Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles Browning 22 Hornet

I have a .22 Hornet in a CZ 527 and have had 3/8 to 1/2 groups out of it if I do my part. I've been loading the CZ with 45 grain Sierra Hornets and Lil gun powder. I bought this Browning a couple days ago because it caught my eye and I just couldn't pass it up. Anyone had any experience with the A bolt medallion and what kind of accuracy should I expect... Previous owner only fired 30 shots through it since new. The rifle is 99% condition. Any info will be appreciated. Thanks

Very nice! I have a LH A-Bolt in 22 Hornet. A-Bolts are generally very accurate but the 22 Hornet can be a bit tricky. I use the 35 grain VMAX in mine, almost exclusively. The rifle could use some trigger work but I've not had time to do much about it.

I have a Browning bolt in a 22hornet I change it to a 22 K Hornet mine shoots excellent always under a 1/2 or less,these little Brownings are a neat little gun.

Thanks guys. I haven't got the rifle yet because it's being shipped. I'm going to load the Sierra 45's for it. What kind of COL are you getting because of the magazine? On my CZ I have to load it so that the rounds will fit the magazine and feed properly which hasn't been a problem as far as accuracy goes but is it that way with the Browning also?

I haven't seen a Hornet in an A Bolt, however I have seen 223s in A Bolts, and they are very nice rifles...

not necessarily a Hornet fan, but if I were to get one, the A Bolt would be at the top of the list..
that and the CZ...

I just usually load a 223 to Hornet specs...

Doubt if they make it, but a 17 Hornet in an A Bolt would be the cat's meow...

I had and sold one in a 22H. It was very accurate, easily less than an inch, five shots at 100 yds.
I used Win brass, Fed SP primers, 13.2 lil gun and 40 Berger HPs.

Thanks Dale... Does anyone know the bore diameter. I have read that it's .223 and I have also read that it's .224? Anyone know for sure?

Great looking rifle, a twin to mine!

You should expect it to be every bit as accurate as your CZ. They do, in fact, have a .224 groove diameter barrel, not the .223 of the original Hornets. Mine loves anything up to 50gr bullets with 40gr and 45gr shooting the best. That said, the 35gr VMax is very, very close, and makes a bigger impact upon those varmints I have shot with them than the 45gr bullets.

Ed

Seafire, I know a guy that converted a Browning 22 Hornet to a 17 AH and swears by it...



APDDSN0864, Thanks for the info. I had read that Browning had stayed with the .223 bore and never went to .224. I figured it was .224 but wanted to make sure.... Thanks again

I have had mine for over 20 years.. I haven't shot it much in the last years as I bought several rimfire magnums.. But I love this little rifle.. I have used mine on everything from gophers to whitetails.. I have shot lots of the bulk 46 gr. hollow points, 35Vmax and 40 gr. vmax..

I have given heavy consideration to converting my LH A-Bolt 22 Hornet to 17 Hornet. I want to do it but can see how it could crush the value of it. Still tossing it around.

You might crush more than the value...they are known to difficult to rebarrel, ruining the action in the process of removing the old barrel.

Ed

I had a 243 rebarreled years ago to 260. Then like an idiot in full bloom, I sold it. The threads are very fine and barrels are hard to remove but it's doable.

Boy that’s a dandy!! Every a bolt I’ve been around has shot really good, I’ve been around more than a few

Bob Green has rebarreled several to 17 Ackley Hornet. Everyone who owns one loves it.

Thanks Judman...

jdunham, The guy that I was referring to earlier had his done by Bob Green.

Good reference, thanks.

Thanks, it's good to know there's someone out there who's good at it.

Ed

I have one that loves 35 gr V max"s.....

No, they are 1-16 twist, .2235 groove. So were the repro Low Walls per Browning/Miroku.

A barrel slug will verify this, as will the original specs from Browning.

As an aside, for any Hornet, Midsouth (and Midway) sell a 34gr. HP bullet that is dandy for plinking and just having fun, and they are CHEAP, like under $45/500 cheap. These days, that's a steal. I use them with 6.5 primers, 1680 powder, and the Lee crimp die, in WW cases.
They're under MOA in my CZ most all the time, and shoot well for under 200 yard shooting. They are made by Nosler, and are probably the same bullets Winchester used in their .22 WMR Supreme loading. Nosler makes them for Midsouth and Midway, Midsouth just charges a lot less for the same bullets. I like them better than anything else for plinking in my CZ, they're just fun to shoot.

I will check these out ... Thanks!!

