Rod Herrett stocked the gun, and Fred Smith fitted its 15-inch Shilen barrel. That slow rifling generally limits the .218 Bee to bullets weighing less than 52 grains; no Greek tragedy, as introducing heavier slugs produces quickly diminishing returns. The Berger 30-grain bullet delivered only slightly better accuracy with 0.005-inch jump than with no jump, and an increase of another 0.005 inch opened up groups. In addition to stabilizing in a 1:16 twist, their thin jackets make them more effective on varmints than bullets of the same weight and even lighter that are constructed for cartridges of higher velocities. The Hornady and Ackley versions of the 17 Hornet are examples. maximum average pressure for the 218 Bee is 40,000 CUP. Choose the 218 Bee Rifle Brass that's right for YOU. |   Bullet jump was then extended in 0.005-inch increments until the sweet spot was found. Muzzle velocity was 3,488 fps at a chamber pressure of 46,400 psi. He owned no powder scale and simply filled the case to the brim with IMR 4198, seated a bullet on top, and commenced to terrorize the local crow population. Reloading Supplies / Bullets; You last purchased this product on . Now let’s take a close look at the performance of CFE BLK in several varmint cartridges. The shape at the tail end of a projectile, whether it's boattail or flat base, can have... Dave Emary provides an introduction for those interested in shotshell reloading. With the case shoulder bumped back and bullets reseated, it averaged 0.64 inch for five, five-shot groups at 100 yards. From left to right, virgin 22 Hornet case, 6mm Hornet with shoulder positioned for my reamer and the last is a standard 22 K-Hornet fireformed case. Savage introduces a must-shoot straight-pull rifle, the Impulse, with three hunting configurations. The bullet is based on the ancient .25-20 Winchester case and was introduced by Winchester in 1938 as a follow-up to their .22 Hornet success. One in the chamber and another in the magazine makes it a two-shooter. The camera rod of my Lyman borescope is too large in diameter for .17-caliber barrels, so for three of the test rifles I relied on cleaning patches wet with copper solvent to detect the presence of metal fouling. I shoot a #1 in .218 Bee, your cast appears to be one of the improved versions with a sharper shoulder than the regular version I have, blown forward as … A lot of trouble for sure, but it satisfied my curiosity. All Rights Reserved. CFE 223 was introduced in 2012, and CFE Pistol followed in 2014. Also, most reloaders will tell you, once you reload the same brass over and over, the cost of reloading gets cheaper. The .218 Bee was the first modern varmint cartridge designed expressly for a lever rifle – Winchester’s Model 65. .218 Bee (Using Hornady Bullets) reloading data with 136 loads. A single full power .218 bee load in a new case will show signs of case separation. I use .22 hornet data and get great case life. Model: 10001. While the S.A.A.M.I.-recommended maximum overall cartridge length is 1.680 inches, my Marlin 1894 feeds 1.720-inch-long rounds without a hitch. This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets. Hodgdon’s recommended maximum of 12.5 grains with a 20-grain bullet fills a case formed from Winchester 22 Hornet brass to its brim. Pressures generated in Hodgdon’s pressure barrel for an 18.0-grain charge behind those two bullet weights was only 33,500 and 35,700 CUP respectively. Winchester introduced the Model 43 bolt-action in 1949 as a sort of “Winchester Model 70 Junior,” the first rifle produced by the company following World War II. Item #: WINU218 $0.52 per round ... What started as a small dream has become a multi-million dollar international business selling ammunition, reloading supplies and accessories. I have a hankering for one of these and I would like to know what it will do in the real world with various bullet weights before I start building one. Cases are also easily formed from .32-20 WCF brass. In addition to delivering much lower velocity spreads, accuracy was better with IMR 4198 and H335. The rifle holds a period Williams Wide Guide 4x scope set in Weaver Top-Mount rings, which were left in place during all load testing. Regardless of how bullets were seated, chamber pressures appeared to be on the mild side in the Cooper and Remington guns. Although overall cartridge length is restricted to about 1.950 inches, there is still more than enough room to seat bullets close to the rifling should doing so be necessary or desired. All things considered, this new propellant from Hodgdon ranks among the very best choices available for Remington’s littlest .22-caliber centerfire cartridge. Whereas CFE BLK proved to be an