Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors 218 Bee

It took me a very long time but I finally completed my collection of Winchester lever rifles - all models made by Winchester. I must admit I stretched the rules a bit when I let some spaghetti rifles stand in for the model 60 (I know - before Winchester), 66, 73, and 76 rifles but two things made me do it: First, I am not rich and these rifles cost a lot! Second, one of my rules is the rifle must be shootable and ammo for the first two are difficult to find. I must say, however, that these copies are very well built.
I started this collection 42 years ago when an acquaintance decided to turn himself off rather than deal with drugs and alcoholism after the Viet Nam conflict. I inherited his Winchester model 94, circa 1899, in .25-35 (a rifle I cherish to this day). Soon after that I sold my circa 1968 model 94 in .30-.30 and decided to go for one of each model. I was amazed at how many models there are! I know that some are merely modifcations of existing models, but I wanted to collect one of each - even the model 88. Over the years I have also come across a cica 1955 Model 94 in .32 WSP which I sold to buy a model 55.
Thanks for bearing with me this far. My question to anyone who might know is: What is Winchester's plan for producing .218 Bee ammo or brass? Since one of my rules is I have to fire each lever action model, I am looking for some .218 Bee. I found some on Gunbroker but it cost me well over $100 for a box. I found a few pieces of brass so I can handload and I have made Bee brass out of .25-20 WCF brass (another almost impossible to find). I can make Bee brass out of .32WCF brass but that requires neck thinning - something I don't want to do also I don't want to use up my supply of .32WCF brass as one of my other levers use that cartridge.
I've asked Winchester but got no reply.
One thing I hesitate to discuss but maybe I should is an experience I had at Gunbroker where I found a box and a half of .218 Bee ammo, paid the guy $178.00 plus shipping, and when I got the box in the mail, the mailing box was empty. I don't know if he didn't put the ammo in the box or if it just "fell out" but it wasn't there. Since he obtained the insurance, he had to file the claim with the post office. No, he didn't ship it ORD either. To make a painful story shorter, I never did get the ammo, nor the refund, nor the insurance. I contacted Gunbroker who sent the guy a message to make it good, but they didn't follow up or do anything else. Beware.
So - anyone hear of plans for anyone to make Bee ammo or brass again?
I'd love to write more about my collection but I've already made this too long... Next Summer I will take every one of these rifles out to the desert and fire them all.
Take care and thanks!

Try here:
https://www.dowdlesports.com/Winche...-100_p_41547.html?lt_c=1&quickcart=1

Check with Graf & Sons, they don't have any in stock but will email you when they get new Hornady in stock.

I like to shoot a few oddball/obsolete cartridges too. What I have done since the internet sucked me in was to post want ads in the classifieds of forums far and wide. Be persistent in your asking and you will be surprised what will "drop out of the bushes." Example: when I discovered .30-40 brass to have been discontinued I put out WTB ads and within two weeks had enough brass to last me the rest of my life, and didn't have to pay through the nose. Those coupla fellas who did want me to pay through the nose hopefully still have their brass gathering dust. Put your ads out there, keep them refreshed, and don't give up.

Ultimate_Predator: Good for you on your collection!
And I hope you do soon expound on the rest of your collection - I will be looking forward to that.
I have owned a few Winchester Model 43's in 218 Bee and they were nifty and fairly accurate Rifles.
I have long sought a Winchester lever gun in 218 Bee but no luck to date.
I do though currently own two Rifles in 218 Bee (a Ruger #1-B and a Kimber of Oregon Model 82-B) luckily I have a lifetime supply of 218 Bee factory brass for my handloading needs.
I am so sorry to hear of your difficulties with the ammunition order!
Sounds fishy to me - I wish I had a suggestion or two for you.
Good luck in resolving that situation.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Not mine but on a forum I frequent.

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=1266432&highlight=218+Bee

I see 218 Bee ammo for sale pretty regularly at shows for about $60.

Thanks much, guys. I'm heading over (electronically speaking) to Graff & Sons after I write this. I'll keep posting local want ads too but so far only one bite and he changed his mind so I didn't get the ammo.
As I wrote, my recreations are all Uberti/Taylor/Cimarron except for the '76 (in .45/75) which is by Chaparral. All the others are in .45 Colt (a cartridge in which none of them were originally made). I recently did a presentation for the Browning museum in Ogden, Utah, "Browning and Winchester's Model 1886 and Variants." I guess as long as I have the real-name Browning designed guns in my collection I'm OK with that. Of course, I've seen a few fairly nice '73s around in .44 WCF and .32 WCF...
The others in my collection include:
1894 in .25 WCF (ca 1899)
9422 XTR High Grade in .22 LR (ca 1987)
64 in .30 WCF (ca 1944) Reamed out chamber to .30-30 Ackley Improved
1892
1886 in .40-65 (ca 1888)
1895 in .405 Winchester
53 in .32 WCF
55 in .30 WCF (ca 1925)
88 in .308 Winchester (ca 1959)
65 in .218 Bee (the one I wrote about)
71 in .348 Winchester (ca 1937)
As I said, I didn't know there were so many variations on the Winchester lever action rifle! I have three 1885s in .45 Gov't, .38-55, and .40-65 so I'll probably go for the '78 next because these are technically lever actions, though not repeaters. Will this madness ever stop? I certainly hope not...
Thanks!

Ultimate Predator, I had your issue a couple months ago searching for brass or loaded ammo. I had one success on GB but for $90/ea I knew I didn't want to buy too much that way! I found a box at a small local store for $70 that they had been sitting on for a while based on the dust so I picked that up too. My real score was at a local Gander Mt where they had 6 boxes on clearance for $65 and I talked them down to $56/ea! I went from zero to a lifetime supply in a week so hang in there. Hopefully something or someone near you pops up with some.

This was for an encore that bullberry put together for me rather than a lever gun, but I am envious of your winchester lever collection!

http://www.hornady.com/store/218-Bee-45-gr-HP-Custom/

Hornady is producing it in 2017