Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Update on Hornady .22 Hornet ammo

I reported here, I believe, on having a box of 35 gr. Hornady .22 Hornet ammo that was overpressure and smoking the primers. I called Hornady, and they paid the freight on shipping the ammo back for evaluation. Very positive and helpful fellow on the phone.

They called me back a couple of weeks later. Seems the ammo was 4K PSI over pressure, don't know why. Which is a good deal over in a Hornet. I think it was thick cases, they guy seemed to think it was a bit too much powder. Anyway, they replaced the ammo and sent me an additional box of 25.

Which I shot some of today. Only five shots out of a cold barel to check zero and look for pressure problems.

Four rounds were a bughole, less than a quarter inch, the fifth (not necessarily in that firing order) opened it up to a half inch. That's shooting above my head, with a 12X scope. In was a BR type target with the square on top, and the dot on the reticle just about filled the square.

I'm switching my powder from Li'l Gun to H 110!!!

Good to hear they made it right +++++.

Switched from 2400 to H110 a number of years ago for the Hornet (and 44 Magnum serious loads)

Gotta love the Hornet!

Funny, only 22 Hornet loads I had issue with were loaded with H110; of course the real issue was with said charges in said rifle via a chronograph.....

Why?

If high pressures are your concern- the LAST powder you should be using in a .22 Hornet is H110.

It's velocity to pressure ratio is VERY poor in the Hornet.

According to Hodgdon's own lab data, H110 typical runs at least 25% more pressure than do LILGUN loads with the same bullets at the same velocities.

Why is because in that rifle, it's a lot more accurate. In my other Hornet, Li'l Gun shoots very good.

I get about 3000 fps with Hornady ready-loads, and that's fine with me, and with no pressure signs.

So you are saying that Hornady loads H110 in the factory loads you used to shoot the very small group, or did I misunderstand something?

Ernie

Edited for spelling

That's what they told me. Li'l Gun was giving about an inch and a quarter.

I'll pull a bullet and weigh the charge. They did not tell me that.

Had a Contender Carbine in .22 Hornet that wouldn't group with anything availabe then, that was around the mid 1980's.

Finally tried some 296, aka H110. It needs a tight bullet pull to get burning uniformly and since the Hornet case doesn't really provide that I seated the bullets hard into the lands instead.

Forget the powder charge except to remember it was barely above a starting load, but the combo of that powder and the tight seating worked very well and finally turned it into a sub-MOA shooter.