excellent choice for the two 17 Hornets, shot-to-shot velocity spread was quite high when it was asked to burn in the roomier case of the 17 Fireball. Like I said, different rifles, different preferences in primers. According to my measurements, its gravimetric density is 0.980 gram per cubic centimeter, the same as for water. I first pulled bullets and dumped powder. Determined to include a Berger 30-grain load in this report, I asked my friends at Hodgdon to shoot it in their 24-inch pressure barrel. Like some other spherical powders, Hodgdon CFE BLK performs best in cartridge case capacity/bullet weight combinations that allow 90 to 100 percent load density. When using that primer in this cartridge, it is important to begin with a starting load and keep a close eye on fired primer condition while carefully working up. Millions of successful hunts have proven the accuracy and deadly effect of the famous Hornady ® InterLock, ® SST, ® InterBond ® and GMX ® bullets we load into Hornady ® Custom™ rifle ammunition. Midsouth Shooters knows it all starts with the right rifle reloading brass at the right prices. I had expected chamber pressure and velocity of the factory load to be a bit lower in the improved chamber, and they were, but accuracy in my rifle was quite good. Hornady has become the most reliable source for Bee brass, offered in both loaded ammunition and as a component. Inspect the .32-20 cases closely and avoid using any case that has any nick at the mouth as that will become a small split in the neck of the finished .218 Bee case. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for RCBS 218 Mashburn Bee 2 Die Set .218 Mash Rifle Reloading Dies 56030 Group G at the best online … Clark, Nov 5, 2013 … Hodgdon’s Ron Reiber was the first to try CFE BLK in the field. Request Flyer. Its cup is softer than that of the Remington 7½ primer, but neither of us experienced pierced primers when using a charge 0.3 grain shy of maximum. The rifle was also chambered in .22 Hornet, .25-20 and .32-20 Winchester. At 200 yards the figures are 1550 fps and 245 ft. lbs. Regardless of the powder used, velocity spread can be a bit high with the 17 Hornet, although it seldom affects accuracy enough to matter within the effective varmint-shooting range of the cartridge. The S.A.A.M.I. All Guns and Ammo subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. Velocity from the 10.75-inch barrel of the XP-100 was just over 3,100 fps, with accuracy as good as that particular gun has ever produced. 35 Rem Cal. Several blunt-nosed bullets are suitable when loading the .218 Bee … The Berger 25-grain bullet preferred 0.010 inch. In this segment of "Guns & Ammo TV," Gun Tech Editor Richard Nance and Pro-Shooter Jim Tarr head to the range to wring out the Umarex Air Ruger 10/22. bullet they list a start load of 15.0gr. It saddens me to say this, but the future of the .218 Bee is looking less than bright. LYMAN IDEAL LOADING RELOADING 310 DIE SET FOR 30-30 CAL. In testing the ability of the powder to “Erase Copper Fouling,” Reiber fired a 467-round string during the varmint shoot with no cleaning, except for occasional dry-brushing to sweep out powder fouling. Subscriber Services. Winchester offers sporadic runs of factory ammunition and Quality Cartridge offers handloading hulls. While the 17 Fireball is about 300 fps slower with all bullet weights than the 17 Remington, it is probably more popular today because it burns about 20 percent less powder with each squeeze of the trigger. Lever-rifle tubular magazines requiring blunt, low ballistic coefficient (BC) bullets, and slow (1:16) rifling twist, never really allowed the cartridge to live up to its true potential. The Ruger test rifle used in this report preferred the Remington 6½ primer. Hodgdon CFE BLK powder - a Copper Fouling Eraser propellant - is perfect for 17 Hornet, 17... With the right bullets and powders, reloading 45 ACP can yield ammo more than capable of... Give a Gift   The ballistic performance based off the 35, 40, 46, and 50 grain are 3,205 ft/s (35 gr), 3,130 ft/s (40 gr), 2,708 ft/s (46 gr), and 2,654 ft/s (50 gr). My .218 is one of my favorite guns and is just a joy to shoot. New or newer Bee-compatible powders used here include Vihtavuori N-120, Accurate 1680, Hodgdon’s Lil’Gun and CFE-BLK and Shooters World Blackout. 