Any out there with good amount of experience with reloading for the K-Hornet, what is your favorite powder? Particularly interested in loads for heavier 45gr HP bullets. Recently got a 21" TC Contender barrel from Fox Ridge and it's shooter. Picked up a box of regular hornet Win X 46gr HP to shoot and get some fireformed brass - they grouped real nice, easily under an inch.

Thanks,
Travis

I have three favorites for the K-Hornet, fortunately they have the same name! Li'l Gun by Hodgdon. My only negative about it is that velocity variations in my gun were approaching 200 fps with 40 gr. bullets. They run about 35fps with the Hornady 45 gr. Hornet. Shoots very well, and I'm doing around 3200 fps with 12.7 gr., this in a 26" barrel. Hodgdon told me on the phone that you can fill the Hornet case with LG without going beyond safe pressures, I don't believe it. I forget their suggested Max load with the 40 gr but when I started tickling 3500 fps I said "This ain't Kansas anymore Toto." That was with 13.3 Gr. I've not heard of other having such extreme results other than with the velocity spreads, which is not uncommon with the light bullets. Some do, some don't. I don't know anybody that has used anything else after trying it in the Hornet or K. My velocities were chronographed on two different units BTW, and the cases are still usable after 12 firings and one annealing. Shoots in the 7's.

I agree LilGun is fantastic for speed, with good accuracy to boot. Over on saubier.com forum, several shooters swear that by using a heavy crimp (Lee style, NOT roll crimp), they reduced the velocity spread considerably. I have yet to procure the Lee crimper, but Hornets normally need all the help possible to be consistant.
AA1680 is another good powder for K-Hornets, and was the best choice for me when I had a K-Hornet (pre-LilGun).

Your starting off right just by going to the K-Hornet chambering! The classic powders for the Hornet are H-110 and WW296 so you should find plenty of loads with those that correspond to the K-Hornet. All of my loadings for the K-Hornet have been with Lil-Gun because it has proven to be so accurate. You know the (If it ain't broke, don't fix it.)rule has a lot of creedence in my opinion. 13.0gr Lil Gun with 35gr V-Max and 12.5gr with the 45gr Hornet bullet. I also use 13.0gr for the 40gr Ballistic Tip I believe. All of these loads are under an inch and the V-Max load is .3-.5 on a calm day when I do my part. That is with a CZ bolt action and set trigger. I use pistol primers but a word of caution here, every once in a while I get a blown primer so my next loads will be with small rifle primers. I like the Hornet so much, (I have a Hornet in NEF single shot and the CZ that was reamed to K-Hornet), that I have completely fought off the urge to buy anything in .17 cal. My progression is .22LR, 22 Hornet, .223, .22-250, .243 and on and on. I think the Hornet is one of the most useful rounds out there today and your hard pressed to find a better small game getter. Really anything smaller than a coyote is fair game. Good luck on your loads and shoot it a lot. I bet it will become one of your favorites too.

Lil'Gun in the Hornet is super. I shoot a standard Hornet(Ruger #1) with a 26in. barrel. A load of 13.5grs. produces 3095fps. with a 40gr. bullet. Cases fall out of the chamber and this load groups 3/4-7/8ins. at 100yds.
I might be able to get .2grs. in the case. I have dropped back to 13.2grs. for 3020fps. just to be safe. Pedro

