Got the Winchester 43 Hornet to the range today

[JDHasty]

Originally Posted by moorepower

That might be a 1-16 twist barrel. Th 40's may not work. I would take a little flitz on a bore mop and a cordless drill to polish the chamber up.

I wrapped a 22 cal bronze brush with 0000 steel wool and Flitz when I got home and spun it with a cordless drill motor tonight and it appears to be good now.

It is 1:14 that was originally on a very accurate custom 22-250 built by Byron Dugat of Beeville TX. The rifle was rebarreled to 243 and the chamber was cut off this barrel and threaded and chambered in 22 Hornet for the 43 and recrowned. The rifling is as sharp as can be.

[moorepower]

That's a plus, 1-14. Many of the older Hornets can have a 1-16 which really limits the bullet selection.

[JDHasty]

Originally Posted by moorepower

That's a plus, 1-14. Many of the older Hornets can have a 1-16 which really limits the bullet selection.

This one is limited in bullet selection by the throat length. It has already provided me with many hours of enjoyment and I haven't got it into the field yet.

I've got 35 more 35 grain V-maxes, but I also have a lawn to mow and kids cloths and other stuff to get loaded in the truck and a Costco run to make if we are going to go over to central Washington this weekend. If I mow then load a few tonight, get to the range tomorrow to verify it will extract now, then get the truck loaded up Thursday I can pull it off. I'd say taking it over and getting some chuck shooting with it this weekend is about 50/50 right now.

[JDHasty]

I looked it over real close tonight and although it might be able to handle some of the very shortest ogive pointed bullets, there is no way it would safely take any of the plastic tipped 40 grain bullets and most of the rest of the spritzers. The bearing surface is way down into the case neck by the time the bullet is seated deep enough to chamber the round. It wouldn’t take much inattention to end up with a bullet pushed into the boiler room. I could see it happening even if paying close attention.

I suppose with a compressed load of a hard powder that could be avoided, but we have other 22 Hornet firearms we can load pointy bullets in to our heart’s content anyway.

I’m kind of funny, in as much as I get a kick out of going out with a rifle that is very accurate and shoots a round that is minimally affected by wind, I also get a great deal of enjoyment going into the field with a rifle that has certain limitations that I have to work within.