The .219 Donaldson Wasp is a benchrest wildcat cartridge developed by Harvey Donaldson around 1946, formed by fire-forming the .219 Zipper case to a sharper 45-degree shoulder with minimum body taper. Used in custom single-shot rifles with pointed bullets (bypassing the flat-nose requirement of the original tubular magazine application), the Wasp achieved outstanding accuracy and was a dominant benchrest cartridge in the late 1940s and 1950s. It represents the transition between the old rimmed hunting cartridge era and the modern accuracy-focused benchrest discipline.
Type: Wildcat
Introduced: 1946, United States
Parent case: .219 Zipper
Standardization: None
Bullet diameter: 0.224" (5.69 mm)
Case length: 1.865" (47.37 mm)
Overall length: 2.348" (59.64 mm)
Max pressure: 25,000 PSI
Rim type: Rimmed
Primer: Large Rifle
Typical twist rate: 1:14
Muzzle velocity: 3300–3600 fps
Muzzle energy: 1211–1582 ft-lbs
Effective range: 300 yd
Common bullet weights: 50, 52, 55 gr
Primary use: benchrest_competition, varmint_hunting, target_shooting
Production status: Obsolete
Also known as: 219 Donaldson Wasp · 219 Wasp
History: Harvey Donaldson was a pioneering benchrest shooter and gun writer who published extensively on accuracy testing methodology in the 1940s and 1950s. His Wasp cartridge was formed by chambering .219 Zipper brass in a tighter chamber and fire-forming to sharpen the shoulder. In accurate single-shot custom rifles, the Wasp consistently produced sub-half-MOA groups — exceptional for the era. The…
Notable firearms: Custom single-shot benchrest rifles, Thompson/Center Contender