I shoot Lil'Gun in 2 Hornets and a K-Hornet. In the Anschutz 1730 rifle velocities run right 3,000 and incredible accuracy. The Anschutz Exemplar pistol with a 10 inch barrel gets 2,600ish and shoots right at half inch (3X12 Burris BallisticPlex). My Cooper K-Hornet gets 3,250ish. All are with 40 grain V-Max's and WSR primers in weight segregated WW cases.
I too had a Hodgdon tech tell me you can't get enough Lil'Gun in a Hornet case to cause pressure with a 40 grainer, but I ain't buying it either. Besides as I've worked up over about 13.2ish in a standard Hornet velocities actually drop and standard deviations go to hell. My K is an anomaly, is has an extremely tight chamber and (You won't believe this) I use 13.1 grain of Lil'Gun under a 40 to form the case at around 3,000, after it's formed if I put 13.1 back in the formed case it blows primers at around 3,400ish. I actually drop back to 12.2 in a formed case for 3,250ish and extreme accuracy. Sure was wild figuring it out, wrecked a bunch of cases.
Personal opinion on velocity spreads (Standard Deviation). Yes Lil'Gun in a K-Hornet has a bigger than desired spread. The Hornets are 250 yard shooters give or take. A hundred fps standard deviation spread makes a fair ammount of difference at 4 or 5 hundred yards, but at 250 you'll hardly notice and besides the accuracy makes up for it.
As to pistol primers, a lot of guys like em in the Hornets but Lil'Gun's a bit tough to get lit and for me it takes a small rifle. As I see it the few draw backs of Lil'Gun are vastly outweighed by the excellent accuracy good velocity and ease of metering. My favorite Hornet powder bar-none!

My favorite K-Hornet load is 11.5 gr. of Accurate Powder "Data #9-c". Gives me right at 3000 fps and that's with no pressure and a 21" Barrel. Godsdog.

Forgot the damned bullet! 40 gr. V-Max. Godsdog

I haven't tried the relatively new sensation "Lil Gun" in my K-hornet, largely because I have a substantial supply of old IMR 4227 on hand and it seems to do as well as I could ask. I'm sure other powders will deliver a bit more velocity, but 4227 is consistant and accurate. After all, if you want .222 velocities, get a .222!

Some have used 4198 in the K, but mine just doesn't generate enough velocity with this powder to justify the pain of getting its long granules into the tiny case. AA 2200, a surplus powder no longer available, is also too slow in my gun. Surprisingly, good ol' Herc 2400 isn't too shabby, although most would consider it on the fast side.

My penny from Italy,
Vithavuory N120 11grs (+/- 1/10gr) using Sierra 45grs SPT Varmint #1310 and CCI 400 SRBR primers. Cases Remington.
5 shots in 14.5millimeters, but four of them in less than 7.4 millimeters.
I discovered N120 some week ago, after a year of test.
My rifle is an Anschutz Mod 1432, and I tested this powders:
IMR 4198 good with 52grs match bullets;
IMR 4227 nothing good;
Vithavuory N110 nothing good;
Unfortunately Hogdon Lil'gun is not distributed in Italy.
bye

4227 is okay for Hornets, but if you have a "K" and some Li'l Gun, you don't need a .222 Rem. Of course, needs and wants are different things.

Stefano,
My .22 Hornet works just fine with N110 - actually, I haven't tried anything else yet...
Typically, I can get 5+ consecutive MOA 5-shot groups, and that is including shooter error. Most groups run quite a bit better though. But I might just give N120 a try - who knows?
I do like the VV powders - very clean-burning, and impressive consistency. I find I'm gradually switching all my shooting to these powders - except for the smokepoles of course!

martinibelgian,
Do you have a Hornet or a K-Hornet?
Mine is a K-Hornet and I'm happy for the work that I've done.
The difference is important, the cartridge does not works on rim but on a shoulder, and there is a big difference between RWS and Remington cases, the rim of Remington cases is more slim than in RWS cases.

On last Sunday, due to my lazyness in cleaning the barrel, after 70/80 shots I begun the 200 meters test and my group were less than the moa.

Yesterday evening I begun the new test cycle preparing again 50/70 loads, I did not counted'em, tomorrow case prep etc etc until Sunday when I hope to have again the same amusement of the last week end.
bye

My old K loved 2400.

Stefano,
No, I just shoot a regular .22 H - but I use collet dies and a Forster Ultra-seater. Never tried RWS brass yet, but the rim recess on my chamber is rather "slim" though... Mine is a BSA 12/15 with a new barrel and a Weaver 4-16X scope, I refinished the wood myself.
Unfortunately, no .22 H shooting next weekend - BPCR nationals, here, so I will be shooting the big boomers...

I hope to shoot 22KH on Sunday, I hope because if I remember well on Sunday there will be a muzzleloader competition and all the range will be used by the blackpowder fans.

