Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats 218 Bee build....

What action for a 218 Bee repeater build is needed?

Winchester 1892 or one of it's clones.

A Sako that was manufactured as a 218 Bee would be a good place to start. My 218 Bee is a rebarreled Marlin 62.

As for bolt actions, Sako made some L46s in 218 Bee, so I would imagine if you have one of those laying around it could be modified.

I wonder if a CZ or Ruger 22 Hornet could work?

Edit: Looking at the case dimensions.....the 218 Bee has enough larger rim and case body dimensions that modification of a CZ or Ruger from Hornet to Bee looks like it would create a feeding nightmare, if it would even technically work otherwise.

A buddy of mine built a 218 Mashburn Bee on a Sako which was originally a .222 Remington. The only thing he had to do was open up the bolt face a tiny bit. He said the hardest part was finding the magazine. It feeds and ejects perfectly.

I know this doesn't answer the OP's question but if you get too frustrated to have the Bee made, there is a Bee hidden in every 222. Just load accordingly.

I shoot old mod 43 Winchester in BEE, I have heard of but never had hands on special order mod 70 in Bee, In my thinking your best bet is a older Cooper! very best winpoor

1894 Marlin.......my son has one chambered in 218 bee...what a sweetheart..

Ruger hornet might be too much hassle. But you got me thinking they made the 77 and 96 in 357 mag....that would be a sweet setup with rotary mag..in the 96

Here's 1 of my 40gr BT 218 Bee rounds sitting pretty in a new10 shot Howa Mini action mag.

The howa mini action is not much bigger than an L46 which as was mentioned was chambered in 218 Bee and are rare as hens teeth.

Savage model 23 perhaps. My great grandfather had one in .25-20. Think it might have gone to my cousin.

Tom

I have fired thousands of rounds of .223 Rem with 35 gr Vmax and 15 gr Blue Dot, 3400 to 3500 fps depending on barrel length.

It will not cycle an AR15, but in a single shot it does 218 Bee performance, and can shoot 100 rounds per hour and keep the barrel cool.

1/2 moa in a couple rifles.
Flat trajectory out to 180 yards.
Rodents still die at 220 yards, but takes some skill.

The 23s can't be rebarreled, the receiver and barrel are one piece. But, they are neat little rifles.

I wonder how easily a Howa bolt face can be opened up.