This is my first time at loading the Hornet, so this is not a "How to do it," but is just an outline of me doing it.
Lil'Gun seems to be the powder made for it, so got a can. Only going to load up twenty or so, to try them, so don't want to change my powder measure, which is set for the 45-70. The very smallest Lee dipper is too small and the next one is too big. Don't like the thought of dribbling each one up, so look to my home made dippers. In times past I have made up dippers to suit a revolver load. Picked this one out, tried it and lo and behold, when completely full and top smoothed with a card, it weighs exactly 13 grains of
Lil'Gun, my chosen load!!
I make them from an empty cartridge case by soldering on a twisted, #14 guage copper wire from house wiring. I then file the top down until, when levelled out with a card, it holds the correct amount of powder. This one once measured pistol powder.
With a uniform scoop through the powder dish and levelled off, it was so accurate that after putting about 5 charges through the scale, I went directly into the case, by means of the powder funnel.
Also new to me were my dies. Got them from the gunsmiths shop, used he said, but impossible to tell, for $30. They are Hornady Custom-Grade, new dimension dies it says on the box. It states on the box things like, "Zip Spindle," to provide precise adjustment and positive lock-down, as well as "Headed decapping pin."
But, what I like best is the seating die. There is a heavy, steel sleave that slides down below the bottom of the die about an inch. The inside of the sleave is just right size to keep the bullet completely lined up and slides over the neck as the case is pushed up, until the shoulder pushes the sleave up. These dies are probably well known to many of you, but knew to me, and they are really slick for seating those tiny 22 bullets.
Lil'Gun seems to be the powder made for it, so got a can. Only going to load up twenty or so, to try them, so don't want to change my powder measure, which is set for the 45-70. The very smallest Lee dipper is too small and the next one is too big. Don't like the thought of dribbling each one up, so look to my home made dippers. In times past I have made up dippers to suit a revolver load. Picked this one out, tried it and lo and behold, when completely full and top smoothed with a card, it weighs exactly 13 grains of
Lil'Gun, my chosen load!!
I make them from an empty cartridge case by soldering on a twisted, #14 guage copper wire from house wiring. I then file the top down until, when levelled out with a card, it holds the correct amount of powder. This one once measured pistol powder.
With a uniform scoop through the powder dish and levelled off, it was so accurate that after putting about 5 charges through the scale, I went directly into the case, by means of the powder funnel.
Also new to me were my dies. Got them from the gunsmiths shop, used he said, but impossible to tell, for $30. They are Hornady Custom-Grade, new dimension dies it says on the box. It states on the box things like, "Zip Spindle," to provide precise adjustment and positive lock-down, as well as "Headed decapping pin."
But, what I like best is the seating die. There is a heavy, steel sleave that slides down below the bottom of the die about an inch. The inside of the sleave is just right size to keep the bullet completely lined up and slides over the neck as the case is pushed up, until the shoulder pushes the sleave up. These dies are probably well known to many of you, but knew to me, and they are really slick for seating those tiny 22 bullets.
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