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Joined: Oct 2021
Posts: 772
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Oct 2021
Posts: 772 |
It’s no longer available but when the Hornet and Bee were woodchuck kings the best of all powders was Win 680. I’m pretty sure Lil Gun is the right substitute these days. Warren Center of Thompson Center was well known for very accurate Hornet barrels and chambers. For a long time it was one of their top five chamberings. But he told me that Olin/Winchester developed this ball powder just for cartridges like the Hornet, Bee and all of those early 22 cal wildcats. As I recall there wasn’t much powder out in the early to late 50’s that was tailored to these cases. I used 4227 for a while but never got the accuracy like 680 or would it meter out as easily as those small balls. I still have three metal cans of 680 so won’t ever need to move on to Lil Gun before I go to the marble farm. I think AA has a powder that some say is similar I believe it’s 1160 (?) . But Lil Gun apparently is the right medicine.
Rick 1680
Grumpy old man with a gun.....Do not touch . Better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6. Don't bother my monument and I'll leave yours alone.
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,930
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,930 |
I bought a Ruger M77 Hornet a couple of years after they came out and stumbled across a few pounds of AA-1680 and several bags of Winchester 46gr HPs. I wreaked havoc on the local varmints (mostly groundhogs, coyotes, a few crows, and a few badgers). My loads weren't all that hot, but they were accurate. In 2003, I was renting a house right in the middle of a one square mile section (640 acres) of land in northern Missouri. The land-owner had cleaned out several old fence lines and there were a number of brush and stump piles on the property, making it a varmint paradise, so I kept the Ruger loaded and standing in the corner of the kitchen, and it stayed busy almost daily, sometimes morning, before work, and evening after work.
One evening, I had just started fixing dinner and happened to look out one of the kitchen windows, to the north, and noticed something out in the soybeans. I picked up a pair of binoculars that I kept handy there in the kitchen and looked. A little over 200 yds straight north, there was a coyote standing in the beans looking at the house, but only its head was visible above the beans. I grabbed the Hornet, eased the window open, laid a folded dishtowel on the windowsill, leaned over the edge of the counter, and rested the rifle on that dish towel on the windowsill. I lined up the crosshair to put the bullet right between his eyes and squeezed. The coyote disappeared. I half expected to see it pop up somewhere out there, running. After waiting a bit, the dogs and I went out and found him, DRT. I had literally made a canoe out of its cranial cavity. Its skull cap was gone and all of its brains were splattered on the beans for several feet behind where it had been standing. Its face looked like a cartoon with its ears at weird angles and its eyes literally bulging out of its head. Not a difficult shot, but a very memorable one.
A buddy at work also had a M77 Hornet and he got turned on to the Lil' Gun medicine and shared it with me. That lifted our rifles' performance to a whole new plane. I finally shot up all of the Win 46gr HPs and started using several different bullets, but they all benefitted from the better performance of Lil' Gun powder.
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Last edited by Skeezix; 11/11/23.
Bring enough gun and know how to use it.
Know that it is not the knowing, nor the talking, nor the reading man, but the doing man, that at last will be found the happiest man. - Thomas Brooks (1608-1680)
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Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 2,082
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 2,082 |
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Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 37,132 Likes: 1
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 37,132 Likes: 1 |
My current fav .22 K-Hornet load is the 33 Shock Hammer over 14 gr. 300MP with CCI 450 primers.
Shoots one hole at 50 yds. and is reportedly a good bullet for varmint sized critters. I’ve not drawn blood with it, yet.
Have not clocked it. Supposedly running a bit over 3K fps.
DF
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Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 37,132 Likes: 1
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 37,132 Likes: 1 |
The cz527 22 Hornet I had, would not stabilize anything it the little short stubby original style Hornet bullet. Those CZ’s are 16 twist. Wish they were 12 twist. I like 300 MP slightly more than Lil gun. 300 MP won’t stick to the powder measure like Lil gun sometimes does. YMMV. I have used both and if I ran out of 300 MP would not hesitate to use Lil gun. CCI 450’s are JB’s fav primer in the Hornet. They do work. With 16 twist, the 33 gr. Shock Hammer is short enough to work well. And as a mono, it won’t blow up on ‘Yotes sized critters. Agree with Limapapa, those stubby little bullets aren’t the best long range choices. But they do well what they’re designed to do. DF
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Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 3,008
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 3,008 |
my CZ will shoot the 40gr plastic tips good , dont know what the twist might be
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Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 28,799 Likes: 2
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 28,799 Likes: 2 |
My Browning has a slight preference for H110 over LilGun, but not enough to really matter. These days, it might come down to what primers you have or can get, SP or CCI 450. LilGun does run at a lot less pressure, so case life might be a factor if your supply is limited. I have a lot of WW brass and have never had a split neck or other issue with my collet-sized brass.
Another good bullet is the 30gr Varmint Grenade. It can go pretty fast and is accurate in my rifle. I also want to try the 45gr TSX which might come in handy for popping a doe if the opportunity arises.
What fresh Hell is this?
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Joined: May 2017
Posts: 139
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 139 |
I use the 46 grain Winchester bullet over 4227, H110, or Lil Gun.
It’s put a lot of deer and hogs in the freezer in the last 20 years.
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 4,464
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 4,464 |
Any 40-45 grain bullet over about 13 grains of lil gun. My contender barrel had a decided preference for Winchester small pistol primers.
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,351 Likes: 1
Campfire Regular
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OP
Campfire Regular
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,351 Likes: 1 |
I had the opportunity on Friday to shoot my Hornet for the first time scoped. With a Leupold 2x7 gloss compact I had lying around the first three shot group at 100 yards was just under 1/2". Can't argue with that. The load was 11.8 grains of Lil'Gun with a 45 grain Sierra Hornet bullet. I think I need to use a drop tube to get more powder in the case. I think I'm gonna like this. Now to get a coyote to volunteer for testing purposes. Thanks, and take care! Rick
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Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 6,781
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 6,781 |
For me I find in all my hornets the seem to like the short lighter bullets best like the 33 gr tnt and 35 gr v max It’s my thought the Sami twist is too slow for anything much heavier than 45 I have been tempted over the years to build a faster twist hornet 33 and 35 s work just fine to 150 yds Any ferthwr and I have bigger rifles for
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Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 17,821
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 17,821 |
Just got a used #1B redone to K Hornet. Gonna try some Hornady factory ammo in it this week (zero). Try it out on chucks in a couple months.
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Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,268
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,268 |
AA1680 and a small pistol primer .
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 56,146 Likes: 10
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 56,146 Likes: 10 |
I've had a number of Hornets and K-Hornets and they all liked Li'l Gun a lot. Biggest load I ever tried was 13 grains and the little 40 grain bullet topped 3,200 fps from a Ruger #1. 1/2" groups of 3 were easy.
I am..........disturbed.
Concerning the difference between man and the jackass: some observers hold that there isn't any. But this wrongs the jackass. -Twain
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Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 60,138 Likes: 9
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 60,138 Likes: 9 |
I've had several K-Hornets, and have had the best luck with hotter small-rifle primers, including the CCI 450, and the Winchester SR. (Winchester only makes one SR primer, which is hotter than other "standard" SR primers, sort of a compromise between "standard" and "magnum.)
Along with Li'l Gun, A1680 and Alliant 300-MP are well worth a try.
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.” John Steinbeck
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Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 373
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 373 |
I've read where the remington 6.5 primer is really good in the hornet? Any experience?
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