Rifle · SAAMI
.218 Bee
Winchester's rimmed successor to the .22 Hornet.
- Caliber
- 0.224″ · 5.69 mm
- Introduced
- 1938
- Case
- Rimmed
- Parent
- .25-20 Winchester
- Primary use
- Varmint, Small Game
- Status
- Active
- Introduced
- 1938
- Type
- Rifle
- Origin
- United States
- Inventor
- Winchester
- Manufacturer
- Winchester Ammunition
- Standard
- SAAMI
- Status
- Active
- Availability
- Common
- Case capacity
- 13 gr H₂O
- Twist (typical)
- 1:16
- Primer
- Small Rifle
- Case type
- Rimmed
- Max pressure
- 40,000 psi
- Eff. range
- 200 yd
- Max range
- 500 yd
- Recoil
- 3–4.5 ft·lb
Introduced by Winchester Ammunition
Ballistics
Published velocity/energy data isn't available for .218 Bee. Parent case: .25-20 Winchester.
Performance
Dimensionscase measurements · scale drawing · size vs familiar rounds
Case dimensions — the scale drawing at the top of the page is built from these.
CIP TDCC · verified| Measure | mm | in | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bullet ⌀ | 5.69 | 0.224 | ✓ |
| Neck ⌀ | 6.15 | 0.242 | ✓ |
| Shoulder ⌀ | 8.36 | 0.329 | ✓ |
| Shoulder angle | 15° | — | ✓ |
| Base ⌀ | 8.87 | 0.349 | ✓ |
| Rim ⌀ | 10.36 | 0.408 | ✓ |
| Belt ⌀ | n/a | ||
| Rim thickness | 1.65 | 0.065 | ✓ |
| Neck length | 6.49 | 0.256 | ≈ |
| Case length | 34.16 | 1.345 | ✓ |
| Overall length | 42.75 | 1.683 | ✓ |
Size vs familiar rounds
Drawn at true 1:1 — every case is accurate relative to the others. Absolute size depends on your screen's pixel density, so measuring one against a real ruler may be off. .218 Bee is highlighted below.
Factory loads
Being verified
Advertised FPS, energy, and BC are withheld until loads clear verification.
Suitable powders
3 reloading powders listed for .218 Bee, fastest to slowest. Cross-reference in the finder →
Reloading costestimate cost per round vs factory
Estimate your cost per round and how it compares to factory. Inputs are yours — nothing is stored.
Cost estimate only — not load data. Charge weight is your input; follow published manuals for safe charges.
Firearms chambered in .218 Bee
2 models in the database chamber .218 Bee. Browse all →
Lineage
Connected reference
History
Introduced by Winchester for the Model 65 rifle in 1938. Based on the .25-20 WCF case necked to .22. Offered noticeably better performance than .22 Hornet but was orphaned when Remington's 1950 .222 Remington made it redundant. Still chambered occasionally in single-shots and lever actions.
FAQs
- What twist rate does .218 Bee use?
- .218 Bee typically uses a 1:16 twist rate.
- What bullet diameter is .218 Bee?
- .218 Bee uses a 0.224″ (5.69 mm) diameter bullet.
- Is .218 Bee still in production?
- .218 Bee is active; typical availability is common.
- What is .218 Bee used for?
- .218 Bee is primarily used for varmint, small game.
- What is .218 Bee based on?
- .218 Bee is derived from the .25-20 Winchester case.
- What are the best powders for .218 Bee?
- Reloading powders commonly listed for .218 Bee include Lil'Gun, IMR 4227, H322.
Sources & provenance
- Standard SAAMI — ANSI/SAAMI Z299 — Cartridge & Chamber Drawings archived
- Standard C.I.P. — C.I.P. TDCC — Tables of Dimensions of Cartridges and Chambers
- Standard SAAMI (Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute) — ANSI/SAAMI Z299.4 – 2015 (Centerfire Rifle) — Velocity & Pressure / Cartridge & Chamber Drawings · grain_ballistics, representative_gun archived
- Manufacturer Winchester Ammunition — Super-X Rifle — 44-40 Winchester 200 gr Power-Point (X4440) · grain_ballistics, representative_gun archived
- Manufacturer Hornady — Hornady Custom — 218 Bee 45 gr HP (Item #8307) · grain_ballistics, representative_gun archived
Data & sources. Specs compiled from the Lindcott Armory reference; availability counted from 16 live factory loads; the trajectory is modeled (point-mass), not measured. See methodology. Spotted an error? Report it →