.22 Hornet?
 

I have been studying this little double deuce for a few weeks and am becoming quite perplexed. I think that it will kinda fill a niche in versatility if accurized well. I am wanting it for: taking the occasional 'yote at close range (100yds or less), taking rabbits out of the garden (its amazing how they won't leave my damn snap beans alone, took eight last year), various varmints and critters (groundhogs, crows, ground squirrels, etc.), plinking, and an occasion a small game hunt in the woods. I understand that cartridges are not as cheap as a .223, but I think that the .223 will be too much for a couple of the chores at hand i.e. the rabbits out of the garden and the occasional hunt for squirrels. Well, in order for it to fulfill a few of these tasks, it must be able to hit what I am aiming at. My question is this, if I buy a single such as a T/C or a NEF, would I be able to get sufficient accuracy to reliably take a squirrel or rabbit headshot at 75-125yds? I know that the Hornet has not got the most shining history record in accuracy but is it possible? I think I would like a nice little project gun. Thanks for the info gentlemen.

"Clutz by Nature, Hospitalized by Fate..."

Pyral

RE: .22 Hornet?
 

You could easily download the .223 with bluedot powder for the level of perfomance you are talking about. It would be cheaper and probably more accurate than messing around with a hornet. I have a hornet and like it but truth be told its mainly a fun gun.

RE: .22 Hornet?
 

..Go for the N.E.F...i have one that will cut bullet holes
and is legal to harvest whitetails,it is one of the best
little calibers every hit the market,my 12 year old will carry
this little gun while youth hunting here in west virginia,to
i hope harvest her first deer,maybe a doe,but thats ok,please
dont be so quick to slam the hornet,ive seen them harvest tons of
whitetails out to 125 yards...lung shots the deer went about 25-
50 yards before falling dead...wicked little caliber..:)..

..JESUS IS COMING BACK BE READY...

RE: .22 Hornet?
 

Thanks for the replies guys. Josh, sadly, I don't reload so that option kinda goes out the window. Another reason I chose the Hornet over the .223. Thanks though! Totoe, this may be a shock to you, but in my state there is a .243 minimum on whitetails. And I personally would have to agree that it is unethical to hunt deer with anything less. Nonetheless, I appreciate the NEF vote. I will probably go with it anyways since if it doesn't shoot great, and I attempt to better the rifle and don't, I will still have a couple of hundred dollars in the project. A little easier to chunk than a 5 or 600 dollar experiment that you would depend on shooting great. Thanks for the replies.

"Clutz by Nature, Hospitalized by Fate..."

Pyral

RE: .22 Hornet?
 

You could also get a Taurus "Raging Hornet" revolver that shoots .22 Hornet. Its a big heavy revolver that is the same size and style that Taurus makes their .454 Casull revolver in.

AS far as a varmint gun goes, I know a guy who reloads cast bullets for his .22 Hornet that gets good accuracy with it. The .22 Hornet is alot quiter than the .223 also.

Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms... who's bringing the chips?

RE: .22 Hornet?
 

Briman, I read the article on the Raging Hornet in one of my various shooting mags a couple of months ago (can't remember which one) and thought it extremely interesting. Alas, there are always complications and I am not old enough to buy a pistol<img src=icon_smile_blackeye.gif border=0 align=middle> (being 20 sucks! so close yet so far), so for the time being I will simply say that the pistol is not right for my applications and that the rifle will fit my needs more practically. Now when I turn 21 in 10 months, I may have a change heart<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>. Thanks for the follow-up.

&quot;Clutz by Nature, Hospitalized by Fate...&quot;

Pyral

RE: .22 Hornet?
 

I would go for the T/C if you can afford it or the Anschutz or maybe the Savage 24F, but have heard some good reports with the NEF also. I shoot the Savage 24 F combo gun for the kind of hunting you described. If you don’t reload then the 223 would probably be a better way to go. I haven’t kept up with 22 Hornet factory offerings. They may have some good ones. I am a handload so I don’t know much about the factory loads. If you do take up hand loading some day then the little 22 Hornet would be great for the type of hunting and pest control you describe. My little Hornet shoots 1/2 inch at 100 yards with a 3x9 scope on it. With the open sights I can shoot 1- 1/12 to 2-inch groups at 100 yards. That would do the trick.

The problem with accuracy with the Hornet is that some years age the hornet was made with a .223 inch diameter barrel and then some with a .224 inch diameter barrel. The SAAMI standard is .222. Go figure. Some bullet manufactures make both .223 and .224! For the most part, .224 is what most bullet manufactures use these days for modern firearms although they do offer .223 bullets for older rifles.

Another problem was that in some older rifles, the twist rate was 1 turn in 16. That turn rate can’t handle the heavier bullets as well as a 1 in 14-twist barrel. My Savage has the 1 in 14 inch twist so I should be able to shoot the heavier 52-grain bullet. I like the 40-grain or 45 grain bullet for my hornet.

I like the little Hornet as it has a light report and is a lot faster then the 22 Magnum. It is a great choice for light duty work around farms where houses might be just over the hill or down the road. The noise level is light also. And yes, I think you would have all the accuracy you needed. Even with factory loads.
Here is a good Hornet web site to look over.

http://homepages.ihug.com.au/~bkhornet/22hornet.htm

Hornet Man


Hornet Man

RE: .22 Hornet?
 

...Ive seen alot of whitetail fall victom,to the hornet
.....:)...

..JESUS IS COMING BACK BE READY...