Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles Lil gun powder

I just built a K Hornet barrel o for my contender carbine and loaded some forming loads using the Hodgdon starting 12 gr load.
The primers flattened considerably and one ruptured. Been awhile since I used that powder in a hornet but didn’t remember it being that hot at low end.
I chrono’d some of those 12 grain loads and was getting 2900+ with a 50 grain bullet.
Will back off a grain as I don’t need that.
Wondering if anyone here found similar high pressures with it?

I’ve found hodgdon recipes to be pretty conservative (mild) in most cases. But I sure wouldn’t try their heavier hornet or K loads with that stuff.

That sounds very odd. I use 13.2 gr lil gun in three different 22 hornet rifles and have fired 1000s of rounds of that load, with zero issues. I shoot 40 grain bullets, Win brass and sp primers.

From MY experience LiLgun likes to be compressed. I could use a larger amount in my standard Hornet than I could in my 218 Bee with the same bullet.

I have that problem with Lil Gun in my K Hornet. I’ve blown primers too. I hate that. My gun will start showing signs of high pressure at 12.0 grains. My max is 11.8 for 40 grain bullets. A 1680 you can’t screw up and that seems to be my go to powder. I think I’m done with Lil Gun after I use the last two pounds. My issue with the K Hornet was brass. I found that Hornady is the best then Winchester and last is Nosler. Hornady had 100% survive the fire forming, Winchester around 90% and Nosler was 50%. I will give a little credit to Nosler, the 50% that survived have been better than the rest as I’m starting to get loose pockets with the others and Nosler is still tight and all have 8 reloads to them. Maybe I got a bad batch of 250 pieces that had some real good ones too. How was your brass survivability?

I’ve only formed @ 30 cases, all of which survived. Most Winchester with 5 nickel plated ones. The pockets aren’t loosening. Just that one primer (fed match) leaked at the edge. I switched to CCI magnums and no serious primer flattening, though a few showed some flow back. I’m gonna cut back to 11.5 grains in this k hornet. Should still get 2700 or more from 50 grain bullets which is what I wanted to shoo in it.
It’s not the chamber which is tight, but I’ve cut a couple other chambers with it and no reported problems.
It’s a take off barrel I pulled from a Weatherby 224 varmintmaster. Wanted to try a 1:12 twist hornet to shoot 50 grain bullets. An ATV gun and will shoot some hogs with it.

I use it in 350 Legend loads. In my Ruger it was fine with no pressure signs.
Tried the same load in my Savage and it was blowing chunks off the case mouths and blowing out primers. Backed off 2 grains, didn't lose any velocity, and the pressures were fine in both.
In that case, the issue was 2 different barrel diameters. Savage uses a smaller barrel.
Have tried it in 44 mag. No pressure problems, but got better accuracy with H110

If you have some MP300, you might want to give it a try. Light it off with CCI450's

Thanks, don’t have any of that powder. But may give it a try.

Barrel diameter shouldn’t be a problem here. It’s a full .224 and was previously a 224 Weatherby mag. Twist is 1:12 which might increase pressures slightly over a 14 or 16..

Shot some with 11 gr & 11.5 this am, 50 grain bullets. No pressure. And same velocity in both loads @2700. More consistency in the 11 gr loads.
I have H110. What load fo you use with that powder?

Thanks for all the input here.

That's the load I use in my K-Hornet, but with 40 grain bullets, 11.5 grains with 45's - with zero issues, great accuracy, and long case life. (I don't fireform. I pre-form the brass with a Hornady water hydraulic forming die.) My gut tells me someone pulled your leg with those charge weights for a 50 grain bullet. But, I've admittedly never messed with 50's in a Hornet except for cast bullets (52 grain Lee Bator) at low velocity. 50 grain jacketed stuff gets launched with bigger brass.

Can’t imagine who “pulled my leg”. 😎. Those are the recipes on hodgdons reloading data site. If I read them right.
But I like the heavier bullets for the occasional hog I’ll shoot with this gun and 2700 is plenty of power for a 50 grain in it. The lighter (shorter) bullets work better in the normal slow twist hornet barrels. These 50s were shooting under 3/4 in the firming loads in this 1:12 twist barrel, so I have hopes it will do at least as well in the K cases.
Thanks for your input.

I ran Lil Gun a lot in a straight 22 hornet with no problems. It was the only powder I used for that. Then I went to a K-Hornet. I didn't gain much if any by going to the K Hornet. Lil Gun just didn't work good for me in the K Hornet. Case life shortened; primer pockets loosened with it. I liked the regular hornet best.

Hmm I’ve had the opposite experience with it. Have converted dozens to Ks in my 45 years gunsmithing. And a few for myself.
Always got much improved case life & accuracy, much less frequent trimming and better case capacity. Much more forgiving to load for as well.
But just started using Lil Gun a couple years back, may have to go back to my old recipes.

Well I’m actually starting to like this Lil Gun powder. Just backed it off to 11 gr. And it shoots 50s @2700 18.5” barrel and quite accurate & consistent velocity with no pressure signs in the K Hornet. Will try it with 55 gr game kings next. A pretty good bullet for lower velocity hunting.

faster powders like that, burn up quickly in the barrel... I know Blue Dot and Unique and Steel, is pretty much completely burned in the first 12 inches in a barrel....

50 GR. SIE BK
CASE
WINCHESTER
PRIMER
WINCHESTER SR, SMALL RIFLE
Starting Load Maximum Loads
Manufacturer Powder Bullet Diam. C.O.L Grs. Vel. (ft/s) Pressure Grs. Vel. (ft/s) Pressure
Hodgdon H110 BUY NOW 0.224" 1.900" 10.4 2,416 37,900 CUP 11.1 2,552 45,800 CUP
Hodgdon H4198 OUT OF STOCK 0.224" 1.900" 11.5 2,201 30,100 CUP 12.5C 2,386 38,700 CUP
Hodgdon H4227 OUT OF STOCK 0.224" 1.900" 10.0 2,375 40,200 CUP 11.0 2,520 45,700 CUP
Hodgdon Lil'Gun BUY NOW 0.224" 1.900" 12.0 2,542 34,300 CUP 13.0 2,751 40,700 CUP
I am perplexed. As you can see from the Hodgdon data for the 22 K Hornet the Lil"Gun pressure data is less than other powders. I would look elsewhere for the blown primer cause.

I noticed you are shooting 22 K Hornet in a Contender action. I suspect you have headspace issues. Read Mike Bellm's website where he discusses Contender headspace at length.

Nah, I’ve been making contender barrels for decades. Back in the early 80s I built the first contender carbine, with barrel shanks Warren Center sent me. He loved it.
Not a headspace issue.
While I agree with Mike’s take on the issue, I had already been there. Headspace in the contender is pretty easy to set up in a rimmed case.
I’m actually beginning to think the neck portion of this reamer is short. I trimmed some cases back an xtra .050, and got less pressure signs. It’s one I’ve only cut one other chamber with.

In my k hornet I recall 11 gr of little gun with 35 gr v max

11.0 gr Lil Gun with 40 gr Varminators in WW cases using CCI 400 primers yields 3100 fps and 1 " groups in my Ruger 77/22 cut with 35 degree shoulders.