Home Forums Birds & Dogs Turkey Hunting .22 Hornet for Turkeys?

I would like to hear from some guy's who have experience with this caliber, is it enough for clean kills on big Tom's or should I go .223 Rem maybe?...............Thanks Hillbilly.

Speed ain't your friend, unless you plan on shooting them at 600 yards.

Hornet should be just skookum.

I have heard that a 40 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip out of a Hornet case will cleanly dispatch Turkeys, to include "Big Toms".

The shots I'm going to taks are in big woods and seldom over 75yds or so, I know a few guy's that regularly take turkeys with .22 Magnum's but For me this is a little light, I'm looking for a cartridge with enough azz but not too much..........Hillbilly.

You'll be fine

Oh, yes. There may be equally good rifle cartridges for turkeys, but none better.

At woods ranges you can't beat a .32-20 or .357 carbine with FN cast bullets running 1300-1400 fps. A .30-30 carbine with cast or jacketed bullets moving at similar speeds is just as good. The .22 mag. with 40 gr. Win. HP's has also worked very well for me.

I don't think I have ever been more impressed with a cartridge, than I have been the .22 Hornet. It is absolutely a superstar. For putting groceries in the freezer, it just works.

I opened a similar topic about the 204 ruger and quite a few people chimed in about the .22 hornet. I'm seriously thinking I need a barrel for my thompson center! Roll Tide . . .

where leagle the hornet is hard to beat for turkey with correct bullet choice and placement is good with out too much damage from damn near 0 to 300yds easy enough .204 can blow the #$%^%^ out of if too close like much under a 100 yards or so

The 22 Hornet is a great turkey round. I also love to use my old model 92 win chambered for 25-20.

Both rounds in the right rifle are accurate enough for head shots in usual hunting scenarios and will not tear up meat if you need to hit them in the vitals.

I'm not good enough to try a head shot on an old Tom but I think with the guy's real world advice I've read here that I have found My cartridge......Now all I need is to decide on the right lightweight rifle and I'll be set, Damn this is fun!!...........Thanks Hillbilly.

Browning low wall.
Ruger bolt action.
Sako bolt (good luck finding one)

I have had more Sako's than I can remember but don't like their scope mounting system so I don't buy em anymore, the Browning low wall is out cause I want a bolt action rifle, now the Ruger 77/22 hornet is another whole kettle of fish, that rifle would be a real contender, it seems that there is a very limited market when searching for a bolt action .22 Hornet, what little I've looked around I also like the CZ 527 but I don't like the mag hanging down like it does, the new M1 American model would be perfect but it's only available in .223 Rem...............Thanks Hillbilly.

Posted it on here earlier, taken a few weeks ago. Anschutz Hornet, 45gr Ballistic Tips, hit them right where the neck meets the body. If you do a body hit you will have a lot more power than needed to get the job done on a 25lb bird. There's enough there for deer and coyote with the right bullet too.

look no more!!!!!!! 22 hornet is made for turkeys! i have horded a bunch of nosler 22 hornet 45 gr, bt. first bird was 125 yards. drt. after a bunch of ribbing about not giving the birds a chance my #2 bird i took at 10 yards with same load. stalking to get that close was cool. for the record my gun is a pre war mod. 70 original long barrel. it shoots the noslers very fast but gets the job done! D O M I T !

Great picture!!..................Hillbilly.

I have used several different Hornets on critters ranging from sparrows to coyote and many many turkeys. The hornet will work fine. The major drawback is that some of them are very hard to get to shoot accuractly.If I ever buy another hornet it will be anshults there expensive but well worth the money.

The Anschutz is a thought, I will check out their line up and see what they offer, I am afraid the Anschutz rifles might be a little on the heavy side for what I want though.............Hillbilly.

I've used a .218 Bee, out of a 10" Contender, to take toms, out to 80 yards or so- works very well.

Not the Hornet, but I've used the 218 Bee with Remington 46 grain factory loads and the 256 Win Mag with 86 grain 25-20 bullet to kill turkeys. I'd agree that the POA is the intersection of the neck and body for quick kills and minimal meat damage. I like the 22 MRF too and think that the 33 grain VMax bullets would be just the thing for turkeys with an accurate rifle. My Marlin 982s and Savage 93s in 22 MRF would be fine turkey getters, if gettin' turkeys could be legally hunted with rifles in NE.

Jeff

I've shot lots of Toms with an ol' Winchester Model 43 in Hornet...

My Hornet is a Browning Micro Medallion. If you can find one of them, grab it!

I have shot multiple 200yd groups under 1 1/2" with factory ammo.

