Planning on ordering a bolt action 22 hornet. What would you buy and why?

CZ 527 American
Ruger 77/22H
Browning A-Bolt Micro Hunter
Remington 799

Thanks for the help

For my money it would be a toss up between the Browning and Ruger - it would probably boil doqn to cost. I htink the Browning is better looking. Lou

I bought the Ruger for the wife. Like the caliber so much I am considering the CZ for me. I have a CZ Kevlar 223, the set trigger is awesome, the Ruger is going for a trigger job. The Ruger is exremely accurate.

The CZ would get my vote. Already has many times, I'm very fond of em and have yet to have one that was less than very accurate, (probably jinxed the next one with that comment ).

Thanks guys

This is tough. I'm leaning hard toward the CZ, but was told they use a 223 bore and some have trouble shooting 224 bullets. Anyone run into that problem?

Not true John. All my .22 caliber CZ's work just fine with all the usual suspects in bullets. They might well have been that way in times long past but not now.
Sorry to those that have seen this add-nausea, but I better add this as I always do when this topic comes up.
I bought a CZ Hornet to convert to a .17 Ackley hornet. I wanted to shoot it first to establish a baseline before conversion. For ammo I used a MTM box of 50 Hornets loaded for an Anschutz Hornet. The load is a medium one using WW cases, Lil'Gun powder and a 40 grain V-Max. Good load but developed for another rifle.
I went to the range fired and cleaned a few for break in as I planned on using the barrel later and started shooting groups. This is obviously the best one, it is 5 shots at 100 yards. It is using a .224 Hornady V-Max seated out to far to fit in the magazine.



That pretty much cover the .224 bullet issue??

Thats GREAT montdoug!

Gonna make my decision much easier

I also have the CZ. It is the most accurate rifle I own. I shoot 35 grain V-Max over 13 grains of Lil'Gun using Rem 1 1/2 primers. I also have a BSA Martini converted to 22 Hornet. This rifle still has the 22 LR barrel (.223), but shoots the 35 grain V-Max under 1 inch at 100 yards. I do use a milder load (9.5 grains of Lil'Gun) for this one.
Pete

T-J,

I'm a Leftie so my reco is slanted to what's available to Port-siders. That's why my vote goes for the Browning (but only in a bolt action).



Since I didn't want another bolt rifle I just (yesterday) ordered a T/C Encore Heavy Barrel in .22 K-Hornet. Can't wait but it'll take some time to swim the Atlantic; I'm sure....



Have Fun with your new 22 Hornet!

I would buy a 204 ruger instead of a 22 hornet because of better ballistics with the 204 and then I would decide on who makes it.

Iwitnessed some nice shooting with a 22 hornet a couple weeks ago. A senior such as myself was making some really small groups with a Savage Mod. 40. It certainly is not a sophisticate high dollar rifle but it was printing an interesting story. May have to try that one of these days. roger

quote:

Originally posted by johnnyappleseed55:
I would buy a 204 ruger instead of a 22 hornet because of better ballistics with the 204 and then I would decide on who makes it.

Looking for a fox hunting gun. Most shots would be 150 yard and under. I skinned a couple coyotes shot with a 204, great caliber, but not very fur friendly on small critters.

Be leery about the Ruger 77/22 Hornet. Never could get mine to shoot consistently and know two other people who had the same experience.

I'll second the warning about the 77-22. Never could get mine to shoot accurately and then it blew up. Ruger replaced it and I immediately traded the new one for a 700.

Have you considered converting to K-Hornet? I had a friend who did this to his Hornet and NEVER regretted it.

The nicest Hornet rifles, if you can still find one, were the BSA "mini" Mauser action chambered for that cartridge. Sweet!

I had one a long time ago and do regret disposing of it.

CZ is ordered

Should have it next week.

