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Note:  Due to a lack of digitized photos, this article is presented as text only.  I’ll search the files for the original pictures, however, and insert them if found and scanned.

K-Hornet is Old and Improved

 by Rocky Raab

 

 The prairie dog sat motionless in the early May sun, alert for danger but seemingly unconcerned by the strange shape peering back from over a rock 150 yards away.  Peering through my scoped Contender from atop that rock, my finger started to squeeze.  The pistol barked, and in the scope I saw the range-devouring little rodent abruptly disappear in a cloud of dust. 

 Here to keep these pests thinned for a rancher friend, I reached for another diminutive .22 K-Hornet round as two more 'dogs popped up.  Over the next couple of hours, more than 200 doses of 45-grain jacketed medicine followed that first one down the T/C Contender's 10-inch barrel.  The cartridge that ushered in the modern concept of varminting nearly a century ago is still thumping them as well as ever.  In fact, better. 

 The credit for developing the .22 Hornet can be divided among numerous individuals, starting at least as far back as 1888.  Way back then, the legendary A.O. Niedner was attempting to soup up the .22 Winchester Center Fire cartridge.  But with black powder, Niedner was unable to push the round's 46-grain bullet much past 1,500 fps.  At about the same time, however, a Massachusetts gunsmith and experimenter named Reuben Harwood was also tinkering with small rifle cases, but using Dupont No.1 Smokeless Powder which had just been released.  Using a 60-grain bullet and cases necked down from either the .25-20 Maynard or the .25-20 Winchester Single Shot (some historians disagree on which), Harwood was able to reach a claimed 2,000 fps.  He called his development the Harwood Hornet.  If there had been suitable rifles built to handle the hot little cartridge, and if Harwood had not fallen seriously ill, the sport of varminting and the .22 Hornet might have been born then and there.

 But the cartridge languished for 35 years.  In that time, experimenters like Niedner, Charles Newton and others, plus companies like Savage developed such rounds as the .22 Savage High Power and .22 Newton.  Then in 1930, Army Captain Grosvener L. Wotkyns published an article which resurrected the modified .22 Winchester Center Fire.  The "new" cartridge was championed by Colonel Townsend Whelen, who called it the .22 Hornet.

 Whelen, Al Woodworth of the Springfield Armory and Captain George Woody soon had the insight to meld the modified .22 WCF case, DuPont 1204 smokeless powder and jacketed bullets they literally pulled from a pipsqueak revolver round called the 5.5mm Velo Dog. (The curious name stems from the fact that the gun was actually intended to protect cyclists on their velocipedes from angry dogs!)  The combination of case, powder and jacketed bullet was a winner and the shooting world hasn't looked back since.  But even a terrific round like the .22 Hornet can be improved, and that is exactly what happened not long afterward.

 For the uninitiated, "improving" a rifle round generally means increasing the powder capacity of a case by reducing the taper of the case walls, steepening the angle of the shoulder, moving the shoulder forward, or combinations of all three.  The added case capacity allows a handloader to use a few grains more powder and thus gain more velocity, sometimes a goodly amount more.  Such improved rounds are not, technically speaking, wildcat cartridges, because they are formed by firing factory rounds in the gun's enlarged chambers.  True wildcats use cases which must be formed or altered outside the gun, and no factory round can be fired in a wildcat chamber.  Gun guru P.O. Ackley is the undisputed king of improved cartridges, but the "improved" .22 K-Hornet is the creation of Lysle Kilbourne, hence the K in its name. 

 As good as the Hornet was, and is, the blown-out Kilbourne version is significantly better for several reasons.  First and most obviously is velocity.  In rifles, the regular Hornet easily breaks 2,700 fps with 40 and 45 grain bullets.  The K-Hornet can add 200 fps to that total, and some rifles get 300 extra for an even 3,000 fps.  Think about that.  Today's improved Hornet churns up exactly double the velocity of Niedner's original creation. 

 Another benefit of Kilbourne's improvement is a much reduced tendency to stretch cases.  The original Hornet headspaces on the rim, as do all rimmed rounds.  But it couldn't have been otherwise, for it is impossible to headspace on the Hornet's extremely shallow five degree shoulder.  Because the long, sloping case usually fails to fill the chamber completely, the Hornet case stretches forward appreciably when fired.  It's all too easy to accidentally set the shoulder back too far when resizing.  Continued firing and excess sizing leads to yet more brass flow, case stretching and eventual case separation.  Even a careful reloader finds he must trim Hornet cases often because brass flows all too readily up into the neck.

