218 Bee vs 22 Hornet

Rex Mahan

Would someone tell me why one would be better then the other?

rufe-snow

If you don't reload? The Hornet would be much easier and cheaper to obtain. Few modern rifles have been chambered for the Bee in recent years.

Ambrose

I have both a Winchester model 43 in .218 and a Ruger 77/22 Hornet. As Rufe-Snow indicated, the Hornet is much easier to get ammo for and, even if you reload, cases are hard to find for the Bee. The Bee is a bit faster in factory ammo but not much. I've had the Winchester since the early 1960's and used it with 45 gr. Sierra RN and 2400 powder. It shot well enough but not great--I used it for my starling gun and it did well at that job. The Hornet I've had for a dozen years or so and, like the Bee, it shot OK but not great. I shot both in the last couple weeks and, with Lil'Gun powder and 35 gr. Hornady Vmax bullets, they never shot so good! What surprised me was that, with identical loads, the Bee was 300+ fps faster than the Hornet. As I'm sure you know, the Bee case is a bit larger than the Hornet so it makes no sense that the velocity should even be the same, let alone that much faster. So I would guess you would be happy with either one provided you reload with Lil'Gun and 35 or 40 gr. Vmax. If you use factory loads, you'd probably be disappointed with either one. Hope this helps.

Ray B

218 Bee cases can be formed from 38spl/357Mag cases- which makes the potential ammo supply virtually infinite. 22 Hornet has no "parent" case, so you're limited to manufacture availability.

richarda

On the other hand, there is a LOT more fired Hornet brass around.

Ambrose

Originally posted by Ray B:

218 Bee cases can be formed from 38spl/357Mag cases-

The base and the rim of the .357 case are both .032" larger than the Bee. Additionally, the rim of the .357 is .005" too thin. And the .357 is too short and the .38 is much too short. Maybe you're thinking of the .22 Remington Jet or the .256 Winchester, both of which are based on the .357 case.

Bert H.

Rex,

I much prefer the 22 Hornet. My Model 43 rifle will shoot sub 1" groups @ 100 yards with factory ammo (Remington). I recently bought several boxes of the Wincehster 22 Hornet ammo, and I intend to conduct an accuracy test of it out in Cody next month. If you would like, you can meet me in Meeteetsee and try it yourself. I paid $36 a box for the Winchester ammo at the Big Reno show last November. The Winchester 218 Bee ammo was more than $50 a box in comparison.

Another advantage the 22 Hornet has over the 218 Bee is the ease of conversion to the K-Hornet cartridge. The K-Hornet out performs the 218 Bee with any bullet weight you choose.

eastbank

i have a martini in 218 mashburn B and it shoots quite well with the 50gr nosler bt at 3000fps with no signs of pressure at all with imr 4198.

Rex Mahan

Thanks Bert. I'd likekto do that

dfletcher

I have a Ruger 77/22H Target model. It has a definite like for Hornady 35 grain VMax bullets and I've come to like it very much. Given a "do over" I'd probably have gone with a CZ 527 but the Ruger is fine and the heavy barrel helps accuracy.

Were I buying a Winchester 43 I don't think the caliber would matter to me. Were I deciding on the cartridge only I'd definitely go with the Hornet.

Ray B

quote:Originally posted by Ambrose
Originally posted by Ray B:

218 Bee cases can be formed from 38spl/357Mag cases-

The base and the rim of the .357 case are both .032" larger than the Bee. Additionally, the rim of the .357 is .005" too thin. And the .357 is too short and the .38 is much too short. Maybe you're thinking of the .22 Remington Jet or the .256 Winchester, both of which are based on the .357 case.


My bad- that's what I get for relying on memory[:I][:I]