It's based on the .32-20 necked down to .22 designed in 1937. Originally chambered in the Win. M65. It was chambered in a variety of rifles from single shots to bolt guns!

 

It’s worth it if you reload. If you don’t, you’ll end up spending a significant amount of money to shoot it.

 

32-20,25 -20, 218 bee are allon their way to being an abandoned cartridges.
One may find some old stock ammo and cases but it is not being produced right now.

 

32-20,25 -20, 218 bee are allon their way to being an abandoned cartridges.
One may find some old stock ammo and cases but it is not being produced right now.

Hornady makes .218 Bee. I have seen it on the shelves of a few gunstores. About $45 for 20.

https://www.hornady.com/ammunition/rifle/218-bee-45-gr-hp#!/

 

Its a specialty round then?Ammo is still very hard to come by here,and I think they are gouging on costs....I would like to shoot one sometime

 

Good to know....He said he would part with that rifle,but i like to shoot the ones i have in just basic calibers.....

 

Here is a .22 lr, .218 bee and the .223 rem for a visual comparison

 

218bee, 25-20, 32-20

 

@Oakscool Were those cast at home and powder coated?

 

Thank you for the comparison, I got to tell ya,I think the .218 looks like a spicy bullet

 

I have always wanted a Marlin 1894 in the 218 bee.
Every auction I watch...they go over my limit on price.. seems like they command about $1300 to $ 1600 now. I have a bolt Ruger in 22 hornet and love shooting that.....Still find ammo easily for it....I would love to see Ruger come out with the 218 bee and a 22 hornet when they resume production of the 1894 ..
...am I dreaming ??

 

No,perhaps you're not dreaming about the 1884 being redone by Ruger...I am feeling better about Ruger taking over the Marlin brand,but Marlin would be best....I think Remington made some bad ones if I understand correctly..?
Remlins?

 

Wikipedia has a great section on cartridges and is a great source of information about the 218. It is a very fun cartridge to shoot and reload for but is almost completely obsolete now. I've had two, one was a winchester 1892 rebarelled to 218 and the other was marlin 1894 that was originally a 218 and had been rechambered to 218 mashburn bee. Both really accurate and easy to shoot and both sold to buy the next thing that caught my eye.

 

Mashburn bee....So,im guessing Mashburn was the developer of that caliber?I figured bee was for stinger...A little stinger round or something...

 

Winchester developed the first .218 Bee in 1937. Mashburn did an improvement similar to what Lyle Kilbourn did with the .22 K Hornet. The improvements are usually good for 50-100 fps more speed but not much more. The K Hornet is easier to load than the original Hornet and the cases usually last longer.

 

The Mashburn Bee is an improved version of the .218 Bee. .218 Mashburn Bee | Handloader Magazine

 

That article said that the Mashburn 218 bee can approach velocities of 3300fps.Thats a sizzling round and can sure pack a little more powder than a standard 218....They consider it a wildcat round.They talked about fireforming the cases using the gun...interesting read,very cool....

 

I have four different Bee's in the safe. Marlin 1894, Ruger no.1B, Browning 65, and Winchester 43. A 218 Bee is worth having in my opinion. Just have a pic of the Browning on this tablet. Here it is.

 

@Hepcat0 - I agree 100% with @bassetman1974 - "A 218 Bee is worth having"! I happen to love the .218 Bee to be honest with you. I am privileged to own a Ruger #1B in .218 Bee as well and it has been the demise of many a prairie dog and other assorted varmints, including coyotes! With the long barrel on the #1B, I am able to wring out some pretty fast rounds.
I also have a Browning 65 and Encore pistol and find them to be a lot of fun to shoot. I had an opportunity to buy an 1894 about 10 years ago - regrettably I by-passed it. . . .

In recent years factory .218 rounds have dwindled and become expensive. However, Hendershots still loads a variety of .218 ammo in some great loads and will provide ballistic information. I'd check them out.

It is more fun to hand load - there are .22 caliber bullets a plenty and lots of load data. Cases are available - just ordered some recently. H110 and IMR 4227 are good powder but some of the loads I like are done with 13 gr. of Lil Gun - with velocities at 3200 fps with a 30gr. bullet out of the #1. Of course if you go down this road - which I think you would find worth the effort, work up your own loads that work for your firearm

Of the .22 centerfires that I have, the .218 is about my favorite (with a .221 Fireball a very close second)

Good Luck with your quest!!

