Andrew re Hornet crimping

[Andrew]

Have fun. I have never tried these in my CZ (magazine length) but I did shoot them in my Anny and my Winchester High-wall custom Single shot. The Winchester liked them as well as any.

 

You would like our brand of prairiedog shooting. The largest part of a PD's head is about the size of a walnut and often we will hear them "barking" and only just manage to see an eye and brow sticking up over the rim of a hole. Combine that with the holes being littered amongst sage brush and it becomes a seek and wait affair. Sometimes the shots are only 60 - 90 yards but the bullet needs to be placed in a 1/2" square from a loose rest. It's pretty challenging. Especially since you can spend 30 minutes finding and ciphering a shot on a dog giving you just an eye-ball, and have your next shot be 220 yards across a small gulch that is acting like a funnel for a quartering cross wind. Causes you to have to switch mental gears in a hurry. As Marine PMI will attest, it's a different kind of shooting. ~Andrew

[nicholiath]

It certalinly does sound like my kind of shooting. Most of my vermin shooting is done at night time from a vehicle with a lamp and .22 rimfire with subsonics.

The hornet will allow me more day time hunting because of the extra range.

We got a few pheasant and partridge today, although it was a wild day, windy and raining, the kids and dogs worked well for us, beating them in. I have just had my tea and the log burner is roaring, all i want to do now is snooze, aint life grand!

Gonna get out with the hornet tomorrow,weather permitting.

Cheers for now, Nick.

 

Just a technical question. I have used the lee collet neck die on the brass. The necks are no where near as tight as when brass is full length resized. Is this normal? I put the die in the press until it touches ram, then one full turn in, i then push the handle down all the way applying full pressure. I can JUST get bullet base into neck, but only a fraction, i cannot push it further in with fingers.

The bullets feel a lot smoother seating with neck sized, feels like less pressure is needed on ram to seat.

Shot some neck sized reloads yesterday with varying results. Got a couple of 3 shot cloverleafs at 100yds with crimped and uncrimped rounds! I am not sure if this was down to reloads or the fact that i am getting used to the rifle and using a more stable bench hold. I will load some more crimpedand uncrimped and see. Cheers Nick

[nicholiath]

I got the flaring tool only cost £12 loaded some with it, seemed better, although did not need to use it for 40gn v max as due to boat tail they start in easier than the flat bottom of the 30gn v max. Have also used pistol primers. have not been able to test them as yet as the weather here has been a bit wild also having car problems and the misses is having to use my truck for work. Nick

[Andrew]

I hope to hear good things! Hope you are staying dry.~Andrew

[MarinePMI]

Hope you are staying dry.~Andrew

 

LOL! In the UK? This time of year?

[nicholiath]

Hi all, do you guys use small pistol primers in your H110 loads as well as lilgun loads for the hornet?

[MarinePMI]

I only use them specifically for the Lil'Gun loads, due to the unique (weird) burning characteristics of Lil'Gun...

[nicholiath]

Thanks just checking, been advised to use BR4 or even small rifle magnum. The magnum was recommended as H110 is a pistol ball powder and therefore requires a hot powder! so i will give it a go. The 35 gn lilgun loads are coming along nicely thanks, but the rabbits don't like em! I still appear unable to send personal messages.

[Andrew]

I use the small pistol primers with H110. I loaded some 33 grain VM (made for the Remington 22WMR load) over 10.8 grains and clocked 3240 fps one warm summer day. No problems with the primers and obviously, ignition was good! Too boot, they shot really well! ~Andrew

 

 

The group on the right is 10 shots, with 7 in one ragged hole. This is H-110 and Small Pistol Primers. I can almost guarantee the ones out were sighting errors with my thick-beamed S&B 6x42.

[nicholiath]

Hi guys hope you all had a good Christmas and new year. My 35 V max are doing well on the rabbits and crows. I still cannot send personal messages for some reason, so i was wondering how you lads set your Lee crimp die like turn it in to stop on the ram, then how many more turns in?

[Andrew]

Hi guys hope you all had a good Christmas and new year. My 35 V max are doing well on the rabbits and crows. I still cannot send personal messages for some reason, so i was wondering how you lads set your Lee crimp die like turn it in to stop on the ram, then how many more turns in?

 

I start by setting the die so that it just barely turns a radius on the case mouth (magnifier in hand) then proceed by quarter or half turns until I get the accuracy I want; then I make sure I leave the lock ring in place and pre-set. It's easy for me to tell when I am at "ground zero" because i put a light flare on the case mouth before seating. When the flare is gone, I figure I am crimping to some extent from then on.~Andrew

[nicholiath]

I start by setting the die so that it just barely turns a radius on the case mouth (magnifier in hand) then proceed by quarter or half turns until I get the accuracy I want; then I make sure I leave the lock ring in place and pre-set. It's easy for me to tell when I am at "ground zero" because i put a light flare on the case mouth before seating. When the flare is gone, I figure I am crimping to some extent from then on.~Andrew

I should be able to replicate that as i am flaring the case mouth as you are and will keep checking with micrometer. At present i turn die in to stop then 1/2 turn plus 1/12, i think i am only just removing the flare. Thanks again.

[gerald butler]

I should be able to replicate that as i am flaring the case mouth as you are and will keep checking with micrometer. At present i turn die in to stop then 1/2 turn plus 1/12, i think i am only just removing the flare. Thanks again.

