Did Savage Make A Bolt in .22 Hornet?

[Sidewinder]

Did Savage make a bolt action in .22 Hornet? If so, what was the model number? What was it mostly used for? Anyone here real savy in the .22 Hornet in any make and model? I've taken an interest in the .22 Hornet, and would like to know a lot more about it. Why isn't it a popular round today? Anyone with any experience with .22 Hornet in the Savage 24 combination gun?

[R_Bert]

Yes. A number of bolt guns.

"A-Bolt", no. That is Browning, and yes, they did.

[mike243]

I think the biggest reason its not popular are the ballistics', the upside is no recoil, cheap to reload. Some states allow small game to be taken with them but the #s are to lite for me to consider it for a deer rifle 

[Dolomite_supafly]

22 Hornet brass is very thin. You will ruin several every time you go to reload a batch. The brass cannot be made out of anything else and can be expensive.

 

They made the same gun in 221 Fireball which can be easier to load. You can also use 223 brass to make 221 Fireball brass. The 221 Fireball is a little hotter as well but can easily be loaded down to milder velocities.

[graycrait]

Can 221 Fireball be loaded down to fire accurately at subsonic speeds? What is the twist of a 221 Fireball barrel? Dolomite, you know the deal - I need a reloadable center fire with .22lr ballistics and I want it reasonably priced - OK, cheap as possible.

[Dolomite_supafly]

I misspoke. Savage did not make these in 221 Fireball. I thought they did at some point but according to their website they no longer are making them.

 

The Hornet has a 14 twist so I don't think there is a jacketed bullet that will be stable at 22lr velocities.

 

About the cheapest way to get what you want is to buy a barrel blank from Green Mountain with a 8 or a 9 twist. The thread it for a Savage and chamber it in something like 22 Jet. 22 Jet uses 357 magnum brass so it will be cheap to reload. You can find Savage actions in pawn shops for $250, the barrel will likely be $75 and the machining will probably be another $150. Under $500 total for everything related to the gun.

 

If you could find a rolling block Savage in 22 Magnum I bet it would handle a 22 Jet as long as it was loaded to 22 magnum or lower velocities. All it would need is to ream the chamber providing there is enough material to do it without getting into the extractor.

 

Something else is to find a Remington 591 or 592 and do a centerfire conversion on it. I forget the guys name but there is a smith that has made a living doing that. I am sure he could use a 7 or 8 twist barrel to let you shoot at the slower velocities. I will run the numbers later and see how heavy you can go with a 9 twist barrel at subsonics velocities. I know if you load the bullets backwards it helps them remain stable longer because an unstable bullet is trying to put its heavy base at the front.

 

Give me a call sometime and we can discuss.

[Sidewinder]

Thanks to all who commented. When all of the numbers are shook out, it's easy to see why there aren't a lot of them out there. It was a thought, but I think the fever has cooled down a bit! I have a Savage bolt in .223, that ought to do pretty good in the predator hunting field. I also have a Savage 24 chambered in .22 Mag., so I guess I have the bases covered.

[Caster]

The savage model 340 was made in 22 hornet.

[Sidewinder]

The savage model 340 was made in 22 hornet.

Caster, the fever's back up on the .22 Hornet! Thanks for your post. I watched some U-tube videos last night of a guy shooting ground hogs in the head (17 for 17, I think) at 170 yards with a .22 Hornet! As Andy Griffith would say, "I like that something terrible"... translation, I like that a lot. Reloading brings the price down to a manageable level...and no recoil, a 170 yard varmint gun... what's there not to like? In reading the various forums on the net, it sounds like there's a considerable amount of interest and come-back in the .22 Hornet.

[79troublehead]

Old thread, but I just seen it.

 I've got an old H&R in .22 hornet. Not a match gun by any means, but 1.5" at 100 yds. with the 6x weaver (Old thin crosshair model. PITA). Best thing about it; it's handier than a shirt pocket. Perfect loafing gun.

[Sidewinder]

Old thread, but I just seen it.

 I've got an old H&R in .22 hornet. Not a match gun by any means, but 1.5" at 100 yds. with the 6x weaver (Old thin crosshair model. PITA). Best thing about it; it's handier than a shirt pocket. Perfect loafing gun.

79troublehead, nothing wrong with reviving an old thread! My first choice in a long gun would be a .22 Hornet/20Gauge Savage 24 combo gun. I wouldn't mind having one in a Savage bolt action, with a decent scope. I might just need to look for a .22 Hornet long barrel to fit my TC Contender.