Old rifles in 218 Bee

[Tom-ADC]

What rifles that can still be purchased reasonably that are chambered in 218 Bee.

[TRAP55]

Designed for the Lever action Model 65. Anything you find in a lower price range will most likely be a single shot like the mini version Sharps, Ruger #1, re-barreled Martini, Rem Rolling Block, Contender, etc.
I recall that Browning/Miroku introduced one of their Model 65's in .218, and Sako made one too.

[Tom-ADC]

I saw some of those was hoping maybe H&R or Iver Johnson made something like the Buffalo line.

[TRAP55]

Tom, not that I know of from the factory. Some have re-chambered the .22 Hornet barrels, but the shorter case makes for a lot of free bore. I've seen a NEF .22mag barrel re-chambered to the Bee.

[Tom-ADC]

Thank you my friend I picked up a couple of sets of dies in 218 so figure I'd look around before I let them go also have 22 Hornet and 25/35 in the oldies but still looking.

[bigbossman]

I almost bought a Browning lever gun in .218 Bee, but the finish was a bit rough for the price being asked. Interestingly enough, brass and bullets seem to be readily available..... it is 25-20 that is tough to find.

.218 Bee looks like it would be a very fun caliber to shoot.

[Flyin Brian]

I almost bought a Browning lever gun in .218 Bee, but the finish was a bit rough for the price being asked. Interestingly enough, brass and bullets seem to be readily available..... it is 25-20 that is tough to find.

.218 Bee looks like it would be a very fun caliber to shoot.

That was foolish to not buy that one

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[Ford8N]

I almost bought a Browning lever gun in .218 Bee, but the finish was a bit rough for the price being asked. Interestingly enough, brass and bullets seem to be readily available..... it is 25-20 that is tough to find.

.218 Bee looks like it would be a very fun caliber to shoot.

I used to have the standard Browning M65. I compared it to an original Winchester and I thought the Browning looked better made. Blasphemy, I know, but that was being objective.

Overall, it was a good accurate rifle, I nailed many jack rabbits with those open sights. It felt good as a walking shooter on hikes in open brush country. Only draw back was the ammo, had to reload. At that time, it was $40 a box if you found some factory at a gun show.

[SoCal Bob]

Thank you gentlemen. Until today I had never heard of the .218 Bee round. I should get out more often.

[bigbossman]

That was foolish to not buy that one

Maybe..... but I have my heart set on a lever gun chambered in .255 Dean. Been looking for ages.

[Croweman08]

Maybe..... but I have my heart set on a lever gun chambered in .255 Dean. Been looking for ages.

?!?!?! I've never heard of that caliber? In a lever gun?

[TRAP55]

?!?!?! I've never heard of that caliber? In a lever gun?

.22 K Hornet necked out to .25 cal. It's a hotrod for it's size, pushes a 60grnJHP at 2,800fps. Popular back in the 30's and 40's, grandad to the .256WM.

[Flyin Brian]

.22 K Hornet necked out to .25 cal. It's a hotrod for it's size, pushes a 60grnJHP at 2,800fps. Popular back in the 30's and 40's, grandad to the .256WM.

Wow, it's a rare occurrence for Trap to take a shot and miss! Lol

The .255 Dean is a wildcat of the 25-20 repeater, not the 22 Hornet.

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[TRAP55]

First version was the Dean .255 High Velocity, made from Killbourn's K Hornet cases, then the 25/20 cases. At least that's what I was told by someone that was there, Jack Blake. I may be off on the years, because we were discussing a rack of Winchester LoWalls and HiWalls he had chambered in a multitude of .22-.25 calibers. I remember the Dean because it was the smallest cartridge we shot that day, and a .22/30-40 Krag because it was a barrel burner.
When .17 cal bullets came out, Jack tried just about all those old wildcats necked down to .17. I shot crows with one of his inventions, a .17 MachII, 35yrs before you could buy one.

[Flyin Brian]

Well no doubt you've forgotten more than i'll ever know on this stuff, Dave. Im going by Richard F Simmons book on Wildcats and also PO Ackley's book. Both have the 255 Dean as a 25-20 repeater case and no mention of a version from the hornet. They do mention the 25 centerfire Longo comes from a hornet though, for whatever that's worth.
Interesting subject either way.

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