22 Hornet - Your thoughts, please

[300WSM4John]

I keep thinking a 22 Hornet would be a nice rifle to own and shoot. I don't need one, but I think I want one. I have no vermin to dispatch. But to enjoy some easy shooting at the range here on Whidbey Island seems refreshing.

The 77/22 Hornet is a convenient package, though having open sights also appeals to me. I've seen the ads in shooting magazines advertising aperature rear sights, but is a coordinated front sight available without a lot of extra $?

I have heard recommendations of opening the chamber to K-22 Hornet. Is there accuracy value to this? I'll be reloading, so ammo availability shouldn't be a problem (assuming I can find Small Rifle Primers).

Will the 77/22 Hornet take .224 diameter bullets? Don't some 22 Hornets
require .223 diameter.

What about using Pistol Primers instead of Rifle Primers for this cartridge - any comments?

Thank you for your attention. I would appreciate any discussion this thread might generate.

 

[OldRugerMan]

Dear John,
Welcome to the Ruger Forum. Your purchase of a 22 Hornet would be the best shooting fun decision you could make. Shooting the Hornet will surprise you when you realize how potent it really is. Don't bother opening the chamber to a K Hornet - the gain isn't that much, 1/2 grain more powder and 50 fps. I had a K Hornet once and cases got stuck alot due to the straight walls, requiring a cleaning rod to remove them. Since it was intended to be a rifle cartridge I would not suggest using pistol primers as they were not designed to withstand 40k+ pressures. In about any modern gun use any .224 diameter bullet up to 55 grain. 36 grain Barnes, 35 grain Berger and 35 grain Hornady VMax are excellent choices and 3000 fps second can be obtained with them. Some very early rifles may have had .223 diameter bores but they haven't been made for 70+ years beginning in 1932. Below are pics of my Ruger 77/22 in 22 Hornet with the rare scaled down front sight. Although I have shot the gun with these sights I have a 6x Redfield Bear Cub mounted now and it is the perfect balance for the range capabilities of the Hornet - 250 yards or so. Go ahead and get one! You won't be sorry!

 

[Bullet Puller]

300WSM4John,
I picked up a used Liberty model #3 in .22 Hornet a few years ago and really enjoy it. I think that only very old guns used .223 bullets. I think my first batch of loads were .223 and the results were dismal. I bought a box of .224 bullets and a can of Hodgdon's Lil'Gun powder and it instantly turned into a tack driver. Changed two parameters at once, now I don't know which is responsible for the improvement and don't really care. I have heard and read about people using small pistol primers, but have never tried it myself. If you want it I figure you need it. Take the plunge and post a range report.

Larry

 

[BearStopper]

My dad recently got a Hornet although not in a Ruger and it is one of the funnest rifles I have ever shot. Accurate, and pure fun.

 

[russ69]

.224 dia bullets unless it's REALLY old.
Keep it standard Hornet, the K is cool but the necks are thin and harder to load.
Put a nice scope on it, the Hornet is good enough for optics.
The Ruger is a sweet little rifle.

Thanx, Russ

 

[dfletcher]

The 22 Hornet is an excellent 150 yd or so cartridge, I have a 77 target model and it is "3 shots, 1 hole" at 100 yds all day long. I use the .224 diameter Hornady 35 grain VMax and 11.0 grains of WW296.

 

[SteveRuger]

As I have said many times on this forum I love the 22 Hornet & 218 Bee I varmit hunt with either or both in No.1's. Great Gun!

 

[Ruger1nut]

You absolutely cannot go wrong with the Hornet. It is loads of fun and most rifles I have shot have been very accurate especially with a bit of tweaking with handloads. Had a 77/22 with heavy barrel that would shoot most factory at 1 1/4" at 100. Never did try hand loads in it. decided I wanted a walnut one with open sites and now I am still looking.

The Ruger 1A is my favorite if you can find one. The #3's are cool to. Anschutz makes some very nice ones as did Browing in the 1885.

Whatever you decide you will love it. Let us know what you choose and be sure to post pics

dave

 

[96/44]

I'm another fan of the hornet. I shoot a Savage model 40, and if I do my part it will hold around 1/2" at 100yds. The hornet is definitely a handloaders cartridge, with factory ammo being very expensive, and in my experience not very accurate. My pet load is 13.0gr of Lil'gun, Hornady 35gr V-max, with a CCI small pistol primer. An old timer at the gun shop turned me on to using pistol primers, and my groups shrunk dramatically versus using rifle primers.

