BRNO ZKW465 22hornet load data
- Thread starter freddygotarf
- Start date
My experience with that rifle was the 45 grain bullets were too heavy for the twist of the barel. Very mediocre groups, as you are getting.
Tried the 35 grain VMax and they were far worse. The bullet was too long.
Best was the .223 40 grain bullets, designed for the Hornet.
Hodgdon's show either 12 or 13 grains of LilGun. Even 13 grains show a low pressure, but I found it absolutely top load, pressure wise. Either 12 or 13 grains were both the most accurate I got, with 40 grain bullets.
Tried the 35 grain VMax and they were far worse. The bullet was too long.
Best was the .223 40 grain bullets, designed for the Hornet.
Hodgdon's show either 12 or 13 grains of LilGun. Even 13 grains show a low pressure, but I found it absolutely top load, pressure wise. Either 12 or 13 grains were both the most accurate I got, with 40 grain bullets.
Bruce, I have one of these fine little rifles and the load I use that is absolutely the most accurate for it is 13 gr. L'il Gun with 35 gr V-maxes. 3/4 MOA. For years I used the 45 gr noslers with 11 grains IMR 4227 but not anymore.
Cheers
Cheers
- Location
- Saskatchewan
I have no experience with that particluar model of rifle, but a couple of thoughts- My understanding is that early Brno's have a .223" bore.
The Sierra 40gr. .223 seems like a good bet, as per Bruce's experience.
I have found in my Hornets that chamber dimensions are often on the sloppy side. The Lee collet die is a very nice way to size brass perfectly for your chamber. They work wonderfully with the ultra-thin brass of a hornet case, require no lube, and results were gratifying for me. I had to use a different seater die than what came with the Lee set, ( RCBS) the Lee bullet seating plug was too short for the shorter hornet bullets. Later, Lee supplied me with another seating plug at n/c.
The Sierra 40gr. .223 seems like a good bet, as per Bruce's experience.
I have found in my Hornets that chamber dimensions are often on the sloppy side. The Lee collet die is a very nice way to size brass perfectly for your chamber. They work wonderfully with the ultra-thin brass of a hornet case, require no lube, and results were gratifying for me. I had to use a different seater die than what came with the Lee set, ( RCBS) the Lee bullet seating plug was too short for the shorter hornet bullets. Later, Lee supplied me with another seating plug at n/c.
11 grains of IMR 4227 with a Hornady 45gr round nose soft point ussually work great in the gun, also had some 55gr full metal left from my 223rem, single loaded with 10gr of IMR 4227.
You should just keep trying seating depths and vary the powder between IMR 4227 and Lil Gun, the 22 Hornet is not for the fellow who has no patience!!!
I love the BRNO bolts in all there varriance's, I tryed 223 diametre bullets in one I owned and vastly improved my grouping, I hope you know you will never get 1 hole 100 yard groups with the sporter, I have a hard time getting .25" groups with my heavy singleshot.
Good luck, Dale Z!
You should just keep trying seating depths and vary the powder between IMR 4227 and Lil Gun, the 22 Hornet is not for the fellow who has no patience!!!
I love the BRNO bolts in all there varriance's, I tryed 223 diametre bullets in one I owned and vastly improved my grouping, I hope you know you will never get 1 hole 100 yard groups with the sporter, I have a hard time getting .25" groups with my heavy singleshot.
Good luck, Dale Z!
Don, I wonder if yours had the same twist as mine?
Mine was an older one (It had once been in a Vancouver pawn shop with a $40. price tag on it) and had a slow twist. I think they later increased the twist.
Edited to say it has been a fw years and I think the bullets were 36 grain Barnes Varmit Grenade. They were hollow point and longer than a standard 40 grain bullet. That is why I thought they were not stabalizing, because nothing else would cause them to pattern, at 100 yards!
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Mine was made in 1949. They seem to have made a lot of them in that year. I've never measured the rate of twist and have only shot .224 dia. bullets. I've heard some shooters with older Hornets say they've tried both .223 and .224 with no noticeable difference in accuracy or pressure.
As mentioned earlier I used Nosler 45 gr boatails for years as they had a rounded, stubby nose making them easy to seat properly and still have a short enough cartridge overall length to fit in the rather tight BRNO 465 magazine. I was told to try L'il Gun and the Hornady 35 gr V-max's and am glad I did.
Cheers
I once had two .223 bore Hornets and they both shot betterr with .224 bullets, so I am not sure that a .223 bore would be your issue... I don't have a BRNO Hornet but I do have a 1:16 Hornet, all of my others are 1:12's... The 12 twists shoot best with 12.5 grains of Lil'Gun under 40 gr VM's and the 16 twist with the same load under the 35 VM... My Hornets are all K-Hornets now and the loads are marginally heavier, the brass is easier to work with now with the RCBS K dies.
I couldn't see any difference between the .223 and .224 either, as far as diameter was concerned. But the only 40 grain I could get, happened to be .223. They shot good, while the regular 45 grain was OK, but just first rate.
As I said, the good qulaity 36 grain bullets I tried were hollow point and long. Longer than the 45 grain. That was why i blamed rate of twist for them being so poor.
freddygotarf
CGN Regular
WOW lots of response! The gun I have is also a 1949. I think I have some of the .223 hornet bullets. I have'nt tried them thou.
Brutus
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
If you are discussing the poor performance of the long for weight 36 grain Varmint Grenades in the Hornet cartridge, I had the same poor results reported to me by two shooting friends that took my Browning Hornet to the range on one day that I was too sick to play. They tested other load data for me with my rifle, and were so disappointed with the Varmint Grenades they left that target at the outdoor range.
