by gunnnie » 22 Dec 2018, 9:51 am
I also use CCI Sml Pistol primers. There are a few explanations as to why this is the better way to go, such as lower initial pressure spike from the primer not forcing the projectile forward, but it just seems to produce better accuracy in my rifle/loads.
bigrich, hard to say why your rifle wouldn't group. Was the headspace set up for a specific brand of brass? The usual remedy was to rechamber to K-Hornet & headspace on the shoulder of the case. This would often see rifles producing sub-MOA accuracy.
The Winchester 22mag projectiles are a great little pill for the Hornet. My first Hornet was CBC151 single shot, ugly as sin & only capable of 1.75MOA on a good day. But when I started reloading for it I was advised to try those 40gn JHP's & 10gn of 2205 & crimping the pills. Massive improvement, down to consistent MOA @ 100M. Plus it was bloody cheap reloading, great news for a recently married young fella with the first kid on the way. I got 700 loads from a can of 2205 & the pills were around $7/100.
I found that my K-Hornet loves these with the 45gn Nosler BT's coming a close second. If I use 2205 I've found that I have to crimp the pills in the case otherwise I end up with unburnt granules of powder in the bore/chamber. Not good in a Martini action as it causes problems with closing. I was lucky enough to score 1500 of these pills earlier this year, so I have a good supply of these now.
With the standard Hornet, if you pay particular attention during reloading you will notice accuracy gains. The humble Hornet can produce good consistent MOA accuracy with load development. The first thing I do is to match brass to brand. As both my bolt action Hornets are of European origin I only use Sako, Norma or S&B. Sako brass will give a little more internal volume I've found, but all three brands will have a slightly thicker rim which matches the specifications of the chamber/headspacing used by manufacturers such as CZ.
From there the brass is prepped by checking uniform flash hole size, deburring the inside of the flash hole, checking case neck uniformity/thickness & the overal length. Each powder charge is weighed on the scales & dropped into the case via a long tubed funnel. The first loads with new brass I try to seat the projectile out to touch the lands. This helps support the case in the chamber so it expands/forms to the rifle's chamber dimensions uniformly.
Fired cases are only neck sized using a Lee collet die and if the brass is becoming slightly tight to chamber, I'll use a Redding body die to bump the case back just a fraction. But as I don't push hot loads, it takes a while before this happens, if at all. After the first firing, future loads have the pill seated to suit the magazine.
This may seem like a lot of fiddling around as compared to reloading for a 223. But then again, if you want the best in accuracy potential from a 223 then you have to take similar steps.
The big trap that has troubled the Hornet for years, is shooters buying a Hornet thinking its a 222/223! The Hornet is a niche cartridge these days when you look at where it sits in the calibre ladder & the other cartridges. It's a 150M small game round that is suited to small holdings where limited ranges & noise is a consideration. Used with these limitations firmly ingrained in one's psyche, the cartridge will deliver. In the hands of a very competant shot, who knows the rifle/load intimately, shots out to 250M in ideal conditions, are within reason on small game.
It isn't an all round cartridge by any means, but it is a great little round in it's own right. It has a long history & will continue for years to come.