MarkS
Silver $$ Contributor
W/W factory rounds are loaded with W680 no longer made for the public. Accurate 1680 is a same as w/w 680. works in hornet and Bee.
Mark
218 Bee
- Thread starter fredhorace77
- Start date
W/W factory rounds are loaded with W680 no longer made for the public. Accurate 1680 is a same as w/w 680. works in hornet and Bee.
Mark
jds holler
Gold $$ Contributor
Here's a pic of the kind of memories my little Bee has provided. Grandson with the pelt of his first coyote that I called and he killed with a shell that we had loaded the night before. 
That is awesome.Here's a pic of the kind of memories my little Bee has provided. Grandson with the pelt of his first coyote that I called and he killed with a shell that we had loaded the night before.
JohnHenry
Gold $$ Contributor
Shoot a number of 218 Bees( Cooper 38 VE, Cooper Peregrine, and a Kimber of Oregon Model 82). I like Accurate 1680.
How are your primer pockets holding up? dedogs
jds holler
Gold $$ Contributor
Dedogs, I've gotta say that primer pockets have never been an issue with my Bee brass.
I chuck a few brass every time I load a batch of these, and the two main reasons are necks too thin to hold bullet firmly, and thinning/cracking down at the web. I have many brass which are old as dirt, and have been shot God only knows how many times. Case separations aren't uncommon with a day of shooting, but the broken case is easy to remove from the chamber, and I just don't sweat it. I believe these cases are probably some of the ones I over stretched before I got a clue about partial sizing.
I've had this rifle for over forty years, and have probably put five hundred to a thousand rounds through it in each of those years. The barrel still looks peachy. jd
I chuck a few brass every time I load a batch of these, and the two main reasons are necks too thin to hold bullet firmly, and thinning/cracking down at the web. I have many brass which are old as dirt, and have been shot God only knows how many times. Case separations aren't uncommon with a day of shooting, but the broken case is easy to remove from the chamber, and I just don't sweat it. I believe these cases are probably some of the ones I over stretched before I got a clue about partial sizing.
I've had this rifle for over forty years, and have probably put five hundred to a thousand rounds through it in each of those years. The barrel still looks peachy. jd
snert
Silver $$ Contributor
How the heck did you transfer your typed response into the computer from that Underwood? 
On a different note, I am a fan of 1680...I think it tends to produce more consistent pressures than Lil gun. Lil gun is attractive cause it makes big numbers in the MV catagory, but there is no free lunch. It costs in pressures and these old cartridges just were not made or pressure spikes. That is what WSm's etc were made for! I think that some of the old cartridges are really a forgotten treasure...esp the little 25 and 32-20...fine game smackers with the right bullet. No red mist, but very effective, and if you are JD, that matters cause I am betting he is gonna eat it if he shoots it...no matter what it is!
On a different note, I am a fan of 1680...I think it tends to produce more consistent pressures than Lil gun. Lil gun is attractive cause it makes big numbers in the MV catagory, but there is no free lunch. It costs in pressures and these old cartridges just were not made or pressure spikes. That is what WSm's etc were made for! I think that some of the old cartridges are really a forgotten treasure...esp the little 25 and 32-20...fine game smackers with the right bullet. No red mist, but very effective, and if you are JD, that matters cause I am betting he is gonna eat it if he shoots it...no matter what it is!
I have two .218 Bee's - a Ruger #1 and a Browning copy of the Winchester M-65 lever rifle. It is one of my favorite cartridges, and I have Forster "Ultra benchrest" dies for it.
All the current loading data is for the Winchester 43 and the lever guns - weak actions, and light loads at ~ 35,000-ish PSI.
The #1 will handle loads just below the .221 Furball. If you anneal the necks, the cases will last forever.
The cases are tough. The necks are thin (~ 0.009"), but that is thicker than my 6mmBR which runs around 65,000 PSI. The case head is strong and will hold up.
