.22 hornet

[Wolfdog91 6,920]

Bought this little guy like two years ago. Took the old scope off and said I'd get to it in a week and it's moved places twice. Picked it up the other day a figureed it was time to do something with it.

New hammer ordered to replace the factory one because other wise I'm going to stick with a 5lbs trigger I hate 

Found some ammo locally and happy I reload 

Figured I'd shoot it semi stick just to be able to compare before and after modifications ,still had to replace the stock scope rail because it only had two slots and they didn't give me any flexibility for mounting the scope and far back as I need. So stole the pic rail off my Ultra Varmint. Also ended up I didn't have any 1" rings apparently only 30mm. When I cant explain because I had a drawer full of take off scope rings last I checked . End up mounting a larger optics then I wanted in a Muller 8-24 30mm but I took the sun shade off and it's shorter. Also had to add a strap on cheek riser because I hate not having a good cheek weld

Good mix of traditional and tactical IMO. Who's the scope was a little smaller and shorter rings but I can shoot it very comfortably so it will do for now. Now I just have to wait for the weather to stabilize and the cows to move and I'll be able to shoot it some.

On a side note takes to a buddy from across the pond and with the prince of ammo and how much I like to shoot seriously considering a MP hollow point mold for this little guy.

We'll see but I'm not buying any more factory think I after this box

[Squirrel_Basher 17,100]

Nice mate .Sweet varmint round out to 200 with right ammo .Let us know how it performs please .

[Sausagedog 7,381]

I like it Wolfie, well not the huge scope maybe but the handirifle in hornet will certainly be err well handy.

Reloading hornet always pays. Factory is kind of held down a bit due to some ancient flimsy actions made a long old time ago.

 

For economy I use to do WMR performance level loads on blue dot but iirc don't go over 7.5gn!!

I also use to put slower powders like 322 in but it doesn't get enough pressure up so gives WMR levels again but is kinda backwards and wasteful really.

[Meece 1,957]

I've  never had a 22 hornet but I know a couple who have a like them for the handyness and cheapness of reloading for the round.  Yep, I like the look of that setup,,,, but without that bloated scope on top of it.  A simple 6x40 fixed  power like a leupold would fit the situation nicely. Are you planning on shooting fleas off of the back of a dog in the next county with a scope that size, Wolfie. ☺☺.

Edited February 17, 2023 by Meece

[Deker 3,478]

The 22 Hornet still trundles along in the UK, although its popularity is limited these days, nothing wrong with it, and potentially serves a useful purpose where it sits energy wise!

Do you have the 17 Hornet, don't seem to hear much about that in the UK these days!!

[Wolfdog91 6,920]

13 hours ago, foxdropper said:

Nice mate .Sweet varmint round out to 200 with right ammo .Let us know how it performs please .

Will do, shooting a video like I do for all my little pawnshop finds but it's been raining cats and dogs on and off the last few days in 30min intervals lol. That and my uncle decided to put a hay bale for the cows right in top of the hill I use as a back stop.  Might have to go to the public range but I really would prefer not to try and film around other people.

Will say though always find it interesting how much more range you guys over there will use a cartridge to. Most here think a .22lr is a 30yd and in deal and I have y'all telling me to test staring at 50yd and I've been having a lot of people tell me the hornet is a good 50yd cartridge but here you are telling me out to 200 then again after seeing what most people call a well sighted in scope around these parts it's probably best they stay at shorter ranges lol

[Wolfdog91 6,920]

3 hours ago, Meece said:

I've  never had a 22 hornet but I know a couple who have a like them for the handyness and cheapness of reloading for the round.  Yep, I like the look of that setup,,,, but without that bloated scope on top of it.  A simple 6x40 fixed  power like a leupold would fit the situation nicely. Are you planning on shooting fleas off of the back of a dog in the next county with a scope that size, Wolfie. ☺☺.

What can I say I like taking out a lot of excuses lol  

Looks a lot worse when it's living on the ultra varmint and I have the sunshade screwed on the end  honestly don't think it was going to be as big as it was when I ordered it but hay what can you do

 

But like I said I had some smaller 1" tubed scopes that would have fit it much better but didn't have any appropriate rings floating around so on went the Muller. Honestly wish I had another one of the 4.5-14 ones. Smaller package but still has the look I like.  But the only one I have lives in my trainer and can't afford to put it on anything else 

Edited February 17, 2023 by Wolfdog91

[Wolfdog91 6,920]

2 hours ago, Deker said:

The 22 Hornet still trundles along in the UK, although its popularity is limited these days, nothing wrong with it, and potentially serves a useful purpose where it sits energy wise!

Do you have the 17 Hornet, don't seem to hear much about that in the UK these days!!

It's about dead over here from what it seems , most .17's are either the hmr wsm or possibly the .17rem or a wild cat. Same really wouldn't mind having a little .17 hornet seems like a cool little caliber to play with. Looking at getting a .17-223 barrel made up though so at least have that going 

[Squirrel_Basher 17,100]

Have you shot it yet mate .

[3175darren 1,100]

Lovely calibre, my go to gun, and as said previously 200 yd is very doable with the right ammo, i hope you enjoy shooting it looking forward to reading the update when you have tried it. 
 

