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Post by Bullshop on Dec 10, 2015 17:14:57 GMT -7
The new to me hornet rifle arrived today and to say it is not at all a disappointment is an understatement. I will get someone to help me get up a couple pics but for now I will just describe it. It is built on a Krag action expertly converted to single shot. It is in a handsome sporter stock very nicely finished accept for the ventilate shotgun type butt pad. The metal is a very highly polished deep blued finish that looks like new. The barrel looks to be about 24" and is what I will call a magnum sporter taper. The bore looks perfect. It is set up with period Weaver side mount hardware with a Weaver K-6 mounted all appearing to be in about as new condition. Now get this it is fit with double set triggers that work perfectly. Wow a Krag action with set triggers! I had about an hour before dark when it got here so had just enough time to shoot up some odds and ends ammo I had left over from hornets past. One small batch of ammo was loaded with a 50gn swaged bullet using 22 RF case jackets. There was no load card with the ammo so don't know what the powder load was. These shot at about 1.5" at 100 yards. Next up was a few rounds that looked to be loaded with the NEI #2 design about a 45gn FNGC. This also had no load card so again don't know the powder or load. Of the seven I had these went into a vertical of about .75" by a horizontal of about 1.5". There was a serious gusting side wind blowing so that looked pretty darn good to me. The cast load seemed like quite a light load and shot about 8" lower than the swaged bullet load. This first try with haven't got a clue ammo showed great potential and I feel confident I will find some loads this rifle will excel with. Once again I am a happy hornet guy! |
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Post by Junior on Dec 10, 2015 21:46:55 GMT -7
Does this mean I can have my 25/20 back?
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Post by Bullshop on Dec 11, 2015 7:03:01 GMT -7
Your funny!
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urny
Bullet Head
Posts: 39 
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Post by urny on Dec 11, 2015 11:13:14 GMT -7
Congratulations on getting the new rifle in. Looking forward to pictures and further details as the shooting progresses.
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Post by Bullshop on Dec 11, 2015 12:25:58 GMT -7
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Post by scootershooter on Dec 11, 2015 20:58:24 GMT -7
Dan bet you have a blast with that!
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Post by Junior on Dec 11, 2015 21:13:39 GMT -7
That is a beauty.
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Post by Bullshop on Dec 11, 2015 21:52:18 GMT -7
I took some time to have some fun with it today. That set trigger is sweeeeet! I managed to work my way through two powders and two bullets. The sweet spot for these was,
11gn WC-680 with the NEI #2 at 48gn fngc RP 1 1/2 SP spark
12.5 gn AA#2200 with the RCBS 55 SPT-GC (actual weight 59gn) CCI#550 spm
I have several other mid weight bullets to try before I claim a favorite. While I was working up these loads there were a couple rabbits in the garden so when everything was working got my first shots at game. With the 59gn rcbs load at maybe 65 yards two shots resulted in two head shot rabbits. A magpie that thought he struck pay dirt was the third victim in three shots. The magpie was an off hand shot, did I mention how sweet that set trigger is for off hand shooting.
I swapped over the powder drop with SR 7625 so the next testing will be with PB bullets at 22 special velocities.
50gn pb bullets at 1400 fps or so will be good for small game and a little cheaper to shoot without gas checks.
I have several cast designs and powders on hand to try but none of one of my favorite hornet powders REL#7
The AA2200 I used today I guestimate in burn rate between REL#7 and 3031. It is maybe a bit too slow for the hornet case. I was compressing the charge and had to go with the magnum pistol primer because the very low brisance of the Rem 1 1/2 was giving inconsistent ignition that was easily detectable by the varying sound of the rifles report.
Accuracy so far is good but until I have more time in with this gun I wont make any claims other than good. I think maybe the RCBS design is a wee bit too long for this barrel because I think I might be seeing a little wiggle in the bullet holes, maybe. That design has a lot of unsupported weight in the nose so maybe another more compact design is in order something like the 55gn Ranch Dog or a 55gn CBE design I like really well.
So far I like what I got and Lord willing have a hole lot more shooting to do with it to get it really well figured out.
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Post by Bullshop on Dec 12, 2015 10:42:41 GMT -7
Yesterday evening I found a couple small stashes of more hornet ammo. This time one did contain a load card. This load shot pleasingly well and consists of,
55gn CBE @ .226"
6.3gn old Hercules 2400
Federal #100 SP primer
This load seemed to not show any sigh of tipping on paper which seems to confirm my earlier assertion of a slightly more compact de4sign than the RCBS being needed for this barrel. This also seems to confirm my even earlier assertion that this barrel will most likely have a 1/16" twist.
That's fine by me because if it tolerates the 55gn CBE design I am all in with that being the heaviest bullet it will dependably shoot well.
It was shooting the longer RCBS design well but with signs of tipping I never expect dependable accuracy. Considering though that I am shooting in temps in the mid 20s the results may be quite different in summer temps.
The other small lot of ammo found yesterday consisted of 7 rounds loaded with what appears to be a light jacketed hollow point bullet. I say appears to be light weight because of the very short ogive ending at a very wide hollow point. These bullets are molly coated and I cant for the life of me remember them or identify them. There were only 7 so I just decided to shoot one group with all 7. These all clustered nicely into a tight little 100 yard group but unfortunately there was no load card with these.
I had no plan to try jacketed bullets in this rifle but with the grouping of these few rounds well you know plans change.
I have a long way to go with this new rifle but in the short time and few rounds fired I can say I am more than well pleased with it. It is such a classic fine example of gunsmith craftsmanship from the depression era.
