Best 22 Hornet Ammo For Hunting Coyotes, Bobcats, & Other Varmints

Here are my recommendations for the best 22 Hornet ammo for hunting varmints, predators, and even deer that will probably serve you very well next time you’re afield.

While using the mild mannered 22 Hornet for deer hunting is a controversial topic, the cartridge can be incredibly effective on smaller game like coyotes and prairie dogs. Indeed, many hunters use the 22 Hornet for hunting predators and varmints with excellent results.

Indeed, the light report, minimal recoil, and reduced chances of a ricochet with this mild mannered cartridge are all great attributes for hunters in many places.

Originally designed for varmint and predator hunters in the early 20th Century, the little 22 Hornet cartridge remains in fairly common use to this day. Not surprisingly, several major manufacturers like Federal Premium, Hornady, Remington, Sellier & Bellot, and Winchester produce several different variants of 22 Hornet ammo for hunting predators, varmints, and potentially even bigger game like deer.

The precise origins of the .22 Hornet are a little hazy, but many people credit Grosvenor Wotkyns for developing it in the 1920s using the black powder .22 Winchester Centerfire (WCF) cartridge for inspiration. The little centerfire cartridge quickly caught on with many sportsmen due to its higher velocity, flatter trajectory, light recoil, and excellent accuracy.

Rifle manufacturers have produced the cartridge in a wide range of bolt-action rifles as well as a number of single shots (like the Ruger No. 1) over the years. The .22 Hornet is also widely adopted in Europe where it’s sometimes known as the 5.6x35mm and it’s a fairly popular cartridge in combination guns.

In fact, the 22 Hornet is a noteworthy survival rifle cartridge produced in a couple combination guns/survival guns.

In recognition of the desirable attributes possessed by the cartridge, the US military issued a couple of different .22 Hornet rifles as survival gear during the 1940s through the 1970s. Intended to assist the downed crew in hunting small game for food, the M4 Survival Rifle was a very basic bolt-action rifle used by some fliers in World War II. The military eventually replaced the M4 with the M6 Aircrew Survival Weapon, which was a double barreled combination gun chambered in .410 bore and either .22 Long Rifle or .22 Hornet.

Springfield Armory sold a replica of the M6 for several years and there are still a few of the famous Springfield Armory M6 Scout rifle floating around out there.

The cartridge is most commonly used afield for varmint and predator hunting today, but the cartridge will potentially work on bigger game too.

So, regardless of whether you’re using a bolt action Ruger 77/22, a CZ 527, a Springfield Armory M6 Scout, one of the old Winchester Model 70s available in the cartridge, or some other 22 Hornet rifle, there is pretty much guaranteed to be something for everyone on the list below of the best 22 Hornet ammunition for hunting.

In today’s post, I’m going to show you the best 22 Hornet ammo for hunting deer, coyotes, foxes, bobcats, feral hogs, groundhogs, prairie dogs, and other varmints/predators. I’ll also go over the pros and cons of each individual load.

You can also learn more about how four of these 22 Hornet loads performed in ballistic gel by watching the video below.

Before we get started, I have an administrative note for you:

Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means I will earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you) if you make a purchase of rifle ammo through those links. This helps support the blog and allows me to continue to create free content that’s useful to hunters like yourself. Thanks for your support.

Can you use the 22 Hornet for deer hunting?

Assuming it’s legal to use on deer where you live (and it’s illegal to use on big game in some places in the United States), the answer to that question is: absolutely.

Is it a good idea?

In my opinion, no.

Many of the small, lightly constructed 22 Hornet bullets quite often won’t penetrate far enough to reach the vitals of a deer or other big game animal on a body shot. However, they will really do a number on a deer if you hit them in the neck or the head.

Only take that shot if you really know what you’re doing though, because it’s easy to wound and lose an animal with that sort of shot placement.

I will discuss two 22 Hornet loads in particular below that are better choices for use on deer and are more likely to reach the vitals of game that size on a traditional “behind the shoulder shot” than anything else currently available.

No deer will go far at all if you put a quality bullet through the vitals, even if it’s from a 22 Hornet.

