THE ACCURATERELOADING.COM FORUMS


Moderators: Mark
Go
New
Find
Notify
Tools
Reply
  
Re: 22 Hornet Case Life Question
 Login/Join
 
courtney plater
one of us
posted
I also find hot rodded brass has a shorter life. I have noticed since loading Lil'Gun the "hot" ones now last longer too.
 
Posts: 338 | Location: Johnsburg, Illinois | Registered: 15 December 2002Reply With Quote
tiggertate
one of us
Picture of tiggertate
posted Hide Post
The Lee Collet die will also be kinder to your brass than a lot of conventional dies.
 
Posts: 11142 | Location: Texas, USA | Registered: 22 September 2003Reply With Quote
woody1
one of us
posted Hide Post
Depends, I think, on how you treat 'em. I've got Hornet cases that have been reloaded at least a dozen times and still going but I don't hot rod 'em and I don't size any more than absolutely necessary. Regards, Woody
 
Posts: 98 | Location: S.E. Oregon too close to PRK | Registered: 28 August 2002Reply With Quote
pagris
one of us
posted Hide Post
Fellow Members: I have read that cases for the 22 Hornet do not last for many resizings. Does anyone have any experience to back (or disprove) this assertion? Thanks in advance.
 
Posts: 226 | Location: Western Maryland | Registered: 21 August 2003Reply With Quote
Hot Core
one of us
posted Hide Post
Quote:

...I have read that cases for the 22 Hornet do not last for many resizings. Does anyone have any experience to back (or disprove) this assertion? ...

Hey pagris, I've got 35 years of "old experience" with them. Haven't had one since Lil'Gun has been on the market, so I can't speak for it.

The real problem with the 22Hornet cases is actually a couple of things.

1. They are very thin walled.
2. Not all cases are made to be a snug fit in the multitude of chambers available.
3. Normal reloading dies have to resize the case for the minimum dimensions.
4. Some people who have a 22Hornet try to load it to 223Rem velocities.

Those four things combine to shorten the case life on the 22Hornets. Any of them alone can be a problem, and when you combine them, the problem becomes more noticable in a shorter time.

If you happen to get a SAAMI Minimum chamber, a good close matching Die Set and don't try to turn it into something it isn't, you will get the best case life. Getting good cases is simply the luck of the draw. Sometimes they are just better.

This is one case where I never bothered to do a lot of "Case Prep" on, other than trimming, deburring and chamfering. Thet may have been a waste of time due to the typically short case life though.

I agree with the others though, your case life can be as short as 2 firings up to perhaps a dozen. If you go too many reloads though, it is easy to have a Casehead Separation inside the Full Length Die - and that is a LOT of fun!

If you have not bought it yet, the recommendation about "Downloading a 223Rem" is really excellent. Great accuracy at 22Hornet velocities, not tempermental, long case life and you can even jack the velocity up a bit if needed.
 
Posts: 9920 | Location: Carolinas, USA | Registered: 22 April 2001Reply With Quote
<eldeguello>
posted
IMO, they suffer case-head separations after five or less reloadings, if you shoot full power loads. They last pretty long with a 45-grain cast gascheck bullet and 4 grains of Unique to equal a .22 LR rimfire load!
 
Reply With Quote
  Powered by Social Strata  
 


Copyright December 1997-2023 Accuratereloading.com


Visit our on-line store for AR Memorabilia