.22 hornet OR .222

[tonetone 0]

hello everyone,

i need some help please. iam a sheep farmer with a lot of bother from hoodie crows and Ravens. i have a .22lr brno it is great for the rabbits but i cant get close enough to kill the hoodies (i am going to get a licence to shoot ravens from the depatment of agri) The closest i can get to these crows is around 200-300yds.i recon i want either a hornet or a .222 does anyone know what calibre would be best? how much do typical bullets cost for both these calibres? i dont want a big cannon ie 243etc just a decent long range and accurate rifle which is cheapish to shoot. think i might spend around £400 any decent makes. hope someone can help.

thanks tonetone

[SportingShooter 0]

having not used a hornet i cannot comment but they seem to be regarded on this site as a quiet shortish range fox gun so i would have thought it would work on crows just as well at a decent distance. i have a fair amount of experience with a .222 as i have used them for fox and crow with a beat keeper. they will drop foxes at 250 yards at the edge of humane dispatch and will drop crows at 300 if you can hit them, i can now and again! the .222 was designed and used very extensively and effectively as a benchrest competiton cartridge and has a reputation of being extremely accurate with the right ammo. so hopefully the .222 will suit all your needs for a long range varmint cartridge and if Charlie happens to pop up hes had it too! my keeper says he pays about £15 for 20 remmy accutip 50gr and found them sub 1" accurate at 150 yard zero.

p.s how many ravens do you have if you have to cull them. i am lucky to see a pair now and again down here.

hope this gives you a little help, and there is bound to be a bountiful amount information from others on here.

thanks

ss06

[tonetone 0]

hi ss06

thanks for your reply. believe it or not, but i have 9 ravens on my farm i see them every day. we recently were blitzd by mixy and the ravens had a field day on all the dead rabbits lying around. im up in scotland on the island of islay we luckily dont have any foxes but these ravens are driving me crazy. the licence will only allow me to kill 2 or 3 ravens and lasts about 1 month.

the .222 ammo sounds expensive. ive heard that .223 is much cheaper so might go that way.

thanks tonetone

[SNAP SHOT 194]

.222 would be my choice too, not for the step up in firepower but for the accuracy, plus doubles as great fox round, get a mod on it and you won't be long sorting the problem, would also recommend a good quality optic if looking for long range hoodie bashing.......i think 400 stg won't cut the mustatd though

[woz 260]

if i where you id get a 223 and use a 40grain vmax bullit, if you zero at 50 yards it will be 1 1/2 inch high at 100 yards and 3/4inch high at 200 and bang on at 250..we also have an old cz 222 which uses 40g v max same primers and just slightly less powder..and its a great caliber..i prefer the 223 because it has slightly longer legs..i would buy a second hand 222/223.cz..spend decent money on a scope and stick a t8 mod on it..the mod will reduce recoil and you will get better groups out to 300 yards....we were hitting sugar beet out at 300 yards today....when you get a rifle you will need to get a bi pod and sand bag a practice alot....222/223 brass is £17 per hundred..remington primers are 3p each..40 grain v max heads are £17.50 for 100 and accurate 2230 powder is £26 you should get roughly 300 loads of powder from a tub.....it shouldnt be hard to find somone to reload for you locally...sounds alot of messing about but it really is worth it because you can tailor your needs to the bullit choice.....pm me if you need anymore info.i know a few people up your way that would be happy to help......

[SportingShooter 0]

slightly off topic Woz, do you have any good fox reloading recipes for .222. i know the basics of reloading having reloaded non toxic and 3 1/2" fox loads in shotguns for a few years and only keep keep alliant and hodgdon slow powders so i will need a new stock of powders, primers etc. what do you recommend? i will hopefullt be getting a CZ 527 varmint.

thanks

ss06

[woz 260]

slightly off topic Woz, do you have any good fox reloading recipes for .222. i know the basics of reloading having reloaded non toxic and 3 1/2" fox loads in shotguns for a few years and only keep keep alliant and hodgdon slow powders so i will need a new stock of powders, primers etc. what do you recommend? i will hopefullt be getting a CZ 527 varmint.

thanks

ss06

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weve got a cz 222.iv cut it down to 18inches and screw cut it....we use federal primers 205......26 grains of 2230 accurate powder and 40 grain honarday v max tips....it groups well shoots out to 250 yards ok....smashes reds...will be trying vit 120 next because should get more fps but havnt played with the vit powder yet...i know a gun smith that will load develop your rifle give you 5 or 6 loads and all the targets charts etc etc for £160....he makes me look like a blundering idiot...we were using hodgdon 335 but it wasnt burning quick enough for such a short barrell.......................im by no means an expert in any shape or form and im sure theres a few on hear that may have better ideas than me..i can only comment on what works for us....seating depth plays a big part in it to.........

[SportingShooter 0]

slightly off topic Woz, do you have any good fox reloading recipes for .222. i know the basics of reloading having reloaded non toxic and 3 1/2" fox loads in shotguns for a few years and only keep keep alliant and hodgdon slow powders so i will need a new stock of powders, primers etc. what do you recommend? i will hopefullt be getting a CZ 527 varmint.

thanks

ss06

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

 

weve got a cz 222.iv cut it down to 18inches and screw cut it....we use federal primers 205......26 grains of 2230 accurate powder and 40 grain honarday v max tips....it groups well shoots out to 250 yards ok....smashes reds...will be trying vit 120 next because should get more fps but havnt played with the vit powder yet...i know a gun smith that will load develop your rifle give you 5 or 6 loads and all the targets charts etc etc for £160....he makes me look like a blundering idiot...we were using hodgdon 335 but it wasnt burning quick enough for such a short barrell.......................im by no means an expert in any shape or form and im sure theres a few on hear that may have better ideas than me..i can only comment on what works for us....seating depth plays a big part in it to.........

thanks for that will consider where to go next

ss06

[Mr_Logic 5]

I would get a 223, since it will drop the intended quarry at sensible ranges, and costs a lot less than 222 to run because it's a military calibre and so lots of surplus (although - why is there surplus now - we're fighting wars...)

 

I have a Hornet and it's a great round, but it ain't 300 yards' worth. Practical limit is 200 yards, much over that and it's dropping like a stone with little energy.

 

tbh, if 300 is common, 22-250 or 17 Remington might be better as they are very flat. Or 243 and 55 grain, but that's messy.

 

In short -

 

200-250 with occasional 300 yard shot - 223

300 yards all the time - 22-250 (or 223 and zero it that far out)