Thoughts on primers for 22 Hornet...

Magnum Wheel Man · July 19, 2010, 07:00 AM

as a long time shooter & reloader for the 22 Hornet, I've heard & even used with good success, small pistol primers in the Hornet...

however I'm doing some expirements with a couple fast twist Hornets ( both a revolver & a bolt action rifle ) which allow me to load up to ( so far ) 68 grain bullets with good results...

in some of my tests, the higher charges of powder, with both the 55 & 68 grain heavy bullets, I got a couple pierced primers with the small pistol primers... but these loads have worked just fine with small rifle primers...

been considering trying small pistol magnum primers ( I have alot of those ) for the heavier bullets...

anyones thoughts... pro or con ???

SVO · July 19, 2010, 08:59 AM

Yes, you should be o.k. with small magnum pistol primers, if you start low and work back up on your powder charges. I used CCI 550 in my Hornet loads for my Contender. If I remember correctly, at max load, the Hornet pressure runs around the same pressure as the 44 Magnum. Not that the 44mag uses the small pistol primers.

Brian Pfleuger · July 19, 2010, 09:08 AM

What brand are you using?

Magnum Wheel Man · July 19, 2010, 09:25 AM

the small pistol primers that pierced, were CCI 500's... I think I'm currently using Remington 6's small rifle... I have several bricks of assorted small pistol magnum primers I could use up... ( got them originally for the 357 magnum )

some have said the magnum primers can start to pop the bullet out before the charge ignites... so I'm thinking probably for the heavier bullets

Brian Pfleuger · July 19, 2010, 09:43 AM

Interesting. I'm surprised that the CCI primers would pierce. The SAAMI max pressure for the 22 hornet is only 3,511 psi higher than the 357sig, and it's actually lower than the CIP limit for 357sig. I have pushed toward the CIP limit with the Sig using CCI primers and seen no evidence of piercing or even substantial flattening/mushrooming. If you have any Federal magnum primers I would suggest not using them. My 357sig will pierce those at 9mm load levels.

Magnum Wheel Man · July 19, 2010, 09:52 AM

Well... these were quite old... so maybe the cups were softer back then( old white & green box )... & these were not smoking hot, but were the hotter charges I was trying, & with heavier than standard bullets for the Hornet, & using pistol powders, since they were loads for my 6" revolver... in fact, I've not tried those loads in my rifle yet, so it mght have been the heavy main spring in my "Raging" revolver ???

right now I'm questioning if I'll even buy Federal primers anymore... the boxes are so danged big, they are a pain to store... the trays are so large I can't dump them into my Lee hand primer ( box tray is wider than the round priming tool tray )... I have been pouring them into a plastic sandwich box, then pouring that into my priming tool tray... which seems like something else to do & another chance for contamination

Loader9 · July 19, 2010, 10:33 AM

All of the pistol primers made in the USA will have a cup thickness of .017. For a Hornet where you're reaching towards max pressures, you can expect pierced primers. The problem with using a small rifle primer in the small Hornet case is that sometimes the brisance of the primer actually starts the bullet moving before the powder has time to build pressure. This creates odd pressure spikes and accuracy issues. You might try using the Remington 6 1/2 as it is a lower brisance primer more suited for the small cases like the Hornet, 218B, etc. yet has the thicker cup material.

Magnum Wheel Man · July 19, 2010, 10:47 AM

I have some 6.5's... was thinking they were more suited for .223 in semi auto rifles ???? & I had heard that about the Magnum Pistol Primers...

BTW... I did not chrony my rifle last time, but several 1" groups at a real 150 yards tells me that I at least those loads were reasonably consistnt

July 19, 2010, 07:00 AM	#1
Magnum Wheel Man Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2006 Location: Southern Minnesota Posts: 9,333	Thoughts on primers for 22 Hornet... as a long time shooter & reloader for the 22 Hornet, I've heard & even used with good success, small pistol primers in the Hornet... however I'm doing some expirements with a couple fast twist Hornets ( both a revolver & a bolt action rifle ) which allow me to load up to ( so far ) 68 grain bullets with good results... in some of my tests, the higher charges of powder, with both the 55 & 68 grain heavy bullets, I got a couple pierced primers with the small pistol primers... but these loads have worked just fine with small rifle primers... been considering trying small pistol magnum primers ( I have alot of those ) for the heavier bullets... anyones thoughts... pro or con ??? __________________ In life you either make dust or eat dust...