It’s important to realize that different hunting situations (like hunting deer on one hand vs coyote or prairie dogs on the other) necessitate the use of different kinds of 22 Hornet ammo for best results and using the wrong ammunition can lead to disastrous performance.

For instance, a load that’s ideal for use on groundhogs, foxes, or coyotes would be a terrible choice for use on a bigger animal like a deer.

Fortunately, there are several excellent choices for factory 22 Hornet hunting ammo from a couple different manufacturers.

Remington High Performance

This Remington High Performance Rifle ammunition isn’t the sexiest load, but it’s an excellent choice for hunting a wide variety of game. In fact, this is my #1 recommendation for someone who wants the best 22 Hornet ammo for hunting the full spectrum of game from coyotes and prairie dogs up to deer.

No, I don’t love the 22 Hornet for deer hunting, but I think this stuff is among the best 22 Hornet ammo for deer.

For instance, this warthog only went 20-30 yards after taking a 45gr Remington soft point through the chest. Warthogs aren’t pushovers either and can be surprisingly tough. The bullet caused massive damage to the vitals of that warthog and even exited!

I don’t think it’s quite as good in that role as some of the lighter bullets I also recommend in this article, but this Remington ammo will also work fine on smaller game like and varmints.

For instance, a single shot from this Remington ammo instantly dropped the jackal below at about 200 yards. It literally did not take another step after the bullet impacted.

The bullet did exit, but did not cause excessive damage to the hide of the animal.

Remington advertises a velocity of 2,690fps for this 22 Hornet ammunition. While it was not excessively slow, it was going a little bit slower than that out of my rifle (which has a 24″ barrel).

This ammunition also shot pretty well for me. It was not the most accurate 22 Hornet ammo I’ve ever used, but it was certainly accurate enough for me to feel comfortable using it afield.

All things considered, I’d say this is the best 22 Hornet ammo for all-around hunting use. It’s more likely to produce an exit wound than a lighter bullet, so keep this in mind if minimizing fur damage is important to you on something like a fox or a coyote.

Likewise, be very careful with your shots using this ammunition on deer sized game. Wait for a perfect broadside shot and aim behind the shoulder. The deer won’t go very far if you do that.

• Bullet Type: Pointed Soft Point
• Bullet Weight: 45 grains
• Ballistic Coefficient (G1): .130
• Muzzle Velocity: 2,690 feet per second (723 foot-pounds of energy)

GET REMINGTON 22 HORNET AMMO HERE

Also Available at: MidwayUSA, Optics Planet, Palmetto State Armory, & Remington

Hornady Varmint Express 35gr V-Max

Hornady’s Varmint Express line of rifle ammunition is really good varmint hunting ammo in general. This particular loading using Hornady’s well regarded 35gr V-Max bullet is great .22 Hornet ammo for hunting varmints and predators.

With that in mind, this Hornady Varmint Express load is my #1 recommendation for someone wanting the best 22 Hornet ammo for hunting coyotes, foxes, etc.

When I think Hornady I think “accurate ammo.” That’s not always true, but this Hornady 22 Hornet ammo lived up to that reputation for me and is a good choice for wringing all the accuracy possible out of an already exceptionally accurate cartridge with mild recoil.

In fact, this was easily the most accurate 22 Hornet ammo I’ve shot in all my testing and produced the fantastic group below, even when I included one shot I knew I pulled to the right.

Hornady advertises a velocity of 3,000fps for this 22 Hornet ammo. It actually shot a little faster than that for me out of my rifle.

That’s going MUCH faster than the heavier Remington ammo above. Furthermore, this V-Max bullet has a polymer tip to increase the ballistic coefficient and initiate expansion for rapid fragmentation, even at low impact velocities.

This bullet is designed to create a wide, shallow wound when it impacts. This makes it a terrible choice for use on a deer, but is just about perfect for a smaller animal like a coyote.

In fact, this stuff is pretty fur friendly as well and is unlikely to exit a coyote or a bobcat.

