Sting like Bee (Old school)

[MTNRaine]

Due to a sudden death of my aunt this fall that shook us all, my uncle decided to give me the most memorable gift I've ever received for Christmas. He walked out of his gun room a couple days before Christmas and set a rifle box on the counter with a box of ammo and said to me "Well seen as myself or anything of my siblings are probably not going to live that much longer I feel this should go to the person who I know will enjoy it the most." One wave short of tears I shakily took the box and just stammered "thank you this means the world to me." A hundred times

As a lefty shooter I own nothing but pretty top shelf firearms but nothing can compare to the place this holds in my heart.
A Marlin 1894CL chambered in 218 Bee. My grandfather bought it new in 1990. The year I was born. It is in 99% new condition a has maybe 15-20 rounds through it. I have an old mid 80's vari x 2c 3x9x40 that I put on it. It just felt fitting.
My grandpa had this and one other 218 bee when I was growing up and I always thought that they were such a cool cartridge. I have always wanted one and never thought I'd get the honor to have one of his.
I just think it's a neat long range varmint cartridge of yesteryear. Who else has a Bee?!!

 

[Koda_]

I dont have a Bee but thats a very fitting heirloom handed down to you and agree on the scope choice. Beautiful rifle. If factory ammo is hard to find you may want to invest in some reloading dies and keep all brass.

 

[MTNRaine]

I'm currently trying to find dies and anymore ammo/brass I can get my hands on. I have 50 rounds of ammo and 50 pieces of brass, but would feel better with 200-250.

 

[Koda_]

I'm currently trying to find dies and anymore ammo/brass I can get my hands on. I have 50 rounds of ammo and 50 pieces of brass, but would feel better with 200-250.

If you develop a mild but effective handload for it you could get a lot of life out of 50 cases but yeah I agree with you, get a few hundred if you can find them even if you don't use them all... Someday you will pass that heirloom down again. Send the dies and brass with it. Sign up for notifications for ammo on all the usual webstores.

 

[hpmag308]

I'm currently trying to find dies and anymore ammo/brass I can get my hands on. I have 50 rounds of ammo and 50 pieces of brass, but would feel better with 200-250.

https://vortexreloads.com/product/hornady-218-bee-unprimed-brass-50pk/ Check this site. Don't know any thing about them

 

[trapper1954]

I do! Exact same with a Redfield 1-5 wideangle on mine. I have dies and have reloaded for it. This is a warning,, My oal is duplicate to factory ammo but it hangs up feeding sometimes, not always, but it never jams up with factory. Its a real pain to take apart to unhang. I don't have my specs in front of me at the moment. Ebay has a ton of things (dies etc. ) this morning. You are one lucky man, you will enjoy this rifle its a good coyote gun for calling, close quarters situation. My wife and I were calling on the ranch for a coyote that was killing kid goats every night. I place my wife with the 218 down wind 100 yards or so and short into it, bang. Female coyote sneaking in down wind. One shot deal. 50 yard shot. Hollow points

 

[txaggie1]

Have a ruger 1 myself fun little round, now that I'm getting into lever guns I forgot they made these!

 

[VTbluegrass]

I saw a bag of 218 brass in an old gun shop in VA, it was over a year ago but I can't imagine it flies off the shelf. I remember making the comment "because everyone needs that" Place called Bryansteens in Roanoke, Va complete shot in the dark but might be worth a phone call to them

 

[johngibbs222]

You can neck down 25/20 brass with the 218 full length die or buy a set of redding forming dies and form that or 32/20 brass, all depends on which brass is easiest to obtain.
Lovely little cartridge shaded by the faster, post war (WW2) cartridges.
My 2nd edition Lee handloading manual still lists it together with some really interesting data regarding the use of some pistol powders (2400 and H110 amongst others), as does the Lyman 49th edition.
Whichever way you go you'll really have fun with this round half the powder needed for a 223, 40 grain bullets getting near 3000fps mv and if you can get polymer tips you can safely use the cartridges in a tubular magazine, what's not to like?

 

[ridgewalker]

One fine inheritance! Enjoy your new project!

 

[Greatgrandad]

Due to a sudden death of my aunt this fall that shook us all, my uncle decided to give me the most memorable gift I've ever received for Christmas. He walked out of his gun room a couple days before Christmas and set a rifle box on the counter with a box of ammo and said to me "Well seen as myself or anything of my siblings are probably not going to live that much longer I feel this should go to the person who I know will enjoy it the most." One wave short of tears I shakily took the box and just stammered "thank you this means the world to me." A hundred times

As a lefty shooter I own nothing but pretty top shelf firearms but nothing can compare to the place this holds in my heart.
A Marlin 1894CL chambered in 218 Bee. My grandfather bought it new in 1990. The year I was born. It is in 99% new condition a has maybe 15-20 rounds through it. I have an old mid 80's vari x 2c 3x9x40 that I put on it. It just felt fitting.
My grandpa had this and one other 218 bee when I was growing up and I always thought that they were such a cool cartridge. I have always wanted one and never thought I'd get the honor to have one of his.
I just think it's a neat long range varmint cartridge of yesteryear. Who else has a Bee?!!

NICE!!!

I have several Marlin 1894's but not a 218. If you cannot locate those rare 218 brass, you can form them from 32-20.

Forming 218 Bee Brass From Starline 32-20 Brass, The...

www.marlinowners.com

 

[V35BTC]

I have my grandads Winchester Model 43 with the Weaver K6 he mounted on it when purchased. I killed my first deer with it in 1979, I was 6. Lots of great memories with that rig.

Occasionally you will find some loaded ammo, usually W-W 46 gr hollow point for sale, and possibly someone has some brass. I got some from a guy on here last year, surprisingly he lived 20 minutes away. Forming from the parent cartridge is also a possibility.

 

[Rflshootr]

Message sent.

 

[DLJ6]

Wow, awesome gift. I load for one I have in a contender, some of the modern powders like lil gun do very well in it. Your bullet selection will be limited due to the tube mag of course. I'll check my brass supply and PM you.