"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
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"Ed Huntress" wrote in message
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"Ignoramus6211" wrote in message
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I have a Winchester 22 hornet rifle. I still have not figured out what
are the good uses for it. It was kind of a rash garage sale purchase
and I am still deciding whether I should keep it or not. I have
somewhat too many guns and, perhaps, it would be better to swap it for
a regular .22.

i

What model Winchester? The Hornet is a very good cartridge but it's a
short-range varminter, compared to the hotter .22s. If it's legal in your
area for this use, it makes one hell of a fine squirrel gun. g
Personally, I wouldn't shoot a centerfire rifle at squirrels, but I knew
someone who used his Hornet for that and it was deadly. Head shots, of
course.

Might try barking them with it. Seems like to much power though.

I don't think it has enough oomph for barking. That's an iffy thing, anyway.
I tried it once with my .45 H&R muzzleloader and I broke the branch right
off the tree, in front of the squirrel, who really looked confused but was
totally unharmed. g

I had read about guys barking squirrels with muzzle loaders so I did some
experimenting with my .45 Kentucky rifle many years ago. With slightly
less powder than a pyramid load and a round ball it worked pretty darn
good. Stunned them good, and didn't go ricocheting through the trees. Not
sure how well that small bullet would do at throwing up enough bark to
stun them, but might be worth trying once or twice.

Jeez, I should have read ahead. Well, you're the second person I've heard
from who got it to work. I always thought there are more cases like mine,
but who knows. I've only tried it once.

The .22 Hornet will drive tacks out to 125 yards, and it's a decent
groundhog gun out to 150 or a little more, if you're used to the ballistics.
At normal squirrel-hunting ranges you should be able to make a head shot
nearly every time.

The K-Hornet is another matter; it gets another 25 - 50 yards. It's a
wildcat cartridge based on a fire-formed Hornet, with squared shoulders.

--
Ed Huntress