[Meece 1,957]

9 hours ago, Wolfdog91 said:

Will do, shooting a video like I do for all my little pawnshop finds but it's been raining cats and dogs on and off the last few days in 30min intervals lol. That and my uncle decided to put a hay bale for the cows right in top of the hill I use as a back stop.  Might have to go to the public range but I really would prefer not to try and film around other people.

Will say though always find it interesting how much more range you guys over there will use a cartridge to. Most here think a .22lr is a 30yd and in deal and I have y'all telling me to test staring at 50yd and I've been having a lot of people tell me the hornet is a good 50yd cartridge but here you are telling me out to 200 then again after seeing what most people call a well sighted in scope around these parts it's probably best they stay at shorter ranges lol

This statement is a bit like the current gun situation here in the UK.  When I was a kid a gun was a tool. You started with a ratty 410 and worked up through second hand guns to something decent.  Nowadays people  wont even look at second hand and guns are bought more as status symbols and many come on the market in as not used or only a hand full of shots put through them.  As for range consider the fact that the humble 22lr rimfire has killed people at ranges as far as 1 mile.  I think that the most range is obtained at about 45 degrees.  The 22lr is shot competitively at 25, 50 and 100 meters.  The bullet drops rapidly from being on at 50 down about 9 inches at 100.  I regularly shoot rabbits at about 70 paces.  I'm not a long range pot lucky shooter and try to reduce the range as much as possible.  BUT. I've never come acros a variable power scope that is accurate .excepting for expensive ones like Schmidt and Bender or Zeiss etc.  I use a Leupold fixed 6x40 on my 223 but it might be better with an good quality 8 x power.  High money.  There's  no point in going with anything higher magnification because it is difficult to hold steady. To zero at longer ranges I use a roll of plain white lining wallpaper fitted by thumb tacks to a wood batten frame.  Just a black felt tip pen cross with a centre winch solid circle.  I start at - 0 paces freestanding and see where the shots are going then adjust and go out further.  On 223 I  zero at 100.  The 22lr I zero at 50.

[Wolfdog91 6,920]

Well stopped raining and weather finally warmed up so decided to shoot the little .22 hornet for the first time. Eveyone was planting grass and fertilizing so couldn't shoot my usual spot so had to go to the range and shoot front the bench sick I prefer prone honestly but my necks been killing me so wasn't too bad, nice change of pace.

So Caldwell rock BR front rest my little garbage can wedge rear bag. Nice and solid no wind

So proud to say my bore sight job was pretty on point. But man this trigger. I don't like glass breaks but I really really don't like glass breaks that are 5+ pounds ! A straight thumb on top style of grip seems to help though. That being said the grip isn't the best if you have smaller hands like mine. Never really felt super comfortable.
Anyhow 50yd all with PPU 45gr SP's

No sure if this little fella is going to suffer from what I call the "Handi Handicap" like many hando rifles seem to do but we'll see. Going to put in a gold rebounding hammer in the next day or two and drop that trigger down and see if that does anything. And of course the o ring trick.

[Squirrel_Basher 17,100]

Something not right with that gun at 50 yards mate .Hopefully you will get it better or it’s a scrapper .

[Sausagedog 7,381]

Handi handicap...is that to do with the fore end to action joint. Don't they sometimes need packing tighter?

[Wolfdog91 6,920]

11 minutes ago, Sausagedog said:

Handi handicap...is that to do with the fore end to action joint. Don't they sometimes need packing tighter?

Basically it's the phenomenon I've found a lot of Handi's do. Basically you'll shoot a group and you almost always have rounds not grouping with the rest. Say you shoot a five shot group. It's not uncommon at all for you two shoot three in one hole and have two half an inch away in one hole.  I've talked to a lot of people some who collect and almost specialize in handi rifles and their other forms and they all agree it's just something many of them do.

Went so far to get on accurate shooter ( shooting forum full of competition bench rest,FClass , and other competition target shooters ) and asked about it . Just about all of them who've tried messing with them gave similar results. After taking with them many of them feel it has to do with a combination of the trigger , barrel lock up and the dwell time from trigger pull to the bullet leaving the barrel. Also harmonics to a lesser extent. Really similar to how spring piston air rifles are in their...... Quirkiness for lack of a better word. 

I find it mighty odd though that this only plagues handis , other hammer fire guns like the Thomson center encore ,contender and similar just don't have this problem .  It's equally fascinating and annoying .... But I'm a chronic tinkerer and trying to make stuff like these guns work is a little bit of an addiction.... Cheaper then drugs though so guess I can complain...too much lol.

How ever though there are some things that just seem to make them work. A prime example is apparently the now discontinued Winchester white box .223 rounds just made .223 cal.handi rifles shoot sub MOA. Everyone I've asked who's used them has confirmed that if they fed their handi's in .223 that stuff it's like they hit a magic button. Interesting.

Anyhow guess when you really get down to it and look at what there's guns are and primarily bought them.... Well they work. These used to be like $300 brand new with a spare barrel in either a shotgun or another rifle caliber. They where for the common working guy who needs something stupid simple and functional. Most people honestly don't care about sub MOA accuracy. Most of these hunters are happy if they can hit a paper plate at 50yd and these little guns deliver that . It's honestly quite painful how little some people need to find a gun "good", but I digress before I start sounding like some kinda gun snob.  

Hopefully I can tweak her with some mods and reloading but I have to be realistic, it's not a CZ or a begara or some fancy $1200 gun . But.... No point in not driving my self mad trying to make it shoot like one a fella needs a hobby