My #1 is quite accurate and good for a 300 yd woodchuck and crow rifle.
My favorite powder is IMR-4227, though I have made up some (un-fired) tests loads with Lil'gun - but it burns dirty and I don't like it.
It will do very well with either the 40gr BlitzKings, or V-Maxs.
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Good deal, I'm looking forward to putting this little cartridge to use.I have two .218 Bee's - a Ruger #1 and a Browning copy of the Winchester M-65 lever rifle. It is one of my favorite cartridges, and I have Forster "Ultra benchrest dies for it
All the current loading data is for the Winchester 43 and the lever guns - weak actions, and light loads at ~ 35,000-ish PSI.
The #1 will handle loads just below the .221 Furball. The cases are tough. My #1 is quite accurate for the game I shoot with it.
My favorite powder is IMR-4227, though I have made up some (un-fired) tests loads with Lil'gun - but it burns dirty and I don't like it.
IT will do very well with either the 40gr BlitzKings, or V-Maxs.
JohnHenry
Gold $$ Contributor
Loosening primer pockets have not been an issue with my 218 brass. Eventually(after approx. 20-25 reloads) the necks will start to split. I full length size after every shot using a fl Redding die that JLC Precision has modified to accept bushings. I use a bushing .001 to .002 less than the expander diameter and thus the expander will very slightly expand the necks giving a uniform inside neck diameter before seating the bullet. For unturned necks I find I get better accuracy with a uniform neck ID before bullet seating versus a uniform neck OD if one did not use the expander.
John, That's good to hear. I'm assuming you are using Winchester brass? Care to share your load? I have not had any issues with necks except for some old brass someone gave me that I didn't anneal. But I have had primer pockets loosen up after 2 firings with A 1680. That is why I switched to 4227. Thanks for your insights on re-loading this cartridge. dedogs
JohnHenry
Gold $$ Contributor
I shoot my Cooper M38 VE the most and have been loading 14.9 gr AA1680 with 52 gr Berger varmint bullets in Winchester cases using Federal 205M primers. Bullets are seated .010 off the lands. One hundred yard five shot groups average in the mid 0.3's if the guy pulling the trigger reads the wind correctly. As John Russell indicated much published 218 Bee loading data is for weaker actions(lower pressures). Accurate's maximum published load for a 50 gr bullet is 13.0 gr AA1680 yielding 36600 CUP.
Thanks for that info John, I think I know where I went wrong. dedogs
I made a 218 bee single shot a few years ago and it loves a 40 gr vmax pushed by 13.5 gr of win 296. It will usually put 5 in a 3/8" group at 100 yds. I usually back it down to 13 gr in the hot summer. It will cut a crow in half inside 200 yards. The 218 bee is one round that is seriously overlooked. I would love to see it come back even if it was an ackley version.
JohnHenry
Gold $$ Contributor
John, I remember seeing pictures of that very nice 218 Bee single shot that you built. Sounds like it shoots as good as it looks. The 218 Bee is one of my favorites.
It has been such a fun and enjoyable gun. I'm really starting to get the itch to make something else now...
jds holler
Gold $$ Contributor
I've always thought that they should have kept up production of the Bee instead of the Hornet. Only a smidge difference in the ballistics, but the Bee is a mo-durable case to reuse. Trouble is, all the factory ammo has always been stubby little bullets made for tube magazines.
I'd love to have a custom single shot, or a Ruger like the OP started this thread about. Heck, I've seen guys asking up around a thousand bucks for clean Model 43's like mine, and they are no where near worth it. Not much more than a slightly beefier 22 action. jd
Has it arrived yet??
Yes, I picked it up last week but have been so busy I haven't even got a chance to pet it and give it a name yet
Yes, I picked it up last week but have been so busy I haven't even got a chance to pet it and give it a name yet
Weeeeeeeeeeeeell, at least a picture - ya thunk??
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