22 Hornet
 

What are peoples thoughts on using a .22 Hornet for coyotes. I would like to have more punch than my .17 rimfire can provide. But, the area where i hunt has gotten much more thickly settled in recent years and I am reluctant to make the jump up to a 223 or 22-250.

RE: 22 Hornet
 

why are you reluctant to get a .223 or .22-250?

RE: 22 Hornet
 

Fairly flat land and lots of houses.

RE: 22 Hornet
 

The 22 hornet makes a fine coyote gun out to about 175 yards, with 150 yards being ideal. They are about half as loud as a 223 and alot quieter than a 22-250, and they won't carry a bullet near as far as either one. It'd make a good addition to your battery of coyote guns. Last summer my cousin I shoot with alot bought a Ruger Mark II 22 hornet, and it is quite the lil shooter.

RE: 22 Hornet
 

Lanse couche couche

The .22 hornet is anice round for coyotes insettled areas mild report
and stillhas stopping power out to about150 yards with factory loads.
I would recomend reloading you can increase accuracy and range about 100yards using 40 or 45 gr.sx/tnt bullets (sx/tnt = super explosive) they are made for hornet velocities.
I been usinghornet a long time and love it hope this helps and good luck.

RE: 22 Hornet
 

Another choice would be a .22wmr,it is right there with the hornet in power.

RE: 22 Hornet
 

Great for turkey and yotes,not cheap to plink with enless you can reload decent factory rounds are near $25.00 a box.Gotta watch bullet diameter when reloading and careful on powder charge,doesn't take much to over pressure them.

RE: 22 Hornet
 

Been re-loading the .22 Hornet for over 40 years. It is a really good coyoteround with 45 grain bullets which is all that i re-load. Very mild crack. Havesometimes called in two ormore coyotes at the same time.Not unusual forthe second coyote to wait around after the first one is shot.

RE: 22 Hornet
 

This is why people think (rimfires) .17/.22 lr/wmr/hmr are ok for coyotes.
THEY ARE MISINFORMED OR WRONG.

DANTHEHUNTER
Don't know where you got your information but it is WRONG!
.22 long rifleaverage velocity1700 fps with 40gr bullethas119 ft/lbs of energy at 100 yards.
.22 WMR average velocity of 2000 fps with 40gr bullethas160 ft/lbs of energy at 100 yards.
36gr bullets little faster less energy at 100 yards.
.17 rimfireshigher velocity less energy at 100 yards.
.22 hornet with velocity on the low end of 2500 fps with 40gr bullet has261 ft/lbs of energy at 100 yards.
hornet reload with velocity of 3100 fps with 40gr bullet has423ft/lbs of energy at 100 yards.
45gr bullet at 2700 fps has 500 ft/lbs of energy at 100 yards.

This being said center fires have it hands down (hornet being the smallest .22 center fire comercially avalible.)
IMO rimfires for coyotes is like using a 7mm for elephants under perfect conditions they will work BUT in hunting not all things are perfect.
PLEASE HAVE RESPECT.USE CORRECT CARTRIGDE/BULLET COMBO FOR THE GAME YOU HUNT.

RE: 22 Hornet
 

While it is small for coyotes, it can get the job done. Just keep your shots under 150 yards and you will be fine. It's also a great fox and bobcat round, but like others have said, it's not cheap to shoot.

RE: 22 Hornet
 

Yeah, i looked at the price for a box of 50 rounds, pretty scary. But, once i could get the thing sighted in, i doubt thatI would fire more than a box of bullets a year anyway.

Thanks

RE: 22 Hornet
 

"It's also a great fox and bobcat round, but like others have said, it's not cheap to shoot."

It is not cheap to shoot unless you re-load. My re-loads costabout 20 cents per round.

