Home › Browse Calibers › .22 K-Hornet
Common uses: Varmint, Small Game
| Type | rifle (centerfire) |
| Typical load | 45gr reference load |
| Muzzle velocity | 2800 fps |
| Muzzle energy | 784 ft-lb |
| Published G1 ballistic coefficient | 0.202 |
| Case length | 35.6 mm |
| Overall length | 46.7 mm |
| Range (yd) | Velocity (fps) | Energy (ft-lb) | Drop (in) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 2800 | 783 | -1.5 |
| 100 | 2356 | 555 | 0 |
| 200 | 1955 | 382 | -4.9 |
| 300 | 1601 | 256 | -18.9 |
| 400 | 1308 | 171 | -46.8 |
| 500 | 1102 | 121 | -95.1 |
Small-game/varmint context — the deer- and elk-sized energy references aren't applicable to the cartridge's listed uses. When a downrange table is available, its retained-energy column can provide context; verify the exact load and follow local game regulations for legal methods.
This reference load is not verified factory-load data; confirm the displayed inputs against a reliable published source where available, and verify modeled results with your own rifle.
The .22 K-Hornet is a small, quiet, and economical varmint and small-game round favored by handloaders who want more from the parent Hornet without stepping up to a larger case. The reshaped case yields a modest velocity gain over the standard .22 Hornet along with better case life, while keeping the same light report and minimal recoil. It is a short-range cartridge best suited to close and mid-range work on ground squirrels, foxes, and similar pests, falling off well before the ranges where a .223 or Swift come into their own. Because factory ammunition and rifles are essentially nonexistent, it lives almost entirely as a handloader's and gunsmith's proposition, requiring brass to be fire-formed and often a rechambered rifle. Its appeal is as much about tradition and shooting pleasure as raw performance.
The .22 K-Hornet is an improved wildcat version of the .22 Hornet, credited to Lysle Kilbourn around 1940 and named for him (the "K" stands for Kilbourn). It is a fire-formed derivative of the .22 Hornet, with a straighter case body and a sharper shoulder (roughly 35-40 degrees) that increase powder capacity. As one of the earliest "improved" cartridges, it became the most enduring and widely used of the many .22 Hornet variants and remains a classic among handloaders.
Run this cartridge in the ballistic calculator · Compare it against another cartridge · How this data is produced