tripplebeards
Rank Stranger
Proud owner of a 24F predator 22 hornet/12 gauge
Posts: 11
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Post by tripplebeards on Jan 5, 2023 23:35:53 GMT -5
Just picked up a new gun it is my first 24. It’s a 24F predator model. Always wanted one for calling in predators. Bought it from a neighbor on an impulse buy the week before Christmas. They had this one and another predator in 22 rimfire 20 gauge that I passed on. Bowl supposedly never shot. A relative passed and they were selling off guns. I grabbed this one up for $600. looks like a few weeks ago with the same ones sold on GunBroker for 1200 bucks plus shipping so I think I did OK. Not to worried about it because I never plan on getting rid of it. doesn’t look like there’s a lot of love for the modern 24s with synthetic stocks here. That’s fine send them on my way. The reason I like this one is cause it actually had a 12 gauge threaded choke barrel on the bottom. That way I can stick any choke I want it to make it shoot ridiculously tight for extended ranges. I normally use lead BB’s. I have two cases of federal classic one and seven eight oz lead BB 3”. It’s my go to coyote and bobcat load. I also have a few of the HD Remington loads from 25 years ago. I dropped a coyote at 109 yards with it! Bad range guesstimate on my part but I broke both right side legs with the shot. Anyways I was kind of curious how tight of groups I can or cannot expect with the hornet chambering on top. I would’ve loved to had one chambered in 223 but they’re not flying off the shelves and beggars can’t be choosers. I know my biggest challenge was the rotten trigger on it. It literally hurt my finger before I got it to break. It has to be the heaviest trigger pull I’ve ever felt in my entire life. I took it apart and stoned it and polished it seven times can I have it now breaking out a very crisp 4 1/2 pounds. I’m sure I can get a lighter but I don’t wanna end up having to look for parts that aren’t made anymore if I stone the sear to much. I think I’m gonna look for a main spring so I have an extra and cut a couple coils off and try it and see if removing coils will lighten the pull and still be a reliable ignition system. To me I like trigger is key to shoot tight groups. I realize the 24 series is more of a utility gun so I’m probably gonna have to deal with where the current pull weight it’s at right now. I did load up some 40 grain Vmax and 40 grain Nosler ballistic tips with h110 and lil gun powders. I also loaded them long at 1.908” and 1.900”. It seems that the longest OAL was 1.918”. I didn’t have any fired casings so I loaded a few at about 1.938”. I chambered three of them and two cases seated the bullets to 1.932. The third seated to 1.918”. Figure to be on the safe side since I didn’t have any fired cases where my bullets would slide in and out easily I would roll with the 1.918” max OAL for now. So loaded .01 and .02 shorter to try. Anyone shoot the 24 series hornet with great accuracy? I’m sure my scope choice won’t be the best to dial-in for long range accuracy ladder testing. I might have to switch it out with a high-powered one for load testing and then switch back by one by four for hunting. At least I’ll know how tight I can get it to shoot if I can hold it still enough! I installed a weaver 74 scope base and a Bushnell Engage 30 mm 1-4 German reticle with an illuminated red dot in the center. The rings are Leupold medium PRWs. Plenty of room for cocking and toggling betoween calibers for my thumb.   |
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Post by vancmike on Jan 9, 2023 12:22:20 GMT -5
I wouldn't mourn having a Hornet vs. .223. I have a Hornet Browning low wall and it is my absolute favorite varmint rifle. You can shoot it all day without harming the barrel and with your scope, can easily sight in on teeny little ears. And, if you reload, it's really cheap to shoot.
Your biggest issue will be to regulate the two barrels. Good luck and good shooting!
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tripplebeards
Rank Stranger
Proud owner of a 24F predator 22 hornet/12 gauge
Posts: 11
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Post by tripplebeards on Jan 14, 2023 9:57:39 GMT -5
There is some soldier between the barrels about half way down. Thought it was dirt and tried to clean it out. I can see a few specs and then it’s sold for about 6” or so. Is this factory done? I would assume not and someone tried to (or is) regulated. I planned on installing see through scope rings of its it’s not regulated. I’ll use the factory adjustable open sights for the shotgun barrel and optic for the rifle barrel. Does anyone here have any photos of group testing and various power ladder testings with their 22 hornet 24f/v models here? Never really seen it done before I guess I’ll have to pioneer it and post it if not. Just curious on what kind of group so I can expect with a gun. I realize the trigger to me is going to be the biggest deterrent of accuracy but after getting it down to 4 1/2 pounds with a crisp brake I would think should be able to get it to shoot SUB MOA with a hand load that it likes?
