reloading 218Bee?

[big bear]

Anybody reload this cartridge? Know where I can find cast bullets 45-50gr range to buy? Do you use a neck sizing die? Hows it work for you. Took mine out to shoot (cosmetically challenged Browning lever) what ahoot,a real joy, like eating cashews (I don't care for peanuts) I could do it all day.

[3leggedturtle]

TedH should be on to answer shortly

[harry]

Here is one source:

http://www.beartoothbullets.com/bulletselect/index.htm

Harry

[Hobie]

Anybody reload this cartridge?

Yes.

Know where I can find cast bullets 45-50gr range to buy?

There are a number of commercial casters on-line but I couldn't vouch for any of the product. I don't find the cast bullets appropriate for my uses of the .218 Bee.

Do you use a neck sizing die? Hows it work for you.

No.

Took mine out to shoot (cosmetically challenged Browning lever) what a hoot,a real joy, like eating cashews (I don't care for peanuts) I could do it all day.

It is a great cartridge. No recoil, not too loud, works on out there with a variety of bullets (mine are all jacketed).

[big bear]

I put a Marbles tang sight on it. I really like it, you can get really precise sight adjustments, both windage and elevation. Has anyone used that sight on a Browning 92?

[AJMD429]

Took mine out to shoot (cosmetically challenged Browning lever) what ahoot,a real joy, like eating cashews (I don't care for peanuts) I could do it all day.

How's it compare to .32-20 and/or .22 Hornet to shoot, balistically or just fun-factor-wise?

[mod71alaska]

Hi Don,

If you can import ammo into Canada from the States, here's an alternative:

http://shop.reedsammo.com/product.sc?pr ... egoryId=82

I can't wait for spring this year and shooting my 218s. I have a Browning 65 like yours and a Browning 53 converted to .218 Bee with a 30" octagon barrel. That one gets me most excited! I stumbled onto more than a case of new Winchester .218 Bee ammo for about $32 a box that I'll be shooting up. Then I'll probably go to Reed's Ammunition above for more.

I hope you post a range report with pics of your 65. I'll do the same in a month or so. Good shooting!

[Hobie]

Took mine out to shoot (cosmetically challenged Browning lever) what ahoot,a real joy, like eating cashews (I don't care for peanuts) I could do it all day.

How's it compare to .32-20 and/or .22 Hornet to shoot, ballistically or just fun-factor-wise?

It will go some faster than the Hornet but I can't say as the trajectory out to using ranges is a whole lot flatter. BOTH the Hornet and the Bee will shoot flatter than most .32-20 loads. So far, I've not been shooting the .32 WCF with the high speed stuff.

[big bear]

Took mine out to shoot (cosmetically challenged Browning lever) what ahoot,a real joy, like eating cashews (I don't care for peanuts) I could do it all day.

How's it compare to .32-20 and/or .22 Hornet to shoot, balistically or just fun-factor-wise?

218 Bee has no recoil essentially, very quiet and flat shooting compared to 32-20. With right bullet I think you could kill one of small coastal blacktail deer no problem. The 218Bee seems more appropriate to killing rodents of all varieties and maybe grouse, but I think I like my 32-20 with cast bullets better for grouse, if I hit low in neck I don't mess up the meat, I suspect the Bee would do an explosion type thing. I like grouse meat so will never find out.

[Blaine]

I have one, but don't shoot it much. With Reed Ammo, it lays them in a quarter sized hole at fifty yards with factory leaf sights. I don't try very hard for groups, just a good zero.

[big bear]

Hi Don,

If you can import ammo into Canada from the States, here's an alternative:

http://shop.reedsammo.com/product.sc?pr ... egoryId=82

I can't wait for spring this year and shooting my 218s. I have a Browning 65 like yours and a Browning 53 converted to .218 Bee with a 30" octagon barrel. That one gets me most excited! I stumbled onto more than a case of new Winchester .218 Bee ammo for about $32 a box that I'll be shooting up. Then I'll probably go to Reed's Ammunition above for more.

I hope you post a range report with pics of your 65. I'll do the same in a month or so. Good shooting!

The Reed ammo sounds great. The loaded ammo is much cheaper than I can brass, loaded 218Bee being$80/50 here if it could be found, it can't. As for ordering from up here in the TRUE NORTH. Since 9/11 this would be out of the question.The powers that be fear an uprising of arthritic, retirement aged bifocal wearing lever rifle toting old guys ( employing terrifying cartridges in 348 Win and 218 Bee) sweeping down from the frozen tundra on the great cities of your great land. So no, I can't get any of that ammo.Bear season is open, but still too much snow in the mountains for me to hunt, bears have been seen out and about already through. New butcher down the road who specializes in bear ham/ and sausage, so I'm going out some weekend soon and try and bag a Yogi.

[Sixgun]

Unless you have a specific purpose for the lead bullets, stay away from them and use a .22 mag. I use lead in everything except .22 centerfires.

I shoot the Bee on a "once in a while basis", mostly to keep the foxes in check around here. I full length resize and load the Hornady Bee bullet with a dose of IMR 4227. -------------Sixgun

[TedH]

The 218 is a dandy cast bullet round in my experience. I mainly started casting for it because of the seasonal availability of the commercial jacketed bullets. I have the Ranch Dog 50 gr. mold that was designed around the Marlin rifles, which is what I have. I can't say how it will perform in your Browning, but I expect it would do just as good. I cast them from straight wheelweights and load to about 2000 fps which is basically a 22 Mag. I also cast some from a harder alloy that duplicates the Lyman #2 formula and drive them to 2500 fps with good accuracy. Not quite as good as the Hornady jacketed Bee bullet, but still plenty good for small vermin out to 75 yards. The worst thing about the cast bullets is handling, and installing those tiny .22 cal. gas checks.

I found my results were best when cases are full length sized and a firm crimp is applied with a Lee FCD. H4198 is my powder of choice for both accuracy and velocity. IMR4227 is a close second but won't give the velocity that H4198 does. I use a small charge of Unique for the lighter loads that duplicate the 22 mag.

Another thing I found is that I got better accuracy AND velocity with the lightest, or "coldest" primer. My only thought is that the hotter, or magnum primers are acutally pushing the bullet out of the case before the powder is ignited fully and in essence increasing the case capacity once the powder does take off. Standard CCI small rifle primers seem to work the best. I've tried small pistol primers too but the results were about the same.

Here's two of my better groups with the cast bullets from 50 yards.