22 Hornet Bullets

You would not expect the 22 Hornet to have a military pedigree, but U.S. airmen were issued M4 Survival Rifles chambered for the round during WWII. These rifles were notably issued alongside expanding soft point bullets, which would have violated the Hague Convention if the U.S. had categorically agreed to follow it. The ammo did bear a warning that it was intended solely for shooting small game and not soldiers of the Imperial Japanese Army, however.

No handloader can miracle a 22 Hornet into existence that’s capable of felling a whitetail. Those who favor the 22 Hornet for hunting use it to take upland game, varmints and predators within 175 yards."Since its introduction in 1940 the 22 Hornet has earned popularity among varmint hunters, survivalists, and competitive shooters. Intermediate in performance to the 17 HMR and 223 Rem, it achieves a higher velocity with twice the bullet weight of the former while producing substantially less recoil and noise than the latter.

22 Hornet bullets are typically available in weights of 35, 40, 45 or 50 grains. With a case that can hold as much as 14 grains, a reloading enthusiast can load the 22 Hornet’s lightest bullet to achieve a muzzle velocity well in excess of 2,500 fps. At the heavier end of the spectrum muzzle velocities ranging from 1,700 fps to 2,100 fps are common.

You would not expect the 22 Hornet to have a military pedigree, but U.S. airmen were issued M4 Survival Rifles chambered for the round during WWII. These rifles were notably issued alongside expanding soft point bullets, which would have violated the Hague Convention if the U.S. had categorically agreed to follow it. The ammo did bear a warning that it was intended solely for shooting small game and not soldiers of the Imperial Japanese Army, however.

No handloader can miracle a 22 Hornet into existence that’s capable of felling a whitetail. Those who favor the 22 Hornet for hunting use it to take upland game, varmints and predators within 175 yards.