Using benchrest powder in a ,22Hornet

ELMOUSMC · June 14, 2016, 01:50 PM

I am wondering if there are any loads that use Benchrest powder in a .22 Hornet and if there are what is the load and how does it perform.Right now I am using 2400-10 grains with 36 grain Hp,or 12 grains of Lil gun with 40 grain FBHP both shoot well but seem to drop out at about 150yds and I am looking to go to 200+ yds ,Any info would be great
thanks in advance
ELMO

Longshot4 · June 14, 2016, 07:05 PM

You have my powder. LilGun is my best choice for 22 K Hornet. Play around with primers. Mine is Rem. #6. My best bullet is the Hornady 35Gr. V-Max.
I'm using a Ruger 77 with some trigger work and working on the stock.

It's a fun cartridge to load. I was never satisfied with the 22 Hornet until I had the barrel reamed to K Hornet.

Marco Califo · June 14, 2016, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Benchrest powder

???

I think you mean Hodgdon's "Benchmark".

I have also heard of an Australian "Bench Mark" (two words) that is NOT the same as Hodgdon's "Benchmark".

ELMOUSMC · June 15, 2016, 10:04 AM

Sorry about the confusion I was talking with someone while I was posting and wrote Bench rest instead of Benchmark, The question remains are there any loads that use's Benchmark powder in the .22 hornet?
ELMO

Longshot4 · June 15, 2016, 10:48 AM

Sounds like you want accuracy beyond 150 yds. from the hornet. Depending on how much accuracy you are looking for. I believe you have fairly good vel. for the Hornet bullets. Although the BC might be holding you back. A higher BC and proper twist might help.

Perhaps a 204 Ruger or a 223 will get you what you need. But the twist and BC will have to be looked at. I use a 222 in a rem. 700 that isn't to bad with a 50gr. bullet at 200 yds.

I am no expert but there are those out there that might be able to help to get you what you want. Try to be more specific.

ELMOUSMC · June 15, 2016, 11:23 AM

I am shooting a Savage md 40 it is a single shot heavy varmint barrel.Up here in N.E. Iowa we have a large population of coyotes and a lot of the shooting is done over large fairly flat farm fields.Iam a .22 Hornet fan I have had several different rifles chambered for the Hornet,For the type of shooting I do the Savage suits me best
The problem I am having is the 36 grain bullets over L'il gun are accurate enough but at 150+ yds Iam not sure of 1 shot kills even with good bullet placement
The 40 grain bullets over 2400 seem to loose velocity and start to drop at 100+ yds.I have loaded some with the L'il gun but the results are less than great on the accuracy side and I was wondering if maybe Benchmark might be the answer to both issues

Dufus · June 15, 2016, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Right now I am using 2400-10 grains with 36 grain Hp,or 12 grains of Lil gun with 40 grain FBHP both shoot well but seem to drop out at about 150yds and I am looking to go to 200+ yds ,Any info would be great
thanks in advance

You will never even get close with Benchmark in the little Hornet case. That powder is way too slow and I would be surprised if you got much over 2100 fps with it.

What rifle are you loading for?

I have bumped my loads to 13.0-13.5 grn. with Lil'Gun. You can't get enough of it in the case to worry about over pressures.

My velocity with the 30 gr Varmint Grenade is 3122 fps 10 shot average.

The design of the Hornet is to shoot not much more than 150 yds. 200 yds is doable, but prolly with a 40-45 grain bullet of some short.

T. O'Heir · June 15, 2016, 12:15 PM

"...seem to drop out at about 150yds..." They would. A 50 grain bullet sighted in at 200 drops 13.2" at 300. 87.8"(bit over 7 feet) at 500. Energy is almost completely gone too. Under 100 ft/lbs. at 300. Way under at 500.
Anyway, I'm not seeing any Benchmark data for the Hornet anywhere. Might be because it wasn't tested, so it might be worth an e-mail to Hodgdon.

ELMOUSMC · June 15, 2016, 01:19 PM

If I had just looked at my powder burn rate chart I could have answered my own questions-I use a lot of benchmark when I load .223s I had a major brain fart and started thinking maybe I could work up a load for the Hornet

ELMO

hornetguy · June 15, 2016, 06:17 PM

I had my best luck with AA1680. I got slightly higher velocities with LilGun, but better accuracy with the AA...

I get approximately the same results with my K-Hornet, just higher velocities.

40gr VMax at about 3200fps, give or take.

50gr TNT at 2800-2900, can't remember for sure.

It would be interesting to check the bore diameter of your Savage.... I THINK that some of those had the .223 dia barrel, instead of the .224.... if yours is one of those, you might get better accuracy with the "hornet" bullets that are .223.... might not. Only one way to find out, though.

**Unclenick** · June 15, 2016, 09:14 PM

ElmoUSMC,

You also answered the why. A flat base 50 grain bullet short enough for the slow twist in the Hornet will have a low ballistic coefficient, so it loses velocity fast after leaving the muzzle. To get to longer ranges you want a higher ballistic coefficient, but this generally will mean more weight and length than either the 14" or 16" twist Hornet barrels can stabilize well, so groups open up. Even shooting my 14" twist 222 Remington I can get really tight groups with anything bigger than a 50 grain flat base. The 52 grain boat tail Sierra MatchKings open up as compared to the shorter flat base.

Longshot4 · June 19, 2016, 09:06 AM

I envy your problem with the coyotes. It sounds like you have a fun old Savage to use. Although if you want to start reaching out to 300 Yds. and more a heavier bullet with higher BC is the trick.