TrappinJohn,

I grew up hunting with a Ruger 77/22 hornet in western PA. I love that gun! I'm sure that you'll enjoy the new CZ. My only complaint about the 77/22H is that the magazine is too short to allow me to put 40gr VMax in. I have used it single shot, but now when I take it out, I load the magazine with 35gr VMax. Good Luck!

quote:

Kimber.204
one of us

Posted Thu Dec 13 2007 10:58 AM Hide Post
TrappinJohn,

I grew up hunting with a Ruger 77/22 hornet in western PA. I love that gun! I'm sure that you'll enjoy the new CZ. My only complaint about the 77/22H is that the magazine is too short to allow me to put 40gr VMax in. I have used it single shot, but now when I take it out, I load the magazine with 35gr VMax. Good Luck!

Posts: 32 | Registered: 04 October 2006

My favorite Hornet load is using WW cases (mine prefer those cases over the Remingtons). Between 13.1 and 13.3 grains of Lil'Gun, a 40 grain V-Max and WSR primers. Oughta clock right around 3,000fps. That's the load that shot the group I posted the picture of with the CZ and it also shoots bug holes in my Anschutz rifle. I have an Anschutz Exemplar bolt action handgun (based on the 54 action) with a 10 inch barrel and that same load shot this group and many like it with that gun.



That load makes the Hornet a whole nuther deal but it doesn't fit the magazine of any of em. A lot of guys like the 35V-Max that does fit the magazine but with it's BC which is a lot like a ping-pong ball I much prefer the ballistic advantage the 40 gives ya. To deal with the length of the 40grain load (which gets ya closer to the lands for a more accurate load anyway), in my CZ I got a blind magazine follower from James Calhoon at Calhoon Rifles in Havre Montana and it turns my CZ (which is now a .17 Ackley Hornet) into a single shot (which I prefer anyhow). When I go walking with it I always wear a shirt with two pockets, loaded rounds go in the right pocket and empties go in the left . Even a dumb ole fart like me can keep track of that situation.
Seriously though IMO the better BC and performance of any of the plastic tipped 40 grainers are worth dealing with a round that doesn't fit the magazines of any of the Hornets, out to 125 ish yards the 35's do ok but after that the 40's really out do em. Unfortunately they all still make the magazines for Hornet rounds of old and it would be nice if someone would change that to accommodate the newer better bullets.

Congrats on the new rifle John, your gonna love it! What kinda glass is it gonna wear?

quote:

A senior such as myself was making some really small groups with a Savage Mod. 40. It certainly is not a sophisticate high dollar rifle but it was printing an interesting story.

I've been toying with getting one myself. The reviews are very good.

Field and Stream review

Gun Blast

LWD

quote:

Originally posted by montdoug:
Congrats on the new rifle John, your gonna love it! What kinda glass is it gonna wear?

For now until the end of fox season, I have a Barska 3-12x50 illuminated reticle.

Plan is to buy a Burris FullField II 3-10x50 with IR this summer.

Thanks agian guys for all the help.

Ya might reconsider the 50MM objective. CZ's bolts comes up way high and because of that they need quite a bit of scope height. That American should come with CZ's rings but they will be fairly scope sensitive as pertaining to the objective size and clearance. That 50MM might look like it's setting pretty high and sure won't clear with the supplied rings (I usually change em anyway).
If you do opt for different rings the Millets seem to work well for me at a real reasonable price. If you end up with a 30MM tube and need the mediums I have a set of those Millet Angle Locks I bought for a scope they didn't fit and I'd sell em cheap.
Keep us posted how it goes.

Well, Santa has elves at the gunstore. I bought a Savage 40 this afternoon. It's not, however, the usual stock. Apparently, there was a limited run of them with thumbhole stocks, and that's what my local shop had so I decided to give it a try.

Probably won't shoot it till after Christmas, but hope to shoot it before New Year's.

Happy Holidays all.

LWD

Well I finally got to shoot my new CZ today. I see what you mean by the bolt coming up so high. I had to order a set of high rings to mount my IR scope. So far I'm VERY impressed. This is with Hornady ammo, 35 gr V-Max shot from an old picnic table without sandbags at 50 yards. Love the set trigger also. Can't wait to get to the range and play with some reloads on a real bench.