RE: 22 Hornet
 

Caliber


Bullet Weigh, gr


Bullet Type


Box Count



22 Magnum RF


30


TNT HP


50






Velocity, ft/sec



Muzzle


50 yards


75 yards


100 yards



2200


1768


1577


1405






Energy, ft-lbs



Muzzle


50 yards


75 yards


100 yards



322


208


166


131





Caliber


Bullet Weigh, gr


Bullet Type


Box Count



22 Magnum RF


30


TNT HP


50






Velocity, ft/sec



Muzzle


50 yards


75 yards


100 yards



2200


1768


1577


1405






Energy, ft-lbs



Muzzle


50 yards


75 yards


100 yards



322


208


166


131






Trajectory if sighted at 100 yards



25 yards


50 yards


75 yards


100 yards



-0.1


0.7


0.8


0.0







Trajectory if sighted at 100 yards



25 yards


50 yards


75 yards


100 yards



-0.1


0.7


0.8


0.0
I wish I had my facts straight!!!!!!!!!! Looks like someone needs to look a little closer!! In this situation that round would work great and not cost that much to do.But thanks for the info.

RE: 22 Hornet
 

DANTHEHUNTER

Now that you proved to everyone that you can't READAND UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU READ.
REREADwhat I posted (CLUE)--->all information was with40 grain bullets.
rimfirestilldosen't havemore energy at 100 yards.

Here is the info for hornet using 30 grain bullet to compare,velocity 3000 fps has 398 ft/lbs of energy at 100 yards. What did the .22 mag rf with 30 gr bullet have at 100 yards uuuuummmmmmm oooohhhh yyyyeeaaaa 131ft/lbs thats a big difference DAN!!!!!
can't make arimfire out perform a center fire.
By the way hornet has more ft/lbs of energy at 100 yards than the .22 WMR can produce at the muzzle.

Like i said in my other post This is why peoplethink rimfires are ok for coyotes. They don't know or they are misinformedthanks to people like DANTHEHUNTER!!!!!

RE: 22 Hornet
 

You must be a very inexperinced hunter.In this situation that round(.22wmr) would be perfect.I have alot of rifles witch include a .220 swift that is the king of varmint rounds,to choose from.I just think you must not have the skill or the shooting abilty to shoot a coyote at under a 100 yards with a calibur that will do the job at hand.In a area that he described you dont want to shoot the wheels out of the cart,just do the job.

RE: 22 Hornet
 

DANTHEHUNTER
Everyone can see by the comparison which would be better choice with the knock down/stopping power (ft/lbs of energy) at 100 yards.

DAN you have to take into account that not all hunters can shoot the beak off a humming bird in flight a 100 yards awaylike you can.

Why usea rimfireand just barely get job done, take chance of wounding and/orlosing it or worse yet not getting the wheels stopped and it gettinginto the housing development and biting someone. The hornethas 3 times the stopping power of WMRwith about the same mild report so why not stop the wheels on the cart even with a slightly bad hit.

RE: 22 Hornet
 

The .22 mag is no slouch but the hornet does out performit. The .22 mag at the muzzle is what the hornet is at a 100 yds and the hornet at the muzzle is what the .222 is at 100 yds.
I shoot a NEF in the Hornet and I absolutely love it. I use it in areas the poster is talking about, I shoot the Rem. 45 gr hollow points, they will come apart on anything they hit like a branch or the ground so they dont go far or richochet.

RE: 22 Hornet
 

I should have been more specific. Just to clarify, my family has a .22 mag and a .17 rimfire. I prefer the .17 for when i am just wandering around the woods looking to pop a squirrel or two, maybe take a shot at a crow, and with a slight chance of coming across a fox or coyote. I like the .22 mag too, but have made shots on crows with my .17 that i wouldn't have even tried with the .22 mag. My question in regard to the .22 Hornet involved a round that one could use with some degree of confidence specifically for coyote at a 100 plus range in an area with a lot of houses and people around. Based on what people have said, the .22 hornet would be almost ideal for me.

Thanks

RE: 22 Hornet
 

Just wanted to show you what the Hornet is capable of, this 180 lb buck was taken with one shot to the neck with my hornet using rem. 45 g HP.
The buck went straight down. The hornet is legal in my state for deer hunting. This is a huge deer forthis area, he had a small heavy rack, this buck was probably already on the downhill side.

