My 22-k hornet is a hair splitter with Jacketed loads and that is all well and good if I wanted to shoot out to 200+ yards.
I wanted something with low pressure but could shoot cast bullets with strait wheel weights and a little tin. I wanted to go from around 1400fps for squirrel and 2000+ for yotes out to around 100yds. I am using Lyman’s 44gr (#225438) cast bullets.
Unique did well at about 3.5 gr (avg. 1642 fps) groups opened up after 4gr. This will do for my close range and squirrel hunting loads. It is a quiet load.
Red Dot dose well in fire forming cases but I get terrible groups with it once fire formed.
Tried IMR4227 and it did ok for cast bullets up to 6.6gr then the groups went all to pieces.
Tried out Lil'Gun reduced loads for my 22-k Hornet. Turns out that my cast loads like 7.5gr (avg. 2187 fps) and 8gr (avg. 2307). I get .75” to .5” groups with the occasional flier.
I went as low as 6gr and worked up in .5gr increments.
I say reduced, due to the fact that I could not find a load using less than 11.5gr. That was too much for my cast bullets to handle. I had also read that Lil’Gun did not do well with loads less than 10gr. I have not been able to find any reference to shooting less than 10gr since.
6gr of Lil'Gun gave me erratic velocities with an 80fps spread. 7.5 and 8gr gave better FPS spreads of around 20fps.
I tried out Vince’s bullet lube formula using beeswax and automatic transmission fluid and I tried out beeswax, High pressure molly grease and Carnauba wax. Both did very well. Thx for the info Vince
I think I have found 2 powders that my gun likes when shooting cast loads. I am just surprised that Lil’Gun did so well for me with nice velocity and still hold tight groups without any heat treating of the bullets.
I shoot a 23” Contender with custom stinger stock from Gunstock Inc. I posted this in hope that it may give some others shooting 22 hornets or 22-K hornet cast loads a little info.
Any suggestions or comments with reference to shooting hornet cast loads would be a big help.

Seems like you're making progress, Glenn.

That 8 gr load of Lil Gun would sure work for CA ground squirrels and any old prairie dogs.

As A17 said Glenn...you are making progress, and that is what handloading and load development is all about.

Cheers, Vince