22 Hornet small game load

[Red_Eagle]

Any one have any idea how I might load a 22 Hornet for squirrel? What I'm looking for is a 224 that will partially expand, but not explode like a V-max or Blitz King would. Right now I'm looking at a Speer 50gr SP (not TNT) loaded to about 2,300 f/ps.

[thallub]

Have hunted small game with the .22 Hornet for many years. I use 7.6 grains of 2400 and anyones 50 grain bullet. Velocity is around 2,100 fps. Even at that low velocity, the bullet will damage a lot of meat if a rabbit or squirrel is hit in the body. Try for head shots only.

[Red_Eagle]

I figured thats what I'd end up having to do when I seen all of Hornadys bullets expand a 2,000 f/ps.

[snuffy]

I tried it once, hunting with a 45 grain soft point. I got a couple with head shots, I was lucky to find the ears! Then one moved at the last instant, it hit in the ribs, durn near blew him in half. Then I found out it was illegal to use a centerfire rifle cartridge for small game.

[Sidetracked]

You could try the Hornady 52 or 53 grain match HPs, or the A-Max line.

The BTHP Match (52), HP Match (53), and A-Max (40, 50, 52 grain) are all thick-jacketed bullets that are unlikely to expand much on a squirrel at Hornet velocities.

I have had minimal expansion with the 53 grain HP Match on rabbits, but never tried the others.

[Doyle]

Out of curiosity, why would you want to use a .22 Hornet on squirrels? Kind of like trying to use a .460 nitro on deer. A .22 short CB cap with no powder kills squirrels very dead. A .22 subsonic kills them just as dead with a little louder bang and a little further away. Anything more powerful than that won't kill them any deader but will start destroying meat.

[mkl]

You may want to try the 55 grain FMJ. That one won't expand for sure. Several of the loading books have loads for this bullet at velocities from 1800 to 2100 fps.

Many years ago I used the 55 gr. FMJ in the hornet as a turkey load so as not to ruin the meat. Got a nice gobbler at 125 yards with no meat loss, and the bullet put him down instantly. He flopped for about a minute, but never got more than 15 feet from the point where he was hit.

[TATER]

Midway has got their dogtowns starting at 34 grains...

[Red_Eagle]

I'll load up some of the 55gr hornady FMJ's I've got. Hopefully they stabilize. If not, Cheaper than dirt has some 44gr. cast bullets that sound interesting. I cleaned the Marlin 60. last time I shot it, it was firing more of a pattern than a group. Thats why I'm tinkering with the Hornet.

[MADISON]

I have two Hornet loads:
9.9 hrains of 2400 with a 45 grain bullet. [Estimated 2600 fps.]
4.1 grains of UNIQUE with either a 45 or 55 grain bullet. [Estimated 1850 fps.]

I live in "the City and use the 4.1 load to keep squirls out of the garden. A police officer lives within our block and they have not complained.

[mkl]

I cleaned the Marlin 60. last time I shot it, it was firing more of a pattern than a group.

Couple of weeks ago I was zeroing a scope I had just mounted on a Marlin model 60, and was getting patterns also. Just for grins, I decided to try every brand of ammo I had with me and found that Remington Standard Velocity loads was what my model 60 wanted. Groups shrunk to about 1.5 inches at 50 yards. Might try feeding your Marlin some of those if the cleaning does not work.

Ya know... maybe I ought to try cleaning my model 60 also.

[44 AMP]

Is that you can load it down. Play around a bit and you can usually come up with a load your gun will shoot accurately enough for closer ranges, somewhere near .22LR/,22 WMR velocities.

Once you find a good "squirrel load", just spend an afternoon at the range wit some of it, and some regular Hornet ammo, and learn the difference in sight settings (scope clicks) between the two, and you are good to go, switching back and forth at need for the game hunted.

[Red_Eagle]

I was looking at Accurate's web site. They pushed a 50 gr at about 1,700 f/ps with 5744. I figure a 55gr would be moving in the 1,600-1,650 f/ps range.