the Hornet, at the elevation where I will use the load.
TesT Finding out was simple enough.
I primed exactly 22 Remington cases with Federal 100 primers. I charged those with 14.4 grains of Alliant Power Pro 300-MP. I then seated eleven 35-grain Ballistic Tips at an overall length of 1.880-inches and eleven 36-grain Varmint Grenades at an overall length of 1.825-inches (to give each 20/1000-inch bullet-to-rifling jump in my CZ 527). These rounds will not function through a Hornet magazine, which does not matter to me. Unless it looks and acts as an AR-15, I never use the magazine in any varmint rifle. Eleven rounds are sufficient for
this test. One shot to foul the bore; ten shots to see if the bullet will print any- thing resembling a group at 50 yards (if the bullet is terribly unstable, it might not even hit a target at 100 yards). Ei- ther the bullet will group or it will not. Three shots will likely tell that tale and one might be enough — if a bullet hits the paper and creates a visually elon- gated hole (what we commonly refer to as a keyhole), it will not be accurate. AnAlysis of MeAning of ResulTs The wonderful Nosler bullet is
not apt to work in any 16-twist gun, unless one intends to varmint hunt at or near timberline! Conversely, the Barnes bullet looks promising for my intended application. Compared to the 30 VG, the 36
VG has enough of a ballistic edge to carry explosive velocity 50 yards far- ther. Such an advantage is certainly worth having. A suReR AppliCATion
With its 14-twist barrel, the Sav-
age Model 40 will certainly stabilize either of these bullets most of the time. The Barnes bullet should work ev- erywhere, regardless of temperature. The Nosler bullet should always work above about 2,500 feet on any but the coldest of days. You can bet I will have plenty of each loaded up for my next expedition. With a BC rating of 0.205 and
top-end loads using 300-MP, the Nosler 35-grain BT extends useful Hornet range well beyond 300 yards (at sea level). At the elevation where I will hunt with this bullet velocity will remain above 2,000 fps beyond 400
www.varminthunter.org Page 55 Muzzle Velocity 3,235 fps 3,310 fps
22 Hornet (R-P Cases), CZ 527 14.4 grains Alliant Power Pro 300-MP
Standard Deviation 50-Yard, 10-Shot Accuracy
0.73-inch long: 35-grain Nosler BT at 1.88 inches 47
1.10-inches*
0.69-inch long: 36-grain Barnes VG at 1.825 inches 22
0.85-inch**
* All bullets cut oblong holes, 0.22-inch by 0.3-inch. This load would not be even remotely accurate beyond modest distances.
** Eight of ten inside 0.6-inch. I had moly-plated the Nosler bullets, which likely accounts for some of the reduced velocity, compared to the Barnes bullet because the base of each was in about the same location. Also, this was not a maximum charge. Using 300-MP, I suspect that greater than 3,400 fps is feasible with either bullet. However, this would not change the stability situation sufficiently to make the Nosler bullet useful in this gun.
yards! This is rather startling for the Hornet, to say the least. ConClusion
Based upon this test result, I am
quite confident that handloaders can create a load that will shoot very tiny groups and be particularly effective on vermin at unusually long range. The right combination of primer, pro-
pellant, and charge with the Barnes 36-grain VG (in 16-twist Hornets used at high elevation) or either the 36 VG or the Nosler 35-grain BT (in the Savage M-40 at any elevation) should do the trick. Time will tell how this proves out in the varminting field.
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