Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Predators and Varmints 22 Hornet options?

I have lusting for a 22 Hornet but stymied but the limited options in rifles. First is cost which drives pretty much everything I do. Second is utility. so here's the conclusion that I am leaning towards, your 2 cents are most certainly welcome.
I am wanting a 22 cal bullet at about 2500/2600 or so, think of a hot 22 mag for G-hogs.
Rifles<, CZ, Ruger #1 (price) and 77, BRNO, have short magazines that limit tipped bullets be used without trimming brass short to allow COAL in the mag or are to much $$$.
The 17 hornet is not a consideration, Nor the K-hornet.
Savage 25 is not appealing to me (ugly) and mags are junk.
Howas mini action would be perfect for the hornet but they do chamber it. $$$
223 REM, loaded down with blue dot and 40gr BT's
So...Two options, Cheap and not so cheap, Walmart Savage axis 223 for $269.00, second choice Henry single shot ( $370.00) 233/556 up scale H&R, More $ and a trigger job will be needed.
If anyone has a better idea please advise, I known that I have overlooked something with this pipe dream idea. Thanks

Take a look on Zastava m85/Remington 799/ InterArms Mark X MZ.
In 22 hornet they have steal magazines.
They are made in .223 Rem, .222 Rem, .222 Rem.Mag, .22-250 Rem, 7.62x39 mm and .22 HORNET.

I had very poor accuracy issues with Ruger hornets, both #1 and 77/22H.
You said price is an issue, so that knocks out Anschutz, which is the cream of the crop in Hornets, in my view.

My little CZ 527 has been an excellent shooter from the git-go. No, I don't use the plastic-tipped bullets, but there's no need, as I have other rifles for that. I honestly can't think of any groups I've shot with that rifle that have been over 1". Mine does best with Midsouth's 34gr. HPs, the shorter the bullets, the better. It shoots pretty good with Sierra 40s, too, but I like the 34s for the price (less than $50/500).

I have three other 527s, including a .17 Hornet, .221 Fireball, and .204. All of them shoot quite well. There is also a remedial "fix" to extend the interior length of the magazines on the CZs, by thinning the plastic spacer in the back of the magazine, but because of the 34s, I haven't bothered with it. It's not hard to do, but with the Fireball on hand, I won't do it. No need.

In fact, it might be smarter to watch for CZ to make a run of the Fireball rifles and just buy one of those, mine is the most accurate out-of-box rifle I've ever owned. Any bullet up to 53gr. with Reloader Seven powder and it's bughole time.

You might want to look at some rifles in 222 Rem, Howa-Mini, CZ, Krico, Husqvarna, 799, Sako, Marlin-Sako, H&R Sako, Savage 340 and variations, Win Model 70, Rem 600, 7000, 722. There is a pretty long list and there are usually very accurate. Easily loaded down.

Don't over look Savage 340's in 22H or the Savage 219. H&R SS came in 22H and TC Contenders. The Browning Micro Hunter came in 22H also.

Wow, thanks for your ideas. Many of the suggestions, I did not even think of or know about. Price will be hurdle to get past. I really just want a faster 22 magnum. Hence my 2500/2600 fps envelope. the center fire option gets some loading bench time which would be nice. As with most folks it is one of the things I wish I had more time to do. As to the CZ 527 magazine spacer mod, Does any one known if the spacer can be removed completely or thinned and returned to the rear of the magazine.?

Wow, thanks for your ideas. Many of the suggestions, I did not even think of or know about. Price will be hurdle to get past. I really just want a faster 22 magnum. Hence my 2500/2600 fps envelope. the center fire option gets some loading bench time which would be nice. As with most folks it is one of the things I wish I had more time to do. As to the CZ 527 magazine spacer mod, Does any one known if the spacer can be removed completely or thinned and returned to the rear of the magazine.?

I just went with Brno ZKW465 and 35 gr Hornady V-Max.

A .221 Fireball is a thing to behold. Almost perfect in every way.

Look around for a small frame Martini that's been converted to centerfire and rechambered to .22 Hornet or rebarreled to the same. They are very strong actions, quite accurate and almost impossible to wear out. I have one (a BSA Model 15) that I love, along with a TC Contender 10" barrel and a Springfield 1922 converted to centerfire repeater. These are all fun guns and the Hornet is a great cartridge that's cheap to shoot and quiet enough to allow you to hunt groundhogs in places that larger centerfires will get you banned for noise.

Were I going the cadet route I would be more inclined to neck down .357 maximum to 22 and go with that.

I bought a 77/22 with a Nikon Buckmaster off GB for $450 and a Win Model 43 with a vintage Weaver K6 for $650 and both put 10 rounds of vintage WW 46gr HP under an inch off a sandbag rest. I had the Ruger rechambered to K, the two piece bolt shimmed, the trigger worked down to 3 lbs no creep, and the barrel recrowned by a shop in Connecticut, of all places. He did the work for $225 total. It now shoots the same ammo into the same groups while fireforming to K. Anticipate groups half of that once I reload some K. The Model 43 makes me smile, though. Isnt that what its all about?

I have a 22K Hornet in a 22"TC Contender that I am totally happy with.
SO MUCH better performance with the "K" than standard.

The sure bet is a CZ in the Hornet or Fireball.

Go big or go home!

This one happens to be out of production now, but they can be found ever now and again.

What model is that Orange? I like the looks of that rifle.

Anschutz 54 action
Forgot the model number

cs2blue,

I have a CZ American .22 Hornet, which I absolutely love. It shoots both plastic-tipped 35gr. factory ammo, and Hornady factory 45 gr. SP ammo, with great, sub-.5" MOA accuracy.
Depending on what you want to do with the rifle, you can blow up varmints with the tipped 35 gr., or hunt deer (if legal), or turkeys, with the Hornady bullet, which is not as frangible.

My vote is for the CZ!!!

Think it might be a model 1730. I have one in sporter and varmint barrels. Both very accurate, neither for sale.

H&R or NEF Single shots shoot lights out and are very accurate. Don't cost an arm and leg either.

That said, I sold a Win 43 that was so-so and bought a Ruger 77/22 that will one hole them. Only thing I did was replace the trigger spring.