# 22 hornet



## old skunk (Aug 14, 2012)

Hey guys, I'm thinking about getting a 22 hornet for my younger son to hunt with. Any suggestions or comments? and would it be good for coyote


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## poe (Feb 10, 2010)

yes it is a good short range coyote gun but I also think there are better options like the .223 or.204. Im sure your son would also have no trouble with 22-250 to but if your not shooting past 2 or 300 yards I would say .223 would be my top choice. .223 is also cheap to shoot so your kid can do lots of practising without costing u to much.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

I agree with poe, the Hornet is fairly outdated and ammo ain't cheap. If you reload i bet brass is hard to come by as well. 223 ammo is as cheap as it gets and is everywhere. Not to mention it will outperform the Hornet by 500 fps or better which makes it much flatter shooting. And remember if you're buying an older Hornet they take a .223 diameter bullet where the newer ones will use the more popular and readily available .224 diameter. So be careful if you are buying a used one.


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## Bossdog (Feb 3, 2012)

Yea I seen a box of Hornet shells the other day at the gun store for $53!! Even if it's 50 shells it's still extremely high sounding when compared to others. Like you said it's not exactly the flattest shooting round.


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## Scotty D. (Feb 23, 2012)

I've got a .22 K-Hornet barrel on my T/C Contender....I love it!!!! It really fills the gap between my rimfires & my .204...

It'll be my "go to" round come fox/raccoon calling season because of it's pelt-saving qualities... Good enough for yotes out to150 yds, IMHO....

The dies were expensive for the K-Hornet & I had to wait 6 mos. for Mike Bellm to rechamber it from my .22LR barrel, but it's worth it...Accurate lil' devil & fun to shoot...It's a terror on whistle pigs


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## Antlerz22 (Apr 18, 2011)

Scotty D. said:


> I've got a .22 K-Hornet barrel on my T/C Contender....I love it!!!! It really fills the gap between my rimfires & my .204...
> 
> It'll be my "go to" round come fox/raccoon calling season because of it's pelt-saving qualities... Good enough for yotes out to150 yds, IMHO....
> 
> The dies were expensive for the K-Hornet & I had to wait 6 mos. for Mike Bellm to rechamber it from my .22LR barrel, but it's worth it...Accurate lil' devil & fun to shoot...It's a terror on whistle pigs


 Never heard of it till now, so I researched it and found a really good write -up and detailed history-so heres the link. Also if you reload it has really good info on that as well! http://www.handgunhunt.com/feature/s4/index.html


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

Nothing wrong with the Hornet; I have three of them. Like any cartridge, there are tradeoffs and everything said above is true.

For shots to 150 yards, it's good but not an inherent tack driver. At normal velociites and with 45-grain Hornet bullets, bullets don't exit small critters such as groundhogs but kills 'em dead as can be. Brass is a bit fragile but will last a long time, as long as velocities are not pushed beyond nornal. Once the brass is purchased, and again if you handload, powder charges are much less than other high-stepping .22s and therefore quite inexpensive to load/shoot. There is *no inexpensive factory ammo* and it's all because of supply and demand. Depending on your son's age and size, the Hornet could be a better choice for the noise factor, although ear protection makes it irrelevant compared to others mentioned. It also may be a better choice if you are doing any shooting where neighbors may become upset at noise, because it's quieter than all the others mentioned above.

In summary, the Hornet still has its place but you have to understand its limitations. Just don't expect it to be a do-it-all cartridge.


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