22 hornet and LIL gun

stanimals2

stanimals2

New member
I have seen several recipies that say they are using 12.5 to 13 grains of LIlgun in thier hornet loads, I can hardly get 12 grains in and have room to seat the bullet. Am I missing something ?

Thanks, Stan
 
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I just loaded 12.9grs of lil-gun in Win cases(seated 50gr Midway Dog town bullets) and there is not much room left . Both my Hornets ar Single Shots so I can seat the bullets out a little but these are compressed charges. Put a bullet on and see if you can seat it .
 
Well I use 13gr also, but I only neck size my cases, that helps a little!!
13gr of lil gun will fill my cases to about .05 from the top of the case, then I put my finger over the case and GENTLY tap the case a few times on my bench, this will settle the powder down a bit. After I tap my case a few times the powder is about 1/8 of a inch from the top!!
It is going to be a compressed load!!! Seat the bullet and you should be good to go!! I also adjust my seater die to do a light roll crimp (light)!!
I'm using Win cases!
3000fps on a 40gr bt....thats pretty impressive out of a little Hornet!!!
Busting eggs at 250yds....THATS FUN!!!
 
I use a RCBS funnel kit with a four inch drop tube and 17 caliber adapter, it will let you get 13 grains of Lil Gun in a hornet case. I have found best accuaracy at 13.2 grains and a 40 grain Sierra hornet bullet.
 
Some people are stuffing 14gr in thier case from the loads I have found posted. They also are using rem brass as it has a .5gr more room in it. Blackhawk43 discribed how most are getting the extra powder in the case.
 
Fill the case full and seat the bullet!

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Just joking!

I can get about 1/10 gr. more in R-P brass than I can in W-W's.
 
I loaded 6 rounds today just to see how well it worked. I loaded them with 12.5 grains in Remmington cases and while it was hard to get an exact level of the powder in the case it looked to me like if you seat the 35 gr. Hornady at max OAL of 1.723 it has to be compressing the powder. Wont that raise the pressure significantly ?

Stan
 
I'm shooting 13.2 with the 35gr V-MAX and 13.0 with Sierra's 40gr SP, all with Rem 6 1/2 primers. I follow just the regular book COL for the Sierra's. For the 35 V-MAX, I think I bumped it out a bit to like 1.735.
 
stanimals2 it depends on many variables but with little gun the pressure is way low in a hornet case. I think it is about 1/2 what most other powders are in the hornet. Im trying to track down some lilgun so i can give it a try. From every thing I have found most are using 13-14gr in thier hornets. You might try some vn110 in your ruger. The 2 rugers i have had and the my cz hornet all have shot very well with it. If I wasnt moving up the 40gr vmax I would keep using vn110.
 
I think that it would be hard to stuff enough little gun in the case to have bad pressure sighs, I use 12.5 grns of lilgun in Winchester case's, topped with a 34 Varmint Exterminator. once the powder is dumped into the case I put my thumb over the top and gently shake the case back and forth a few times. that seems to settle the powder down a little. top with bullet and move on. One note. I pulled a bullet after a week to see how bad it compressed the powder, it compressed it a lot and I had to dig at the powder with a tooth pic to get it to loosen up and dump. with this load I am able to put 20 shots in 1 inch at 100 yds. and its pretty devastating on little critters
 
I found a pound of lilgun today so I bought it and loaded up some test rounds. I loaded 13 13.2 & 13.5 and shot them across the chrony. they where pretty full cases and all of them where compressed loads. Not one of them showed any pressure signs. i was using 40gr vmax moly coated. the 13.5 ran over it at 3025-3050fps for 10 shots. Now I will have to test for accuracey this weekend.
 
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drop tube will help out finger on top of case and tapping side will settle as stated above my hornets really like little gun Ron
 
Originally Posted By: sac4I found a pound of lilgun today so I bought it and loaded up some test rounds. I loaded 13 13.2 & 13.5 and shot them across the chrony. they where pretty full cases and all of them where compressed loads. Not one of them showed any pressure signs. i was using 40gr vmax moly coated. the 13.5 ran over it at 3025-3050fps for 10 shots. Now I will have to test for accuracey this weekend.

That's real good velocity you're getting with the Hornet.
My best load for two Hornet rifless is 13.0 grains of Lil-Gun, the 45 grain Sierra Hornet bullets and FED Small Pistol Primers. I can drop 3 shots in 1/2" to 3/4" groups at 100 yards, on a good day..
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I tried every available bullet in the 36 grain to 45 grain weights, and the only one that shot consistently good was the 45 Sierra. Unfortunately, none of the pointy nose bullets shot good. I really wanted to use some of those FINE 40 grain Blitz, Hornady and Nosler bullets. But, my rifle did the talkin'.
In my cases, which are Win's, I can get 14.2 grains of Lil-Gun in them. But, above 13.0 grains, accuracy dropped off badly.
As mentioned earlier in this thread, I don't think you can cram too much Lil-Gun Powder in Hornet cases with bullets 45 grains and under, and have a pressure problem., One guy I know does exactly like someone stated above; he just fills the case full, and seats a bullet for his Hornet.
 
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