I'waiting the 22.kh neck dies.
bye

I load N-110 in both my regular Hornet and k- Hornet with great results.

Michael

Michael,
I have some question for you about 22K-H:
How many grains do you load?
Which bullets do you use?
And the other components?
And last but noy the least, normal dimensions of your groups.
I'm trying to understand if I made sme mistake of if VVn110 is for my Anschutz the wrong medicine and VVN120 the rigth one or the medicine.
Thank you very much in advance,

I just completed a ladder test with my .22 Hornet, load as follows:

Powder: N110, from 8.4 to 10.0 grs, in 0.2 gr increments
Bullet: H&N Hi-speed 45 gr RN bullet (swaged lead bullet with special coatings), seated to touch the rifling
Primer: WSPS

Loads were shot in a BSA 12/15 Martini, Weaver 4-16X scope, heavy barrel. 5 fouling shots were fired to condition the barrel before shooting the incremental loads.

Results? Even the 10gr load didn't give overpressure signs. From 9.2grs onwards, bullet placement moved to the right, and started climbing.
What is weird - everything from 8.4 up to 9.0grs practically grouped in the same hole, no change in elevation (or windage for that matter...) And I always thought the .22H was extremely sensitive to even the smallest load variations. Not the case in my rifle, apparently.
As I don't have a chrono, I cannot give you MV's - but I'm more interested in what is going on downrange, so - I was happy.
That H&N bullet can shoot really well, even at higher velocities - and the rifle is rapidly becoming one of my favourites. This is obviously not a hunting bullet, but it does confirm my opinion on the H&N stuff - quality stuff indeed!

martinibelgian
Recently I bought some new toy like the digital scale and the electronic dispenser by RCBS, Hornady custom FL dies and the RCBS neck size dies for 22K-hornet, and dies for other calibers.
On last Friday and Saturday I prepared different loads using N120 Vithavuory.
Cases RWS, primers CCI SRBR, Sierra 45grs varminter bullets.
Loads vary from 10.1grs to 10.3grs to 10.5grs.
Take in consideration that, as I already wrote, RWS cases have a low capacity.
I shooted in orange square inch adhesive target that I found in a Hornady dies box as little gift.
Yesterday was a 30� Celsius hot day, and the best results area around the half moa.
Some flyer opened my best groups to something less than a Moa, but most of them are covered however with a 20�cent or a 50�cent coin and eliminating the flyer a 1�cent that is more or less 15mmm cover plentifully all the external profiles of the holes. A 8 to 9 mm group of 4 shots
Well I'm satified, I was shooting with a 6x meopta scope, a honest optic, a hunting reticle, and a lot of mirage, with a not accurized rifle.
What could I want more?

On september I'll test again N110, I'll use your data.

Stefano,

Sounds like I also need to try some N120 too... I already am shooting the Sierra's, so that's no problem. but I won't be doing it this weekend though, I will be in Bisley, the historic arms shoot in the Imperial meeting, shooting martini's. I will be on the lookout for the a can of N120 though.

Beware of the 10 gr N110 load - according to the books, this is a serious overload. I presume I can only get away with it because of a) the H&N bullets, and b)the rifle doesn'have a magazine, so I can seat out the bullets as far out as possible. I did check each primer attentivey when increasing the loads, but they all looked quite good.

Martinibelgian,
the follwing images are two groups that I like more.


Hornady target is a square Moa.

Stefano,
I cannot see your targets for some reason, but here is one of mine.... And no, I cannot shoot them all like this - unfortunately!

Very good indeed, MB, I'll work again with N110, to understand if I was wrong.

I'm on holidays for the next 15 days, I'll be back on 26 of July.

bye

My absolute favorite for anything other than top speeds is AA1680.... very clean burning, consistent speeds, almost top velocity.
For full speed loads, it's LilGun, hands down. I, too have seen the strange maximum spreads with this powder, and I agree on using the small rifle primer... I haven't tried the collet crimp die with the K... used it a little with the regular Hornet.
Best bullet so far... 40gr VMax. Second choice, still working up the right combination, is the Speer 50gr TNT... 2850 fps... ought to be the berries for coyotes.
I'm still working on slower cast bullet loads.