 The blown-out K-Hornet, on the other hand, can and should be sized to headspace on its sharp, 35-degree shoulder.  So sized, its minimum taper body and sharply angled shoulder reduce case stretching and contribute to case life, as Ackley claimed for most improved cartridges.  And in fact, properly sized K cases grow hardly at all.  Case life is long with its tiny charges of powder and relatively mild pressures.  I had one batch of cases that had contentedly gone through seven firings with no discernable case growth, and would have undoubtedly gone on longer.  But at that point I tried washing the dirty cases in a detergent solution which, unknown to me, contained ammonia.  The ammonia embrittled the cases so much that nearly half showed splits on the next firing and I discarded them all.  Chamber-matched sizing also contributes to greater accuracy, because the case is more nearly concentric to the bore.  Bench rest shooters have proven this.

 Much more difficult to demonstrate are some other claims by improvement aficionados.  Sharply angled shoulders, some claim, allow for more efficient burning of the powder with less barrel erosion.  This is based on the theory that powder kernels in a tapered, sloping case are blown out of the brass case at high velocity.  The effect on the first inch of rifling is much like sandblasting.  In contrast, say the theorists, cases with sharply angled shoulders either retain most of the kernels within the case, slow them significantly, or deflect the kernels enough that they strike the inside of the case neck instead of that critical first inch of rifling.   

 More Than a Rifle Round

 Although the Hornet and K-Hornet are best known as rifle rounds, their tiny diet of fast-burning powder also makes them truly spectacular pistol rounds.  In fact, the .22 Hornet was the first cartridge chambered in the revolutionary Thompson Center Contender.  Warren Thompson said it was his Contender's most accurate round; in many Contenders since, that continues to be the case.  With its favorite load, and on my best days, my 10-inch K-Hornet barrel regularly shoots 1 1/8" groups at 100 yards, even wearing a fairly coarse 2.5x scope.  That may not be as good as pistolero Bob Milek can get from a Remington XP-100 in .223, but it's pretty spectacular for the likes of me, and it could undoubtedly be improved a bit with a higher power scope.

 A 10-inch K-Hornet barrel doesn't give away much in the way of velocity, either.  With top loads of either AA1680 or WW296 powders, I get 2575 and 2610 fps respectively, as measured by my Shooting Chrony chronograph.  Speaking of powders, until recently there simply weren't many that were suitable for either version of the Hornet.  But today, the situation is much improved.  In addition to the two above, either IMR or Hodgdon 4227, Hercules 2400, and the recently discontinued WW680 all work well.  Both IMR and H4198 seem to be just a tad too slow, especially in pistol barrels, giving about 150-200 fps less velocity even with compressed loads.  In addition, a few powders that I haven't tried yet also have promise, such as Scot Solo 1500, AA#9, Norma R-123 or N-200, H110, or AA5744.  Some, such as the Norma powders and AA5744 are either hard to find or discontinued.  Loads using these powders are listed in several manuals, but since I haven't used any of these last six powders, I make no specific recommendations.  As with all published loading data, neither I nor this magazine accept any responsibility for use of loading data.

 To fire form cases to my K-Hornet chamber, I used to load any bargain lot .223 or .224 bullets over 3.5 grains of Bullseye and simply fire them in my Contender.  I never did chronograph this load, but the report was about like a .22 WMR, and I suspect it might make a good turkey load with full metal-jacketed bullets.  But it sure seemed like a waste of components and effort.

 So now I simply load new Hornet brass with a factory-equivalent Hornet load consisting of either 11.0 grains of H4227 or 13.0 grains of AA1680 under a 45 grain bullet.  Because of the K-Hornet's enlarged chamber, this gives a slightly reduced velocity. But out to about 100 yards it strikes at nearly the same point of impact as my full-bore K-Hornet loads.  On varmints, the results are practically indistinguishable.  For ranges out to 175 yards, full K-Hornet loads at 2600 fps are better. 

 This may not seem like sagebrush-burning velocity when compared to a .22-250 or even a .223, but the extremely fragile bullets designed for the Hornet are almost explosive in their effects.  A varmint hit with one is well and truly "Contenderized."  Suitable bullets are generally found in either 40 or 45 grain weights and .223 or .224 diameters.  Bullets heavier than 45 grains are a poor choice, however.  Most are designed for use at .223 Rem. through .220 Swift velocities and won't expand from the K-Hornet.

 Very early Hornet rifles came with .223-inch bores, but most all rifles and all pistol barrels are now bored to .224.  Most guns will shoot both sizes about the same.  The 45 grain types have a slightly better ballistic coefficient and sectional density, which would seem to make them a better choice than 40 grainers, but in practical use there isn't much difference at ranges under 200 yards.  Another choice you'll have to make is between hollow-point and soft-point bullet designs.  Again, there really is little difference in practical terms.  With any of these bullet options, just use whatever your gun shoots best.  It's fun to experiment, so go ahead.

