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.

I’ve had many Handi Rifles, too, and several gave very satisfactory accuracy. I reamed a 30/30 to Ackley Improved just to tinker with. It gave moa accuracy both before and after rechambering - first three shots touching at 100 yards, then shots 4 and 5 going about that many inches away from the hole made by the first 3 shots. I attribute it to the chamber end of the barrel being trapped between the receiver face and the front lug at the pivot bolt. As the shots warm up the barrel it expands and has no where to go. Not a problem though, as two deer are enough ‘work’ to get iced down in the cooler anyway.
I shot Nosler 150 grain ballistic tips to take deer.
I think the Handi rifles were great bargains s and it’s a shame they are not produced anymore.

The Savage 219's are also some (relatively) cheap rifles, that usually shoot well.

Finding some of those older rifles is like playing the lottery - at least, up here it is. I was considering either a 223 AI or another 22 K-Hornet, but for an encore. The prices have really climbed though.

Looks like a great choice fitting your needs!
Very practical choice. Like you said it might not be a collector but it gets the job done!!!

HS 58

It does indeed. Thanks!

This is the 22 Hornet rifle I bought after trading off the wooden stocked Handi. I put this together for a slide presentation at the armament school where I was teaching. I decided that the students should see my "tactical Hornet". I told them that tactical rifles need 10 power scopes (the one on this rifle was actually a Bushnell 3x10. And it had to have a good trigger. If you look closely, you can see an E-Z Pull attached to the trigger guard. E-Z pulls were a gimmick, cause nothing beats a good trigger job!

I also attached a leather cheek piece and a bipod because you just have to have these as well.

I have been watching a very nice Savage 219 in 22 hornet at the local shop for sometime.. priced reasonably I believe, just cant convince myself I have a need for for the hornet

Nice set up.

If you're thinking of buying a 219 (or a 220, for that matter), MAKE SURE the firing pin isn't broken! You need to fire a ctg or at least have a fired case or snap cap to do that. Replacing a broken pin in those models is a real PIA unless you have done it a few times before--and don't have arthritic hands.

Once you have one that works, DON'T dry fire it without a snap cap or fired case to cushion the firing pin fall. That's how they get broken in the first place....you'll probably have to make your own snap caps for Hornet or .25-20WCF 219s.

I'm currently looking at a Hornet in a local auction. Wish me luck!

The main reason the firing pins break in those rifles is that the shooter doesn't push the lever far enough to re-cock the firing pin. Push far enough to hear a click and all is well, otherwise the firing pin is sheared off by the barrel as it tips.

I've had a bunch of those fine Handi Rifles! I'm down to 6 of them now. 300 BLK, 348 Win, 357 Maximum, 360 Buckhammer, 50cal Huntsman, and 30 Badger. I started stubbing new barrels onto the original lug so my collection of them continues to grow. Up next are 218 Bee and 7-30 Waters stub barrels. I made them interchangeable so I can have multiple barrels that share the same extractor made for the same lug.

Steve,
Are you performing your own trigger work on the Handi rifle?

No. I had it done by the gunsmith. He used to do it free with any work he did on your Handi.

H&R did them for free for a while too as long as they were in the shop for an accessory barrel or other work. I do them myself and found having a slave pin and a barrel release lever wedge very helpful for reassembly.