What are you guys running?

Lil' Gun is the obvious choice….'cept Lil' Gun might not exist anymore if supplies are any clue. 1680 smells even better in the Hornet (and Bee), and it shoots as well as it smells.

Crazy I was just searching load data for this cartridge as I will be picking up my 1st 22 hornet this coming week.
As always be concervative start low and work up!

My search indicate Hornady 35-gr or 40 grain V-max and or a Sierra 40 grain blitz king pushed by a max load of Lil Gun lit with a small pistol primer in a crimped case. Lee crimp die and lil gun will be your friend based on my research.

Brass capacity can vary significantly so a max load for rem brass vs winchester, Hornady or privi brass will vary by as much as a grain which is very significant in this small capacity case.

Seems Lil gun is the most ideal burn rate for this cartridge, covered very well in the link below. Compare pressure of lil gun to other powders recomended on the Hodgdon load data page seems to spell out quite clearly to me that Lil gun will be the safest propellant choice for this cartridge

https://www.shootersforum.com/handl...-reloading-22-hornet-lil-gun-powder.html

If Lilgun seems to be unobtainable for you you may wish to try Win 296 or H110 start low and work up here with the 296 may do well to go with the sm rifle primer with the H110 or 296 as pressure potential is much greater.

What are you finding for brass?

Timely thread. Just took possession of a LH A-Bolt and will spend the winter playing with different loads. I have some load data that I've compiled from different sources. I'll get my hands on it and let everyone know. It might be good for comparisons, if nothing else.

1680, 40 grain VMax, and CCI Small Rifle primer was my go to load for years. Never could get Lil Gun to group or burn clean.

Mule Deer suggested trying CCI Small Rifle Magnum primers and since doing so I have beem using Lil Gun exclusively.

11.8 grains Lil Gun ( actually I do not weigh them anymore I use a scoop ), CCI Small Rifle Magnum primer, and 40 VMax gets me about 2900 fps and great accuracy. I also use a Lee Factory Crimp collet die for uniform pressure. It does help accuracy.

Great little cartridge.

CrowRifle,

That's good news on the 450 with Lil Gun. The Hornet is perhaps the most primer sensitive rifle round I've ever used, and while pistol primers work great with some powders, they don't work so well with others.

I generally use sCCI 500 small pistol primers when loading H110/W296, which works a little better than Lil Gun in my experience with bullets lighter than 35 grains.

Lately Lil Gun has been scarce, and I tried Alliant Power Pistol 300 MP because their data also showed good results in the Hornet. It's a little slower than my present lot of Lil Gun, but not much, requiring about about a half-grain more powder to reach the same velocities. Accuracy is very good as well, especially with the CCI 450 small rifle magnum primer.

I have plenty of 1680

any loads with velocity listing>

Data varies

Ramshot Data calls for rem 6 1/2 primer 40 grain Serria Hornet bullet Remington brass & 12.6 to 14 gr of 1680 w a top end velocity of 2785 from their 20" barrel

http://www.ramshot.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/WP_LoadSpec_1-23-14.pdf

Hornaday 7th edition calls for a WSR 40 grain V-max Hornady brass 11.1 to 12.7 grains of 1680 max velocity 2700FPS from their 22" barrel

You can see for yourself on the Nosler data as well as the Ramshot data

http://www.nosler.com/nosler-load-data/22-hornet/

13 gr LG, CCI 450, 40 gr Tipped Varmageddon, any cases in a Miroku Low Wall Hornet. Most days under 3/4" and you can see the look of surprise in their eyes! I'm now playing w/ my 17 Rem Contender 21" carb. and 20 gr Varms. at somewhat over 17 Hornet Vel., I like to see em' get it! If anybody has a fav 3500 or so 20 gr 17 Rem load I'd be obliged to ya, I'm startin w/15 gr I-4227, it shoots a lot flatter than the 40 gr Hornet. Muddy

13 grns LG, 35 Vmax and Rem 6.5 is outstanding in my Ruger 77. I did get decent results with H110, 33 grn Speer and Rem 6.5's, but nothing compared to the LG loads.

First off never full length resize. Set sizer die to only size around a quarter inch of the neck. I have burned about seven pounds of my original eight pound jug of 1680. 40 gr V-max, CCI small pistol primer and a case full of 1680 works in my CZ and it worked in my TC Contender.

1680, Rem. 6.5s, and those 40gr. Sierra Hornet bullets, or the 34gr. Midsouth HPs they sell real cheap. Even Remington component Hornet bullets work pretty well.

Like Scott F said, don't size but an itty-bitty portion of the neck, and DO use the Lee Crimp Die.

My Hornet rivals my .221 Fireball, and that's my most accurate rifle. Sweet little shooters, those.

just got 400 of nosler 45 gr, for mine, made for the hornet. i use ww296. and cci bench rest 4 . only pre war hornet i have left

thank you all so small pistol or small rifle primers can make a huge difference?

Depends who you talk to. They have worked real well for me with 1680 and Lil'gun.

Fotis, I use 4227 simply because I have quite a bit of it.. It works fine and makes a great gopher load.. I have also used some H110.. Never played with other powders because these did what I needed..
I looked for 1680 when I started, but it was tough to find then.. This is one fun little caliber..

Lots of 1 pounders of LIL GUN at last weekends Tanner Show in Denver.

darn missed out again!

BTW If you guys ever use this brass (I have a lot of it)



22 hornet brass


ensure you run it into a 22 hornet sizing die before you handload it. It is good brass but sized to smaller than 22 diameter.