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Post by Bullshop on Dec 13, 2015 12:00:33 GMT -7
Yup its a keeper!
Yesterday at waning light I managed to find time to squeeze off a few groups with some non gas check bullets. I am pleased with the results. Setting the powder drop to throw 3.5gn IMR- SR 7625 I tried three different gas check design bullets but without the gas checks. These bullets were The Lyman 225107, 35gn, NEI #2 45gn, and the Ranch Dog 52gn design.
All three designs shot pleasingly tight groups at 50 yards. I test these 22 LR duplication type loads at 50 yards because that is about the max range I expect to use them. This powder charge should be pushing these along at about 1400 fps so all three will better the energy of the 22 LR high velocity load with a 40gn bullet at 1330 fps from a rifle. I have in the past chronographed the 22 LR HV at 1330 fps from rifle and 900 fps from 6" revolver barrel.
I didn't have any PB design bullets cast so am anxious to try some of those. The one I look forward to trying is the same RCBS design tried in the first go round used with gas checks but on another identical mold I have had the gas check shank milled off resulting in a 50gn plain base bullet.
The gas check version that was maybe showing some small degree of tipping on paper at 100 yards shortened by the length of the check shank should eliminate any tipping. This shortened PB version should be perfect for this rifle. I have another mold so converted in the old Lyman 60gn RNGC that now produces a 50gn rnpb bullet. A third mold so converted is the Lee Bator which now produces a PB bullet of about 40gn. Of the three I especially look forward to trying the RCBS design. If I expect to do so I had better get to casting so more on this later.
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Post by Bullshop on Dec 15, 2015 18:45:06 GMT -7
Went for a little walk this evening with the new hornet. I worked out a load with the Ranch Dog bullet minus the gas check that groups consistently minute of rabbit head at 50 yards so tried it for some of same duty. Four shots and four rabbits. Head shots for the most part but two were angling shots that took one shoulder with it. Those Ranch Dog bullets are very effective on game even at the sedate velocity of about 1400 fps this load using 3.7gn IMR SR 7625 is producing. Well the best part is the hind legs and back so I wont get too upset about loosing a couple front legs. Those RD bullets must be about 80% meplate so give quite an audible smack when they connect.
This rifle built on a Krag sporter converted to 22 hornet is not a light weight rifle like many hornet rifles are. Its stock is quite beefy and very hand filling both at the wrist and forend. For me this seems to help steadying the rifle in field shooting positions. Tonight's shooting was kneeling for three shots and a fence post rest for one shot. All shots were between 35 to 50 yards or there about.
In the short time I have had this rifle it has now accounted for somewhere around 14 rabbits all with cast bullets of course. I may at some point desire to learn how accurate this rifle is with jacketed bullets of proper length for its twist but before that I still have a whole bunch to learn about it shooting cast bullets.
I am really glad I was allowed to get this rifle for several reasons. One is that I have admired the Krag conversion to hornet for many years and have only ever even seen just a couple. I very much admire good gunsmithing and having rifles that are just different than the norm. I have from the very first time I fired a hornet rifle been an admirer of the cartridge. And a big pluss to getting another hornet rifle is the fact that I had a stash of between 500 and 1000 hornet cases and something like 15 or so 22 cal molds. With all that why hold back right? Anyway your likely already getting tired of hearing about my new hornet but be warned I am not yet nearly done gloating about it.
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Post by cz93x62 on Dec 16, 2015 10:07:16 GMT -7
Gloat on, Dan! I will be just as bad once I get the ammo mill up and running here, have a number of rifles/calibers to get re-acquainted with after 18 months of hiatus. Hoping to finish the build before leaving 12/21 for Seattle and Christmas with the kids and grandkids.
FWIW, my #3 Ruger in 22 Hornet has a 6x Redfield mounted, and it has turned out to be well-nigh perfect for the cartridge and its ranging capabilities. I haven't put it on paper past 200 yards, but it did raise Sheol with some iron 12" cutouts at 300 yards using J-words (Speer 45 grain SPs) atop AA-1680 and Alliant 2400. This seems to be its go-to bullet so far, and its former owner mentioned 35 grain Hornadys as being well-digested also. Those latter pills have been unobtainium since acquiring the rifle, though. Not real sure I want to perform all of the gymnastics I went through with #225438 to get 1.4"-1.7" at 100 yards at 2400 FPS. If I can slow things down to 1600 FPS and get decent grouping with eyeballed bullets (as opposed to scaling them), that might be a better pay-off in terms of time investment. That is what I did with the 223 bolter and eyeballed RCBS 22-55-SP, ~1700 FPS in a 1-9" twist and 5-shotters consistently ~1.25"-1.5" at 100.
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Post by Bullshop on Dec 16, 2015 12:02:30 GMT -7
Al
Did you see the pics I posted yesterday on the ask BS a question forum? Not a tweaked load just a load but only at 50 yards is good enough for small game
I like the 6X for a hornet rifle but with the K-6 on mine parallax at 50 yards is pretty bad. At 100 yards not so. Since this gun will be used more with 22 LR type loads for small game I would rather it be parallax free at 50 yards than at 100.
On my Marlin 25/20 rests a Lyman all American 4x with fine dot reticle. Parallax setting on that scope is closer to 50 yards so eye position is not so critical with that. I mostly shoot the same type of loads in that rifle 80gn bullets at about 1400 fps. It accounted for at the very least 100 gophers last year in a daily effort to keep them out of my garden. That is also what the rabbit elimination is about though we enjoy eating rabbit.
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