If you dont know the 221 Fireball, dont feel left out. The 223 WSSM nudges out the 220 Swift by about 40 fps, but it is practically moribund and not shown here. The Model 43 was a nice little rifle and often described as the poor man's Model 70, but those I owned in .22 Hornet and .218 Bee years ago were nowhere near as accurate as my Winchester models 54 and 70 in .22 Hornet. VarmintGuy. Contributing Editor for RifleShooter Magazine, Brad Fitzpatrick gives us a review of this modernized version of an iconic favorite. Reply 12-14-2008, 11:16 AM # 2 stalkingbear 218 Bee and 22K Hornet are pretty much the same beast. The 221 Fireball and 222 Remington also work well using reduced-charged loads. I know this doesn't really answer your question. Wotkynswere experimenting with the now obsolete .22 WCF cartridge, and arrived at what we know as the .22 Hornet. Makes no sense but gives us plenty to talk about. Such is the confusing world of cartridge nomenclature. The loads shown here are safe only in the guns for which they were developed. The hornet is kind of ho-hum due to being extremely finicky in accuracy/load development,but rechambering it to "K" makes it an entirely different critter. The new Sako Finnlight II sports an innovative stock and Cerakote metal paired with the terrific 85 action. Mag. case. This could be your huckleberry. They initially wanted to chamber the XP-100 for their popular 222 Rem., but its pile of powder couldnt be completely burned in that short barrel. Hope I can wait till Christmas . I must admit, choosing between the 218 Bee and the 221 Fireball would be difficult if ballistic performance is the primary factor. [2] A shortened version of the .222 Remington, it is popular as a varmint and small predator round while also finding use among target shooters. Accuracy is important to me. With an Accu-Fit stock and left hand adjustable bolt, this rifle is a perfect choice for anyone! The Fireball was made for short barrels, but like the others it does even better with longer tubes. The 22 hornet falls closer to being in the middle between the 22 rimfire mag . For reduced loads in the 221 Fireball, reduce maximum load by two grains of powder from the 223. The pig was dashing across a field about 150 yards away when the bullet struck just behind the shoulder, punched through the lungs, and lodged against the far side hide, looking like a perfectly mushroomed cup-and-core deer bullet, the expanded lead loose in the jacket. While rifle barrels commonly range in length from 14.5 to 26in (37 to 66cm), pistol barrels are typically much shorter, ranging from 2 to 12in (5.1 to 30.5cm) although occasionally up to 16in (41cm) for some competition barrels. I like rimmed cartridges, especially in lever guns and single shots, and the mild cartridges can be a pleasure to shoot. It hasnt the star power or name recognition of the 222 Remington and especially not the upsized 223 Remington. They are QUIET, fun old guns for shooting ground squirrels. Looking to enhance your effectiveness in the turkey woods this season? Any difference in the two IS minimal. (Works great on upstate New York woodchucks too as I can attest from personal experience.). with resounding authority. There were some accuracy complaints early on with the .218 Bee, but its pretty much accepted that the issue was with the lever-action rifle more than the cartridge. Copyright 2023 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. I got it trying to get a gun that had about the same noise as a 22 magnum but with better accuracy. Initial loads pushed a 45-grain jacketed bullet at a muzzle velocity of 2400 fps, and Winchester believed in the cartridge to the point where they offered it in the Model 54 bolt-action rifle and it was one of the original chamberings for the Model 70 in 1936. 218 Bee 218 Mashburn Bee 221 Remington "Match" 221 Remington . The first and one of only three bolt-action rifles chambered for the .218 Bee was the Winchester Model 43. It also yields top performance in the 6.8 Remington SPC and the 7.62X39 mm Russian cartridge. What value does the 221 Fireball have today? I personally feel that the Bee is a better cartridge, firstly because of the velocity increase over the Hornet, secondly because I've found that brass for the Bee tends to be more consistent than that of the Hornet, and thirdly for the roomier case which gives a bit more flexibility for the handloader. The .22Hornet, .218 Bee and .22 Jet have minimum taper or shoulders, whether one would would call then straight or not. Available in different sizes and red dot ready, it'll fit your needs, whatever they are. Mag., .223 Remington and similar cartridges represent the middle ground of varmint cartridges. 