small game bullets for 22 hornet & fireball

1

1happyshooter

New member
Just wondering what opinions or preferably experience you have had using various bullets on small game (rabbit, squirrel) in either 22 hornet or 221 fireball.
 
In my 22K Hornet Ive tried 35,40, Vmax and 40 Nos Bt's, on Jacks less than 100 yds they tore em up pretty good. Good Shot placement may save you some Game.
 
You might look at something in a cast bullet. A squirrel and a prairie dog are fairly close in size, and a 40gr. NBT will make mist out of a PD with my fireball ( 150 or closer ). Even if you did want to eat it, there ain't much left.
 
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Been wanting t play with this theory for years myself, and have yet to actually do it [beeep]. Here in PA, we have a number of seasons overlap, and I have 2 combo guns in 222/12 ga that I would like to work up small game and longer range rounds for turkeys and such in the fall.

Reduced loads, Blue dot loads, fast powder/slow velocity loads all lead this way. In bullets, cast (as mentioned above), fmj's, reversed bullets (yes, it's actually been tried to load an inexpensive fmj bullet backwards with a "reduced" load to increase frontal area for shorter ranges - not sure on this one!), heavier duty bullets (thicker jacket/low expansion), etc. all have attractions and detractors. In general, find a load listed in the manuals as safe, slower than normal for cartridge in speed is generally desirable, and load with a low expansion bullet. Load within safe book parameters for accuracy.

Generally, if you can find an inexpensive, yet accurate bullet, in your gun, that is not plastic tipped or hollow pointed, slow it down to maybe 22 mag velocities, and get accuracy, you got it. FMJ's should act similar to cast bullets in .22 cal's for very small game such as squirrels and rabbits. That said, I still think gray squirrels are one of the toughest animals on the planet, pound for pound! Sometimes they just don't realize that they are dead yet. The points can be reworked with a meplat device if desired.

I believe a bunch of the guys on castboolits.com have played with this.

Now let us know what you find out.
 
35grain Vmax is awesome out of my 218Bee. I use Hodgdon's starting load of LiL Gun over a CCI-BR-4 for my Squirrel load. I have not run it across my chrono yet but the combo is very accurate.
 
Originally Posted By: DLJ635grain Vmax is awesome out of my 218Bee. I use Hodgdon's starting load of LiL Gun over a CCI-BR-4 for my Squirrel load. I have not run it across my chrono yet but the combo is very accurate.

What damage do you have from that loading on small game, DL??? Intriguing if is doesn't blow 'em up!
 
[/quote]What damage do you have from that loading on small game, DL??? Intriguing if is doesn't blow 'em up! [/quote]

Dont hold on any part you intend to eat....and sometimes skinning is a bit difficult.
 
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I use 45 hornady "Hornet" sp bullets over a max dose of Lil' gun. It always has exited on jack rabbits and badgers. I doubt there is a real good combo for small game hunting with the 22 hornet unless possibly using a heavier bullet with a heavier jacket but that would cost a lot more than a 22 LR which is just about perfect.
 


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