.22 Ackley Improved Hornet Reloading Questions

UncleGrumpy · August 10, 2012, 08:28 AM

Hi,

I am about to get my hands on a .22 Ackley Improved Hornet. I have been looking for die sets or reloading info without any luck.

I am currently looking for answers for the following questions.

1. Does this round head space on the case shoulder or is it the rim of the case?

2. What is the procedure in reloading this round. My thoughts are:

Fire form .22 Hornet
Neck size case with std .22 neck die
Throw away case after every 2 or 3 shots.

3. Is the rifle accurate firing the std hornet cartridge?

4. Is the powder info listed for the K Hornet usable for the Ackley Improved.

Thanks for any assistance.

jaguarxk120 · August 10, 2012, 08:59 AM

I have looked in my Ackley books Vol. 1 and 2, cannot find any reference to a Ackley improved 22 Hornet.
Chances are it is a 22 Hornet rechambered to 22K Hornet. The only way to find out what you have is to compare fired case's or a chamber cast.
I think the seller is trying to make the rifle sound better than a 22K and is using the Ackley name.

Ideal Tool · August 10, 2012, 07:37 PM

Hello, UncleGrumpy. I am sorry I can't help on your Ackley Hornet...However, I do have an Ackley .22 Bee. I have this chambered in a Shillen barreled customized Australian cadet. Now when the chamber reamer arrived from Pacific Tool, I didn't care for the short neck..thinking of possibility of shooting cast bullets in future. So I had them push neck back to original Win. .218 bee length.
I headspace off case rim, I use start loads for std. .Win. 218 Bee.
I am confused about your thinking of throwing away brass after only 3 shots. I have a std. .22 Hornet..which "everyone" knows eats brass alive..what with that 5 deg. shoulder..this is in an original Sharps-Borchardt action. Shillen chambered this one with minimum dimensions & very tight headspace (asked Ed to build as if it were a bench-rest gun). I am still using same RWS Hornet brass now for over 10 years. If action locks up tight..& chambered close..and you don't "hot-rod" it..those cases should last a very long time.

impalacustom · August 10, 2012, 08:23 PM

All AH's (17,20,22) headspace off the neck. Keep a crush fit and you won't have brass problems, also annealing after about the 4th or 5th firing.

Get 22 Hornet brass, anneal, fire form, resize, don't push the shoulder back, load and shoot. As long as you keep the headspace tight you can hot rod it and not have problems with head separation. Split necks are more common.

hornetguy · August 11, 2012, 11:40 AM

Interesting post. I shoot the K-Hornet, and have always worked on the assumption that it headspaces on the rim, just like the regular Hornet. I can't speak to the AI Hornet.

Check the Redding website, they might make dies for the Ackley Hornet. They won't be cheap.

Oh.. forgot. I fireform my brass using my standard load for the 40gr hp bullet I shoot as a fun load. Probably around 2500-2600 fps, IIRC. Accuracy is as good as with the fireformed brass, no need to worry there.

UncleGrumpy · August 16, 2012, 08:25 AM

Thanks for your replies.

I haven't found any dies (or much else info) on the .22 hornet AI. I guess I follow impalacustom's advice as far as treating the brass.

I was also of the opinion that every rimmed case was headspaced off the rim.

Do I use the standard .22 hornet neck sizing and seating die?

cheers

hornetguy · August 16, 2012, 10:00 AM

I imagine you can.. I do that on my K-Hornet.

August 10, 2012, 08:28 AM	#1
UncleGrumpy Member Join Date: March 10, 2012 Posts: 42	.22 Ackley Improved Hornet Reloading Questions Hi, I am about to get my hands on a .22 Ackley Improved Hornet. I have been looking for die sets or reloading info without any luck. I am currently looking for answers for the following questions. 1. Does this round head space on the case shoulder or is it the rim of the case? 2. What is the procedure in reloading this round. My thoughts are: Fire form .22 Hornet Neck size case with std .22 neck die Throw away case after every 2 or 3 shots. 3. Is the rifle accurate firing the std hornet cartridge? 4. Is the powder info listed for the K Hornet usable for the Ackley Improved. Thanks for any assistance.

August 11, 2012, 11:40 AM	#5
hornetguy Senior Member Join Date: January 14, 2011 Location: on the north side of DFW Posts: 970	Interesting post. I shoot the K-Hornet, and have always worked on the assumption that it headspaces on the rim, just like the regular Hornet. I can't speak to the AI Hornet. Check the Redding website, they might make dies for the Ackley Hornet. They won't be cheap. Oh.. forgot. I fireform my brass using my standard load for the 40gr hp bullet I shoot as a fun load. Probably around 2500-2600 fps, IIRC. Accuracy is as good as with the fireformed brass, no need to worry there. __________________ I always felt that if I got to the point where I thought it was time to bury my firearms, it was actually time to pick them up..

August 16, 2012, 10:00 AM	#7
hornetguy Senior Member Join Date: January 14, 2011 Location: on the north side of DFW Posts: 970	I imagine you can.. I do that on my K-Hornet. __________________ I always felt that if I got to the point where I thought it was time to bury my firearms, it was actually time to pick them up..

August 10, 2012, 08:59 AM	#2
jaguarxk120 Senior Member Join Date: February 28, 2008 Location: Michigan Posts: 2,620	I have looked in my Ackley books Vol. 1 and 2, cannot find any reference to a Ackley improved 22 Hornet. Chances are it is a 22 Hornet rechambered to 22K Hornet. The only way to find out what you have is to compare fired case's or a chamber cast. I think the seller is trying to make the rifle sound better than a 22K and is using the Ackley name.

August 10, 2012, 07:37 PM	#3
Ideal Tool Junior member Join Date: October 6, 2010 Location: Michigan Posts: 1,080	Hello, UncleGrumpy. I am sorry I can't help on your Ackley Hornet...However, I do have an Ackley .22 Bee. I have this chambered in a Shillen barreled customized Australian cadet. Now when the chamber reamer arrived from Pacific Tool, I didn't care for the short neck..thinking of possibility of shooting cast bullets in future. So I had them push neck back to original Win. .218 bee length. I headspace off case rim, I use start loads for std. .Win. 218 Bee. I am confused about your thinking of throwing away brass after only 3 shots. I have a std. .22 Hornet..which "everyone" knows eats brass alive..what with that 5 deg. shoulder..this is in an original Sharps-Borchardt action. Shillen chambered this one with minimum dimensions & very tight headspace (asked Ed to build as if it were a bench-rest gun). I am still using same RWS Hornet brass now for over 10 years. If action locks up tight..& chambered close..and you don't "hot-rod" it..those cases should last a very long time.

August 10, 2012, 08:23 PM	#4
impalacustom Senior Member Join Date: January 26, 2009 Posts: 492	All AH's (17,20,22) headspace off the neck. Keep a crush fit and you won't have brass problems, also annealing after about the 4th or 5th firing. Get 22 Hornet brass, anneal, fire form, resize, don't push the shoulder back, load and shoot. As long as you keep the headspace tight you can hot rod it and not have problems with head separation. Split necks are more common.

August 16, 2012, 08:25 AM	#6
UncleGrumpy Member Join Date: March 10, 2012 Posts: 42	Thanks for your replies. I haven't found any dies (or much else info) on the .22 hornet AI. I guess I follow impalacustom's advice as far as treating the brass. I was also of the opinion that every rimmed case was headspaced off the rim. Do I use the standard .22 hornet neck sizing and seating die? cheers