Ed

The Micro Medallion sounds like a nice rig and probably light too................Hillbilly.

I really like to kill them at inside 40 yards with 2oz. of 3" # 6 shot from my Rem. 870 21" barrel extra full choke..Calling them in in the Spring is what I prefer...

K

As far as varmits go I would use the .22 hornet over the .22 mag. However, the property I lease restricts us to only a rimfire in the off season and so we use the .22 mag, not by choice but by rules. I can tell you that the .22 mag can do some damage out to 75 or 100 yards if the shot placement is right, but I prefer the .22 hornet.....

If you want a plinker go with the .22 mag or even a .22 lr, if you want a small varmit/ranch rifle, I would go with the hornet.....

Got plenty of .22 long rifles, I'm looking for a rifle to chase turkeys in the Fall...From what I read here I've found the caliber I just need to find the right lightweight bolt action, not much to choose from though so far...........Hillbilly.

VaHillbilly, PM sent.

Ed

Ive cleanly dispatched turkeys with a 10-22 ruger at 100 yards or just short of by placing the bullet right between the shoulder blades so to speek and they take off on a run and they get shorter as they go and eventually disapear and as I uesed to tell guys years ago its amazing how easy it is to train a turkey to jump into a frying pan with a ruger 10-22...

I'll agree with the others that the Hornet may be close to perfect........As far as rifles, think Ruger 77/22 All-Weather or Browning A-Bolt Micro hunter......though Brownings are shunned around here the A-Bolt Micro Hunter has better mag confines for pointed bullets, shoots better than the Ruger, and converts easily to K-Hornet which would be my vote along with the 40gr B-tip for "Gobble Perfect"..............




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Although the .22 slug seems optimal to control meat damage and enhance flatness up to a point, the .22 cartridge choice seems a matter of shot distance. If distance enabled me to make it with a .22 rimfire to the head, I would. Otherwise, and if we can make good shot placement a given, the .22 Hornet (or K Hornet) looks good after that distance and the farther out it goes the more it becomes a matter of MV/SD/BC, although we know the .22s limits due to bullet factors and potential wind. I would love to try a Tom with one of my Hornets, but our regs on firearms allow only shotgun for turkey.

Might want to check on GB for a 219 savage in hornet, the one I have shoots great and has accounted for a pile of turkeys before I came to own it Russ

I will look at the 219 on gunbroker.........Thank Hillbilly.

The savage 219 is a single shot break down rifle, I am interested in a bolt action, but thanks anyway...Does anybody know if the Remington mod 799 is any good? I found a few of those....Hillbilly.

Find a Ruger 77/22Hornet.

The 799 is poorly finished, heavy, pseudo-Mauser.

Thanks Sean, I know your advice is gold...............Hillbilly.

Responding to yout "bolt action" wish. Early on I had a .22 Hornet in a Savage Model 23D, bolt and clip/mag fed rifle, not fancy or expensive at the time but shot very well. Later found an old used pre model 70 Winchester (Mod 54 I believe) that also was factory .22 Hornet, and it is quite good. Might find one of these "older and outdated" models at a better price than the new ones. I would grab either for good shooting. The Ruger 77/22 (much more costly) in Hornet is good and looks great, and the bolt/rotary mag system works well. But, the factory trigger does not seem as good as the previously mentioned old timers. Have seen other very nice one-off conversions to .22 Hornet out there in shops and at shows and they are less expensive than the new rifles, some of which are really quite sharp looking - but have not tried them.

The best two .22 Hornets I have known were single shots - one a Contender and the other a great barrel on an old Martini action.

Hope this helps.

You are scaring me... quit it.

Isn't it the same action as your 7.62x39, (and my Daly) IIRC.

Unless Remington had them cheap things up a little more when they imported them.

Yes it is, and no, it ain't.

The base action is the same, but the finish and quality of it are WAY lower.

Remington had them cheapen things up a LOT, and the stock flat out sucks; heavy as hell, and ergos all jacked up.

Well, as long as they didn't put a M700 trigger in it, how bad can it be?

Finished to a 60-grit luster... for starters.

I wish this state would allow taking turkeys with a centerfire gun. Strictly shotgun, muzzleloading shotgun or archery only.