265 Posts . Muzzle flash in a 10.75-inch barrel is minimal, while touching off a charge of Lil’Gun is remindful of how the 221 Fireball got its name. As I mentioned, running the case through a 17 Ackley Hornet full-length resizing die bumps back the shoulder, allowing it to fit into the Ackley chamber. The 17 Hornet was given a S.A.A.M.I. That put bullets 0.060 inch off the rifling, and while accuracy was not as good as with bullets touching the rifling, it was considerably better than with a longer jump. My most accurate—and one I still have—is a Sako L46. Velocities from pressure barrels are usually higher than velocities from off-the-shelf rifles, but in this case it was quite close at 3,836 fps. $66.00 + $9.00 shipping. A single full power .218 bee load in a new case will show signs of case separation. RCBS is known for making high-quality reloading equipment. The tendency with smaller varmint rounds like the Bee is to push maximum, ammunition left in a hot sun or truck cab inviting a stuck case or locked bolt. When shooting ground squirrels and prairie dogs with a bolt-action rifle, I seldom use its magazine anyway. Patches wet with Barnes CR-10 pushed through the bore revealed a total absence of copper fouling. Starting at 18.0 grains of CFE BLK, I worked up to 21.5 grains, a charge that fills the case about halfway up its neck. Fits:.218 Bee.25/20 Winchester.32/20 Winchester ; 8mm Lebel French Revolver While perusing the CFE BLK data I received from Hodgdon, I felt a bit disappointed by the absence of my favorite ground squirrel atomizer in that cartridge: the Berger 30-grain hollowpoint. Having a burn speed close to H4198 and IMR 4198 makes CFE BLK suitable for use in a variety of applications, including the .17- and .22-caliber varmint cartridges covered in this report. The introduction of Lil’Gun by Hodgdon in 1999 was one of the best things to happen to the 221 Fireball, and I was curious to see how slower-burning CFE BLK would stack up against it. The .218 was first introduced in 1938 for the Model 65 lever action rifle. The use of more streamlined pointed bullets in bolt-action rifles, such as the Winchester 43, Kimber 82, and Sako L46, flattens trajectory and increases downrange punch. This avoids body and should dents in the end product. The Sierra 40-grain Hornet is also quite good. 4) run through 218 Bee sizing die. Red vs. Green Lasers: Visibility in Bright Light, The Story of Civil War Sniper Jack Hinson and His Rifle, Hodgdon CFE BLK: Best Varmint Cartridge Loads, Savage Arms Impulse Rifle with Straight-Pull Action, Guns & Ammo TV: Cameras Don't Lie: 9mm vs .45 ACP. A Cooper rifle I shot performed best with the Federal 205M. The S.A.A.M.I. I began my shooting tests by using Barnes CR-10 solvent to ensure no copper fouling lurked in the barrels of the test guns. As a varmint shooter who spends a lot of time under a hot sun, I find newer temperature-insensitive formulas give me peace of mind. When carefully prepared handloads are fired in good barrels, accuracy of the two cartridges is the same. I really don't miss the 100-200 FPS loss but I sure like being able to use that expensive brass over and over. Remington factory ammo measures 1.810 inches in length and due to a fairly long chamber throat in the test rifle, the bullet is required to free-travel 0.183 inch prior to engaging the rifling. Working up a fast/accurate 218 Bee load is on my to-do list, but haven't gotten to it yet. The Nosler 20-grain bullet was happiest at 0.015 inch. The fouling was a bit heavier in the Marlin 1894, but it was easily removed. Whereas the Redding Model No. Standard 22 K Hornet dies work perfectly well for reloading this slightly modified design. The .218 Bee is a .22 caliber centerfire rifle cartridge designed for varmint hunting by Winchester in 1937. Rifles chambered for the various .17-caliber centerfire cartridges often have extremely long chamber throats, and the Ruger Model 77/17H test rifle is one of them. $38.00. Check out our current selection of 218 Bee Rifle Brass below! Discussion Starter • #1 • Nov 24, 2011. Winchester Brass 218 Bee Unprimed Bag of 100 . Picture Information. The difference is, when you have an accurate .218 Bee, you are not stretching it when shooting at those distances. According to the Winchester ballistic tables, the trajectory of that load looks like this: +1.5" at 100 yards, 0 at 150 yards, and … An overall cartridge length of 1.815 inches with the Hornady 20-grain V-Max exceeds what the Ruger magazine is capable of handling, so those rounds had to be manually loaded directly into the chamber. The Winchester Model 43 “Special Rifle” version, used for testing here, includes a 24-inch round, proof-steel barrel measuring .56-inch at the muzzle, select walnut stock with checkered pistol grip and forend and steel butt plate. IMR4198 and a max of 16.0gr. The difference is, when you have an accurate .218 Bee, you are not stretching it when shooting at those distances. $43.16 Model: 10001. 