Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles Crimp K-Hornet

I just picked up a Ruger 77 in 22 Hornet and promptly sent it off to be accurized and reamed to K-Hornet. I've read than in reloading the Hornet you should crimp. Is this important with the K-Hornet as well.

Thanks,
Don

I also have a Ruger in 22k Hornet. It has a shilen stainless select barrel with a 1in 14 twist,glass bedded,aspectra trigger set to 8oz. and the stock dyed China blue. On the top it carries a Redfield 6-18x40 scope. I've tried everything and I can't get it to shoot! But I never heard of crimping it. I doubt it would help accuracy. Besides of what I found, the cases are delicate. I think this would shorten case life!<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Don...

Crimping a bullet is generally done to insure the bullet will be held tightly enough by the mouth of the cartridge case to eliminate "bullet-setback".

I've never found it necessary to crimp rifle cartridges when reloading them... but I've never reloaded a Hornet or K-Hornet, so maybe the Hornet is different, but I doubt it. However, I have reloaded literally thousands of .222's which are also light varmint rounds like your K-Hornet... and they don't need any crimping. I don't even crimp my heavy hunting loads in my .338 Win. magnum cartridge.

The neck of most rifle cartridges plus the length of most rifle bullets are more than long enough to insure adequate bullet-holding ability. I know of no benefit crimping does other than eliminating "bullet-setback" which only occurs in cartridge of extremely heavy recoil... and that hardly includes your K-Hornet. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Crimping them will undoubtedly raise your chamber pressure because you are causing the bullet to resist being released by the case-mouth which, in turn, causes the bullet to sit in the mouth of the case a little longer while the powder gases are building up rather than being released by the case-mouth and traveling down & out of the rifle's barrel.

I seriously doubt that crimping the bullet will add to your rifle's accuracy either. In fact, I've read and been told that crimping DECREASES accurate rather than enhancing it, but since I don't crimp rifle bullets, I really don't know if this is true or not.

The ONLY loads I crimp are the heavier handgun loads in the .357 & .44 magnum... and the ONLY reason I crimp them is because of bullet "set-back" due to heavy recoil. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

Never crimped any Hornet loadings or any other rifle loadings for that matter. Never saw varmint bullets that had a cannelure for crimping.
Like the other posters, I only roll crimp heavy pistol loads like 45 LC or hot .357 loads that might grow in length due to recoil.
Good luck with your new Hornet. Keep the loads on the mild side and I am sure you will enjoy it.

I beleive I have read several places that a crimp will help accuracy and helps to promote consistent velocity. The Hornet case is particularly thin in the neck and this prevents it from gripping the bullet tightly. As most bullets suitable for the round don't have a cannelure, most people recommend the Lee Factory Crimp Die which forms a groove in the bullet during the crimping operation.
Note also that factory 22 Hornet ammo (at least the Hornady w/35 gr VX) is heavily crimped.

Crimping is the LAST thing I'd do to my K-Hornets.

Love them 77/22 K-Hornets!..............

I wouldn't go anywhere near a crimping die with a K Hornet, simply because, if you are careful on your resizing, you don't need to.

Bullet set back is not an issue wirh Detacthable style magazines , which is the main reason that a cartridge should be crimped.

The Hornet case is fragile enough that it doesn't take much to wreck it, and crimping would not be a good thing.



I use a break action Stevens in a Khornet, and even with my minimum loads it shoots fine!



Here she is, complete with 1927 Belding and Mull scope.

BTW, the barrel is NOT stock, it is an Anschutz rimfire barrel that Dad had kicking around from a prototype C.I.L. sporter.



Catnthehat

I've read of some that crimp the Hornets in an effort to gain more consistant ignition with Li'l Gun and H110. It is not a path I took for my K. Look for at least .002" of neck tension for the "slow" powders, or use 4227 or 2400 and be happy. Lot of folks find this problem most pronounced with the very light bullets, my #1, 40 gr. BT's and Li'l Gun said 'phooey', but when I went to 45 gr bullets it went sub MOA(7's) all the time. I won't detail the tribulations I had with this thing but in the end I won. First Hornet I owned was a #3, and it didn't care what I put in it. A steady rest and it was bugholes at 100 yards. I didn't learn anything from that one though.

JMO, everybody should learn to load and tune a Cranky .22 Hornet before 'moving up' in the world. It will teach you 75% or better of everything you'll ever need to know.