I live on the border of our respective states and did not know this, what a shame....................Hillbilly.

i have a 77/22 hornet and a 799 as well as a cz in hornet there is things about all like better than the others; like the mag. on the ruger the best as well as the saftey design, the cz hate that trigger but does shoot very good with various bullets weights the 799 i like the trigger the best (after it was reset and polished)the gun weight it is a little heavey with laminate stock fit and finish on mine is not that bad at all and it does shoot the best groups of all three with 35 v-max's has shoot groups in the 3's with these little bullets and poor little ruger as much as i want to like it have not got it to shoot much under .75 @100 meters with anything yet and have had it for about 6 years

I would be tickled to death with a Ruger that shoots like that...........Congrats...........Hillbilly.

I've owned both the Browning Micro, and the Ruger 77/22 and I have to say that in my case both were excellent rifles, but the Browning was alittle more accurate. I know you don't like the CZ's mag, but my friends is probably even more accurate than my Browning.

For what its worth,
johnny

If CZ would build a 527 M1 in .22 Hornet it would be by far My first choice, I had a 527 M1 in .223 and it was a most excellent little rifle and very accurate, but the regular 527's are the definition of ugly to me with that unsightly magazine hanging down past the trigger guard..............Hillbilly.

Giving the Ruger a little "Special K" love cures a lot of ills.

Same can be said of a lot of "sick" Hornets.

One vote for the 25-20 with 65 grain soft point handloads: works well in Central PA.

By Special K do you mean enlarging chamber to a "K" Hornet?

Yep.

Technically, a rechamber, as it's more than just enlarging.

Have a kimber in 22 K hornet. After killing many turkeys with the K hornet and many others I think the K hornet is the best cartridge for turkeys, but hey thats just me

Well, technically, its a matter of semantics, I suppose. When taking the old Savage 23D from Hornet to K Hornet, did so with a reamer that opened (enlarged?) the sides of the existing chamber outward and forward to the new "K shoulder. No change in size of the Hornet case at either end - fire forming just blew the middle out to the new shape. Is that a re-chamber?

Now, when taking a 30:06 to a .308 Norma Magnum, that did seem to be a re-chamber.

I like it too !!!

I have a 218-B in a Ruger #1 B, bet that would work where legal.

You'll be more than fine. My son has harvested several Tom's cleanly with his 22 mag (before he was comfortable shooting a 20 ga). However, they were all within 50 yards.

I like the caliber but finding a light weight bolt action that I like is proving to be a tough job, this isn't a very popular caliber by any means, I like the Ruger 77/22 sporter but I'm afraid it wouldn't shoot to suit me.................Hillbilly.

I hunted for years with a .219Don Wasp till the turds in charge in Jackson outlawed it. Also used a .38special S&W with semiwad cutters, worked great on close called in toms.

Have you looked at the CZ 527 .22 hornet. Weighs 6.5lbs

Here's a review link: www.jesseshunting.com/articles/guns/category8/156.html

I know you are looking for a bolt gun but a little Contender carbine in 22hornet would be a class act for turkeys. Light short and handy.

Other wise I say CZ.

I have looked at the CZ but I can't get past the magazine hanging so far down, if CZ chambered the Mod 527 M1 in .22 Hornet I'd buy one in a second...............Hillbilly.

If you don't care for the new versions, you probably can find an old Savage 23D (clip fed bolt action and mine was an excellent shooter) or a Winchester Model 54 (bolt action magazine feed before model 70), both of which were factory produced in .22 Hornet. The old Win 54 is a very nice rifle.

I use 22mag in a Savage 93. works fine. 22mag is the smallest caliber you can use on turkeys in Wyoming.

For a time Browning chambered the Abolt for the Hornet..I bought one in 1995 and still have it..I have used it on about 5 turkeys..If you can't find a hornet to suit my next favorite is the .222 or .223...Usually load those with a heavy bullet..

Wyogal, did you apply for spring gobblers or are you going for a general permit?...Since I have time, I put in for the extra gobbler permit and will buy a general for the same area..being retired is wonderful..Also how do you like you .22 mag. for turkey???I picked up a CZ at a yard sale this summer it has been riding in the pickup most of the time since..but took my all gobbler with my old .222....

hi, I'm going for a general permit. I usually hunt around Buffalo, or Shell. The Savage is pretty accurate. A 222 would be great I'll bet. I've got 3 more years to retire at 63. I'm envious.

Wygal, that is pretty country up there, but lots of private land..my last student teacher was from the Buffalo area..he is in Alaska teaching now..also one of my former students manages a ranch up in that country..he said he had lots of whitetails, but turkey was kind of iffy...Usually, I hit Sundance for about a week or ten days..

Sundance is a great area, that I've also hunted. Its just too dang far for me to travel. There's National Forest above Buffalo that's hit or miss for turkey, but it gives me a chance to tromp around the countryside. And now and then I get a decent size Tom.