Any recommendations or comments regarding this combo? Any idea what it's limitations might be? Would a 40 gr. bullet of some discription be a better choice? I'm planning on using Lil' Gun, by the way. Thanks in advance...

They are a good looking bullet thats for sure but I didn't get good accuracy from my hornet with them. I didn't mess with them much because I found a load for the 50 grain Barnes that shot very good and ran with it.

Lil'Gun is all I use in my hornet and I realy like it!

Distance might be a concern as the BC is quite low. I get sub-moa groups out of my k-hornet. The major difference from the combo that you mentioned is that I use 12.7 grains of h-110 for powder. Works great on hogs. But then again most of my shots are under 50 yards.

13gr Lil Gun and 35gr V-Max is an excellent combination. Depends on what you are planning, but both for targets and fox it's sub MOA and lights out. Getting 2900 and change fps. I would say it's probably light for larger animals, especially if more than 100 yards away, Waidmannsheil, Dom.

The little 35 grain V-max in the Hornet can be deadly, both in terms of accuracy and terminal performance. I use both a "standard" and a "reduced" load with this bullet and both do well.

My reduced load uses a smidgeon of Blue Dot (about 6.7gr) for a velocity in the 2400 range, and it yields unexpectedly good accuracy (1 MOA). Also somewhat unexpected at this sedate velocity is that it will cut a prairie dog clean into when you hit it just right.

I goose it up with WW 296 when desired to the 3,000 range, where it also exhibits good accuracy and the same explosive performance.

Most Hornet shooters find Lil Gun to be too slow for the little 35 grainer as that powder typically exhibits very wide velocity swings using light bullets. Some people apparently find it will work acceptably in their particular guns, but other powders can usually be expected to do better with the 35 V-max.

What is the intended purpose of your load?

Stonecreek is correct in that with Lilgun powder, the lighter than 45gr bullets have wide velocity swings. Accuracy to 100yds was still good though.

I found that the heavier the bullet, the closer the standard deviation was, using Lilgun.

Don't forget to try a small pistol primer.

quote:

Originally posted by Stonecreek:
The little 35 grain V-max in the Hornet can be deadly, both in terms of accuracy and terminal performance. I use both a "standard" and a "reduced" load with this bullet and both do well.

My reduced load uses a smidgeon of Blue Dot (about 6.7gr) for a velocity in the 2400 range, and it yields unexpectedly good accuracy (1 MOA). Also somewhat unexpected at this sedate velocity is that it will cut a prairie dog clean into when you hit it just right.

I goose it up with WW 296 when desired to the 3,000 range, where it also exhibits good accuracy and the same explosive performance.

Most Hornet shooters find Lil Gun to be too slow for the little 35 grainer as that powder typically exhibits very wide velocity swings using light bullets. Some people apparently find it will work acceptably in their particular guns, but other powders can usually be expected to do better with the 35 V-max.

That same load of 296 and the V Max are what I use for my hot load and it shoots really great from my CZ.

Thanks, folks. As to my intended use, well, I'm not completely sure just yet. I'm new to the Hornet and I have in mind using it for a lot of things: plinking, varminting (though I don't have too much opportunity for that), and, actually, turkey hunting. And yes, it's legal to use rifles for turkeys where I am.

From the responses it sounds like the 35 gr. might be a tad light so I'll also look at the Sierra 40 gr. offering. Also, I think Nosler has a 40 gr. ballistic tip; has anyone tried that?

Thanks.

You don't say what rifle your Hornet is in and some have rather restricted magazines in which the 40 grain Ballistic Tip is too long. However, if your magazine length is adequate both it and the 40 V-Max are excellent (I use a 40 grain V-max in an Oregon Kimber 82 that provides pinpoint accuracy).

I hunt turkeys with a rifle, most often a .222 loaded with 55 gr military-style FMJ's. The 55 FMJs are not likely to be adaptable to a Hornet, however. For your Hornet I would recommend a regular (not "Hornet") .224 centerfire bullet of 45 or 50 grains. There used to be some semi-pointed bullets in this weight range, which makes the bullet shorter and better adapted to the Hornet, but those are difficult to find these days. If you are a bullet caster, a very hard alloy 50 grain lead bullet would be good turkey medicine, also.

Be forewarned: Shooting and loading the little Hornet can be alternatly adicting and frustrating depending on how your week is going.

Curious reading this thread. Until I started using 13 grains of Lil Gun and a 35 grain V-Max, I had nothing but unacceptable accuracy in my Hornets, with 1 or 2 flyers in every 5 shot group, in 2 different Hornets. I have a box of Hornets loaded with Lil Gun and the 35, 3155fps/63 extreme spread, excellent groups. I also like 1680, and 13.8 grains gets 2969/31 es, with the 35. Excellent accuracy also, but just a bit more open than the Lil Gun.

Jerry

quote:

Originally posted by Stonecreek:
You don't say what rifle your Hornet is...

It's a CZ. You asked the question as if there are other brands of rifles in existance.

