218 BEE in a BROWNING LEVER GUN

[Lawyer Daggit]

I have just come across a Browning lever gun in 218 Bee. From reading the 218 seems to be a necked down 25/20 firing standard .224 bullets.

If this is the case it should be an easy handloading proposition and one reasonably cheap to feed if one handloads.

Before buying the peace, and with knowledge that life is not often as easy as one initially assumes it, I thought I would ask you gentlemen for advice in respect to buying a gun in 218 Bee.

[Lawyer Daggit]

The vendor just called me and advised that the gun has sold.

I would be interested to hear your comments though.

[Hobie]

I have a Thompson Center Contender barrel in .218 Bee. I like it.

[TedH]

I have a Bee in a Marlin 1894CL. It's a dandy little shooter with the 45 gr. Hornady Bee bullet and a max charge of H4198. It makes just over 2700 fps and is about 1.5 moa accurate. Bee brass can be hard to come by as it's just a seasonal run for Winchester. Same thing for the bullets. I've been out of the Hornady bullet for several months and have not been able to find any online. I recently started casting for it too. My 50 gr. bullet shows great promise at 50 yards, but still needs some work when grouped at 100 yards.

[mod71alaska]

I'm a real fan of the .218 Bee and the Browning lever action rifles chambered for it. I own 3 Brownings in .218 Bee. I'm keeping 2 of them (a Custom Browning Model 53 http://www.levergunscommunity.com/viewt ... =1&t=30167 and a Browning Model 65) and selling a NIB Browning 65 .218 Bee listed right now in the Forum classifieds section. http://www.levergunscommunity.com/viewt ... 61#p370361 .

I think the Browning lever actions are the best Winchesters since Winchester!

[HEAD0001]

I passed on a standard grade one a few years ago at a gun show. It had very nice wood on it, and appeared NIB. The price was $600. At the time I thought that price was a little high(What a mistake). I really wish I would have bought that rifle. Heck I have seen dealers asking that for Marlin's. I really screwed up. My next lever action is going to be either a 218 Bee, 25-20, or 32-20. I think the Bee would be the best choice. I am wanting one for a raccoon calling rifle, and we like to keep the pelts. Tom.

[Sixgun]

Lawyer D,
The .218 is an easy cartridge to load for. Brass can be a little hard to find, but can be found, especially if your not worrying about how much you gotta spend.

I've had several in lever and bolt actions. Accuracy seems to be about the same.

Unless you have a particular use for it or "you just have to have one", your better off buying a 32-20 which is a whole lot more versatile, especially with cast bullets--------------Sixgun

[Lawyer Daggit]

32 20 was the most popular calibre on Australian farms for many years.

Could a Bee case be made by necking down a 25 20 or 32 20?

[Pop Watts]

Hi Lawyer,

I have a 218 Bee and I love it. It is an original 1892 that has a Sportco barrel put in.

So far I have shot a pig and a couple of foxes with it and it worked well.

Not sure if you could neck down 32-20 cases, those necks are thin and I think they will crumble. If you necked down 25-20 jou would most likely have to ream the throats because they would be too thick.

218 brass is relatively easy to pick up if you keep looking.

Hope you find one, I am sure you will enjoy shooting it.

Pop.

[Sixgun]

Could a Bee case be made by necking down a 25 20 or 32 20?

Pop Watts said it, brass can be found. Anytime you neck something down to .22 caliber, where tolerences are more critical, inside neck reaming "might" be necessary. But 'ya know something, I''m gonna test that theory today and report back later. I have all the different brands of brass and the rifles & dies to test 'em. I routinely use 38-40 & 44-40 brass interchangably and sometimes mix 25-20 & 32-20-----gotta see how it works out with the .218--------Sixgun

[Remington40x]

.218 Bee is a great little cartridge. I've owned three, still have two, all on Martini Cadet actions. One is a standard Bee, the other a Mashburn Bee. The standard Bee shoots like a house afire - the last test group put four in an overlapping cloverleaf at 100 yards before I pulled the fifth one out about 1/2 inch. Shouldn't have looked through the spotter before the last shot. I just fire-formed the first 50 cases for the Mashburn Bee, so I don't have accuracy data from that one yet.

The Bee I had earlier was also a very consistent performer - in the 3/4 to 7/8 inch for 5 shots at 100 yards category off a bench. I traded that to an engraver for a full-coverage engraving job on a Greener small frame .22 takedown.

I have had best results with 40 grain bullets, particularly Hornady V-Max.

I've lusted after one of those Brownings for years and just never seem to have opportunity and means meet simultaneously.