 

[mattsbox99]

I'm also a fan of the Hornet, although I don't currently own one. I have the other 77/22s (22LR, 22WMR) and will eventually have a Hornet in the 77/22. I passed up on on an unfired target model with black laminate stock at a gun show a year ago for $550, mostly because a Blackhawk and a Super Blackhawk had already been acquired and the money was gone. Such is life.

The Hornet and Lil Gun were made for each other, good luck in your search.

 

[clevor362]

When we were developing the loads data for the Accurate Load Guide Number One we had a horrible time trying to get any consistancy thru our 22 Hornet test barrel until we tried pistol primers. We were desperate. It worked. ES & SD dropped to a third of that with rifle primers. I have since discovered the Remington 6 1/2 primer which uses a rifle cup with a nice mild (apparantly) mix that works very well in loading a 22 Hornet. It's all I use now-a days. I also use AA-1680 as my propellant of choice. WW 680 should be about the same thing. It is my experience that you get the best results, accuracy and consistancy wise, with brass other than U.S. made. Again, that's just me. If you get a good batch of U.S. brass by all means use it. I've shot a lot of groups with Norma, S&B and a bit of RWS. They're all very good. I was never able to get as good results with either R-P or WW. My wifes' lil ole CZ made 22 Hornet really will shoot 10 shots into 1 MOA if the wind stays steady and you hold both your mouth and the rifle right. In her rifle the S&B ammo is so good I bought her a few hundred rounds of the stuff. When she finally burns thru it I'll just start reloading it for her again. I doubt I'll ever need to replenish her brass supply.

 

[Lloyd Smale]

i love my hornet. It hits hard for what it is and is quiet enough that an occasional shot without ear plugs is possible. My little rugre shoots 35 vmax into 3/4 of an inch for 5 shots at a 100 yards at about 2900 fps and its probably the only load the gun will ever see again.

 

[pete44ru]

Welcome to the Forum, John.

Let me start my comments by saying that your inclination towards the 77/22H is a good one, and you might want to take something into consideration.
The Hornet is neither a long-distance, nor a "target" cartridge, comparated to the other/larger .22 centerfire rounds, and does it's best work in a lighter/handier, "walk-around" type rifle than a heavier/longer target/varmint model w/bull barrel.

[is a coordinated front sight available without a lot of extra $?]

Yes, about $12 for a front + $85 for a NECG clip-on peep that fits Ruger scope dovetails.

[I have heard recommendations of opening the chamber to K-22 Hornet.]
[Is there accuracy value to this?] - No.

[Will the 77/22 Hornet take .224 diameter bullets?] - Yes
[Don't some 22 Hornets require .223 diameter.] - Yes

[What about using Pistol Primers instead of Rifle Primers for this cartridge - any comments?] -

While they will certainly fit the pockets, pistol primers are rifle primers with a thinner cup to ensure reliable ignition in a pistol, whose firing spring's, etc, are generally not as strong as rifle's, and which cartridges usually have a much lower operating pressure.
IOW - Don't waste your time & $$$.

.

 

[Lloyd Smale]

handgun primers will work fine but the hands down best primer ive found in my load development is the cci small rifle bench rest primers. Ive never been one to buy into the bench rest primer deal but they do seem to help in the hornet

 

[63November]

If anything in today's world, the small cased 22 CFs get overlooked. There is a lot to be said for what the dainty appetited, quiet speaking, Hornet and Bee can do. The loudest "talkers" and the "biggest spenders" aren't necessarily the best things going. Lots of fun and usefulness in these little old cartridges.

 

[MFD]

Hello,
I certainly welcome the above comments regarding the Ruger 77/Hornet rifle for just ordered one and did some "after purchase" reading on one site and most were really down on the rifle itself. Claims were that it is the worst Ruger rifle ever produced, terrible accuracy, terrible trigger and so on. As for rechambering to 22K Hornet, serveral of those other folks swore that was the only way to go?? Now, do I believe everything I read, no, and I realize we on this site are "Ruger Friendly," but I am encouraged by the above reports. Don't expect it to be a match grade rifle, but one of field use w/ reasonable accuracy and will reload for it.
Actually plan to modify this rifle to ressemble a miniature Ruger Safari Magnum, I have one in 375HH, complete with barrel band front sight, barrel band for sling swivel, express two leaf rear sight and so on. Will most likely rebarrel to either 22-24" length, add ebony forend tip, pistol grip cap, steel butt plate, etc. Again, gave a big sigh of relief when reading the favorable remarks on both the cartridge and the Ruger 77 Hornet and look forward to receiving the rifle in a few days.

Thanks,

martin