.22 Squirrel

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  • Last Post 10 April 2011
KenK posted this 21 March 2008

This is a picture of the .22 Squirrel with a .22 magnum for comparison.  It seems like it would be excellent for plain base cast bullets.

If this is a duplicate post, please delete and chastise as necessary.

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CB posted this 21 March 2008

Hey Ken;

    That is a neat little cartridge, please expand on it for us. Is it a rimfire? Who makes a barrel or chamber ream for it? What velocities does it go at? Where did you come up with this? That looks like a hornet case, yes? C'mon now don't be a tease, spill it.

                                                                         Roy

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billwnr posted this 23 March 2008

looks like a short Hornet wildcat.

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KenK posted this 23 March 2008

A gentleman I met on another shooting forum was kind enough to send me several cases.  I had typed out a longer original post but it somehow disapeared in the ether.  It is a .22 Hornet case with minimal taper in the body, about a 40 degree shoulder and a .250 long neck.  Case length is .965.

 

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shooter93 posted this 23 March 2008

I have one in the collection too and I believe one was also done on a 218 Bee. I never got arounf to building a rifle but wouldn't it be a neat little single shot Rook Rifle.

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R. Dupraz posted this 24 March 2008

A shortened “K” Hornet.

RD

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Duane Trusty posted this 23 April 2008

I might be little late with this but anyone who is interested in the 22 Squirrel should contact Mr. Todd Kindler at the Woodchuck Den, Inc. (330) 897-0614or the Outdoorsman at (717) 222-3390. I know there was a 17 caliber version and maybe a 20 caliber as well. I hope this is help. The only problem is the phone numbers are about 5 years old.

Duane Trusty

 

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.22-10-45 posted this 10 December 2010

Hello, It kind of looks like a .297/.230 Rook on Steriods!

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Daryl S posted this 29 December 2010

The Ctg. shown very closely matches the .22/6/40. Both are shortened .2 Hornets - something bewteen .9” and 1” long in case. the Squirrel has a slightly longer body, while the .22/6/40 has a slightly longer neck.

They are intriguing. As a jacketed bullet round, the Squirrel is best served in .17 cal. There, it drives a 20gr. bullet at 3,400fps, using 8 to 9gr. of powder.

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TRKakaCatWhisperer posted this 01 January 2011

SO, who does chambering reamers/dies for either?

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sbhg posted this 01 January 2011

17 Honeybee 17 Jet 20 Squirrel 22 Pee Wee http://www.bullberry.com/TCbarrels.html>http://www.bullberry.com/TCbarrels.html Lists these, as well as many others too numerous to list. I don't know if they stock dies.

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CB posted this 02 January 2011

I am sure you can get a reamer from Dave Kiff at Pacific Tool.. If you have a reamer, you can get dies made.

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technojock posted this 05 April 2011

Maybe I'm missing something but what's wrong with the regular Hornet or K-Hornet?  right now one of my favorite rifles is a K-Hornet and I will be trying cast loads in it as soon as I can get good results from my 2 Lyman .225 molds.

Tony

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DAMRON G posted this 05 April 2011

technojock wrote: Maybe I'm missing something but what's wrong with the regular Hornet or K-Hornet?  right now one of my favorite rifles is a K-Hornet and I will be trying cast loads in it as soon as I can get good results from my 2 Lyman .225 molds.

Tony Just made to hold enough powder for plainbase 22 bullets and to be different.Nothing is wrong with Hornets except for the neck and throat dimensions on most American ones.I get my best 22 cast bullet accuracy from 22-250's.

George

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technojock posted this 05 April 2011

I haven't cast any usable .22 bullets much less shot any so I guess I'm no one to talk.

So far my K-Hornet is wickedly accurate and it remains to be seen if that carries over with cast bullets.

Tony

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Daryl S posted this 06 April 2011

DAMRON G wrote: technojock wrote: Maybe I'm missing something but what's wrong with the regular Hornet or K-Hornet?  right now one of my favorite rifles is a K-Hornet and I will be trying cast loads in it as soon as I can get good results from my 2 Lyman .225 molds.