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tripplebeards
Rank Stranger
Proud owner of a 24F predator 22 hornet/12 gauge
Posts: 11
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Post by tripplebeards on Jan 22, 2023 11:00:54 GMT -5
I finally had a chance to shoot it the other day. The 1-4 with a center dot does it no justice in try to ladder test it. Imo it’s just too low of power for trying to shoot extremely small groups. I realize the gun wasn’t designed to be a target gun but I’m still going to see what it's cable of. I’ll be swapping out optics for my next ladder test. It was closer to 2” groups than MOA if I had to guess…never measured them because I wasn’t impressed with the accuracy. I did lay 2 in a 1” bullseye at 100 yards and the third shot was about a half inch away from the center X. So maybe a 1.5” group was best. I’m sure a more powerful optic will help tighten my groups. I think I have a 2 1/2 x 10 Tasco varminter optic I’ll try next. Or maybe higher just for testing. If it works I’ll have to look for a one by eight or similar.
After zeroing my optic with the 22 Hornet at 100 yards I then tried the POA with the 12 gauge. It shot about 4” low or so at 10 yards. At 20 yards the group opened up enough that it would have killed anything I’d be aiming for.
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Post by neilrr on Jan 23, 2023 7:09:17 GMT -5
tripplebeards, nice looking rig. Some advise, if you want to evenly lighten the strength of the main spring you need to thin its coils, as the spring's coil thickness determines the strength of a spring, not its length. This is easily accomplished by placing the spring on a wooden dowel or other round stock. While supporting both ends of the dowel/round stock and using light pressure evenly hold the spring against a belt sander. The spring will rotate due to the belts rotational movement, evenly reducing the spring's coil thickness, and thus its overall strength. Do this very carefully and do not overheat the spring. Reinstall the spring and check the trigger pull weight. Repeat until you have obtained the desired results. I hope this has been helpful. Good luck shooting and hunting.
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Post by vancmike on Jan 23, 2023 12:51:20 GMT -5
Surely, one can find an appropriate spring without going through all that. Try any longtime gunsmith. Or Wolff springs.
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Post by neilrr on Jan 23, 2023 13:43:42 GMT -5
My reply was to explain how an existing spring could be modified correctly to reduce its stength. It is always possible to purchase a replacement spring with less strengh and correct lengh if one can be found and time permits.
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tripplebeards
Rank Stranger
Proud owner of a 24F predator 22 hornet/12 gauge
Posts: 11
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Post by tripplebeards on Feb 24, 2023 10:10:44 GMT -5
I haven’t messed with the gun since I took it out last. I was more concerned about getting my hands on a see-through scope ring set first. I was gifted two pairs! See-through sets of 30 mm and 1 inch. My plan is to mount a 1 inch scope in a 2 1/2-10 power and retest some 22 hornet loads first till I find a load that’s less than half MOA at 100 yards. If the gun will shoot good I will then determine if I end up mounting the 1-4 30mm optic back on or stay with the 2.5-10 and leave it on 2.5x for close range quick shots with my shotgun if needed. It closely regulated enough to not miss but not perfect. I’d rather have see though sights for longer shotgun predator hunting shots if needed. If it doesn’t pattern as well as I want with the hornet it might go down the road and the $$$ used for something else.
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Post by jrguerra on Mar 14, 2023 5:40:21 GMT -5
Trippebeards, you may also want to invest in a DIY stock comb kit, as those tunnel mounts often have a very high cheek weld which becomes more of a jaw weld. I have a CZ 452 rimfire rifle with tunnel mounts and this was a result of using these mounts on it. I was seeking to use the irons on much closer rabbits which scope sightline is too high.
My 24s have never demonstrated such fine accuracy that you are seeking. The trigger mechanism I think is the main cause I think. The rimfires are fine as-is for small game hunting, the centerfires are fine for moderate range (< 100 yard) shots. Further than that, bullet impacts that are consistently on target are fewer. I won't subject live targets to such treatment - I try and get closer.
I wish you success with what you are trying to accomplish.
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