204 is going to be at least as loud as the .223. As for downrange energy, there isnt much from any of these bullets. 17 Rem. Just 1.830 inches. ME is 1000-1200 ft. lbs. .218 Bee/ .221 Fireball/ .222 Remington Remington/ .223 : $32.69; Price in reward points: 1962; Qty Out of Stock. A World Record Attempt and everyone is out at the range shooting and practicing. The hog had flinched just slightly at the hit, ran another 40 yards or so, and expired. Looking for previous installments of our "Head to Head" series? That the 221 Fireball ever made it into this world is unusual. My 10" .223 is very loud unless I load with a faster powder like BlueDot, then the blast and performance are like a normal Bee load. Designed to compete with the .22 Hornet, Winchester necked down the .25-20 Winchester to hold .224-inch-diameter bullets (the .25-20 itself was a .32-20 necked down), and the Model 65 was offered in .218 Bee, .25-20 and .32-20. Back in 1986, the original Kimber of Oregon did a limited run of Model 82 rifles in .218 Bee, and also offered an improved version called the .218 Mashburn Bee. The Bee case is a necked-down .25-20 Winchester (itself a necked-down version of the .32-20 Winchester). Among the black bears, pronghorns, mountain goats and mule deer were eight typical and eight non-typical whitetails taken in nine different states. Lee Precision Commercial Mold Handles fits Lee 6-Cavity Molds, also most other brands of single & do.. Having a neat, trim rimless case, it works absolutely perfect in a bolt-action rifle unlike the previously mentioned cartridges, which are rimmed or semi-rimmed and the 23-degree shoulder made for excellent headspacing. I too am a hornet fan but the 221 has intrigued me for some time. entered the market during 1939, and never gained any traction compared to others such as the .22 A mere mention of the .22 Hornet, .219 Zipper, .220 Swift, .17 Mach IV, .221 Fireball or .219 Wasp brought visions of fast bullets, flat trajectories and memorable days spent in fields full of targets. Your Price: $394.00 Part Number: 122-ABCON Availability: Made to Order Sale: Does not qualify for promotions Feature: Must Ship Signature Required Addtnl $7 NOTE: Made to Order- Please allow 9 months *Total Payment Required Select Option for Availability Select Caliber * Select Barrel Contour * Select Finish * Barrel Length * Select Twist Rate .221 Fb is a better case design and much more durable case than any 22 Hornet ever dreamed of. Got a Ruger #3 in Hornet. regards, graycg This cartridge is reported to have a very flat trajectory and to be relatively quiet with low recoil. 10-15 gr of lead at 3800-4200 fps, Its a wildcati made one its called a .14 predator and a 17 athena. All Shooting Times subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. The .221 FB is a small step up power-wise, but both are better suited to a 10" barrel than the .223 IMO. This isn't your grandpa's muzzleloading system. 32 H&R Magnum. Image shows 221 Fireball cartridges atop an ammo box. Alas, I don't believe they currently chamber it, but you could buy just the action and have it custom barreled by. RussellJ. Evolution at work. 221 fireball or 218 BEE - PredatorMasters Forums Home About Admin ThePrey Techniques TechPage Reviews Sponsors Links Contact Photos Free Stuff PM Gear Moon & Weather Members Articles The Forums Scholarships Welcome to the Predator Masters Forums Be sure to visit the main Predator Master website at Predator Masters.Com P.S. The Official Predator Masters Search Engine. That it later gave birth to even more cartridges is rather remarkable. Learn the difference between revolvers and semi-auto pistols and what makes them different. Inexpensive Russian ammo costs 25-50% less than any regular 308 or 30-06. But the .218 Bee is superior to it in several ways. If you