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  #1  
Old 09-13-2019, 06:48 PM
Centerfire Centerfire is offline
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Default Anybody own a Hornet repeater capable of doing 1/2" groups?

I don't hunt and mostly just enjoy shooting tight cluster groups on paper at 100 yards with my 24X scope. In particular, I've been dreaming about a 20 K-Hornet in a varmint-sporter barreled rifle. (Maybe a tapered varmint barrel not too heavy & bulky)

The gun MUST be a repeater or I will not buy it or own it. (yes, it's just my personal shtick & I've nothing against you guys that own a single shot Cooper, or etc) Just like with my Rem 700's, what I like to do is feed my handloads into the chamber individually, even though the rifle has a magazine. So, it seems to me that a CZ is the likely candidate for a custom barrel project. Yes? I know I'm not going to find a whole lot of you that own a repeater in a 20 cal K Hornet. So, if any of you guys own a Hornet or K Hornet in 17 or 22 cal too I'd love to hear about it. Which Hornet cartridge is it, which repeater donor rifle did you use, barrel, dies, twists, etc. Who smithed it, and what bullets and kind of accuracy do you get?

Any info and detail you'd like to provide would be greatly appreciated.
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  #2  
Old 09-13-2019, 07:13 PM
orkan orkan is offline
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I have two CZ427's in 17 hornet. One American and one Varmint. The American is sitting in an HS Precision stock, not bedded. The Varmint is bedded into a boyds pro varmint.

Just put the first 100rnds through the varmint on paper today, and it's good for about 1moa using factory 20gr loads. The American with the same ammo is only marginally better, if not the same. Either rifle will string 2 or 3 into one hole, but then the next shot will land 3/4 to 1moa away. Perhaps with handloads it will be able to shrink this down some, but I have another couple thousand rounds of factory ammo to shoot up yet.

With .17cal holes 3/4moa or so at 100yds... it looks decidedly unimpressive.

Last edited by orkan; 09-13-2019 at 07:16 PM.
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  #3  
Old 09-13-2019, 09:26 PM
Bills Shed Bills Shed is offline
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Default 17 and 22

I have both the 17H and 22H in 527 American.
The 17 shoots the tighter groups if that is your thing.
17gn home swaged projectile 10.1gn of AR2205, federal SR primer,
20gn zmax shoot pretty good as well same load of powder.

Bill
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Old 09-13-2019, 10:05 PM
Centerfire Centerfire is offline
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I had never gotten over Remington discontinuing the 5mm 592M. As a young man this was the only rifle I ever owned at that time,(rimfire or centerfire), that on a sandbag could put 5 shots into 3/4" at 100 yards....and with my cheap Bushnell 4x-7x .22 scope! And I was amazed at the $75 price I paid for it at the time. Even in 1976, $75 wasn't a whole lot of money. LOL. I reluctantly dumped the rifle in disgust in the 1980's when Rem discontinued the ammo 10 years later. I've been trying to replace it with a suitable centerfire substitute ever since. I enjoy being able to fire a rifle that makes little noise and recoil, but shoots sub 1" groups at 100 yards. Yes, I can shoot sub 1/2" groups with my 22x47L and my 20Tac, but it's just not the same. They're big, they're heavy, and they're noisy, and definitely not a 5mm rimfire. LOL

As much as I'd like a wildcat small 5mm/20 caliber cartridge like a
20 K-Hornet, I realize that the 17 cal Hornet has better wind resistance and a flatter trajectory, and so haven't completely ruled that out.

Last edited by Centerfire; 09-13-2019 at 10:10 PM.
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Old 09-14-2019, 12:34 AM
TinMan TinMan is offline
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I have two 22 Hornet repeaters, a Kimber M82 and a CZ527 American. I bought the used CZ as a donor rifle to make a 17AH before the 17HH was brought out. When I first shot the CZ, the darned thing shot 0.4 to 0.5 inch groups of 5 at 100 yards with factory Silver box Winchester 46 SP. Kept it as another 22 Hornet since it shot so well. 40gr VMAX hand loads shoot even better in both rifles.
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  #6  
Old 09-14-2019, 01:15 AM
20VarTarg 20VarTarg is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by orkan View Post
I have two CZ427's in 17 hornet. One American and one Varmint. The American is sitting in an HS Precision stock, not bedded. The Varmint is bedded into a boyds pro varmint.

Just put the first 100rnds through the varmint on paper today, and it's good for about 1moa using factory 20gr loads. The American with the same ammo is only marginally better, if not the same. Either rifle will string 2 or 3 into one hole, but then the next shot will land 3/4 to 1moa away. Perhaps with handloads it will be able to shrink this down some, but I have another couple thousand rounds of factory ammo to shoot up yet.