 The Word is...Fun

 Fun, in fact, may be the most appropriate word to apply to the K-Hornet.  Recoil is so light that with a firm hold, you can see the bullet strike even through a scoped Contender.  Muzzle blast can be sharp, necessitating good ear protection, but it's much less than even the crack of a .222.  Farmers and neighbors may make distinct objections about the bang of a .22-250 in their back 40, but they hardly ever object to a mild-mannered Hornet.  Quite the opposite, the Hornet seems to draw attention.

 I can't count the number of times shooters have come up to me on the range or afield and asked what the heck I was shooting.  When I show them the rakish, scoped Contender and its sexy little K-Hornet rounds, they almost always beg to try it.  I have yet to see anything but an ear-to-ear grin after their first shot.  Most beg for another and yet another shot.  Many have gone away saying they absolutely MUST have one just like it.

 And that's not terribly difficult to do.  Although K-Hornet rifles are somewhat rare on the used market, regular Hornet rifles are fairly easy to find, and any competent gunsmith can obtain a K-Hornet reamer for rechambering.  Hornet barrels in 10-inch bull configuration are still listed as a regular item for the Contender, and a variety of K-Hornet barrels can be had from Fox Ridge Outfitters, T/C's official custom shop.  I found my early-production octagon K barrel at a give-away price in a gun show.  With the Contender, you can even bridge both worlds by obtaining a carbine-length barrel and carbine shoulder/forearm stocks.  As an unabashed T/C fan, I might also mention that the T/C line of scopes and mounts make ideal complements to either the pistol or carbine setup.

 With either rifle or pistol, I think that the K-Hornet version is the way to go.  With the K, you gain a significant velocity increase with only a negligible increase in powder charge, along with much increased case life and more inherent accuracy.  You give up nothing in the way of flexibility, as factory Hornet loads work perfectly in any K-Hornet.  To shoot the K-Hornet, of course, you must handload.  Here's where you discover its real flexibility.  The K can be handloaded to duplicate the performance of everything from the .22 LR up to nearly the .222 Rem.  That makes it fit for everything from tin can plinking and squirrels up to coyotes.

 Yet, compared to the combined costs of a small game/plinking gun plus a dedicated varminting rig, a K-Hornet can be not only bought but fed for a mere fraction of the expense.  Reloading costs are extremely low.  Dies are readily available from T/C, RCBS and others, and components are among the cheapest available.  Bought in bulk from outfits such as Midway, brass costs as little as $9.95 per hundred and bullets can be had for about $6 per 100.  Regular strength small rifle primers are all that's needed in this tiny case, even for ball powders; another slight cost savings.  A single pound of powder can produce as many as 600 full-power loads.  

 All together, the Hornet is probably the least expensive center-fire rifle round on the market.  By way of comparison, a single box of .30-06 factory ammo, even if found on sale, runs at least $10.  That's a minimum of 50 cents a trigger squeeze.  Hornet factory fodder goes for about $20 but that's for 50 rounds.  For the reloader, $10 produces 100 rounds of K-Hornet ammo.  That's only a dime a pop.  At that price, almost anyone can afford to shoot their K-Hornet a lot.  Furthermore, the K's negligible recoil and milder muzzle blast make it a lot more than five times the fun of plinking with an ought-six.

 But for all its flexibility and economy, the K-Hornet is by no means a second choice compromise.  On fox, coyote and other game where undamaged fur is the valuable goal, the K-Hornet usually provides complete within-the-animal bullet fragmentation with its lightest, most fragile bullets at maximum velocities.  For those who prefer to take fur-bearers or turkey with through-the-animal penetration and no expansion, no better round could be imagined than the K-Hornet loaded to about 2,000 fps with a 55 grain full jacketed bullet.  The latter loading, of course, is a shorter range proposition.

 As far as range is concerned, the K-Hornet is at its best from plinking distance out to about 175 yards.  But let's face it, many of those 400-yard prairie dog shots we read about were made with a variable-scoped typewriter.  Oh, I'll give some shooters the benefit of doubt and admit that such shots are sometimes made.  But for almost everyone, the vast majority of all kinds of shots are made at 200 yards and under.  And within those limits, the K-Hornet is about as perfect a round as could be designed. 

 For a cartridge whose genealogy stretches back more than a century, the K-Hornet is a spry and useful little fellow indeed.  For the fun shooter, average varminter, small game hunter, turkey hunter or fur collector, there's no doubt that Harwood, Wotkyns, Whelen and Kilbourne were right.  For small game, varmints and just plain fun, the K-Hornet is all that almost anyone needs.

Published in The Varmint Hunter Magazine # 5, January 1993

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