 

@Hepcat0 - I agree 100% with @bassetman1974 - "A 218 Bee is worth having"! I happen to love the .218 Bee to be honest with you. I am privileged to own a Ruger #1B in .218 Bee as well and it has been the demise of many a prairie dog and other assorted varmints, including coyotes! With the long barrel on the #1B, I am able to wring out some pretty fast rounds.
I also have a Browning 65 and Encore pistol and find them to be a lot of fun to shoot. I had an opportunity to buy an 1894 about 10 years ago - regrettably I by-passed it. . . .

In recent years factory .218 rounds have dwindled and become expensive. However, Hendershots still loads a variety of .218 ammo in some great loads and will provide ballistic information. I'd check them out.

It is more fun to hand load - there are .22 caliber bullets a plenty and lots of load data. Cases are available - just ordered some recently. H110 and IMR 4227 are good powder but some of the loads I like are done with 13 gr. of Lil Gun - with velocities at 3200 fps with a 30gr. bullet out of the #1. Of course if you go down this road - which I think you would find worth the effort, work up your own loads that work for your firearm

Of the .22 centerfires that I have, the .218 is about my favorite (with a .221 Fireball a very close second)

Good Luck with your quest!!

Thank you for the nice reply. Hate to give out secrets, but CFE BLK is a magnificent powder in the 218 Bee. You can get higher velocities with Lil Gun but I like my nostalgic cartridges shooting intended factory velocity. CFE BLK does this easily with excellent accuracy.

 

I should have maybe jumped on that one that came under my nose..I had no idea what the .218 bee was at the time...I thought the guy was mistaken....Sounds like the perfect varmint round...We have a bad coyote problem here in PA now....Just like everywhere else...I sure do appriciate the knowledge guys...

 

I love all of the ??/20 calibers. 218 bee coyote gun. Great truck UTV gun. Mine is an 1894cl. It matches the 32/20 and 25/20cl’s.

 

I like them too. I have rifles chambered in 22 short, Long and Long Rifle, 22 magnum, (Marlins Of Course plus a couple Remington 552s), A pristine Marlin 1894 in 218 Bee, A Marlin 336 -based Ranger Point Precision in 219 Donaldson Wasp, a Ruger 77 in 22 Hornet, a Savage 24F 22 Hornet over 12 ga. and a Savage 99 in 22 Hi-Power. I can load the 219 Donaldson Wasp with 70 grain bullets to replicate the 22 Hi-Power (2800 fps at muzzle).

T.S.

 

Crap! Now I want a .218 Bee!!

 

LOL - You should want one and then have 2 or 3 more!!!!! Go get 'em!!!

I might have a few different .22 rimfire rifles from single shot, bolt, lever, auto and pump variations - no AR style tho - they never made sense to me in a.22 - personal taste.

When it comes to .22 centerfires in addition to the previously mentioned Bee rifles - there might just be a couple of ..221 Fireballs, .222 Rems (very accurate in the right rifle), .22 Hornet, and of course the .223 hanging around here someplace - now if I could just find them all......HA! the .22 centerfires are just plain fun

If you are considering a starting point for the .218 Bee, it might be easier to find a Contender or Encore pistol frame and getting a Bee barrel - outfit it with a good handgun scope - you might just surprise yourself.

 

Yeah,It was about 2yrs ago the fellow i worked with said he had an extra one for sale...He wanted 1000.00 for it, but I had no idea what he was talking about...I think I may want one too...Its a sickness....I just love the Marlins....Now to dip my toe in the cowboy series...

 

Lil' Gun and #6 1/2 primers.


Thats second level stuff there

 

 

You and I have chatted for a few years. Hopefully, two years from now I will be retired if my company stock holds out. If so, I would love to come up from WI to Vermont to shoot with you. I will bring alll Bee's and some others. To make a long story short, I've never been north east of Niagra Falls LOL!

 

the bee if one of the few calibers i have never owned but always wanted. but i have had many hornets. an i do love them,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

I forgot to mention, I also have a Howa 1500 Mini in 222 Remington.