5) the resulting case will have a funky double shoulder, but will chamber in your rifle just fine. I have owned several rifles in 218 Bee through the years, the first being a Winchester Model 43. Sign Up for Our G-Blast. Read Our Story. While shooting the Cooper Model 21, I experimented a great deal with bullet jump (or lack of it), and the Berger 30-grain bullet shot best when seated 0.005 inch into the rifling. From reading posts, I think Daryl has done a lot of work with the Bee. The new powder also flows through good powder measures with minimum charge-to-charge variation in weight. Whether it's 10mm or 50 BMG, you can find it for sale at Midsouth. When all is said and done, H110 and W296 — along VihtaVuori N120 — offer the best combination of bulk density and burn rate available for bullets weighing from 30 to 45 grains in the .218 Bee. The barrels of the Ruger Model 77/17H and the Remington XP-100 had accumulated some, but it vanished after only three applications of solvent. Pressures generated in Hodgdon’s pressure barrel for an 18.0-grain charge behind those two bullet weights was only 33,500 and 35,700 CUP respectively. During my youth, I shot a custom single-shot rifle in 17 Ackley Hornet built on a Winchester Model 1885 action belonging to one of my father’s hunting pals. But the difference was not great. I never cared for either 2400 or 4227 in the Bee. maximum overall cartridge length of 1.720 inches to ensure its compatibility with the magazines of rifles originally designed for the .22 Hornet. Out of stock. I was reminded of him while loading IMR 4198 in the Ackley cartridge in order to compare its performance with CFE BLK. Form the .218 Bee brass by half-inserting each case at each step and then redistributing the Imperial Die Wax. The interior magazine length of Remington Model 700 rifles chambered for this cartridge is shortened at the factory by the installation of a filler block. My favorite marmot gun. Find what you need in four easy steps. This is especially important when loading ammunition on a progressive press. Whereas squeezing in enough IMR 4198 to reach top velocities with those two can be challenging, maximum charges of CFE BLK drop in with a bit of room to spare. In this segment of “At The Range,” Handgunning Editor Jeremy Stafford and contributor Patrick Sweeney compare the visibility of red and green lasers in outdoor, sunny conditions. Either powder is an excellent choice for P.O. It varied among the three bullets tried. My goal with this rig is 100 yard accuracy not speed. ALL 30 gr 35 gr 40 gr 44 gr 45 gr 46 gr 50 gr. Full-Length Die Set - Group A - Popular Rifle Cartridges. 400 Small Rifle Primers were used for all testing. The age-old question, 9mm vs .45 ACP. Reloading Supplies / Bullets; You last purchased this product on . When preparing loads for the Marlin rifle, I started with two flatnose bullets: the Hornady 45-grain hollowpoint and the Speer 46-grain softnose. As Vista Outdoor Operations LLC has no control over individual handloading practices or the condition of firearms in which The 20-grain bullet of Hornady factory ammunition had to free-travel 0.102 inch prior to rifling engagement. Find the 218 Bee Reloading Dies you need from your favorite brands for sale here at Midsouth. Time-tested standbys include similar Hodgdon 110 and Winchester 296, Alliant Reloder 7, Accurate 2460 and Hodgdon’s temperature stable Extreme Series H-4198. Ken Waters, in a January 1976 “Pet Loads” column, warned that the Model 43 “speed lock,” mid-bolt locking lug was not stout enough to handle hot maximum loads. Recently, I have noticed several Martini rifles chambered in 218 Bee. Reloading Questions; About. I also have had good luck with the discontinued W-W 680, Ball-C(2) and Reloader 7. I load it with my regular Bee load, and fire form the case to final dimension. Looking to load for a Winchester model 43 bolt in a 218 Bee. Buying brass is a one-time cost, spread over an average of 8 times reloaded. These rifles were produced until 1957, with about 63,000 sold. Cases last just short of forever, an important consideration when choosing a powder for loading bucketfuls of cartridges needed for defending your position from hordes of crazed flickertails. The Sierra 40-grain hollowpoint also preferred 0.005 inch of rifling engagement. Winchester's .218 Bee factory load uses a 46 grain hollow point bullet at a MV of 2760 fps and muzzle energy of 778 ft. lbs. Modern rifle options were introduced by Marlin and Browning as late as 1989 (also lever guns) and Ruger chambered their No. High density is especially important when loading small-capacity cartridges. RCBS 218 Bee F. L. Die Set #10001 Group A. 218 Bee 45 gr HP. IMR4198. Despite their long leap through space, five of the 20-grain AccuTip-V bullets consistently landed inside an inch at 100 yards.