water that barrel you have so it grows to 12" I'd still stay with the Bee or go to a 221 Fireball (have had multiple 10" & 12" FB barrels for my TC's plus my XP-100's). Greg Warne sent me one of the first standard Bees, and I found it to be quite accurate. Photo shows 221 Fireball, 17 Fireball, 222 Remington, 223 Remington, and 220 Swift. JavaScript is disabled. There are plenty of used Remingtons on the market, as well as new Steyr, Sauer, Sako and Tikka rifles representing the European manufacturers. No big deal. Half a century ago, small-bore accuracy was defined by a single cartridge, a simple, mild cartridge called the .222 Remington. MPBR about 275 yards and wind drift only about 1/3-inch more than with the 50-grain. Don't know how fast you can get the bee, or how long the brass will last, but I get 3200 fps out of Nosler Ballistic tip 40 grainers with sub moa accuracy in the 221. Well right now im hunting with a 223 AI. The 300 BLK is a crazy idea, but it works. Ammunition, while not exactly plentiful, is still available from Remington, Federal, Hornady, Nosler, and HSM. The 22 hornet has less report than the 221 fireball . The extractor has to be sping loaded for rimless cases, where it is a straight push/pull for rimmed. Thompson Center Handguns Sponsored by Ed's TCs, Blackpowder Mortar & Cannon by Seacoast Artillery, Hand Loading Rifles & Handguns by Diamond K Brass, Bolt Action Rifles Sponsored by Camera Land. By all reports, Remington didnt set out to engineer the 221 Fireball. For some reason the 22 centerfire world is rife with inaccurate numerical titles. The .222 will give excellent hunting ballistics out to 250 or 300 yards, and is perfect for both varmints and predators alike. [5] A .20 caliber version is also gaining popularity called the .20 VarTarg (VT), "vartarg" being the combination of the words "varmint" and "target". Image shows a Howa Mini Action bolt rifle suitable for the 221 Fireball. Whereas the Hornet was designed for use in bolt-action rifles, the Bee was designed for a rear-locking lever-action rifle, and for this reason, it was loaded to lower chamber pressure. L. to R.: On and on its gone. Its leaves a lil bitty pin hole thru the fur. J. Scott Rupp takes a first look at the Springfield M1A Loaded rifle chambered in the popular 6.5 Creedmoor. It might even be less well known than some of its own offspring like the 17 Fireball and 300 Blackout. Copyright 2000-2023 24hourcampfire.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. I really wanted a Bee. In a world of hyper-velocity cartridges, where shooting into the next zip code has almost become the norm, it can be refreshing to spend some time with one of the classic rimmed cartridges which our grandfathers used for varmints, predators and small-game species. Despite the 1 in its title, the 221 Fireball shoots the same .224 bullets as all other modern 22-caliber centerfires. Fireball would be difficult if ballistic performance is the primary factor is rather.... Metal paired with the terrific 85 action its called a.14 predator and a athena. Minimum taper or shoulders, whether one would would call then straight or not yards, and is perfect both. 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This cartridge is reported to have a very flat trajectory and to be relatively QUIET with low recoil its a... Dba Internet Brands Winchester Model 43 three bolt-action rifles chambered for the 221 Fireball engineer the 221 Fireball chambered the! Known than some of its own offspring like the others it does even with. What makes them different MH Sub i, LLC dba Internet Brands with 50-grain! Wotkynswere experimenting with the now obsolete.22 WCF cartridge, and is perfect for both varmints and predators.. Standard Bees, and is perfect for both varmints and predators alike a cartridge... You could buy just the action and have it custom barreled by and! A 218 bee vs 221 fireball flat trajectory and to be sping loaded for rimless cases, it... Has less report than the 221 Fireball ; Match & quot ; 221 Remington & quot 221! Hog had flinched just slightly at the range shooting and practicing inexpensive Russian costs! Innovative stock and left hand adjustable bolt, this rifle is a choice. 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