Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots Hornet or Bee for .225 donor?

I have two #1-Bs. One's a 218 which I bought for rechambering to 225 Winchester when I bought it. Then I like the little Bee so much I decided it wasn't going to become that. More recently I've acquired a Hornet. These two seem awfully similar, especially with Lil' Gun. So, again, I'm considering that I should have a #1 chambered in 225 (since I have a pile of old factory ammo for the 225!)

I'd like to hear people's thoughts, ideas, opinions on why one is better as a keeper than the other, and which would be better suited for the sacrifice. Thanks.

Man its up to you .They all sound good

Seems like a shame to sacrifice either. Perhaps there is a dime-a-dozen .223 hidden in the back of your safe?

At the present time there are several rifles chambered for the 22 Hornet and none that I know of for the 218 Bee. I just acquired a 218 so I don't have any experience with it but I have two 22 Hornets, a CZ 527 FS and a Brno Hornet Sporter, that are both nice rifles. I guess I would sacrifice the Hornet if I did either.

I would sure look for a .223 somewhere and save the Bee and the Hornet...

Klik,

I wouldn't rechamber either. Re: the .218 Bee is a fine rifle just as it is. I cut the barrel of mine back to 23 5/8" just because.

Re; the .22 Hornet. I believe the twist on the Hornet is 1~16". That will NOT be conducive to fine accuracy in the .225 Win. I purchased a 1885 Win in .223 and had that rechambered for the .225 Win. I figured the 1~12" twist would be far more accomadating.

GH

For about the price of a cheap 1B 223, you could have about any cheap #1 rebarreled to 225. And extractors are cheap.
That said, if I had to choose, I'd have the 22 Hornet rechambered. As I recall, my 1B Hornet has a lot faster twist than 1 in 16; one of the things Ruger did right.

I was hoping someone would mention the twist. I was thinking I had seen 16 being the standard twist Ruger had listed when they still cataloged the Hornet, but I've also heard reports that people who have them say theirs are faster. (I need to check mine.) I don't often get out to town so shopping for used stuff is somewhat difficult, and we no longer have an FFL holder within a distance that doesn't require flying so buying person to person is virtually impossible. But I agree that and am not surprised that the 223 would probably be a logical way to go.

For what it's worth, the 77/22 Hornet is listed at 1 in 14' in the current catalog.

Klik,

I HAD a 1-B take-off barrel in .22 Hornet... But darned if I can find it... I sure don't remember selling it... and don't know why I would have. I also had a #3 take-off bbl, but I DO remember selling that and to whom.

According to rifle-twist rate chart in the back of the Sierra manual, the Ruger M-77 is 1~12"

The #3 is listed as 1~16" FWIW. Unfortunately, the #1 is NOT listed.... However, I would assume that it's the same as the #3

GH

Not to throw too much confusion at you but here is some data that may either confuse you more or assist in making the decision.

Ballistic experts (and I am not one) suggest that the Win. 225 functions most efficiently with a 1:14 barrel twist rate.

The Ruger No. 1 in 223 actually has three known twist rates depending on barrel contour and age of the gun.

223 in 1v 1:9
223 in 1b 1:10 and 1:12

22 Hornet 1:14 or 1:12 (I will measure one of mine to verify but this is what I was given by Ruger but my money is on the 1:14)

218bee is listed at 1:14

Now, from a collectors standpoint the 218 would be most "valuable", then the 22 Hornet. What it boils down to is if you have the funds adding a donor 223 adds another gun to the collection and you can adjust bullet weights for faster twist as one option or rebarrel the action.

Just my two cents