If Shrapnel ever actually sighted his Hornet in on paper instead of empty Coke cans he might be able to hit animals beyond 150 yards.
I've only owned 5 .22 Hornet rifle, three chambered for the regular round and two for K-Hornet, but have shot them considerably in the field. A 40-grain plastic-tip at 3000+ is easily a 250-300 yard varmint round--just as the .222 Remington was considered a 250-300 yard round back when softpoint 50's at the same basic velocity were the standard load. (My personal record with the Hornet is a prairie dog at 427 yards, but must admit that was an "expensive" dog, since several rounds were fired, just to see what might happen. But 1-shot kills at 250-300 are pretty common, if the wind isn't howling.)
I've tried lighter bullets at higher velocities, including the 35-grain V-Max, but their ballistic coefficients suck so bad the 40's outrange them anywhere past 150 yards, and even at 150 drift noticeably less in the wind. If the magazine doesn't allow the use of 40-grain plastic-tips, one of the sleeker 40-grain hollow-points is still noticeably better than any of the lighter bullets. My favorites HP's are the Berger, Calhoon and Nosler Varmageddon.
The most explosive plastic-tipped 40's are the Hornady V-Max, Nosler Tipped Varmageddon and Sierra BlitzKing. They're all thin-jacketed so expand easily, and all are accurate as well. I usually shoot whichever can be purchased for the best price when I restock. They work best in a single-shot, due to the lack of magazine-length restrictions. In my Ruger No. 1B the overall cartridge length is around 1.9", which is too long for most magazines.
Though several powders will work, I prefer using Hodgdon Li'l Gun. The accuracy is usually good, and the velocity is great, but another factor is pressure. Hornet brass is thin, and Li'l Gun load operate at far lower pressure than any other powder in the Hornet, resulting in much longer-lasting brass.
