I got my eye on one. It's a 10" barrel 22 Hornet.
Seems like a sweet little round. I only know what i've read about it, but if I get it, should I leave it like it is or is there a big improvement by having it rechambered to 22 K Hornet? I know someone on here gotta have one if not both.

Jules,
After owning 7 Hornets in various guns, including a Kimber!, my 14" contender hornet was the most accurate I ever owned. Second place went to a Savage 340, but that's another story.
I think you'd like a Contender hornet.
Brass doesn't last long if full length sized each time it's loaded, but I know that you are aware of how to size properly.
I've never owned a K-Hornet. I wanted one until I discovered how sweet the 221 Fireball is. Lost interest in one then.
TD

Jules,

With either the convential chamber or the K-version, you will have a ton of fun. I have a Contender 18" carbine in the K-Hornet and John, my prairie dog partner has a Winchester (I don't know the model) bolt rifle with a 22" barrel in the conventional Hornet. We shoot side-by-side at ranges easily to 200 yds at the prairie rats with excellent results from both guns.

The K-Hornet has about another 1 1/2 grain powder capacity and you can load it a little hotter, but at these ranges the difference really doesn't matter. We both shoot 40 grain Nosler BT's and load with Alliant 2400 powder. Muzzle velocities are around 2600-2800 f/s from both rifles. From a 14" Contender you should be able to get 2500 f/s or so and that would give you a FUN PIECE.

Also with our loads you get over 600 loads from a pound of powder, the noise is quite low and 1/2 minute groups are easy . The big drawback is that when I throw a full house charge, I get 8 loads from Winchester brass before they start to fail. The most common failure is head separation even though I headspace on the shoulder. It is pretty thin stuff. But the brass is only $13.00/100 - so just shoot and have fun.

Go get it - - you will never regret it.

Don Shearer

TD & Don,
The barrel i've been lookin at is a SS 10" custom bull. Ya'll have 14" a 18" barrels. I would assume the 18 incher of Don's is a custom. Should I be lookin for a longer barrel then 10"? The only barrel I have less then 13" is an 8" 44 mag that is a shortened 14". I've have never used a 10 incher.

Jules,

About what is a good length Hornet and what isn't, I think it depends on what you want to shoot with it. That 10" would be a fun barrel for a lot of things and If I didn't have an 18" I'd want another of some length. In fact you could put a good scope on a 10" and shoot prairie dogs no sweat. Possibly wouldn't have as long range as the carbine.

Yes, the 18" is a custom. Actually it is a Bellm "Stub-in" barrel. I sent Mike a ruined Contender barrel and a 22 caliber take-off barrel. The take-off was in good shape and he cut off and bored out the ruined Contender barrel. Then he cut a long shank with threads on the take-off barrel and screwed it together to make the 18" Contender carbine. That works well with small diameter cases that operate at low pressures and is an absolute jewell in the K-Hornet. Of course being 18", I opted to use it as a carbine from a shoulder stock which I built from a nice piece of crotch-cut catalpa wood. If you would like to take a look at it, dial up http://www.1cox.com.shearer. Steve Cox has been so kind as to put up a page with some of my stuff on it and the K-Hornet is one of them.

Don Shearer

Jules,

Rats, I mistyped again. It should be http://www.1cox.com/shearer