My go-to Hornet small game load is a blunt 52 grain cast bullet (Lee's Bator) over 6.0gr. 2400, small pistol primer. The bullet is short enough to stabilize in old school Hornet twists. The load behaves like a stiff .22RF Magnum, is universally extremely accurate in all my current Hornets, and costs but a couple pennies per shot.
That Lee Bator is sure an accurate bullet. I've gotten stellar shooting out of it both with and without gas check, at velocities from 22LR up past 22 Mag in Hornet, Bee, and 223. I've not found a bad powder from Unique to Lil Gun.
