Reloading .22 Hornet: Savage M25 / Anschutz M1771

[4fifty8]

• Savage Model 25 Walking Varminter / Nikon ProStaff 2-7x32mm
• Hornady 50gr SP / Lil Gun / WSR / PRVI brass
• near max load fine accuracy accu-trigger good
• feed from mag requires deeper seated bullet
• improved accuracy seat bullet out single feed
• low cost perfectly functional rig

 

[Deathrawt]

I've got the savage 25 22 hornet in the laminate stock
I'm still working up a load for it, using 35gr hornadys with lil gun powder
Fun shooter it is!

 

[4fifty8]

Coolest little cartridge around for a long time never loses its charm.

 

[bearhunter]

Savage rifles, over the last decade or so will shoot like lazers, with loads they like.

I have a Model 322-A Stevens, which is just a Savage by another name, chambered for the 22 Hornet, that was destined to become a 22K Hornet, so that I could load heavier 50gr bullets and still achieve 2800fps.

I load my M77Ruger with 35-40 grain V Max bullets and achieve that, albeit with a compressed load of 12.5 grains of Lil Gun powder, over CCI450 magnum primers.

Lil Gun doesn't seem to mind being compressed.

Soooo, I gave up on the idea of heavier bullets at similar velocities, because I was getting what I needed out of the original Hornet.

The 22 Hornet is a great cartridge, you can get more out of it than any of the rimfire 22s and with very repeatable/accurate results.

OP, I like your rifle, but I just am not a Savage fan.

Not a thing wrong with your rifle, just my personal preference.

Good shooting by the way. As with your rifle, one of the major drawbacks is the length the magazine will allow this fine little cartridge to be limited to and that means significantly less case capacity/velocities/accuracy.

 

[Brutus]

Pretty nice rifle. I had no idea Savage built this action as a repeater. Too bad u have to single load the long bullets only because that's a large magazine dimension for the little Hornet round.
Myself I own a Browning Micro Hunter and a Springfield CZ combo gun also in this chambering.

 

[4fifty8]

Sure like the .22 Hornet owned Savage Model 25 for several years lots of fun. Just acquired new .22 Hornet Anschutz Model 1771 G2 load development to follow.

https://www.anschuetz-sport.com/en/jagd/mediumkaliber/basismodelle-1771/

 

[dan belisle]

It's a great little cartridge. Mine is a Kimber of Oregon repeater. Lovely little gun. I find a Lee collect die helps to save necks (some brass is quite thin in that area) when reloading. Lil Gun and H110 have worked well in mine. - dan

 

[4fifty8]

OK results with W296 & 2400 my Savage Model 25 likes Lil Gun gonna find out what Anschutz likes. FL resizing die adjusted for partial resizing longer brass life.

 

[Somerset Bar]

35gr hornady with 12gr of Lil gun and my groups are touching at 50y. I figure 1moa?
My rifle doesn't like the 50+ gr bullets, groups open up and the pressures give me more ejection issues. None with the 35gr.

 

[4fifty8]

Twist rates: Savage Model 25 20" 1:14 barrel https://savagearms.com/content?p=firearms&a=product_summary&s=19154 / Anschutz 1771 20" 1:16 barrel https://www.anschuetz-sport.com/en/produkte/1771-jagd-mediumkaliber-gewehr/1771-deutscher-schaft/

Savage 50gr ok bit slower twist Anschutz 50gr should be ok.

 

[warzaw]

Speer 40gr win ,296, Rem case ,shot out of Ruger #3 with Ruger # 1 wood and Leupold 4x12 works for me .

 

[jamesharrison]

Ruger #1A, Ruger #4 & #4BO rings, Tasco WC 2-7x32 (#1 reticle) @7x Temps +27C - +34 C

C.O.A.L.	Brass	Net Weight	Bullet Mfg.	Style	Wgt.	Primer	Powder	Grs.	clicks	Crimped	Combined Agg.
1.710	WIN	14.1	PRVI	HORNET	45	RWS SP	H110	11.7	59.0	Crimped	0.908
1.770	PPU	14.0	PRVI	HORNET	45	WSP	H110	11.7	59.0	Crimped	0.992
1.770	PPU	14.0	PRVI	HORNET	45	WSP	Lil Gun	11.3	58.0	N	1.184
1.770	W-W Super	14.1	PRVI	HORNET	45	WSP	H110	12.3	61.0	N	0.590
1.770	W-W Super	14.1	PRVI	HORNET	45	WSP	Lil Gun	11.9	61.0	N	1.110

The above, which were the best of the bunch (W296*, an old batch [btw, based on my tests, the old W296 & newer H110 are nowhere near the same powder] & W680 did not shoot worth a darn in this rifle; neither did WSPM or CCI SPM primers with any powders) were all shot with PPU / PRVI 0.222" bullets, the only light-weight bullets I had at the time, which were left-overs from my Hornet experiments with re-chambered .22LR baby Martinis & SMLE's.

Now that I've laid in sufficient quantities of 40 & 45 grain Sierra Hornet & 45 grain Hornady Hornet bullets, as well as S&B SP primers (the only ones I could obtain in quantity) the range tests will be re-run this year with both S&B and RWS SP primers and H110 and Lil Gun powders. I also snagged a 1/2 pound of 2400 which I'll try as well.

*Nothing against the old batch of W296 I've got, as it shoots substantially better than H110 in my Ruger #1 in .357 Magnum.

 

[Beekman]

I've got the savage 25 22 hornet in the laminate stock
I'm still working up a load for it, using 35gr hornadys with lil gun powder
Fun shooter it is!

Very fun cartridge to shoot! I have had good luck with the 35gr. Hornady Vmax bullets and lil gun powder.

 

[Beekman]

I have also had good luck using 35gr. VMAX bullets and H110 powder as well. Seems overall to be a bit of a more accurate powder. Distance used was 100 yards.

 

[Deathrawt]

Thanks for that, I have h-110 powder so will definitely try some in my savage

 

[4fifty8]

Picked up a supply of .22 Hornet PPU ammo about a buck a round see how it performs in my new Anschutz & old Savage. Less costly way to acquire reloading brass.

Anschutz 1771 G2 / Nikon Monarch III 4-16x42mm vs. Savage M25 / Nikon ProStaff 2-7x32mm.

 

[Beekman]

Thanks for that, I have h-110 powder so will definitely try some in my savage

No problem.

Good luck with it, and please post how you made out with your loads.

Thanks

 

[Beekman]

Picked up a supply of .22 Hornet PPU ammo about a buck a round see how it performs in my new Anschutz & old Savage. Less costly way to acquire reloading brass.

Anschutz 1771 G2 / Nikon Monarch III 4-16x42mm vs. Savage M25 / Nikon ProStaff 2-7x32mm.

Nice looking rifles! Thanks for starting this thread and for the nice photos!

You found a good deal for that factory ammo these days, and it is very hard to find and usually around $75/box of 50 rounds. Its a cartridge you definitely need to reload if you want to shoot any volume of rounds at all.

Good luck with your load development.

 

[4fifty8]

Owner's manual states first 100 rounds barrel to be cleaned at 10 round intervals got a bit of work to do.

 

[4fifty8]

PPU ammo results

• rated 2427 fps mv ~2550 fps mv from Savage M25 & Anschutz M1771 https://www.prvipartizan.com/download/PPU_2018.pdf
• Anschutz very good results