.218 Bee: Difference between revisions

{{refimprovemore citations needed|date=January 2013}}

|image= [[Image:218_Bee.pngjpg |240px]] image_size = 200px

|origin= USAUS

|design_date=1937

|production_date=19381937–present

|primer=[[Boxer primer|Boxer]]; smallSmall rifle

|balsrc= Hodgdon <ref name="hodgdon">[{{Cite web |url=http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp |title=Hodgdon Online Reloading Data] |access-date=2007-08-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071111143616/http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp |archive-date=2007-11-11 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The '''.218 Bee''' is a .22 [[caliber]] [[Centerfire ammunition|centerfire]] [[rifle]] [[Cartridge (firearms)|cartridge]] designed for [[varmint]] hunting by [[Winchester Repeating Arms Company|Winchester]] in 19381937. The cartridge was originally chambered in the Winchester Model 65 [[lever-action]] rifles, which may have ultimately led to its lack of popularity. The cartridge is named for the bore diameter of the barrel in which the cartridge is chambered rather than the usual practice in the United States of having the cartridge's nomenclature reflect in some way the bullet diameter.

The .218 Bee cartridge was designed by Winchester for use in their Model 65 lever-action rifles. Winchester designed the cartridge by necking down the [[.25-20 Winchester]] cartridge to accept a .224 diameter bullet. AsJust as the .2532-20 hadcan beenbe basedconsidered onto be the [[.32-20parent Winchester]],cartridge of the .3225-20, Winchesterit can also be considered to be the parent cartridge ofto the .218 Bee. The cartridge was introduced as a commercial cartridge by Winchester in 19391937 in their Model 65 lever action rifle, which was also chambered for the .25-20 and .32-20 Winchester cartridges. However, while the .25-20 and the .32-20 Model 65 rifles hadhave 22 -inch (560  mm) barrels, the rifles chambered for the Bee sportedhave 24 -inch (610  mm) barrels.

WhileDespite earlyshowing onsome the cartridge showed someearly promise, the cartridge never really caught on, even though it was later chambered by Winchester in thetheir new [[bolt-action]] Model 43 rifle and by Sako in their L-46 rifle. There was some question about the accuracy of the .218 Bee as compared to the .222,{{Citation needed|date=September 2010}} but that was likely due to the difference of inherent accuracy between the bolt-actions rifles commonly chambered for the .222 and the lever-actions commonly chambered for the .218 Bee. Although not in common use, it's is still a very effective cartridge in its class, for example small to medium varmints out to about {{convert|200|yard}}. Production ammunition and rifles are still available from a few manufacturers.

In terms of relative performance, the .218 Bee falls between the smaller [[.22 Hornet]], and the larger [[.222 Remington]] and the more popular [[.223 Remington]]. In terms of short range velocity the .218 works quite well.

* [[.25-20List Winchesterof rifle cartridges]]

==ReferencesNotes==

==External linksReferences==

* [http://www.reloadingroomchuckhawks.com/index_files/218%20Bee218Bee.htm Contender Varminting -The .218 Bee] at Rocky'sby ReloadingChuck RoomHawks