Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots My Cheap Little Single Shot

It's not a pretty rifle. It's not a collectible, but I've had it since new and paid $110 CDN for it. The dollar exchange back then was about 10%, so it cost about $100 USD.

I bought it because the other 22 Hornet I had didn't work quite right. The lock up wasn't square and the best groups I could manage were about 1.5 to 2 inches at one hundred yards. Even though it wasn't a tight shooter, I got my fair share of small game with her, but wanted better.



That first wooden stocked Hornet gave up a clue to its inaccuracy when I was changing the scope. I took the old one off and noticed that the tube had been etched directly over where the barrel and frame met. I took it to the gun shop. The gunsmith said he could fix it, but I'd be better off just getting a new one. They were cheap enough. I got another on the spot and asked him to give the new rifle a once over.

The second Hornet was a clone of the first, but had an inexpensive, plastic stock. I've had it for 25 or 30 years now. It's topped with a 40 year old Leupold 4 power scope that came off a Midland 308 rifle. This "new" rifle has made its share of memories since.

One of the first things I did was have it made into a 22 K-Hornet, but not for the extra velocity! I wanted the cases to last longer. I remember having a lot of failures trying to find a load with that first Hornet. I had heard that loading for it could be a chore, and thought lost cases were the price your paid.

It's not powerful, and it's an H&R, so it's likely that if you saw it at a gun show table you'd keep walking. The Leupold went back for a service once a short while ago. One of the adjustments didn't work any more. The repair was free (naturally) and will outlast me. It has the old style friction fit adjustments, not the modern click type.

No matter. It is crystal clear and has a low profile. I have owned eight Handi Rifles, but only this one and H&R's Survival model in 308 Winchester were good to me.



Because of the powder shortages, I used an old school powder to case form and was delightfully surprised. This target is the result of converting the brass from Hornet to K-Hornet.

This is 2400 powder and 35 gr Hornady bullets. It was only 50 yards, but there are 24 bullet holes in the picture. Seven are sighters. I emptied the rest into the middle. The math tells me it's a 0.8 inch cluster. I wasn't shooting for groups or checking velocity. I just needed to get the scope on paper and make cases. Load. Shoot. Load. Shoot.

The first shot was high right. The second shot was centre right. The other five sighters are below the cluster. I was futzing with the friction adjustment.

I wanted to show it off because beauty is in the eye of the beholder.