22 K-Hornet

18 January 2002, 09:17

milosmate

quote:
Originally posted by Redmist:

I've just started playing with this little cutie in a Ruger #3 carbine. I only lost 3 out of 100 cases fireforming with Winchester
45 gr. soft point ammo (which gave .80" @ 100).
I'm looking for some load info using 40 gr. Ballistic Tips and Hodgdon Lil'Gun, or 2400. Any info would be much appreciated.

Try this site or one of there links.
http://homepages.ihug.com.au/~bkhornet/22hornet.htm
Good luck!

20 January 2002, 03:30

<George Capriola>

Try 13.5 grains of Lil'Gun behind whatever. You can't fit too much Lil'Gun into the case. I never had much luck with the 40 grain Ballistic Tips, but have had very good accuracy with Hornady 40 grain V-Maxes and Berger 22/40 MEF's.
Regards, George.

20 January 2002, 11:08

<gruvinbass>

13.2 gr Lil Gun behind a 40 gr V-max. Works for me.

31 January 2002, 13:12

<Todd A Kindler>

Anneal those cases BEFORE fireforming with our Series II Annealing Tip available through The Woodchuck Den Inc. (330) 897-0614 www.woodchuckden.com

Todd Kindler-Editor Small Caliber News
www.smallcaliber.com

31 January 2002, 15:05

rollinghills

I have never lost a case fireforming K Hornets. Remington cases have more capacity and are less brittle than the Winchester cases that I have tried in my K Hornet. Eventually my K Hornet cases all eventually fail with Neck Splits after 30 to 40 reloadings. The Neck Splits are probably the case of the overly generous Chamber dimensions which most of the non-custom Hornets I have come across seem to be blessed with. The Remington cases also tend to resist Neck splits longer than the Winchesters in my rifle. New cases also take to fireforming better than old cases. Brass will become brittle with age. rollinghills

16 March 2002, 16:24

<dave3220>

My #3 Hornet was throated so deep i darn near had to balance the bullet on the end of the case to "kiss" the rifling in the barrel throat.
If you set your barrel back or re-barrel, use a custom "minimum" reamer with a short throat or seperate throater.

The LEE collet neck-sizer can be easily modified to "K" chamber by running a hand drill into the bottom of the collet so tha the shoulder will JUST clear.
These neck sizers are gentle on the brass and load concentric-with-the-bore ammo.
Try small pistol primers and AA1680 powder.
Also, the blunter "Hornet" bullets seem more satisfactory on game, and the 45 gr. one will carry accurately beyond 200 yds. and still kill relatively well.

Dave .32-20

------------------
Dave

18 March 2002, 04:15

<TERMINATOR>

FYI,

LEE PRECISION JUST ADVISED ME THAT THEY WOULD MAKE ME A .22 K HORNET COLLET NECK SIZING DIE FOR $23.00 + $2.00 SHIPPING AND HANDLING. SEND THEM THE MONEY AND TWO FIREFORMED CASES, NOT SIZED, FROM YOUR GUN. THEY PROVIDE THE DIE AND BORE IT TO FIT.

WRITE TO DAVE SHONO, CUSTOMER SERVICE, LEE PRECISION INC., 4275 HIGHWAY U, HARTFORD, WISCONSIN, 53027, WWW.LEEPREDCISION.COM, 262-673-3075

I PLAN TO DO IT.

20 March 2002, 07:51

Don Shearer

quote:
Originally posted by Redmist:

I've just started playing with this little cutie in a Ruger #3 carbine. I only lost 3 out of 100 cases fireforming with Winchester
45 gr. soft point ammo (which gave .80" @ 100).
I'm looking for some load info using 40 gr. Ballistic Tips and Hodgdon Lil'Gun, or 2400. Any info would be much appreciated.

Redmist,

I have been shooting a K-Hornet 18" Contender carbine With Leupld 12X for a couple of years now with really good results. I fireformed the cases with an unusual method. I used a standard rifle primer with 5 grains Red Dot powder, filled the csae with cornmeal then sealed with a cut cardboard wad that just fit in the neck. Compress this load a little by pushing down on the cardboard wad (by hand) with a punch. I did the firing in my basement by firing into a bucket where after a dozen firings it took out the bottom of the bucket. After some padding was added it worked fine and I lost none from 300 cases.

The load I used is also somewhat unusual in that I found if you use too strong a primer it will literally blow the bullet out of the case before it gets a fire started in the powder. This pushes the bullet into the rifling where it stops and waits for the powder to get on with burning. Result is horrible velocity standard deviations (50+). My solution was to do everything I could to speed up powder burn and slow the departure of the bullet. I used small pistol primer, 11.5 gr Alliant 2400 and set a Nosler 40 gr Ballistic Tip bullet against the rifling. Result was 1/2" groups at 100 yds. and deadly on prairie dogs.

Good shooting,

Don Shearer