July 19, 2010, 09:08 AM	#3
Brian Pfleuger Moderator Emeritus Join Date: June 25, 2008 Location: Austin, CO Posts: 19,578	What brand are you using? __________________ Nobody plans to screw up their lives... ...they just don't plan not to. -Andy Stanley

July 19, 2010, 09:25 AM	#4
Magnum Wheel Man Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2006 Location: Southern Minnesota Posts: 9,333	the small pistol primers that pierced, were CCI 500's... I think I'm currently using Remington 6's small rifle... I have several bricks of assorted small pistol magnum primers I could use up... ( got them originally for the 357 magnum ) some have said the magnum primers can start to pop the bullet out before the charge ignites... so I'm thinking probably for the heavier bullets __________________ In life you either make dust or eat dust...

July 19, 2010, 09:43 AM	#5
Brian Pfleuger Moderator Emeritus Join Date: June 25, 2008 Location: Austin, CO Posts: 19,578	Interesting. I'm surprised that the CCI primers would pierce. The SAAMI max pressure for the 22 hornet is only 3,511 psi higher than the 357sig, and it's actually lower than the CIP limit for 357sig. I have pushed toward the CIP limit with the Sig using CCI primers and seen no evidence of piercing or even substantial flattening/mushrooming. If you have any Federal magnum primers I would suggest not using them. My 357sig will pierce those at 9mm load levels. __________________ Nobody plans to screw up their lives... ...they just don't plan not to. -Andy Stanley

July 19, 2010, 09:52 AM	#6
Magnum Wheel Man Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2006 Location: Southern Minnesota Posts: 9,333	Well... these were quite old... so maybe the cups were softer back then( old white & green box )... & these were not smoking hot, but were the hotter charges I was trying, & with heavier than standard bullets for the Hornet, & using pistol powders, since they were loads for my 6" revolver... in fact, I've not tried those loads in my rifle yet, so it mght have been the heavy main spring in my "Raging" revolver ??? right now I'm questioning if I'll even buy Federal primers anymore... the boxes are so danged big, they are a pain to store... the trays are so large I can't dump them into my Lee hand primer ( box tray is wider than the round priming tool tray )... I have been pouring them into a plastic sandwich box, then pouring that into my priming tool tray... which seems like something else to do & another chance for contamination __________________ In life you either make dust or eat dust... Last edited by Magnum Wheel Man; July 19, 2010 at 09:57 AM.

July 19, 2010, 08:59 AM	#2
SVO Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 2009 Location: Texas Gulf Coast Posts: 728	Yes, you should be o.k. with small magnum pistol primers, if you start low and work back up on your powder charges. I used CCI 550 in my Hornet loads for my Contender. If I remember correctly, at max load, the Hornet pressure runs around the same pressure as the 44 Magnum. Not that the 44mag uses the small pistol primers.

July 19, 2010, 10:33 AM	#7
Loader9 Senior Member Join Date: July 29, 2008 Posts: 949	All of the pistol primers made in the USA will have a cup thickness of .017. For a Hornet where you're reaching towards max pressures, you can expect pierced primers. The problem with using a small rifle primer in the small Hornet case is that sometimes the brisance of the primer actually starts the bullet moving before the powder has time to build pressure. This creates odd pressure spikes and accuracy issues. You might try using the Remington 6 1/2 as it is a lower brisance primer more suited for the small cases like the Hornet, 218B, etc. yet has the thicker cup material.

July 19, 2010, 10:47 AM	#8
Magnum Wheel Man Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2006 Location: Southern Minnesota Posts: 9,333	I have some 6.5's... was thinking they were more suited for .223 in semi auto rifles ???? & I had heard that about the Magnum Pistol Primers... BTW... I did not chrony my rifle last time, but several 1" groups at a real 150 yards tells me that I at least those loads were reasonably consistnt __________________ In life you either make dust or eat dust...