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Gunsmithing Need help 22 hornet build

cruizer

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Feb 4, 2009
387
3
48
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I have a single shot 22 hornet that I really like. Quiet, no recoil, cheap to load for and accurate.

I want a bolt action 22 hornet. May go k hornet.
I'd be interested is 221 fireball if it would make it easier to build as a repeater and not be any louder than a k hornet

Are there any issues I building a repeater on a rimmed case?
I am looking at a 700 or 700 based action. 16-18" barrel.

Any opinions appreciated!
 
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Building a 700 in a Hornet sounds like quite a challenge, it's not something Remington ever did to my knowledge. If you have ever seen what Winchester had to do to the pre-64 M70 to chamber this caliber you will have a better appreciation for the difficulty. If you are set on a Hornet based case I would look for an action sized for it. I think Ruger, CZ and Savage are the only companies currently ch,averting that round in repeaters, Sako and Anshutz have built them in the past.
 
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Look at the CZ 527 Hornet..........best accuracy out of any that SharpsNitro mentioned. Most people are very surprised how well the stock CZ hornet shoots ( detachable clip magazine, also ).
 
Ditto CZ, Ruger's are just too much of a crap shoot. I have both, and the CZ has really opened my eyes to how accurate this old "obsolete" cartridge can be. The Ruger never grouped better than 1.5" @100. The CZ; .5" all day long...
 
I would buy a CZ 22 hornet and have it reamed to a Kilborn Hornet, The performance is improoved but the best thing about the K hornet is that you wont have to trim brass nearly as often.
 
Are there any issues I building a repeater on a rimmed case?

Like you said, a fireball would probably be easier. The problem with a rimmed case repeater is the magazine. It has been done but it may be pretty tricky to get an existing hornet magazine to work on a 700. BTW, a 700 is way overkill for a hornet. I'd suggest looking into the smaller bolt actions available. I have a cooper M38 in hornet that I really like.

Another round I really like is the 22 spitfire. This is the 30 carbine necked down to 22. It has many of the advantages of the hornet, plus lots of magazine options. If you really want to be unique you can run the spitfire reamer in short. This has the effect of reducing the case capacity to slightly more than the K-hornet but lets you fit long pointy bullets in the 30 carbine magazines. I think this is a nice PD setup, a small bolt action rifle with a 30-round carbine magazine. It's not loud, expensive, hot, doesn't beat you up, etc... I've attached a picture of some small rounds up to the 223, and you can see what I'm talking about with the 22 spitfire, the short version, and a 30 carbine for reference.
 

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