The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Rifles Small Calibers 22 Hornet or 223Go | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
| 22 Hornet or 223 | Login/Join |
| Administrator |
Irgnz, Welcome to the forum. Those two calibers are quite different from each other. The 22 Hornet will do all the things you mention, as long as the range is short. You are better off with the 223 for longer ranges. ------------------ www.accuratereloading.com | |||
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| one of us |
Depends on what you want if you need up to a 200 yd gun the hornet will work just fine if you are going to shoot at longer distances then the 223 is better I have killed p dogs at 500 plus with my 223s and have seen them killed at 600. I would vote for the 223s but having owned and still own hornets I think that it is a nice cal to so why don't you buy both. good shooting | |||
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| <ChadRack> |
A lot of shooters are using Blue Dot and Unique for Hornet type velocity and report in their .223. This would allow full loads for a 200 yd shot on small deer. I don't think that the Hornet would be enough. | ||
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| <BigBores> |
irgnz, There was a whole thread a while back on reduced loads for 223. Some were quite accurate. I too, was thinking between the 223 and 22 Hornet, decided on the 223. Since I reload, I could always load reduced charges for rabbits and squirrels, then full power loads for coyotes. | ||
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| one of us |
Most Hornets have a 16" twist, which will be hard-pressed to stabilize 55 grain bullets. Yes, the Hornet is quieter (and I love my K-Hornet), but the .223 is more versitile. I've used IMR 4227 in slightly reduced loads in the .223, which works well. Overall, considering the greater selection of rifles available in .223, the cheap components available for it, and its advantages over the Hornet on the upper end of the scale, I would think you'd be happier with the .223. If you want an easily obtainable compromise, the good old .222 will be a little quieter than the .223 (at least in theory), will be a little easier to "down load", and will do most everything the .223 will do on the upper end. Just a thought. [This message has been edited by Stonecreek (edited 08-27-2001).] | |||
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| <Wildcat> |
Jesus, imagine what a .223 would do to a rabbit. given the two choices, the distance, and the game. i think i would end up using the hornet with lighter bullets than the 55 gr. though. however if i had to choose something else, and since it was a custom barrel you could really get anything, something you can get dies fairly easily for. hmmm... THE .17 MACH IV (load it light for the rabbits though, otherwise they'll blow up don't ever doubt the 25 grain bullets abilities! ------------------ [This message has been edited by Wildcat (edited 08-27-2001).] | ||
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| <reload> |
I like stonecreek's idea, The .222 is a great cartridge, easy to load for and very accurate. The is a wide range of bullets for the .22's where the 17 is limited. This last week-end shot a 5 shot group with a stock rifle at 200 yards that was less than 3/4" group. hard to due that with the two calibers you are looking at for a new rifle. Good Luck | ||
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| <Wildcat> |
Are you kidding? you can get various .17 bullets. from 20 to 32 grains at least. also there are several manufacturers. at the moment berger is what i use. you just have to look around a bit. ------------------ | ||
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Moderator |
Ian, They are both neat rounds, but they are quite different in their capabilities. It's like comparing a 30/30 and a 300 magnum. Since you mention maybe you'll reload, I'd look at what type of factory loads are available to you. The hornet is essentially a 200 yd varmint gun, and is generally loaded with a 45 gr bullet. As was mentioned, the hornet barrels generally have a "slow" twist, so the heavier bullets likely won't stabalize. You will also see a dramatic decrease in velocity by going to heavier bullets. I also see the hornet as a small game and varmint round, not one really suitable for small dear, though a solid carefully placed in the head will certainly drop some large creatures, it really limits ones shots and ranges. I really think the 223 will be better suited for what you are looking for. As was mentioned, it can be handloaded down to 22 hornet levels, but also offers the ability to shoot the 60 gr bullets for hunting the small deer. | |||
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Moderator |