From what I read today with that bore (.2235) that either .223 or .224 bullets should shoot well in this. I also found out today that the CZ has the same bore diameter of .2235 and my CZ shoots .224 diameter bullets very well. Just guessing but I'm thinking that they did the bore sizing in between (1/2 size) so that you could shoot either one....Thanks for the info.

I have no idea why Browning used the old standard figures, other than perhaps they are the std. metric figures are used throughout the rest of the world.
Most reloaders dont realize jacketed bullets are undersized and bores are often over nominal figures in factory produced ammo and gun barrels.

The Hornet is a cartridge that is loaded to mild pressures, even at top level, and much of the fears of using larger than groove bullets are unwarranted and often shoot better (cast bullet and benchrest shooters will say "Duh" here)!

I use a .225 LBT 46 gr.bullet in an A-Bolt II micro Hornet. It is one of the best little cast guns ever!

Thanks, Hawk. I was misinformed.

Ed

There is some really good information and knowledge being shared here. thank you.

Plain base or gas check?

I've looked at the NOE version of that bullet. As if I need another project...

Ed

There is one on GunBroker right now just like mine. This is a rare find.

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/751298540

Gas check. Water dropped wheelweights.

13 grs of Lil Gun at about 2,900.

Holy Smokes and I gave mine away!

Yep they are very pricey if you can even find one.

No bids. It didn't sell and this is the second time it's been listed. Methinks the seller is a bit overoptimistic.

Ed

Thanks, Hawk.

13gr Lil' Gun seems to be the magic load for my Hornet with most bullets.

Ed

As was mentioned above, this one has not sold and I don't believe it will sell for that price.

Mine wasn't that high but I'm sure that if there is someone out there that has been wanting to buy one of these for 20 years like me or a Browning collector that can't live without it, it will sell. It's still cheaper than a Anshutz or a Cooper.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/9...liber-224-diameter-34-grain-hollow-point


https://www.midsouthshooterssupply....-34-grain-premium-flat-base-hp-500-count


Damn, they went up in price since I bought mine awhile back. Still, it's a good price on excellent bullets. These bullets are a lot of fun to play around with, and they shoot quite well. Silly names for the bullets, but who cares?


I use the 204" 34gr. HPs, too, and they shoot "pretty good" but not as well as the plastic-tipped bullets in my two .204s.

I sent this email to Browning on February 19 and they responded today. I just copied and pasted it.

My email:

I have bought me a Browning A Bolt ll .22 Hornet. I'm sure that it was made in 1994. I need to know the bore diameter on this rifle. I've read that it could be .223 and I've read that it could be .224. Can you please tell me which one please? I want to make sure I shoot the right bullets in this rifle. Thank you for your time.


From Browning:


Mike



The bore is .224 and the twist rate is 1/16.





Best regards,

Browning Service Department

Nice Browning response. A better question is to ask them why the ABolt is supposedly a .224 1-16 and their Low Wall Repro is a .223 1-16.....as spec'd by the project engineer, manufactured in the same plant during the same time period.

Rocky found this: https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/1780880/re-22-hornet#Post1780880

Slug your barrel. It wont have a "4" in it, unless its a 10thou designation..
I dont post dishonest answers to honest questions.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...-bullet-choice-for-22-hornet#Post1689193

If I could sell my lefty for that it would be gone in a heartbeat, regardless of how much I like it.

what would you take for your lefty?

Nice rifle D I seem to remember reading some where that all 22 hornets manufactured after 1945 were standardized to .224 bore. If H lil gun doesn't work for you try 300MP.

Good luck and shoot straight

Except for the Browning in question.....

Of course all Hornets weren't 1-16 twisted after WWII either, but hey, its not like anyone can actually MEASURE anything for themself......which seems the history of Browning/Miroku Hornets.

It's found a home lol.

I never knew some grounghogs had blew eyes.

I love my Browning .22 Hornet!

Ed

Nice! I can't wait until the chucks are out here.

Ha ha. I was getting excellent groups with this rifle and I normally don't do this actually first time unless a head shot is all I've got but I deliberately took head shots on these 2 yesterday. I've always been a center mass kind of guy, habit I guess . It was down right hot here yesterday so about midday I headed to the fields. I even got sunburned yesterday. I spoke with Rocky Raab about this rifle because he knows these rifles inside and out because he has one also and he give me some pointers on how to load for it. Thanks guys and thanks Rocky.

My lefty A-Bolt Hornet loves anything between 35-45 grains with the exception of Barnes TSX's. 40 Grain v-max over 13 grains of Lil Gun is a prairie dog killer out to about 300 yards. The 45 grain soft points kill varmints nicely without tearing up hides. A lot of guys bash Browning rifles, but every one I've worked with was above average in accuracy.