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Thread: .22 Hornet cartridge length and bullet seating.

  1. #1
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    .22 Hornet cartridge length and bullet seating.

    I've just reloaded my first batch and have a query about the depth of bullet seating.

    I have Barnes Varmint Grenades in 36g. and Hornady V-Max in 40 g. To achieve the recommended cartridge length they seem to have to go quite a way into the case, to the point where the straight section of the bullet is fully inside the lip of the case and the case does not seem to crimp right in.

    With the Hornady bullets the tapered tip is so pointed that I have my Lee Bullet seater die turned all the way in just to get the rounds to fit in the magazine and even then they are a little over the recommended max. length. I've tried one in the rifle and it chambered fine.

    Is this acceptable?

  2. #2
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    bullet seating

    Quote Originally Posted by Eligus View Post
    I've just reloaded my first batch and have a query about the depth of bullet seating.

    I have Barnes Varmint Grenades in 36g. and Hornady V-Max in 40 g. To achieve the recommended cartridge length they seem to have to go quite a way into the case, to the point where the straight section of the bullet is fully inside the lip of the case and the case does not seem to crimp right in.

    With the Hornady bullets the tapered tip is so pointed that I have my Lee Bullet seater die turned all the way in just to get the rounds to fit in the magazine and even then they are a little over the recommended max. length. I've tried one in the rifle and it chambered fine.

    Is this acceptable?
    Measure the distance between your bolt face & the rifling, if you don't know how, this is how I do it.
    Put the bolt in the rifle cocked, obviously unloaded,slip a cleaning rod in from the muzzle untill it stops at the bolt face, mark the rod at the muzzle. Remove the bolt & stuff a bullet in the chamber ( a bullet, not the cartridge), push a pencil against the base of the bullet to stop it moving back & again put the cleaning rod in from the muzzle, when it touches the point of the bullet mark the rod again, measure the distance between the 2 marks reduce that distance by 1 mm & that is your maximum seating depth for that bullet. Sounds long winded but takes 3 to 4 minutes.
    Elwellaxe.

  3. #3
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    Thanks, I'll do that. On Hornadys web page the diagram states 1.725 as the max length but another chap looked it up in the Hornady manual and it said 1.810 ! So my cartridges at 1.760 would appear to be safe. They seem to shoot well with loads of 12.3g. Lilgun, tight groups at 100yards (12.5g. loads doubled the size of the groups).

  4. #4
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    I should have added that the Hornady V-Max 40g. performed well, some cartridges loaded with Barnes Varmint Grenades 36g. were all over the place, not even on paper at 50 yards.

  5. #5
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    Hi, I use 40gr vmax, 13gr of lilgun, remington brass and a coal of 1.825. Shots great at that. Shoots well with 40gr blitz king as well. I ve messed with the coal a few times and you can get preoccupied I will be sticking with this now snd I also crimp mine with a lee factory die which I think helps.

    B
    Brno 22 hornet - CZ 455 Thumbhole 16" 17 Hmr - Baikal Sxs 12 gauge - Air Arms s410

  6. #6
    Graham2 is offline Slightly camp, makes decent chilli, and has a box of tissues and a can of 3 In 1 in the gun room
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    I tried the 40 grain V Max in my Anschutz and they work well accuracy wise but have to be loaded singly due to them not fitting in the mag. I now use 35 grain V Max and can feed them from the mag.
    Not camp, Gary just wishes I were!

  7. #7
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    Yep I do to with the 40's. They wont go in my mag either. No bother though.

    B
    Brno 22 hornet - CZ 455 Thumbhole 16" 17 Hmr - Baikal Sxs 12 gauge - Air Arms s410

  8. #8
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    40 grn Vmax 13grn lilgun

    That's my pet load & I am fortunate I have a B.S.A. hornet with a hinged floor plate magazine which will take long loaded rounds.
    Elwellaxe.

  9. #9
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    I've just got a Hornet & plan to start reloading

    My RFD loves his & swears by 35gn V-max & 11gn lilgun so that was going to be my start point.

  10. #10
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    Another good powder for hornet is vectan sp3 I use 10grns and a 35grn v.max or 9,8 of sp3 and a 40grn Sierra hornet sp seated at 43,5mm. Or 1.700" they go well in my anszu

  11. #11
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    angrybear - you have no idea of what you are getting yourself into !!

    I started at Hodgdon’s recommended minimum of 12g and have worked up to 12.5 so far.
    40g V-Max
    Lilgun 12g = 2640fps
    12.2g = 2700fps
    12.3g = 2800fps
    12.5g = 2800fps.
    Best accuracy so far with 12 – 12.3g. Started to open up with 12.5g.

    Vectan powder is not available round here, another problem is that you can’t mail order bullet heads. I’ve found some suitable bullets at various suppliers but it’s a case of waiting for my RFD to order some or put up with what they stock.

    I have found that the .22 Hornet requires a short bullet, that’s the problem with the 40g V-Max, it’s quite a bit longer than the 35g. The Nosler Varmagedon are suitable but very expensive, Speer 40g Spire are £10 per hundred cheaper. Sierra also make Hornet bullets.

    I ended up loading to a coal of 1.775", just fits in the magazine but the ogive is just inside the tip of the brass so I crimped a fraction back from the tip, not ideal but seems to work until I get some shorter bullets.

    I also looked into how far back from the rifling the bullet was sitting, apparently 0.020" is the optimum for accuracy but this is impractical for hunting use as you can't use a magazine.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Elwellaxe View Post
    Measure the distance between your bolt face & the rifling, if you don't know how, this is how I do it.
    Put the bolt in the rifle cocked, obviously unloaded,slip a cleaning rod in from the muzzle untill it stops at the bolt face, mark the rod at the muzzle. Remove the bolt & stuff a bullet in the chamber ( a bullet, not the cartridge), push a pencil against the base of the bullet to stop it moving back & again put the cleaning rod in from the muzzle, when it touches the point of the bullet mark the rod again, measure the distance between the 2 marks reduce that distance by 1 mm & that is your maximum seating depth for that bullet. Sounds long winded but takes 3 to 4 minutes.
    Elwellaxe.
    I just tried that & got 1.859" does that sound right ?

    I might have pressed a bit hard on the base of the bullet as it stuck in the grooves.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Eligus View Post
    another problem is that you can’t mail order bullet heads
    Well, I don't know what a 'bullet head' is, but I order AND receive ALL my bullets by mail from Henry Krank. I have done so for many years. A great deal, too, any amount of bullets - a hundred or a thousand - costs the same to ship to me here in deepest East Angular.

    tac

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Elwellaxe View Post
    Measure the distance between your bolt face & the rifling, if you don't know how, this is how I do it.
    Put the bolt in the rifle cocked, obviously unloaded,slip a cleaning rod in from the muzzle untill it stops at the bolt face, mark the rod at the muzzle. Remove the bolt & stuff a bullet in the chamber ( a bullet, not the cartridge), push a pencil against the base of the bullet to stop it moving back & again put the cleaning rod in from the muzzle, when it touches the point of the bullet mark the rod again, measure the distance between the 2 marks reduce that distance by 1 mm & that is your maximum seating depth for that bullet. Sounds long winded but takes 3 to 4 minutes.
    Elwellaxe.
    Good post.

    tac

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by tacfoley View Post
    Well, I don't know what a 'bullet head' is, but I order AND receive ALL my bullets by mail from Henry Krank. I have done so for many years. A great deal, too, any amount of bullets - a hundred or a thousand - costs the same to ship to me here in deepest East Angular.

    tac
    Can I ask does that include expanding/fragmenting bullets ? I thought they had to be recorded on ticket.

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