.22 Magnum for a .22 Hornet

[Bull's-Eye]

Hello everyone. I am wanting to get a .22 Hornet, I am set on it. I am curious what the verdict is on if I still need my 10/22 Magnum if I were to get the Hornet?

Are they pretty much of the same thing performance wise so there is no need for my magnum? Or do they both fill a certain need and having both is a good idea. Basically I will be gopher hunting and will soon get into reloading when I get my hornet.

Thanks

 

[canucklehead]

With the plethora of good gopher cartridges, why are you going with the .22 Hornet? Just curious.

If it was me, I'd go .204 Ruger or .17HMR... but that's just me.

I would think a .22Mag would be redundant in either case. Cheaper to shoot though...

 

[23/4there]

If it was me, I'd go .204 Ruger or .17HMR... but that's just me.

Why?

 

[Bull's-Eye]

I really like the small cartridges that really don't wake the dead when shot. I also like the fact that Hornet brass is plentiful and cheap and out of 1 lbs of powder you can load close to 700 rounds.

I had a .17 HMR but chose the 22 mag due to different bullet weights available.

I really don't think I will part with my .22 Magnum, I just wanted to see if owning a 22 Mag and a 22 hornet would be redundant.

 

[david doyle]

get the hornet, yep there are faster cartridges but wanting a hornet is very understandable. Get the hornet sell the 10/22 and buy reloading gear. No the hornet is not more expensive to shoot then the .22 magnum if you reload.

 

[aulrich]

I just added a 22 hornet to my inventory too (Just a handi superlight), it is a neat little round it's exacly as you say, quiet but packs way more punch than 17 hmr or 22 mag. Yes it's not a hotrod and yes you could download 223 to mimick hornet performance but it still works and 50 rounds of hornet fits into your pocket way better than 50 rounds of downloaded 223.

Unless you need to sell the 22 mag to finance the hornet I would keep the semi, Because sometimes it is nice not to have to reload.

 

[bbuffett]

22 Hornets CAN ( not impossible) be difficult to reload both techniquely and for accuracy

 

[Bull's-Eye]

I am on the fence about selling my 10/22 Mag to finance the Hornet project.
I have been customizing my 10/22 for a few years now and it shoots really great. If I were to sell it, I would get a Ruger No. 1 in .22 Hornet.

I am leaning both ways. I still don't know 100% what to do. She sure is a beauty though (10/22 Magnum)

100 Yard 3 shot Groups.

 

[joe.l]

I had a .22 hornet ( savage model 340k ) nothing fancy but good reliable shooter, had a straight 6x scope on it , and also made up some handloads , shot groundhogs to approx. 200 yards , it was a great rifle , low report , no recoil ,accurate , cheap ammo , i regret selling it , i still don't know why i did? i have a Winchester model 9422 mag., it'ss a good little gun and many a hog has gone down to it , but at 130 yards max. 40 grain jacketed hollow point at 2000 f.p.s. , good luck Joe

 

[canucklehead]

Man, what's the average age of you guys with the .22 Hornet? 75? 80? When was the last time that round was cool?

I'm not a reloader (yet... and not sure why I'm resisting the urge)... so an HMR or .204 would make more sense for me.

 

[jes]

hornet

If you really want to have fun, get a 17 Ackley hornet, my shoots 1/2 inch or better at 100, does between 3400 and 3800 fps, uses less than 13 grains per shot and has almost zero recoil, it's a blast.

 

[prosper]

With the plethora of good gopher cartridges, why are you going with the .22 Hornet? Just curious.

If it was me, I'd go .204 Ruger or .17HMR... but that's just me.

I would think a .22Mag would be redundant in either case. Cheaper to shoot though...

I don't get it. The 17HMR and the 204 are WILDLY differing cartridges, and don't even compare to each other, let alone the Hornet.

You can reload a Hornet for about the price of premium 22mag ammo, or 17HMR ammo. You'll get better performance, and better ballistics than the 17HMR with MUCH less noise, heat and expense - as well as better barrel life - than the 204. Seems to me like it fits in well. Hell, I HAVE an HMR (well, HAD, I sold it because it didn't fit well between the 22lr and Hornet), a 204 and a Hornet, among others. The Hornet generally sees the most use as it has much more reach than the HMR, but I can still shoot it all day without worrying about heat or expense.

 

[glen8338]

Keep the Ruger 10/22 Mag and get a Ruger .22 Hornet

You have a very nice 10/22 and I envy you; but you can't go wrong with the hornet. It is a honey to shoot and is fairly cheap to reload. If I were you get a Ruger or a CZ Brno in that calibre. They are a joy to shoot, quiet and reasonably accurate. You can reload a ton of cartridge with a pound of powder!