RE: 22 Hornet
 

The Hornet is a great little gun and the Bee is another. If you us a rimfire and can consistantly make the shot, use head shots to 75yds.

RE: 22 Hornet
 

IMO the hornet is a great rifle. I have one, and have owned several. I was never much on the .223 Remington, but boy was I wrong. I will share with you what I have learned. I shoot 50 grain V-Max in my .223 Remington at 3350 fps.

I suggest you buy a .223 Reminton if you handload. You can load a 40 grain V-max at 2800-3000 fps with 11-13 grains of Blue Dot(no filler needed). I also suggest you get a 26 or even a 28 inch barrel. The length of barrel is not a concern for velocity, the longer barrel will make less noise-or crack. In a heavy barrel configuration the 40 grain pill will hit within an inch of the 50 grain pill out to 150 yards.

Now you have two rifles in one by carrying different ammo. Mark your ammo any way you want to, just be consistent. Your 50 grain pill is effective to 400 yards with no problem. Your 40 grain pill is effective to 175 yards with no problem. I do this all the time in the ground hog field's. Low report on your close shots with the ability to reach out and touch them. The only thing better is a suppressor, I just sent my $200 in for my permit to buy one of them.

RE: 22 Hornet
 

The .22 Hornet has the reputation of being tempermental to reload.I had a beautiful sako 72 that would shoot 1/2 MOA one day and all over the paper the next time out.It was .223 dia. bore and I matched the bullets.W 296,H-110 ,IMR 4227.H-4227 or LIL Gun work in this cartridge.Some won't shoot unless you use pistol primers and others need SR Mag primers.Too big a P in the A.I shot one coyote at 125 yards with a 40gr load and he bit himself and flipped over dead.Liked the cartridge hated the inconsistancies and sold the gun.It was properly glass bedded and free floated as well..............Harold

RE: 22 Hornet
 

I'm not a reloader. If i went with the best factory loads what could i expect for range of shots on coyotes. I've got a good Nikkon scope.

RE: 22 Hornet
 

I have been using the Rem. 45 gr Hollow points with good success on deer and hogs, and they shoot great out of my NEF. I would start there.
I put one straight through a 4x4 at 10 yds, it went through a phone book at 10 yds also, so you wont have any penetration issues with the hollow point and they kill nicely. I would keep my shots to 200 yds for yotes, mainly because of the drop, at 200 I believe its like 7 inches with a 100 yd sight in.

RE: 22 Hornet
 

Over the years i have ownedmany .22 Hornets.One of the best ones is a BSA Martini with a 26 inchbarrel.That gun will make dime sized groups at 100 yards with just about any 45 grain bullet. My Encore .22 Hornet is a work in progress-load development is not complete. The .22 barrel of my Savage O/U will make one inch groups on a good day.

i use 45 grain bullets almost exclusively. Also use IMR 4227 and Alliant 2400 powders. Like zrexpilot, i have killed hogs with my .22 Hornets. Just put the bullet between the ear and the eye or in the ear.

RE: 22 Hornet
 

During WW2 the Airforce issued a folding stocked BA .22 Hornet survival rifle for the European theatre.Rational to kill available wild game ie:boar,roe deer and if needed silence a Hun.I think they were made by Armalite?Here in Northern Canada the Inuit use Hornets and .222's to wack walrus ,seals ,caribou and even heaven forbid polar bears!Usually headshot swimming....................Harold[ just wish I could find a stable hornet]

RE: 22 Hornet
 

pioneer2, I have two hornets and the both are great out to 150yds. One is a Win. Mod. 43 and the other is on a Martini Cadet reciever.

RE: 22 Hornet
 

Current factory available guns ,can't afford a custom job right now.A utility gun like an H+R SS or New England Firearms would work but both have sloppy triggers.A new BRNO/CZ is another option.Liked the idea of 700 shots per lb of powder at 10gr loads.Had an ignorant 23D Savage in Hornet .223 bore as well............Harold

RE: 22 Hornet
 

My cousin has the Ruger 77 in Hornet that he purchased about a year an half ago, and after a Timney trigger, its shooting some nice tiny groups.