22 hornet reduced squirrel loads

[spook1]

Guys I just got a new CZ 527 in 22 hornet and am in love with this round.  I would like to reload some reduced loads to hunt squirrels with.  I was wondering if anyone has any good reduced loads that will help me get my velocity around 22lr velocities.  Also, any good loads you have for your cz hornet.

Thanks guys,
spook

[coyotejoe]

I don't own a CZ hornet, wish I did, my CZ rimfires are fine rifles, despite the bassackward safeties. A 50 grain flat point cast bullet over 2.0 grains of Red Dot should do about 1000 fps or 3.0 grains of Unique for about 1300 fps. Either of those loads can be enlarged upon if you want more like .22 WMR ballistics.

[Catfish]

Years ago i used a .22 Hornet for squirrels. I never loaded down for them, I shot standard loads, but only head shot them. You`ll have no trouble head shooting squirrels at 75 to 80 yrds. with a good shooting Hornet and good load, but when you start loading is at rim fire velocities you might as well use a rim fire. At least that`s my opinion.

[vanbuzen9]

No need for reduced loads, unless you are worried about noise.  Just load some FMJ's to standard velocity.  I have loaded hornady's 55 gr. FMJ for my encore pistol, and while they win no records for speed, they do shoot right through anything, including squirrels, without making a mess.  Just whatch what is behind your target, as they tend to ricochet very easily if they hit a hard surface at any angle.

As for the "other" squirrels, like the P.O.S red squirrels and woodchucks that keep digging holes in my barns, I bust out the 257 weatherby using the 75gr vmax's loaded to around 3800 fps.  What is left of them after these is not for the faint of heart.

-vanbuzen9

[benchracer]

Check out www.jamescalhoon.com.  He has two articles on his site that deal with reduced loads for 223 varmint rifles.  This same data can easily be adapted for use in the 22 hornet.  A friend of mine did just that using a 22hornet and 60 gr cast lead bullets.  It was a hoot to shoot and shot very accurately.  We figured up the expense involved and decided that it is possible to shoot these reduced loads with cast bullets for very near the same cost as 22LR ammo. 

[muskeg13]

I've gotten the following 50 yd results from my CZ 527 Hornet with 44gr Lyman (225438) gas checked ww cast bullets.  This bullet is a gas checked copy of a .22LR lead round nose.  I used them to shoot a grouse at about 40yds at -30F last winter, so they'll work for squirrels too.  .22LRs don't always work right at those low temps.  As with jacketed bullets, small pistol primers in the Hornet cut the groups in half:

IMR 2400  7.0gr avg 2167fps  0.976" @50@ about 40Deg F  I settled on this load.
H110 7.8gr avg 2127fps  0.986"@50
AA1680  10.4gr not chronographed, but mild 1.359"@50 I rejected this one.

I can get much smaller groups with jacketed bullets at around 2800+ fps, but these would be too destructive for small game.

[Catfish]

I would no shoot Full metal jackets into the air when hunting. They have a tendenisy to ricochet and at Hornet velocities that is just to dangerious for me. Use only soft point or hollow point hunting bullets.

[Larry Gibson]

Spook1

I don't have a CZ Hornet but I have been shooting other Hornets for 35+ years. I have a Ruger #3, 2 TC barrels and a M40 Savage currently.  I don't know what twist you have but that will determine the best reduced load bullet to use. However in 14 & 16" twists a cast 225438 over 2 gr of bulleye runs about 1225-1250 in most rifles and is a very good ".22LR" load.  The blunt nosed Sierra .224 40 gr Hornet bullets over the same 2 gr of Bullseye also do well. I'll caution you not to reduce the load any further as a stuck bullet may result. Actually 2.5 gr is the load I use with the jacketed bullet and it is about 1400 fps. It kills reasonably well but there is no expansion. Noise is about like a .22LR Hyper velocity. 

Larry Gibson

[Old English]

Sierra 45 gr HP with 13gr of Lil'Gun, it's all about shot placement.

[STUMPJMPR]

That looks about as bad as the 17hmr head shots....you better make a head shot or you won't have anything left to eat...

[cooper]

Another bullet you might want to try is the Speer 46 grain jacketed flat nose. 

That's what I use in my Ruger Hornet for squirrels.  Right now I shoot it at about 1700 fps, but I'll be working this summer on other loads to slow it down to around 1200.