I swung by the store and all they had in the Hornet's burn range was W296. So, since that's faster than what I intended I might be inclined to use the 35 gr bullets for starters.

Thanks for the info regarding the non-Hornet bullets for hunting turkey. What do you think the 35 gr. Vmax would do to them? Make a mess, probably?

quote:

Originally posted by Wismon:
Any recommendations or comments regarding this combo? Any idea what it's limitations might be? Would a 40 gr. bullet of some discription be a better choice? I'm planning on using Lil' Gun, by the way. Thanks in advance...

There are guys (and rifles) who like them, but much prefer 40g slugs of the same design.

The 35 gain slugs have EXTREMELY poor ballistic coefficients- as in about .110 vs .180 + for 40g Plastic tipped slugs.

The reason 35g slugs exist is mostly due to their short nose lengths for a plastic pointed bullet. It helps with over all cartridge length which is limited in most hornet magazines.

As far as pure accuracy,there is really no reason why any rifle that shoots the 35 grain slugs well should not shoot at lest one of the 40g slugs equally as well.

In terms of twist rate, even 1-16" twist Hornets shoot 40g slugs just fine(as in sub 1/2" in many rifles). In single shots, there is also no reason to shoot 35g slugs. In some magazine fed rifles like the CZ 527s, the mags can be altered to allow 40 g slugs to work.

I have compared the 35g slugs directly to 40 gr bullets in crosswinds on paper at 200 yards.The 35g slugs have twice the wind drift at that point.In a word- they suck.

IMHO the 35 g slugs are a good way to reduce a Hornet potential range by at least 50 yards.
If a guy has mag length issues or is not going to shoot his Hornet past 150 yards, then the 35g slugs are just fine. They also seem to reduce the chance of ricochets in congested areas.

Here in the West I would never use them.

12.5 grs of LilGun under the 35 V-Max works great in my #1 K-Hornet.

My cadet Martini in 22 hornet has good accuracy with either 35 or 45 grain bullets using 12.4 grs of Lil Gun.

I use my 22K Hornet in Africa as my predator calling (jackal and caracal) gun.

I have tested the 35gr on jackal and they are just to light.

40gr's are ok but the 45gr SP's work great on jackal.

I have shot a couple over 200 yards at night that was DRT.

I prefer calling them in to 150 yards and closer.

quote:

It's a CZ. You asked the question as if there are other brands of rifles in existance.

Watch out for that backward-operating safety. It's like having the gas pedal on the left and the brake on the right. It will get you in trouble sooner or later.

The Hornet barreled Contender loves the 35 grain Hornadys and the 30 grain Barnes Varmint Grenade. I use my hornet for short ranges, usually under 200 yards. I have used the 40 grain bullets from Barnes, Nosler, and Hornady and they work well also. I just don't shoot the hornet far enough to worry about them. I load both the 30 grains and the 35 grains with 13 grains of lil gun. The little bullets blow up ground squirrels the best. DW

I agree with DW, While I suppose an argument can be made, at least on paper for a bullet heavier than the 35 V-Max, I never view the Hornet as a proposition for 200yds. The way I look at it: Hornet 150-175yds, Bee 175-200yds, 223 out to 250 maybe 300, with no wind. Beyond that the 220 Swift, of course we are just talking 22's. Until I started using 35 grain V-Max's and 13 of Lil Gun, I considered the Hornet to be an inaccurate finicky cartridge, now it is one of my favorites.

Jerry

I have a cousin that is a full time ranch cowboy and he has been killing deer with his 22 Hornet and factory ammo of whatever he has at the time for many years without any problems. He says its fine up to about 100 yards out the P.U. window on a broadside standing shot and he shoots for behind the shoulder..He is a subsistence hunter, and his ranch is crawling with deer, so he can pick his deer, usually a doe or he likes to kill all the spikes on the ranch...

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
I have a cousin that is a full time ranch cowboy and he has been killing deer with his 22 Hornet and factory ammo of whatever he has at the time for many years without any problems. He says its fine up to about 100 yards out the P.U. window on a broadside standing shot and he shoots for behind the shoulder..He is a subsistence hunter, and his ranch is crawling with deer, so he can pick his deer, usually a doe or he likes to kill all the spikes on the ranch...

Ray, no foul intended but do any of your clients use .22 cal. rifles to hunt deer? roger

I shoot 35 gr. V-maxin front of 13 gr. Lil'gun in a Ruger 77. Shoots well under an inch @ 100. I use it for prairie dogs up to 200, does as well as any other up to 175 or 200 yards.

For what it's worth, my hornet load is a 55gr bullet under 13.6 grs Lil'Gun (compressed prior to bullet seating) and produces pretty good results. It did take me a while to develop that load and a Winchester case that somehow slipped into the batch opened up its primer pocket but otherwise, case life is indefinite with R-P cases. I use Federal primers because they are supposed to be low intensity and have soft cups that show up pressure easily.

Pressure is still moderate.