22 Hornet Reloading

[dfletcher]

I have a few 22 Hornet rifles and reload. I hear from time to time that using pistol primers instead of rifle gives better accuracy. Does anyone use SP primers in the 22 Hornet and can attribute better accuracy to their use and nothing else?

[Dutch Henry]

I've been loading .22 Hornet for many years. I've always used SR primers, 4227 powder and Sierra bullets in Remington cases. That combination has always given me excellent accuracy in rifle and handgun.

[dfletcher]

I've been loading .22 Hornet for many years. I've always used SR primers, 4227 powder and Sierra bullets in Remington cases. That combination has always given me excellent accuracy in rifle and handgun.

Same here, although I've used Blue Dot along with 4227. I keep reading that using SP primers gives better accuracy. I have a few hundred rounds loaded with SR, just grabbed a bag of 100 new cases and before loading thought I'd give it a try.

[RNE228]

Ken Waters Pet Loads article on 22 Hornet reloading might give you some good info

[Pardini]

I've loaded the hornet with SP primers and have gotten good groups. The last loading session I did with SP magnum primers V Max bullets and lil gun powder and it shoots great groups too. Have not done side by side testing to determine what primer is best, but it's not a huge difference. At least not as far as blowing up squirrels goes.

I've been told by some respectable old timer BR shooters that SP primers are the way to go when loading the hornet. One of the theories is that, due to case capacity and neck tension that the speed/pressure of the SR primer causes the bullets to start moving before the powder starts burning well enough. That causes inconsistencies in the pressure curve which hurts accuracy.