes to show how much variation there seems to be from lot-to-lot of commercial cases. I too have both Remington and Winchester Hornet cases (and some Norma). Among the three batches I bought, the Winchesters have over half a grain greater capacity than either the Remington or the Norma.

Guess it's just" luck of the draw" with the capacity of each new batch of cases.
Seems like working the load up again might not be too bad an idea when a guy gets new cases.

A WW Super case once slipped into my fired cases and it got a 'normal' charge. It didn't register that the powder level was higher than normal. Well, the primer pocket loosened up! I read somewhere that the R-P cases have the largest capacity in the hornet.

PJ, I have considered the k-hornet but adapted a loading technique that needs the long neck. I have also made the observation that the k-hornet seems to develop more pressure with less powder than the standard hornet when using Lil'Gun. That powder is just weird in a hornet! I have asked the question under 'wildcatting' about a 'improved' hornet that retains the long neck and a nozzle shaped shoulder as that seems to be part of what makes Lil'Gun so magical in the hornet - compression of the powder to form a 'wad' which delays ignition slightly. It might simply be a function of some critical powder volume to bore ratio. Meaning that too large a case capacity will cause an 'improved' hornet to lose that 'magical' property. I have mentioned on another thread how accidentally seating a bullet 0.6mm too deep resulted in a surprising change in powder burn. Muzzle report, bullet crack, recoil, (I use the the word 'recoil' loosely) and apparent trajectory were dramatically different. Most notable was the difference in barrel temperature - it stayed cool! Normally it gets hot very quickly. (Don't ask me how a hornet can heat a barrel but it does! With my loads, anyway).

quote:

Originally posted by 303Guy:
Has anyone any experience with enlarging a hornet chamber? ...

Yes indeed. Wrestled with them for 35 years and finally "Enlarged the Chamber".

Enlarged it to 223Rem by trading the last(and I do mean the VERY LAST) 22Hornet for a S&S M7 and could not possibly be happier. I can Down-Load to below 22Hornet levels, Load at 22Hornet levels or throttle right on up to a SAFE MAX 223Rem level.

The HUGE difference is consistant Accuracy in the 223Rem. The 22Hornets would shoot great for a week or two and then the groups would be 50% larger - with no component changes. However, all my 22Hornet experience is Pre-Lil'Gun and Pre-teeny(below 45gr) Bullets. That might make all the difference for the ones I had.

Back a few years ago I got 1000 once-fired Federal 223Rem Cases delivered for $15. Probably double or tripple that today, but they are still going strong. No strange Case failures and easier for my old hands to Reload.

Yes indeed, can recommend Enlarging the Chamber to 223Rem for all 22Hornet wrestlers.