If you want an accurate, trouble free .22 Hornet, just buy a new CZ bolt gun [item #527, methink]. All it needs is a Lee collet die and it's EASY. FWIW, I like the Euro-stocked, iron-sighted version the best, but the American Model is just fine, too.
However, for a custom modern light sporter, I'd skip the K-Hornet, tho it WILL avoid a lot of the standard Hornet finicky-ness. Instead go straight to the .218 Bee. In this area, NW Ohio -- West End of Lake Erie, one of the long time noted accuracy gunsmiths has been Gary Cleland.. Gary's current passion is that of building hi-zoot 6 and 6.5MM ultra-long range critter swatting equipment.
However, in 'the day', when small Martini actioned, walk-about varmint rifles were a minor rage, he built a few hunnert or so. ;~`) [which used item is avidly sought after, locally] Choice of caliber: .218 Bee. Many reasons, but essentially the quiet, tractable behavior of a Hornet, with none of fernickitty load development variations.
I'm plumb out of stamina to further elucidate, but if you'd like a detailed rundown, call Gary at Cleland's Outdoor world in Swanton, Ohio on Airport Hwy. If he's not off shooting Cape buff with his self-made pukka-Sahib 8-bore flintlock , or out in winter Nebraska potting 'yotes on the snow pack with some zippy custom varmit gun, he'd be happy to address the question.
One of his sons was a world-class pro-archer and company rep, another is a several times N'atl muzzleloading rifle champ, and a grandson is lookin' good for more family titles. If it shoots spiral-grooved projectiles, he's a modest guy who knows the answers.
Just don't ask his opinion of Spanish shotguns, since Richland Arms was just about twenty miles up the road in Mich, and he saw WAAAAY too many soft sears, in those days.
And a PS: the necked down .357 Maximum to .222, is considered to be a sorta underground modern classic. Nice in a small Martooni, for those who want to bother. A .222 Rem rimmed, basically. Not there's anything wrong with that!!!
and a PPS: Ross Seyfried published an extensive exegesis on the standard Hornet in Rifle/Handloader. After a long run-thru of the tweaks and techniques to get the ca'tridge to run all proper like, he ended the article with a comment somewhat as in..."or you could just re-chamber the gun to K-Hornet, and skip all the foregoing."
Last edited by JohnM; 12/31/08 08:33 PM.