I have found that a 308 will buck the wind much better than my 22 K Hornet or my 222 Rem. A savage with a 243 or one of those 6.5 rounds should make a big deference to buck the wind and be accurate.

Although I suggest you get more in put on them if you want to go that route.

June 14, 2016, 01:50 PM	#1
ELMOUSMC Senior Member Join Date: June 26, 2007 Location: N.E.IOWA Posts: 384	Using benchrest powder in a ,22Hornet I am wondering if there are any loads that use Benchrest powder in a .22 Hornet and if there are what is the load and how does it perform.Right now I am using 2400-10 grains with 36 grain Hp,or 12 grains of Lil gun with 40 grain FBHP both shoot well but seem to drop out at about 150yds and I am looking to go to 200+ yds ,Any info would be great thanks in advance ELMO

June 15, 2016, 10:04 AM	#4
ELMOUSMC Senior Member Join Date: June 26, 2007 Location: N.E.IOWA Posts: 384	OOPS! Sorry about the confusion I was talking with someone while I was posting and wrote Bench rest instead of Benchmark, The question remains are there any loads that use's Benchmark powder in the .22 hornet? ELMO

June 15, 2016, 01:19 PM	#9
ELMOUSMC Senior Member Join Date: June 26, 2007 Location: N.E.IOWA Posts: 384	Thanks all If I had just looked at my powder burn rate chart I could have answered my own questions-I use a lot of benchmark when I load .223s I had a major brain fart and started thinking maybe I could work up a load for the Hornet ELMO

June 15, 2016, 09:14 PM	#11
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,110	ElmoUSMC, You also answered the why. A flat base 50 grain bullet short enough for the slow twist in the Hornet will have a low ballistic coefficient, so it loses velocity fast after leaving the muzzle. To get to longer ranges you want a higher ballistic coefficient, but this generally will mean more weight and length than either the 14" or 16" twist Hornet barrels can stabilize well, so groups open up. Even shooting my 14" twist 222 Remington I can get really tight groups with anything bigger than a 50 grain flat base. The 52 grain boat tail Sierra MatchKings open up as compared to the shorter flat base. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle

June 14, 2016, 07:05 PM	#2
Longshot4 Senior Member Join Date: February 22, 2014 Posts: 868	You have my powder. LilGun is my best choice for 22 K Hornet. Play around with primers. Mine is Rem. #6. My best bullet is the Hornady 35Gr. V-Max. I'm using a Ruger 77 with some trigger work and working on the stock. It's a fun cartridge to load. I was never satisfied with the 22 Hornet until I had the barrel reamed to K Hornet.

June 15, 2016, 10:48 AM	#5
Longshot4 Senior Member Join Date: February 22, 2014 Posts: 868	Sounds like you want accuracy beyond 150 yds. from the hornet. Depending on how much accuracy you are looking for. I believe you have fairly good vel. for the Hornet bullets. Although the BC might be holding you back. A higher BC and proper twist might help. Perhaps a 204 Ruger or a 223 will get you what you need. But the twist and BC will have to be looked at. I use a 222 in a rem. 700 that isn't to bad with a 50gr. bullet at 200 yds. I am no expert but there are those out there that might be able to help to get you what you want. Try to be more specific.

June 15, 2016, 11:23 AM	#6
ELMOUSMC Senior Member Join Date: June 26, 2007 Location: N.E.IOWA Posts: 384	Clearing up the question I am shooting a Savage md 40 it is a single shot heavy varmint barrel.Up here in N.E. Iowa we have a large population of coyotes and a lot of the shooting is done over large fairly flat farm fields.Iam a .22 Hornet fan I have had several different rifles chambered for the Hornet,For the type of shooting I do the Savage suits me best The problem I am having is the 36 grain bullets over L'il gun are accurate enough but at 150+ yds Iam not sure of 1 shot kills even with good bullet placement The 40 grain bullets over 2400 seem to loose velocity and start to drop at 100+ yds.I have loaded some with the L'il gun but the results are less than great on the accuracy side and I was wondering if maybe Benchmark might be the answer to both issues

June 15, 2016, 12:15 PM	#8
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	"...seem to drop out at about 150yds..." They would. A 50 grain bullet sighted in at 200 drops 13.2" at 300. 87.8"(bit over 7 feet) at 500. Energy is almost completely gone too. Under 100 ft/lbs. at 300. Way under at 500. Anyway, I'm not seeing any Benchmark data for the Hornet anywhere. Might be because it wasn't tested, so it might be worth an e-mail to Hodgdon.

June 15, 2016, 06:17 PM	#10
hornetguy Senior Member Join Date: January 14, 2011 Location: on the north side of DFW Posts: 970	I had my best luck with AA1680. I got slightly higher velocities with LilGun, but better accuracy with the AA... I get approximately the same results with my K-Hornet, just higher velocities. 40gr VMax at about 3200fps, give or take. 50gr TNT at 2800-2900, can't remember for sure. It would be interesting to check the bore diameter of your Savage.... I THINK that some of those had the .223 dia barrel, instead of the .224.... if yours is one of those, you might get better accuracy with the "hornet" bullets that are .223.... might not. Only one way to find out, though.

June 19, 2016, 09:06 AM	#12
Longshot4 Senior Member Join Date: February 22, 2014 Posts: 868	I envy your problem with the coyotes. It sounds like you have a fun old Savage to use. Although if you want to start reaching out to 300 Yds. and more a heavier bullet with higher BC is the trick. I have found that a 308 will buck the wind much better than my 22 K Hornet or my 222 Rem. A savage with a 243 or one of those 6.5 rounds should make a big deference to buck the wind and be accurate. Although I suggest you get more in put on them if you want to go that route.