I'd also suggest the 223 for what you are looking for. The Hornet is a neat little gun but again not as versatile as the 223. It is quieter however, if noise will be an issue. | |||
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| Moderator |
A tahr is a pretty big animal to shoot with a cartridge in the .22 Hornet/.223 Rem. class. You would have to have perfect shot presentation and use the 60gr. Nosler Partition or 63gr. Trophy Bonded bullets to ensure a clean kill. George ------------------ | |||
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| <shall> |
For deer size animals I would go with nothing less than a 223. I spoke to Nosler regarding their new 60 grain partition. They want an impact velocity of nothing less than 2000 ft/sec to get sufficient performance. The hornet is not up to the task for deer. The lighter 45 grain bullets are far to explosive to get the job done. In good conscience I could not use less than a bullet designed for larger game, not varmint bullets. | ||
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| <Hilljack> |
Why not split the difference and do a contender in 221 Fireball? Just a thought. | ||
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| <cyberhick> |
Looking at this i would have to say go with the .22 Hornet. I defies all "logic" apparently, but if you see it from my angle, then you might agree with me. My dad has an old Savage single shot .22 Hornet. He inheritted it from my Great-Grandpa Piar. Now he was the greatest hunter to ever grace the earth. He would go in the woods with a section of broom handle and come back with as many squirrels as he could carry (and i aint lying, there are living eye witnesses). Now, Grandpa used that .22 Hornet a lot. Its a very accurate rifle with anything you put in it. Niether him, my dad, or I have ever missed anything with it, and we buy what ever ammo is cheap. Now Grandpa used this rifle to make a living and feed his family during the Depression. He would shoot a large number of deer in one trip in the woods with it. He didnt have any fancy camo, optics (just his eyes and the old worn iron sights on the rifle, which are pretty crappy if you cant adjust to them), or anything that we have today. He would shoot one deer in a field and sit. The other deer would look around, but because the rifle is (not was) so quiet, they would just sit there, and Grandpa would shoot many deer at once with that one rifle. Now Grandpa was a better hunter than i will ever be and a better shot than me. He would take any shot he could get into the brain or boiler room. It worked every time. He would then feed his family, then he would mount the heads and seel them to city people who had never been in the woods before so they could show them off in their living rooms. What a man. He died when i was knee high to a grass-hopper, but the fact remains, that rifle has killed more deer than i will ever see. Now this is a true story, i aint in the business of lying, just doesnt fit me right like a honda car dont. I would use that rifle for any deer hunting, even trophy, because i've seen mounts of some HUGE deer that Grandpa took with that rifle (pushing 300lbs or more) with one shot. Now i do love big-bores and other big guns, from my .54 cal muzzle loader to my slug gun, but big and fast bullets will never ever take the place of shot placement and hunting skill. I wish i could be as much of a hunting as Grandpa was, maybe one day i will, but this poor college student barely finds time to even work on his truck. So i'll leave yall with this. maybe yall can kinda see this from my angle. cyberhick | ||
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| <JoeM> |
Hello, The only bad thing I can say about the Hornet is that it is difficult to get it in a firearm that features a full (normal) size stock. Most of the ones I have seen are cut down things that are too small for me. ------------------ | ||
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one of us |
quote: I have solved that problem in my own way: I bought a Brno Fox in .222Rem earlier in sommer, and to today I took a nearly identical, but older Brno in .22 Hornet home for some test shooting. (I�ve written more in the loading forum about this gun.) If I keep it - and got a licence for it - it will be a nice rifle for woodcocks and capercailles later in winter.
Fritz K. | |||
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| <DuaneinND> |
223 | ||
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| <Chuck from arkansaw> |
I know for a fact the C.Z. 527 will not shoot 55 grain bullets. It will shoot 40 gr into 1/2" but will not keep all the 55 grainers on the paper. Wrong twist. As much as I love the hornet I would advise a .223. | ||
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) It should easily reach out to 300 meters and bowl over whatever you hit.