Add it all up and you have an accurate and flat shooting 22 Hornet round that’s absolutely deadly on coyotes, bobcats, foxes, etc., but won’t completely destroy their pelts.

• Bullet Type: Hornady V-Max
• Bullet Weight: 35 grains
• Ballistic Coefficient (G1): .109
• Muzzle Velocity: 3,100 feet per second (747 foot-pounds of muzzle energy)

GET HORNADY VARMINT EXPRESS 22 HORNET AMMO HERE

Also Available at: Lucky Gunner, MidwayUSA, Optics Planet, and Sportsman’s Warehouse

Sellier & Bellot

In contrast to the more modern polymer tipped bullets now available in 22 Hornet ammo, soft and hollow points were the most popular bullets for .22 Hornet hunting ammunition for many years. While there’s definitely newer and more advanced stuff available today, there’s nothing wrong with using those soft point bullets with a lead core either.

This Sellier & Bellot ammunition uses soft point bullets like that and isn’t the sexiest load. It will still work for hunting a wide variety of game.

My experiences with this ammunition indicate that Sellier & Bellot’s 45gr soft point is one of the tougher bullets available in the cartridge.

I observed the best penetration with this 22 Hornet ammunition out of everything I’ve tested for the cartridge.

With that in mind, this is my #2 recommended 22 Hornet ammo for deer hunting (behind the Remington ammo I mentioned earlier). I’d still advise taking a “behind the shoulder” broadside shot with this stuff, but you’re more likely to get an exit wound with it compared to any other ammunition in this article.

That 45 grain soft point bullet is one of the heaviest bullet weights available for the 22 Hornet in a factory loading. I still think it’s far from ideal for hunting big game, but I think it’s still among the best 22 Hornet ammo for deer.

S&B advertises a velocity of 2,346fps for this 22 Hornet ammo. That’s pretty slow and it even shot a little slower than that for me out of my rifle.

The downside of that slower velocity combined with a tougher bullet is that this bullet probably won’t create as large of a wound cavity as any of the other loads I discuss in this article.

This 22 Hornet ammo also has a more arching trajectory too.

Accuracy was good, but not as good as the Hornady ammo out of my rifle.

None of this is to say this is bad ammo or you shouldn’t hunt with it.

In addition to being a decent choice on deer, this Sellier & Bellot 22 Hornet ammo will also work fine on smaller game like and varmints. The bullet will likely exit, but its lower velocity and tougher construction will probably cause less fur damage than other loadings.

Finally, this is one of the least expensive 22 Hornet ammo choices available.

All things considered, I’d say this is still good 22 Hornet ammo for all-around hunting use, especially when you consider how it’s priced.

• Bullet Type: Soft Point
• Bullet Weight: 45 grains
• Ballistic Coefficient (G1): .138
• Muzzle Velocity: 2,346 feet per second

GET SELLIER & BELLOT 22 HORNET AMMO HERE

Also Available at: Lucky Gunner, MidwayUSA, & Optics Planet

Nosler Varmageddon

Next, we have a Nosler Varmageddon 22 Hornet ammunition load using their 35 grain FB Tipped Varmageddon (flat base tipped) bullet. This particular bullet has a polymer tip that slightly increases the ballistic coefficient of the bullet and also helps initiate expansion upon impact.

I can confirm these bullets deliver violent expansion upon impact and make a wide, short wound cavity that’s ideal for use on smaller game.

Similar to the Hornady ammo, this stuff is pretty fur friendly as well and probably won’t exit something like a coyote or a bobcat.

I strongly advise hunting deer with this ammo though.

What about accuracy?

Nosler goes one step farther with these bullets by manufacturing them with a flat base (instead of a boat-tail). This slightly decreases the ballistic coefficient of the bullet, but makes results in a bullet that’s often easier to shoot accurately at shorter ranges (inside 200 yards).

Well, accuracy was fantastic with this Varmageddon ammo in my rifle.

Nosler advertises a velocity of 3,000fps for their 22 Hornet ammo. It actually shot a little faster than that for me.

