Sellier and Bellot 22 Hornet 45gr FMJ – Reliable 20 Round Box

Description

Sellier and Bellot 22 Hornet 45gr FMJ is a straightforward brass cased load for one of the oldest small game cartridges still in production. Part number SB22HA, 45 grain full metal jacket, leaving the muzzle at 715 metres per second, which is roughly 2346 fps, for 741 joules or about 546 ft-lbs. Twenty rounds to the box, made in the Czech Republic.

• Why the 22 Hornet Survives
• Sellier and Bellot 22 Hornet 45gr FMJ Specifications
• Honest Notes on the Hornet

Why the 22 Hornet Survives

The .22 Hornet dates to the 1930s and it has outlived a great many cartridges designed to replace it. The reason is that it occupies a niche nothing else quite fills: substantially more reach and energy than a .22 WMR rimfire, with far less noise, recoil and muzzle blast than a .223 Remington. On a quiet farm at first light, that difference is the whole point.

A 45 grain bullet at roughly 2346 fps carries about 546 ft-lbs at the muzzle, dropping to around 302 ft-lbs at 100 metres. That is entirely adequate for foxes, groundhogs, crows and similar work out to about 150 yards, and it is deliberately not a deer cartridge. Used inside its range this 22 Hornet ammunition is quietly effective.

The full metal jacket bullet is the practical choice for pest control where pelts matter or where you want minimal expansion. Sellier and Bellot also load a soft point in the same weight for hunters who want expansion. If you are shooting foxes for the fur, the FMJ is the one to buy; if you want a fast kill on a groundhog, the soft point is better.

Sellier and Bellot 22 Hornet 45gr FMJ Specifications

Sellier and Bellot has manufactured ammunition in Vlasim, Czech Republic since 1825. Cases are brass, boxer primed and reloadable, which matters because .22 Hornet brass is thin and worth looking after.

• Manufacturer part number: SB22HA
• Caliber: .22 Hornet
• Bullet weight: 45 grains, 2.90 grams
• Bullet type: full metal jacket, lead core
• Muzzle velocity: 715 metres per second, about 2346 fps
• Muzzle energy: 741 joules, about 546 ft-lbs
• Velocity at 100 metres: 532 metres per second
• Energy at 100 metres: 410 joules
• Case: reloadable brass, boxer primed
• Quantity: 20 rounds per box
• UPC: 754908510009

Honest Notes on the Hornet

Hornet brass is delicate and that is the cartridge best known drawback. The case walls are thin, the neck is short and the shoulder is shallow, which makes cases easy to crush in a press and prone to splitting after a handful of firings. If you reload Sellier and Bellot 22 Hornet 45gr FMJ cases, use a light touch, anneal regularly and expect shorter case life than a modern cartridge would give.

Twist rate limits your bullet choice. Most factory .22 Hornet rifles use a slow twist, commonly 1-14 or 1-16, which stabilises 40 to 45 grain bullets and nothing heavier. Do not buy heavy .224 match bullets for a Hornet expecting them to work.

Ammunition availability is genuinely uneven. The Hornet is a niche cartridge and it disappears from shelves for months at a time. If your rifle likes a particular load, buy several boxes when you see it rather than assuming it will be there next season.

Finally, know the legal limits where you hunt. Some jurisdictions set a minimum calibre or energy for certain species, and the Hornet falls below those thresholds in places where a .223 would be legal. Check before you take it to the field for anything larger than vermin.

If you reload, we stock 22 Hornet dies, and the Sellier and Bellot 222 Remington soft point is the step up in the same family of small varmint cartridges. Full ballistic data is published on the Sellier and Bellot product page.

Sellier and Bellot 22 Hornet 45gr FMJ suits fox and groundhog shooters, farmers dealing with pests near buildings, and anyone running a Ruger 77/22 Hornet, CZ 527 or a single shot in the calibre. MAG5 Firearms is a family owned FFL in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. Boxes ship where state and local law allows.