Rifle · SAAMI
.22 Hornet
The first modern high-velocity .22 centerfire rifle cartridge.
- Caliber
- 0.2244″ · 5.7 mm
- Introduced
- 1930
- Case
- Rimmed
- Parent
- .22 Winchester Center Fire
- Primary use
- Varmint, Small Game
- Status
- Active
- Introduced
- 1930
- Type
- Rifle
- Origin
- United States
- Inventor
- Townsend Whelen and G. L. Wotkyns
- Manufacturer
- Winchester Repeating Arms
- Standard
- SAAMI
- Status
- Active
- Availability
- Common
- Case capacity
- 14.5 gr H₂O
- Twist (typical)
- 1:16
- Primer
- Small Rifle
- Case type
- Rimmed
- Max pressure
- 49,000 psi, SAAMI transducer
- Eff. range
- 200 yd
- Max range
- 1800 yd
- Recoil
- 1.6 ft·lb
Introduced by Winchester Repeating Arms
Ballistics
Published velocity/energy data isn't available for .22 Hornet. Parent case: .22 Winchester Center Fire.
Performance
Dimensionscase measurements · scale drawing · size vs familiar rounds
Case dimensions — the scale drawing at the top of the page is built from these.
CIP TDCC · verified| Measure | mm | in | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bullet ⌀ | 5.70 | 0.224 | ✓ |
| Neck ⌀ | 6.17 | 0.243 | ✓ |
| Shoulder ⌀ | 7.04 | 0.277 | ✓ |
| Shoulder angle | 5.6° | — | ✓ |
| Base ⌀ | 7.59 | 0.299 | ✓ |
| Rim ⌀ | 8.89 | 0.350 | ✓ |
| Belt ⌀ | n/a | ||
| Rim thickness | 1.65 | 0.065 | ✓ |
| Neck length | 9.84 | 0.387 | ≈ |
| Case length | 35.64 | 1.403 | ✓ |
| Overall length | 43.76 | 1.723 | ✓ |
Size vs familiar rounds
Drawn at true 1:1 — every case is accurate relative to the others. Absolute size depends on your screen's pixel density, so measuring one against a real ruler may be off. .22 Hornet is highlighted below.
Factory loads
Being verified
Advertised FPS, energy, and BC are withheld until loads clear verification.
Suitable powders
12 reloading powders listed for .22 Hornet, fastest to slowest. Cross-reference in the finder →
Reloading costestimate cost per round vs factory
Estimate your cost per round and how it compares to factory. Inputs are yours — nothing is stored.
Cost estimate only — not load data. Charge weight is your input; follow published manuals for safe charges.
Firearms chambered in .22 Hornet
Lineage
Connected reference
History
Evolved from the .22 WCF through a series of military and civilian experiments in the 1920s. Winchester standardized it in 1930. The original modern varmint cartridge, it set the template for all subsequent .22 centerfires.
FAQs
- What twist rate does .22 Hornet use?
- .22 Hornet typically uses a 1:16 twist rate.
- What bullet diameter is .22 Hornet?
- .22 Hornet uses a 0.2244″ (5.7 mm) diameter bullet.
- Is .22 Hornet still in production?
- .22 Hornet is active; typical availability is common.
- What is .22 Hornet used for?
- .22 Hornet is primarily used for varmint, small game.
- What is .22 Hornet based on?
- .22 Hornet is derived from the .22 Winchester Center Fire case.
- What are the best powders for .22 Hornet?
- Reloading powders commonly listed for .22 Hornet include Accurate 1680, CSP3, S130, H4227, among 12 suitable options.
Sources & provenance
- Standard C.I.P. — C.I.P. TDCC — Tables of Dimensions of Cartridges and Chambers
- Standard SAAMI — ANSI/SAAMI Z299 — Cartridge & Chamber Drawings archived
- Standard SAAMI — ANSI/SAAMI Z299.4-2025 — Centerfire Rifle Velocity & Pressure Data · grain_ballistics, representative_gun archived
- Manufacturer Prvi Partizan — .22 Hornet 45 gr SP (PP22H) · grain_ballistics, representative_gun archived
- Manufacturer Remington — Premier AccuTip-V 22 Hornet, 35 Grain (Part #29154) · grain_ballistics, representative_gun archived
- Manufacturer Remington — High Performance Rifle 22 Hornet, 45 Grain Pointed Soft Point (Part #28376) · grain_ballistics, representative_gun archived
- Manufacturer Hornady — 22 Hornet 35 gr V-MAX (Varmint Express, Item #8302) · grain_ballistics, representative_gun archived
Data & sources. Specs compiled from the Lindcott Armory reference; availability counted from 58 live factory loads; the trajectory is modeled (point-mass), not measured. See methodology. Spotted an error? Report it →