With that in mind, this is another flat shooting and accurate 22 Hornet load that should deliver almost explosive expansion on prairie dogs, coyotes, foxes, groundhogs, etc.

Once again, this 22 Hornet ammo is absolutely deadly on animals like prairie dogs, groundhogs, foxes, and coyotes and I highly recommend it for varmint hunters.

• Bullet Type: Nosler Varmageddon Flat Base Tipped (FB Tipped)
• Bullet Weight: 35 grains 
• Ballistic Coefficient (G1): .12
• Muzzle Velocity: 3,000 feet per second (699 foot-pounds of energy)

GET NOSLER VARMAGEDDON 22 HORNET AMMO HERE

Also Available at: Lucky Gunner, MidwayUSA, Optics Planet, and Sportsman’s Warehouse

Winchester Super X

Similar in overall design and performance to the Remington load I mentioned earlier, this Winchester Super-X rifle loading using 45-grain bullets is another nice 22 Hornet ammo offering for those who prefer a heavier bullet. Like the Remington load, this is what you should use if you want to use the 22 Hornet for deer hunting or if you want the best choice of 22 Hornet ammo for hunting the widest range of game from prairie dogs up to deer.

Since the performance of this Winchester Super X load is so similar to that delivered by the Remington 22 Hornet load, the better choice is the one that’s easier for you to obtain or the one that shoots better in your rifle.

• Bullet Type: Jacketed Soft Point
• Bullet Weight: 45 grains
• Ballistic Coefficient (G1): .130
• Muzzle Velocity: 2,690 feet per second (723 foot-pounds of muzzle energy)

GET WINCHESTER SUPER X 22 HORNET AMMO HERE

Also Available at: Lucky Gunner, Optics Planet, and Sportsman’s Warehouse

Federal Premium Varmint & Predator

First up is this Federal Premium load using their 35 grain Tipped Varmint bullet. This bullet is designed for extremely rapid, almost explosive performance upon impact without excessive penetration. Those are exactly the attributes most desired from a varmint hunting bullet.

The combination of rapid expansion and minimal penetration this ammunition delivers makes it ideal for predator and varmint hunting. The result should be almost instantaneous kills without excessive fur damage on game like coyotes, bobcats, and foxes. It should also work very well on prairie dogs, woodchucks, etc.

All things considered, this is great 22 Hornet ammo for hunting varmints. I do NOT recommend using it for bigger game like hogs or deer though.

Note: this is the only current production 22 Hornet ammo available from Federal now that they’ve discontinued the older Federal Premium V-Shok and Federal Premium Varmint ammunition loadings with 45 grain Speer soft point and 30 grain Speer TNT green hollow point lead free bullets.

• Bullet Type: Tipped Varmint
• Bullet Weight: 35 grains 
• Ballistic Coefficient (G1): .109
• Muzzle Velocity: 3,000 feet per second (699 foot-pounds of energy)

GET FEDERAL PREMIUM VARMINT & PREDATOR 22 HORNET AMMO HERE

Winchester Varmint-X

Built using many of the same design principles as the Federal, Hornady, and Nosler Varmint ammo also mentioned in this article, Winchester’s Varmint-X ammo is really bad news for coyotes, prairie dogs, woodchucks, foxes, etc. Built with a thin jacket and a polymer tip, it will rapidly expand on impact.

These bullets will rapidly transfer a lot of energy to the animal as they almost explosively expand upon impact. Wounds will be large and devastating, but not very deep. As such, these bullets are unlikely to exit from bigger predators like coyotes. Use this Winchester ammo on really small animals (like prairie dogs and ground squirrels) or on larger animals (like bobcat, coyote, and fox) in situations where you want to minimize fur damage from exit wounds.

• Bullet Type: Winchester Polymer Tip Rapid Expansion
• Bullet Weight: 35 grains
• Ballistic Coefficient (G1): .109
• Muzzle Velocity: 3,100 feet per second (747 foot-pounds of energy)

GET WINCHESTER VARMINT-X 22 HORNET AMMO HERE

Also Available at: Lucky Gunner, MidwayUSA, Optics Planet, and Sportsman’s Warehouse

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