.218B

  • 1.1K Views
  • Last Post 07 October 2016
R. Dupraz posted this 05 October 2016

Any one tried cast in a .218B. Thompson Contender or otherwise?

Attached Files

Order By: Standard | Newest | Votes
Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 05 October 2016

my first and favorite cartridge was the 218 bee .. m43 win., 57a peep sight, herters glass bedding .... 1.5 inch groups ...shot my first fox with that .... we raised chickens... shot a couple raiding hawks out of the air back when i was an onery kid ... nowadays i would shoot the chickens and leave them for the baby hawks ...

” rose bud.... where are you now ?? ”

i like to hear stories about the Bee .

ken

Attached Files

M3 Mitch posted this 05 October 2016

I have not shot cast in the 218 Bee, but have in .22 Hornet, .22-250, and even .22 Swift (the Swift only with fast powder light loads so far) - all have worked great. I actually started shooting cast bullets with the .22-250. Like a bumblebee, I didn't know that theoretically this should be a hard to make work combo, so I went ahead and got decent groups anyway.

Attached Files

  • Liked by
  • David R.
admiral posted this 06 October 2016

I use the NOE .226” 45gr. BRP in my Ruger No.1 and Browning 65 Bee's

Attached Files

John Alexander posted this 06 October 2016

One thing to consider before buying a Bee for cast bullets is that SAAMI still calls for a 16” twist which limits bullets to maybe 40 grains depending on shape.  Jacketed do OK but it is more difficult to shoot such short cast bullets than longer ones.  You don't see the equivalent 100 grain 30 caliber bullets shooting many bragging groups either.

Of course some manufacturers may have the good sense to ignore the SAAMI twist spec.  I believe Ruger did with the run of #1s.  Others may have also.  

John

Attached Files

delmarskid1 posted this 06 October 2016

I have a Ruger No. 1 in the bee. I just love to shoot it. I have gotten it to shoot the saeco 60g semi- pointed with gas checks to make a good enough 50 yard plinker. I would love to shoot this gun more often. I use the lyman whatcha..215 thing that weighs 45g without a gas check and a few grains of aa2. It seems to be going faster than a 22LR rimfire. Again it is adequate for squirrel body shots to 50 yards. I cobbled up a Lee collet die for the hornet to use on this Bee and I get away with it. The bee's case is shorter and wider of course so I probably ground something and drilled something. I do remember that I wrecked a part on the first try and had to get a piece. I do think that mine has a 14” twist. I like this caliber. It has more going on than the hornet and is quieter than the .222. I have also breach loaded 22 air gun pellets and driven them with a case and primer. They are just about dead quiet and make a good dent in a garbage can. Analytics ain't my strong suite.

Attached Files

RicinYakima posted this 06 October 2016

I bought one of the Midway 12” contender barrels back in the mid-1990's. It was one of the 1/14 twists barrels. It would shoot jacketed bullets better than any of the Hornets around, but was not a good cast bullet shooter for me, and I sold it about 5 years ago.

Its purpose was a small varmint/vermin gun at 50 yards, but accuracy with cast bullets was only about 2 MOA, or more, at that distance, and that with 3 grains of SR7625 (1400 f/s). It was loud with the jacketed bullets and its favorite Lil-Gun powder around the live stock. When I started working with the 32/20 it was left behind. The 32/20 had better accuracy, more power and lots less noise.

Attached Files

R. Dupraz posted this 06 October 2016

The reason for the question is that I have had a TC 10” octagon .218 barrel with a 12” twist around here since the 70's along with an extra Pistol frame and Leopold pistol scope. None of which has been used much. Along with a fair supply of brass that is left over from a little single shot rifle that is now gone.     So, thought that it might be interesting to see how that barrel and twist would work with a PB cast at around 22LR velocity out to fifty yds.      Noisy with jacketed? yep, in spades! Same family as the 22 Jet.     Got to have something to keep this idle mind occupied.

Attached Files

RicinYakima posted this 06 October 2016

RD, Then you will be happy with that set-up. Both SR7625 and WW231 worked well for me at 22 Magnum velocity. Ric

Attached Files

R. Dupraz posted this 06 October 2016

Well, I did some searching and measuring yesterday and according to “Greenhill” a 12” twist “should” stabilize a .224 diam. bullet that is 0.63” long and weighs up to 58 grns. If that means anything.    That TC 218 barrel has no throat so I need some nose to shove up the bore in order to make it work. Hoping that the weight would be at least around 50grns. Don't want to handle anything shorter or smaller than that.    Looking at the 22 Lee or that design in a NOE. Being aluminum molds, it would be easier to machine the GC feature out and shorten the entire mold in the lathe if necessary.   “I think"

Attached Files

gpidaho posted this 06 October 2016

R. Dupraz: I have the NOE 225-60-RN mould (Saeco copy) Should be right on the edge of stability. This two cavity mould has one gas check one plain base. PM me if you'd like a handful to try. Gp

Attached Files

frnkeore posted this 06 October 2016

The Lee 55 gr (actually 58 gr in my alloy) is a wonderful bullet and mold. It will stabilize in my 14 twist rifle @ 1100 fps, w/o the GC. I've shot a lot of sub 1” groups at 100 yards with it and a bad very day is 2" My mold cast round (within .0002) and I highly recommend it. This is a group that I shot, earlier in the year. Each ring is 3/8". Frank

Attached Files

frnkeore posted this 06 October 2016

This is what the bullet looks like, as cast in 20/1 or WW. Frank

Attached Files

Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 06 October 2016

hi rd::

” you have a 218 Bee i have a brand new lee .... ( 6 cav 225 mold ) ..."

if interested i will ship it up to you, it will be a while before i would need it ... ithat is about 14 projects down the list ...

takes the lee 6 cav handles... but everybody needs one of those anyway ...

pm me if >>> with address ...

ken

Attached Files

R. Dupraz posted this 07 October 2016

Ken

New mold! That's like borrowing some body's new truck. Thanks for the generous offer but think eventually I'm going to end up with either a two cavity lee or NOE.

Attached Files

Categories
Search
Popular Tags
This Weeks High Earners
Hot Topics
Close