.22 Hornet projectile size

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.22 Hornet projectile size

Post by snag » 07 Sep 2016, 7:41 pm

I just got hold of an old German .22 Hornet and have been looking up reloading info for it. One of my very old manuals has a note that pre-1940's .22 Hornets have a barrel size of 0.223" rather than the modern 0.224" that normal .22 projectiles are produced for. I've never heard this before - has anyone had an issue with loading for older .22 hornets?
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Re: .22 Hornet projectile size

Post by Ed9362 » 07 Sep 2016, 8:10 pm

im pretty sure the speer hornet bullets are designed to work in both .223 and .224 barrels
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Re: .22 Hornet projectile size

Post by gunnnie » 07 Sep 2016, 9:06 pm

Quite possibly so. This was also the case with the Sportco converted Martini Cadet Clubman 22rimfire rifles. Being a rimfire the bore diameter was .223" so reloading for the Hornet conversions necessitated a projectile diameter to match. Sierra make a 45gn SP in .223" specifically for the Hornet rifles with this bore diameter.
Worth chasing some up.
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Re: .22 Hornet projectile size

Post by Apollo » 07 Sep 2016, 10:32 pm

The story is that the change of bore diameter was about the 1950's. You need to know when your rifle was manufactured and/or it's specifications from the original sales info. Or, slug it to measure the bore diameter.

After the 19 late 40's they would be .224".
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Re: .22 Hornet projectile size

Post by Apollo » 07 Sep 2016, 10:35 pm

I had the #50 I think produced Sportco Martini in .22 Hornet and it was a .224" bore, manufactured in 1950.
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Re: .22 Hornet projectile size

Post by No1Mk3 » 08 Sep 2016, 3:59 am

G'day snag,
My old Springfield Hornet (1930's) shoots much better with .224 projectiles, might find yours will too. .001" isn't going to hurt in an old rifle, remember the Myra squeeze-bores? Shot .22 bullets in a .17 barrel for high velocity, and we have tried the .228 projectiles that were once available for the Savage Hi-Power in K Hornet but hey were hopeless so went back to 223 in the K, but again, .224 were better, Cheers.
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Re: .22 Hornet projectile size

Post by Oldbloke » 08 Sep 2016, 2:14 pm

My old hornady manual says can be, .222, .223 or 224. But sell 223 projtilesfor the older models. :wtf:
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