With .17cal holes 3/4moa or so at 100yds... it looks decidedly unimpressive.
Orkan, I couldn't agree more. When I first started to shoot a .17 cal I was totally un-impressed by it. I would leave the range and tell myself how terrible the rifle shot and I kept playing with load after load after load until one day I took at the caliper and started to measure groups. They were all under MOA. To the naked eye they sure didn't look like it. I really enjoy shooting the small stuff!!! I'm going to add a 17 Ackley Bee and 17 squirrel to the safe very very soon.
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Old 09-14-2019, 01:40 AM
Bayou City Boy Bayou City Boy is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 20VarTarg View Post
Orkan, I couldn't agree more. When I first started to shoot a .17 cal I was totally un-impressed by it. I would leave the range and tell myself how terrible the rifle shot and I kept playing with load after load after load until one day I took at the caliper and started to measure groups. They were all under MOA. To the naked eye they sure didn't look like it. I really enjoy shooting the small stuff!!! I'm going to add a 17 Ackley Bee and 17 squirrel to the safe very very soon.
Tiny 17 caliber holes can indeed be misleading when looking at them from 100 yards away. I've shot 17 caliber rifles since the early 1970's but I'm still surprised at times by the size of groups when you put a caliper to a target.

To answer the OP's question, I have several Hornet based rifles that are repeaters....17 HH, 17AH, 22 Hornet (2), and 22K-Hornet. Surprisingly for many folks, the most accurate one of the bunch is a stock sporter Ruger Model 77 in 22 Hornet. It shoots tiny groups at 100 yards day in and day out. All of them are consistent sub-MOA accurate rifles, but the Ruger 77 is incredible.

-BCB
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Old 09-14-2019, 04:53 AM
rick w. rick w. is offline
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If I had to take a shot at a nice 22 hornet or 22Khornet it probably would be an upper Anschutz. If it had to be another caliber on the hornet, then rebarrel said Anschutz with an premium blank.

Most folks that think of nice accuracy, remember when 1.5" was superb accuracy?; buy the rifle for the donor action, and add parts, time, and money.........especially if you want it done for you. Remarkable what accuracy type efforts will do, but down to it, costs money no what the guy on the corner tells you.

Since no real requirement given, one might consider something along a heavy varmint type rifle but with repeater, tuned action. Heavy throughout(maybe barrel block and floated on both ends?), so fairly friendly to the shooter. standard/wildcat 222 remingtons have been doing such for generations now, but not nice in the field. I really doubt if most shooters like me can tell the difference between a 1.5 and a .5 rifle in the field really.

Make the rifle easy for you to shoot accurately, if you cannot manage a light rifle, then move on........buy something like 40x repeater if the fully custom is not it to start out on. Buying a 400 dollar wonder of some kind, adding 100 dollars worth of mudflaps(same support) probably is not the easiest way to the goal. Always would see the local experts bring their wonders to the light/heavy varmint line, but not the next week; some things are just facts of life or have been so far with rifles. Always improving one notes, but money weighs into things on both ends more now.

A 26" medium weight barrel, ala like the old 722 makes a very pleasant rifle to some; but the 1/2 consistency is tough.

A lot of demand now for a sub 5 lb rifle that capable of 1/2 or less. Trouble most riflemen cannot do their end of the stick, just life; we are always the weak link.

I think the 22 is probably the cal all in all, because of the maturity of the caliber and availabilty of components. The 222 is still around, and still formidable for accuracy.

fwiw

Last edited by rick w.; 09-14-2019 at 05:07 AM.
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  #9  
Old 09-14-2019, 05:40 AM
Centerfire Centerfire is offline
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Appreciate the input guys. Will keep my eyes open for a possible donor rifle for the project.
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  #10  
Old 09-14-2019, 12:35 PM
fatboy fatboy is offline
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Bought a used save 25 off a guy, had less than 100 rounds thru it, before buying I made sure it would feed as I heard this was an issue with them, this one fed fine. I bought it for a good price. It will shoot 1.5 inch groups or less at 200 yards with factory. Reloads with nagel bullets are less than 1/2 at 200 yards. This was just the first load I tried in it, the thing may shoot better if I tried different loadings, but this was great for me. I am still trying to use up my factory loads, I shoot it less than ten times a year at varmints from the kitchen window. I am not a big savage guy, but this gun shoots well. The trigger is nice, it has an accura trigger which I am no fan of, but is clean. I did bed the action. I did not try it for groups before bedding.
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