The Hornet's caliber has been a confusing issue. The original Whelen/Winchester specification called for a .2233" diameter bullet, the caliber of the rimfire .22 Long Rifle barrels in which the cartridge was developed. Early commercial .22 Hornet rifles were bored to that dimension. However, virtually all subsequent .22 centerfire cartridges including the Hornet were a .224" bore. Modern Hornet's are .224". The SAAMI-spec standard twist rate for the .22 Hornet is 1:16 inches as a result of Col. Whelen's experiments. This is fine in with the Hornet's standard 45-grain or lighter bullets but does not do well with bullets weighing 50 grains or more. Accordingly some makers, such as Kimber and Ruger, used 1:14 twist rates.
Several years ago I was heavily into the Thompson Center Contender, having sold my Colt SP-1 to purchase my first one, and had an urge to get a .22 Hornet. Coincidentally, one came available and I got it. My barrel is a factory 21" and I have a 4X ____ sight mounted. Most all loads including factory loadings will shoot into 2" or less at 100 yards. However, there are some handloads which will do much better.
My loads:
Bullet | Weight | Powder | Weight | Velocity | Energy |
Winchester | 46 gr. | unknown | unknown | 2640 fps | 712 fpe |
Hornady VMAX | 35 gr. | Lil'Gun | 12 gr. | _________ | ______ |
Hornady VMAX | 40 gr. | Lil'Gun | 12 gr. | _________ | ______ |
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