Tony   Exactly- nothing wrong with the “K” or standard Hornet - esepcially in a CZ- any variety or perhaps an Anscheutz.  The odd Ruger and Browning shoot well too.

 

The Squirrels are specialty ctgs. as as George noted above.  The .22 should make a supurb cast bullet shooter, whereas the .20 and .17's work wonders on chucks and gophers at longer ranges than capable for a Hornet or “K” .22's.

Too, using a mere 9gr. of powder for a max load is miserly on powder, produces no recoil, very little vibration and hits are observable in a scope at close range, even at high magnification.

 

As to chambering, a normal Kiff .17AH reamer can be used to cut a squirrel chamber.

 

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technojock posted this 06 April 2011

Right now my 2 .225 molds cast .55 grain slugs. Later on I plan to spring for something in the .45 grain range. Anyway when I use 2400 rifle powder with jacketed loads, I'm only using 8 grains. I've recently bought a can of Little Gun and I'm looking forward to trying that.

My first K-Hornet is a BSA Martini target rifle converted from .22 rim fire. Last December I picked up a sweet Ruger 77/.22 Hornet converted to K-Hornet and seriously accurized. It's so nice that I can't think of anything additional to do to it but shoot it as often as I can...

Anyway I plan to try some of the 55 grain cast bullets in it but I don't have a load yet. I have plenty of 231, red dot and SR4756 on hand and will likely use one of those...

Tony

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TRKakaCatWhisperer posted this 06 April 2011

technojock wrote: Maybe I'm missing something but what's wrong with the regular Hornet or K-Hornet?  right now one of my favorite rifles is a K-Hornet and I will be trying cast loads in it as soon as I can get good results from my 2 Lyman .225 molds.

Tony

I'm looking at it for a .22 bore center fire for a Stevens 1915 Favorite.  A .22 Hornet would be much too much for it.

 

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Daryl S posted this 06 April 2011

Not sure how the Lil'Gun will work with light loads. Although it is designed for the .410 shotgun with shotgun's inherent low pressures, guys have complained about Lil'Gun burning quite dirty at low pressure. In the guns I use it, it is the cleanest burning powder I've ever used - by far. That's .22 Hornet, .218Bee and .17Ackley Hornet. I do not slouch on loads, though.

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Dale53 posted this 07 April 2011

I am not a fan of the .22 HOrnet. I AM a fan of the performance level, just don't like the case. The case head is too thin in the area of the primer and case life can be quite iffy.

However, I have a Ruger #3 with custom wood that sports a .221 Remington Fireball chamber that works VERY well and uses extremely strong brass.

I also have a TC Contender barrel that is chambered for the same cartridge (.221 Fireball).

I cast the Lyman 225415 flat nose gas check bullet out of linotype and it makes a DANDY squirrel rifle and pistol with 4.0 grs of Unique.

I much prefer this to the .22 rimfire. The flatnose seems to work considerably better - excellent “stopping” power with modest meat damage.

I mostly use my Contender. I have a two power handgun scope on the TC and off a bench get ½” groups at fifty yards.

I have gotten good results with the .22 Hornet using the same bullet and 3.0 grs of Unique but much prefer the .221 cases.

Dale53

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hunterspistol posted this 10 April 2011

 :coffee    I first encountered the 'Squirrel' on Specialty Pistols website where, one of the gents had improved the shoulder (Ackley Improved).  He called it the 22 Squack.  How does that one grab ya?  There are a lot of wildcats and improved cartrides to 22 Hornet.  Myself, I just shoot hornet.  The thin case doesn't bother me, they're fairly cheap and I run 1,000 round batches of brass for it.  I do have a designated eez-out for case head seperations when it decides to blow one in half. But, only had two do that so far, I've been at it for 10 years now.

     I use a 225438 Lyman gas check mold and 7.5 grains of IMR 4227 to 100 yards.  Last count, I have 600 rounds on the shelf loaded for this, all single stage with a trickler (winter, what else?).

     The 218 Bee, 222, 22-250 and others are still great cartridges too. Must just be easier to shoot something that's cheap on lead, cheap on powder, and takes up less space. Really handy little cartridges.

      Ron

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