Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 22 Hornet with Lil gun and MP 300

I'm thinking K brass may last a bit longer.

Would appreciate input on that.

DF

There's no reason it would; I have military Hornet cases dated 1960 that Ive loaded 5 times myself. They are partial or neck sized.

The case is thin and the fireform on a rimmed case can do as much case stretching as several full length resizes.

Both done correctly, Ive never seen a difference.

I’ve loaded for a couple Anschutz 22 hornets for many years.
My load is-
WIN cases
Fed sm pistol primer
13.2 lil gun, heaping full case
Berger 40 hp ( plastic tips won’t fit in magazine)
I have loaded some 40 V Max and single loaded them, but prefer repeater capability in a PD town.
I’m getting sub 1” accuracy and 3000 FPS out of this load.

I would guess your chamber is a little large--though would like to know where it split.

Have been using the same batch of Winchester brass for around 20 years, shooting LOTS of rounds at "burrowing rodents." The only problem I had (mentioned in Dirtfarmer's link to the old thread on this subject: My first .22 Hornet was a T/C Contender Carbine on the original action, not the G2. In it ANY Hornet ammo stretched so much on one side near the base that around 1/3 were ruined for further loading.

In all my other .22 Hornets, when loaded with Li'l Gun the cases have so far just kept on truckin'.

That's been my experience too. For the last year my Winchester 54 K-Hornet has digested a bunch of 10.8 L'il Gun/45 gr. .223" and the W-W and R-P cases show no signs of stress yet.

But, there's a caveat: my chamber was cut by Lyle Kilbourn himself. Could be some ju-ju in that . (That, plus forming the brass to K-dimensions from virgin brass with a hydraulic form die which eliminates stretching generated by fireforming.

MD the only split has been in the neck,could just be my gun but I'm used to it. My hornet is the standard handi rifle and used mostly for yard pest. I have taken deer with it using the 45gr hornet bullet,all were lung shots and it's hard for some to believe that some dropped in their tracks and if I had one take off they didn't make it 50yds. I just keep my shots under 100yds. Shot placement is the key.

In my CZ I was having trouble using 13 grains of Lil Gun and Mule Deer suggested a CCI Small Rifle Mag primer. Never looked back. Great accuracy with the 40 BT Sierra and an honest 3100 fps. Crows hate hate it.

And I have some Norma brass that has been reloaded so many time you would call BS if I gave up the number.

That's pretty much been my experience with Winchester and Hornady .22 Hornet brass as well.

The reason the cases of most improved cartridges last longer is they headspace on the shoulder--and the steeper shoulder results in more resistance to the firing pin's fall, just about eliminating case stretching during firing. But the .22 Hornet headspaces on the rim, not the almost non-existent "shoulder."

As I noted earlier, the only .22 Hornet rifle where I've experience enough case stretching to result in short brass life was an older T/C Contender carbine. The brass in my bolt-action and falling-block Hornets just keeps on going, especially when loaded with Lil Gun or MP 300, because the pressures are so much lower than with "traditional" Hornet powders like H110.

Dirt: Thanks for the link. I load for varmints and therefore high volume. I have tried a long drop tube and have also used vibration (shaker table). Both add to the reloading time. For that reason I neck size which eliminates the case lube steps of applying and cleaning. No lube eliminates K-Hornet for me.

Doubt anyone can get more powder in a Hornet case than gunner.

He shares some of his secrets on the link.

DF

Do you guys prefer standard or magnum primers with your Lil Gun loads in your K's? I've been using standard CCI small rifle primers with satisfaction, but am open to suggestions that I'm missing out on something.

CCI 450's work very well, may be optimal. Check out work by JB.

It's my K-Hornet primer.

DF

What kind of die do you use to size your brass?

What exactly does he do? I couldn't find it.

Long drop tube and some gunner magic...

DF


Edited to add gunner's quote.

DF,

"Do not fear the drop tube young grasshopper, walk toward the light my friend."

I can get that amount of powder in my K cases without the "gunner maneuver"...

Another reason I like the K.

DF