 

[Ian]

I've had a CZ Hornet for several years now and am more than pleased. Perfect gopher rifle...especially while waiting for the big hammers to cool off. Reloading is a must. I followed advice to use the Lee collett die and Forester bullet seating die. Seldom a buggered case. 13.2 g of Lilgun seems to be the sweet spot for many bullets I've tried and it's hard to shoot a group over an inch at 100 when conditions are good. Very easy on brass. Also, the barrell just does not heat up and is very quick and easy to clean. 1 lb of powder does last forever. My rimfires seem to collect dust now. Noise is very tolerable and recoil next to nothing. The extra power makes for a nice explosive hit on gophers inside 200. Drastically reduces that discouraging "crawl back down the hole" factor (often torn in half inside 150). This round has exceeded my expectations many times. You hear about rounds that perform better than their numbers would indicate...I think this is one of them, perhaps assisted by modern powders.

For what you are wanting, I think you will be very impressed. Only complaint about the CZ is the mag spacer that limits overall cartridge length. Some of the longer bullets need to be seated past the bullet taper to fit in the mag. Lots of options for bullets though.

FWIW, some areas don't allow upland hunting with a centerfire. If this applies to you, another reason to keep the magnum. Hornet shots on birds need to be limited to head/neck of course.

I don't often chime in on the forums but this is something I have first hand experience with. Hope it helps your decision.

**More direct to your question, it is nice to not have to pick up brass sometimes. Cursed the Hornet a few times while combing through the grass for a case. So, keep the magnum unless you need the money to finance the project. Your magnum is unique and even if purposes overlap, you will likely regret selling it at some point.

Ian

 

[Bull's-Eye]

Ian, very well said. If I wanted to get a Hornet for gopher season I would have to sell my magnum but I think you are right, I would regret it in the future. I guess I will just have to save up.

You guys have made me even more excited to get the .22 Hornet. I was combing through my rifle magazines and found an article on small caliber varmint rifles and they discussed the hornet as being a 300 yard small (gopher) size game cartridge with the ballistic tip bullets and modern powders.

What else can I say. I am soooo excited. My tax return might be going toward this.

Thanks everyone

 

[Teapot]

I don't have one but have always wanted one. There is a good British hunting site that has a lot to say about this cartridge. It is one of the most efficient rounds out there in terms of cost & material vs. performance. The Hornet is a wise choice.

 

[aulrich]

Ian

I have a vauge memory that http://www.jamescalhoon.com/ maker of the 19 calhoon a hornet variant he may have CZ mag for his round that I think can still be used for a regular hornet (though it could be limited to a k-hornet because of the body taper) and allow for a longer COL.

 

[prosper]

Reloading is a must. I followed advice to use the Lee collett die and Forester bullet seating die. Seldom a buggered case.

Yep. The collet die is great, and easy on brass. I've never had to trimHornet brass when loaded with the collet die

13.2 g of Lilgun seems to be the sweet spot for many bullets I've tried and it's hard to shoot a group over an inch at 100 when conditions are good.

13.1 is what I normally use. Works for the 35's (my favourite), 40's (good, but too long to function through a magazine) and 45's (old school Hornet bullet). In the lighter bullets it's not the fastest, but pressures are extremely low for long brass life. You won't be able to fit more than 13-13.5ish grains of lil-gun in a Hornet case

Very easy on brass. Also, the barrell just does not heat up and is very quick and easy to clean.

Yep. Bottom line - you get to do more shooting

1 lb of powder does last forever. My rimfires seem to collect dust now.

I rarely use rimfire. I sold my HMR. Although, I DID use 5lbs of lil gun last year

Noise is very tolerable and recoil next to nothing.

Similar to the HMR. A little nosier, but not much

The extra power makes for a nice explosive hit on gophers inside 200. Drastically reduces that discouraging "crawl back down the hole" factor (often torn in half inside 150).

Out to 100, it's hard to tell the difference between a Hornet hit and a 22-250. Past that, it looks like a very close range HMR hit.

This round has exceeded my expectations many times. You hear about rounds that perform better than their numbers would indicate...I think this is one of them, perhaps assisted by modern powders.

Yeah, I'm often pleasantly surprised by this little cartridge.

**More direct to your question, it is nice to not have to pick up brass sometimes. Cursed the Hornet a few times while combing through the grass for a case. So, keep the magnum unless you need the money to finance the project. Your magnum is unique and even if purposes overlap, you will likely regret selling it at some point.

The ONE nice thing I liked about the HMR was not needing to pick up brass. If this is a concern, you may want a 223. Brass is plentiful and cheap (or even free if you pick it up at your local range). Using 10 or so grains of blue dot and Hornet bullets, this is much the same as a real hornet performance-wise

 

[Levi Garrett]

22 mag if fine, to step into Center Fire , .223 , 222, 220 , 22-250, etc is where you wanna go. Next would be 6mm, 25-06, 243 etc

 

[prosper]

Oh, and you ought to consider the Savage model 40. It should be the least expensive Hornet out there by a fair margin, and Savages have a reputation for accuracy. I'm extremely pleased with my 77/22 laminate, but for the price of one of those you might be better served with a CZ