Lindcott Armory Rifle · SAAMI
.33 Winchester
Powerful Winchester Model 1886 lever-action cartridge for elk, moose, and bear.
- Caliber
- 0.338″ · 8.585 mm
- Introduced
- 1902
- Case
- Rimmed
- Parent
- .45-70 Government
- Primary use
- Hunting
- Status
- Discontinued
- Introduced
- 1902
- Type
- Rifle
- Origin
- United States
- Inventor
- Winchester
- Manufacturer
- Winchester
- Standard
- SAAMI
- Status
- Discontinued
- Availability
- Collector
- Case capacity
- 55 gr H₂O
- Twist (typical)
- 1:12
- Primer
- Large Rifle
- Case type
- Rimmed
- Max pressure
- 40,000 psi
- Eff. range
- 200 yd
- Max range
- 500 yd
- Recoil
- 15–22 ft·lb
Ballistics
- Parent case
- .45-70 Government
Representative trajectory — modeled from a single velocity input (no published BC for this cartridge yet).
Dimensionscase measurements · scale drawing · size vs familiar rounds
Case dimensions — the scale drawing at the top of the page is built from these.
SAAMI · secondary source| Measure | mm | in | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bullet ⌀ | 8.59 | 0.338 | · |
| Neck ⌀ | 9.27 | 0.365 | · |
| Shoulder ⌀ | 11.25 | 0.443 | · |
| Shoulder angle | 16.3° | — | · |
| Base ⌀ | 12.90 | 0.508 | · |
| Rim ⌀ | 15.49 | 0.610 | · |
| Belt ⌀ | n/a | ||
| Rim thickness | — | — | |
| Neck length | 9.37 | 0.369 | ≈ |
| Case length | 53.53 | 2.107 | · |
| Overall length | 71.31 | 2.807 | ~ |
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. .33 Winchester is highlighted below.
Factory loads
18 catalogued loads. Top 15 shown · see all 18 →.
| Brand | Load | Grain | Bullet | FPS | ft·lb | BC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winchester | Lead FP Original | 200 | Lead FP | 2,200 | 2,149 | — |
| Winchester | SP | 200 | SP | 2,200 | 2,149 | — |
| Remington-UMC | SP | 200 | SP | 2,200 | 2,149 | — |
| Norma | Norma Standard | 200 | SP | 2,200 | 2,149 | — |
| Winchester | Factory SP | 200 | SP | 2,200 | 2,149 | — |
| Winchester | Super-X SP | 200 | SP | 2,200 | 2,149 | — |
| Western Cartridge Co. | Super-X SP | 200 | SP | 2,200 | 2,149 | — |
| Western Cartridge Co. | SP | 200 | SP | 2,200 | 2,149 | — |
| Graf | Standard | 200 | Soft Point | 2,200 | 2,149 | — |
| PPU | PPU Standard | 200 | SP | 2,200 | 2,149 | — |
| Black Hills | Black Hills Standard | 200 | SP | 2,200 | 2,149 | — |
| Peters | SP | 200 | SP | 2,200 | 2,149 | — |
| Sellier & Bellot | S&B Standard | 200 | SP | 2,200 | 2,149 | — |
| Graf | Graf Standard | 200 | SP | 2,200 | 2,149 | — |
| Buffalo Arms | Buffalo Arms Standard | 200 | SP | 2,200 | 2,149 | — |
Velocities are manufacturer-stated (test-barrel). Discontinued loads dimmed.
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 .33 Winchester
7 models in the database chamber .33 Winchester. Browse all →
Lineage
Connected reference
History
Introduced in 1902 for the Winchester Model 1886 — one of John Browning's lever-action designs strong enough to handle full-power rifle cartridges. The .33 WCF gave hunters a flat-shooting, hard-hitting option for large North American game. Winchester discontinued the Model 1886 in 1935 and the cartridge followed shortly after. Browning reintroduced the Model 1886 as a limited edition in the 1980s; custom ammunition and brass remain available from specialty suppliers.
FAQs
- What twist rate does .33 Winchester use?
- .33 Winchester typically uses a 1:12 twist rate.
- What bullet diameter is .33 Winchester?
- .33 Winchester uses a 0.338″ (8.585 mm) diameter bullet.
- Is .33 Winchester still in production?
- .33 Winchester is discontinued; typical availability is collector.
- What is .33 Winchester used for?
- .33 Winchester is primarily used for hunting.
- What is .33 Winchester based on?
- .33 Winchester is derived from the .45-70 Government case.
Sources & provenance
- StandardSAAMI — SAAMI cartridge & chamber drawing — .33 Winchesterarchived
- StandardSAAMI — ANSI/SAAMI Z299 — Cartridge & Chamber Drawingsarchived
Data & sources. Specs compiled from the Lindcott Armory reference; availability counted from 18 live factory loads; the trajectory is modeled (point-mass), not measured. See methodology. Spotted an error? Report it →