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Thread: Cast bullet Hornet loads.

  1. #1
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    Cast bullet Hornet loads.

    My supplier has just sent me some 40gr. cast bullets for my .22 Hornet. Apart from playing with some low loads of Red Dot I have been loading 7.5gr. Lilgun quite successfully. He included a few 50 and 55 gr for me to try but I can find no published data for these weights. Considering the low pressure properties of Lilgun I presume it will be safe to use a similar load for testing.

    Am I correct in this assumption ? It's a CZ527 bolt action rifle with a 1-16 twist.

    When loading jacketed 40gr V-Max bullets I use 12.2gr Lilgun for a muzzle velocity of over 2,500 fps.

  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by Eligus View Post
    My supplier has just sent me some 40gr. cast bullets for my .22 Hornet. Apart from playing with some low loads of Red Dot I have been loading 7.5gr. Lilgun quite successfully. He included a few 50 and 55 gr for me to try but I can find no published data for these weights. Considering the low pressure properties of Lilgun I presume it will be safe to use a similar load for testing.

    Am I correct in this assumption ? It's a CZ527 bolt action rifle with a 1-16 twist.

    When loading jacketed 40gr V-Max bullets I use 12.2gr Lilgun for a muzzle velocity of over 2,500 fps.
    In terms of the twist there is contradiction between the Edgar Bros' website which states 1:14 and CZ's which states 1:16! Having physically checked the twist on mine it is 1:16 chances are yours will be the same.

    Hodgdon give 12gr min load and 13gr maximum for both 50 & 55 gr jacketed bullets, my guess would be that with the heavier bullets you won't push them fast enough to stabilise them and 55 gr would need a 1:14 to stabilise. I have tried 52 gr HPBT single loaded in my CZ527 starting at 11.9gr of lil gun; I had pressure signs with one of the 11.9 grain rounds and all of the 12 gr rounds so left it at that and left those bullets for my 0.223
    Thanks for looking

  3. #3
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    Cast in the Hornet

    I tried 55gn cast in my CZ Hornet...shotgun pattern..A chap on the Isle of Man kindly sent me a selection of cast...the best I found was the NOE 37gn mould with GC...decent group with Green Dot.
    I am currently using an H & N copper coated lead bullet of 45gn (not jacketed)......very accurate with N110....you can get them from Shooting Supplies, Luxembourg.

    amc577

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by amc577 View Post
    I tried 55gn cast in my CZ Hornet...shotgun pattern..A chap on the Isle of Man kindly sent me a selection of cast...the best I found was the NOE 37gn mould with GC...decent group with Green Dot.
    I am currently using an H & N copper coated lead bullet of 45gn (not jacketed)......very accurate with N110....you can get them from Shooting Supplies, Luxembourg.

    amc577
    Sounds interesting, along the lines of copper coated rimfire bullets then? What do they cost to import? I am trying to cum up with a sub / transonic load for my hornet and it sounds like they may be a very good candidate!!
    Thanks for looking

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Boydy47 View Post
    Sounds interesting, along the lines of copper coated rimfire bullets then? What do they cost to import? I am trying to cum up with a sub / transonic load for my hornet and it sounds like they may be a very good candidate!!
    I realise the heavier bullets might not stabilise but I've been trying for sub loads as well. Even a tiny load of 2.2gr. Red Dot pushes the 40gr. out at 1,500fps, hence trying the heavier ones, see what happens.

    I know the 40gr group pretty well with 7.5gr Lilgun at about 2,250fps so I plan to try the 50's and 55's with the same load then I have something to compare them to.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Eligus View Post
    I realise the heavier bullets might not stabilise but I've been trying for sub loads as well. Even a tiny load of 2.2gr. Red Dot pushes the 40gr. out at 1,500fps, hence trying the heavier ones, see what happens.

    I know the 40gr group pretty well with 7.5gr Lilgun at about 2,250fps so I plan to try the 50's and 55's with the same load then I have something to compare them to.
    As always I'll look forward to your results, i may even give some 52gr V-max a go as I've just ordered a Bob Sled insert for my CZ527 to allow easy single loading

    247Sniper on SD has had good results through his 527 with 50gr hornady soft points so you may get away with those, there is a thread on there about his load if you need more details.
    Thanks for looking

  7. #7
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    H & N 45gn Hornet

    Cost 72 euros per thousand + Post depending on weight/order...currently out of stock at Shooting Supplies, but they will order in for you ....8 thou copper coat over near pure lead + anti foul coating to stop copper fouling on bore. Load like FMJ.

    amc577

  8. #8
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    I received my new NOE 45gr 5 cavity mould from the USA today - it'll be in action this week.
    My .22 Hornet will be singing a new tune next week.

  9. #9
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    I got to try the new bullets today, as expected the heavier 50 and 55 gr. did not stabilise well in my CZ either with a low load of 2.2gr Red Dot or a faster load of 7.4 gr. Lilgun.

    Three of the 55 gr and one of the 50 gr. showed very marginal primer flattening with the Lilgun, the 40's were fine and would probably stand a little increase.

    I don't see any way of obtaining subsonic loads with Red Dot, I'm somewhat cautious about putting an even smaller amount of powder in the case.

    https://www.dropbox.com/s/pqq6hl7b5te62bs/001.jpg?dl=0
    https://www.dropbox.com/s/pnnc7a2gt2njj7t/002.jpg?dl=0

  10. #10
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    I went ahead and loaded 1.5gr. Red Dot with a 40gr. cast bullet.
    They shot fine without any problems but still didn't get near subsonic.
    I only tried at 30 yards, very mild report but some vertical stringing.
    Out of interest I opened a couple of 22lr's and weighed the powder (unknown type), the subs were 1.5gr and the HV's 1.8gr.

    https://www.dropbox.com/s/qs9f9nf2du...20001.jpg?dl=0

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Eligus View Post
    I went ahead and loaded 1.5gr. Red Dot with a 40gr. cast bullet.
    They shot fine without any problems but still didn't get near subsonic.
    I only tried at 30 yards, very mild report but some vertical stringing.
    Out of interest I opened a couple of 22lr's and weighed the powder (unknown type), the subs were 1.5gr and the HV's 1.8gr.

    https://www.dropbox.com/s/qs9f9nf2du...20001.jpg?dl=0
    I'm a bit surprised by those numbers. Have just looked in my loading notes:
    brp 226-rf (45gr) 1.8 Titegroup 1018 av
    225438 (nominally 44gr) 1.6 Titegroup 1036
    1.6 Red Dot 1046
    1.8 Trailboss 1026
    225107 (variants from 32 to 38gr)
    1.8 Titegroup 1170
    1.7 Trailboss 1095
    1.5 Titegroup 1085

    Plus recently shot 1.8 Red Dot with 45gr NOE WFN hollow points, didn't have chrono but definitely subsonic.

    Is it possible your chrono is reading muzzle blast or powder kernels, instead of the bullet?
    AYA SLE 12b, Harrier FAC air, Sako Finnfire .22

  12. #12
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    I did have the chrono pretty close to the muzzle but the perceived noise level was sonic, much louder than 22lr subs.

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