 

Hi Nicholiath/Andrew, I've been following this thread with interest as I will be going down the same route as soon as my Hornet application has been approved.There is obviously a very disciplined technique to the consistent loading of the Hornet bullets and it's really good of you guy's across the pond sharing your valuable knowledge with us.Very interesting to see that you favour the CZ Hornet ahead of the likes of Ruger,anschultz,savage etc and looking a the groupings your getting it's difficult to argue against your choice.I've got the option of a s/h one at the moment £450 in v good condition so may go for it.

 

Sounds like your getting there Nicholiath, keep up the good work and then I will have both of you at my disposal HA HA!.

 

Be interested to know what your latest results are and also could you please advise what brass you both use as apparently some will hold slightly more powder than others, heard some people say they struggle to get 13 gr lilgun in let alone 13.5?.

 

Bst rgds Gerald.

[nicholiath]

Hi Nicholiath/Andrew, I've been following this thread with interest as I will be going down the same route as soon as my Hornet application has been approved.There is obviously a very disciplined technique to the consistent loading of the Hornet bullets and it's really good of you guy's across the pond sharing your valuable knowledge with us.Very interesting to see that you favour the CZ Hornet ahead of the likes of Ruger,anschultz,savage etc and looking a the groupings your getting it's difficult to argue against your choice.I've got the option of a s/h one at the moment £450 in v good condition so may go for it.

 

Sounds like your getting there Nicholiath, keep up the good work and then I will have both of you at my disposal HA HA!.

 

Be interested to know what your latest results are and also could you please advise what brass you both use as apparently some will hold slightly more powder than others, heard some people say they struggle to get 13 gr lilgun in let alone 13.5?.

 

Bst rgds Gerald.

Hi there, no new news yet, popped a few bunnies but not done much load development due to bad weather. I am not a member of a target club so i can only 'set up range' on my permission where i jointly run a small shoot. The ground has been way too soft to run my truck on.I am using brass with R.P stamped on base, not sure which make it is. Regards Nick.

[MarinePMI]

Remington

 

"RP" = Remington-Peters

[nicholiath]

Remington

 

"RP" = Remington-Peters

 

Many thanks for that.

[gerald butler]

Remington

 

"RP" = Remington-Peters

 

Hi Marine, thanks for that, are these the cases you and Andrew use ?. Rgds Gerald.

[gerald butler]

Hi there, no new news yet, popped a few bunnies but not done much load development due to bad weather. I am not a member of a target club so i can only 'set up range' on my permission where i jointly run a small shoot. The ground has been way too soft to run my truck on.I am using brass with R.P stamped on base, not sure which make it is. Regards Nick.

 

Thanks Nick, please let me know how you get on. What moderator did you get for your CZ and how do you find it. Rgds Gerald.

[nicholiath]

I haven't bothered to moderate mine, as it does not seem over loud without it, plus i don't want to spoil the balance of a good little truck rifle.

[MarinePMI]

Hi Marine, thanks for that, are these the cases you and Andrew use ?. Rgds Gerald.

 

 

I use Winchester (which may be why I only get 12grs or so in my loads of Lil'Gun), but I'm not certain what Andrew uses. IIRC he uses Winchester as well, or what ever the local trading post gets in his dinky little town.

[Andrew]

Dinky!! I'll have you know that we now have a Moving Picture Theater that was showing a top rate movie last night. "Mary Poppins" I think it was called. We were all enjoying it immensely until the projector bulb burned out. Dinky indeed!

 

As to the brass, I use Winchester. 13.5 grains fills it to the very top. I must tap the rim against the counter with my finger over the case mouth to settle it a bit. Compressed loads are no problem in this instance. Welcome to the CZ Hornet club, Gerald.~Andrew

[gerald butler]

Dinky!! I'll have you know that we now have a Moving Picture Theater that was showing a top rate movie last night. "Mary Poppins" I think it was called. We were all enjoying it immensely until the projector bulb burned out. Dinky indeed!

 

As to the brass, I use Winchester. 13.5 grains fills it to the very top. I must tap the rim against the counter with my finger over the case mouth to settle it a bit. Compressed loads are no problem in this instance. Welcome to the CZ Hornet club, Gerald.~Andrew

 

Cheers Andrew/Marine, put my deposit down on the CZ today so won't be long now.What type of barrel cleaning routine do you use with your CZ,s to maintain good accuracy, there seems to be a varied opinions this side of the pond as to what is the best cleaning procedure. Bst rgds Gerald.

[nicholiath]

Cheers Andrew/Marine, put my deposit down on the CZ today so won't be long now.What type of barrel cleaning routine do you use with your CZ,s to maintain good accuracy, there seems to be a varied opinions this side of the pond as to what is the best cleaning procedure. Bst rgds Gerald.

I clean mine everytime i use it, bisley bore clean, bronze brush and patches, then leave it lightly oiled and remember pull through before shooting next time.

[MarinePMI]

Cheers Andrew/Marine, put my deposit down on the CZ today so won't be long now.What type of barrel cleaning routine do you use with your CZ,s to maintain good accuracy, there seems to be a varied opinions this side of the pond as to what is the best cleaning procedure. Bst rgds Gerald.

 

What? You mean you're supposed to clean it?

 

Seriously, just normal cleaning (brush the gunk out, bore solvent on patches till it's clean, and a lightly oiled patch run down the bore for storage). I just run a dry patch down the bore before heading out (which, sadly, is not as often these days... )

[gerald butler]

I clean mine everytime i use it, bisley bore clean, bronze brush and patches, then leave it lightly oiled and remember pull through before shooting next time.

 

Sounds good Nick.

 

Re moderators I know what you mean about the balance but unfortunately where I shoot a sound moderator is essential. Trying to find a lightweight one that won't extend the length of the barrel to much.Rgds gerald.