Thread: 22 hornet on goats?

currently having a bit of a come back at my local NZDA range.
I was enamored with it when I saw the performance with the new powders (Lil'gun). Always wanted a soft quiet shooting accurate rabbit and goat rifle.
Mate's talked me out of it as I can't use it on DOC land. (Doubt many could tell the difference between 223 and 22 Hornet, As long as it's not a 22rf.)
May yet get myself one anyway.
When I was a kid and even my son's shot their first goats with a 22RF.
Have shot a number of goats with a down loaded 243, trailboss, 58gr Vmax at 2400 fps and I see a Hornet will drive a 55 gr bullet at 2650 fps.
As long as you can head/neck shoot then up to small small deer are not a problem at sensible ranges.

I have some ideas on bullets for goat in a Hornet but have not shot any myself. 40-45 is the obvious choice but don't expect them to bust though a shoulder and do much internal damage. Drop them in side on just behind the foreleg and they will be going down. The heavier 55 gr bullets will penetrate OK but you may not have enough velocity to get much. expansion.
In the 243 the 58gr Vmax bullets at 2400 fps hitting a goat at 50 mtr will pass though side on leaving a nice exit hole. recovered bullets showed a nice mushroom without fragmentation due to the low velocity. I would imagine the heavier (for 22 hornet) Vmax bullets would perform in a similar manor at the lower Hornet velocities.
Z