I use mostly 40 gr. Hornady V-Max bullets in my Ruger #1.218 Bee. I've used mostly 2400 powder but I'm changing to lil'gun.

1. Hodgdon Reloading Data

I did kill a nice Wyomong coyote at 176 yds. With the 35 gr. V-Max, 12 gr. It dropped in it's tracks without even a quiver. I do inside champfer more than normal and use only boat tail bullets as it's kinda easy to ruin case mouths if you're not real careful when you seat bullets. 11/19/11 Re: 218 Bee - What are the Tricks?

Joined: Sep 2004 Posts: 1,680 Campfire Ranger Campfire Ranger Joined: Sep 2004 Posts: 1,680. Taconic11- If you like the Lee collet die for neck sizing, you'll be disappointed because Lee doesn't make one for the 218 Bee. They may make a custom one for you if you have the time and funds. I found that the Lee collet die for the 22 Hornet can be made to work just fine. You need to use a spacer between the shell holder and the bottom of the collet in the die.

The spacer should be about 0.075 to 0.077 inches thick. Find a washer or something similar of that thickness that has a hole just large enough to fit around a Bee case. Put the case in the shell holder of your press, slip the spacer over the case, and operate the press as usual. The spacer I use is a nut for a 1/8-IP nipple for light fixtures that I thinned down a bit with fine sandpaper.

It's like the bottom two nuts in this image: Powders: Lil'Gun is good, but you may not want to run your Model 43 as hot as Rocky did his Contender. IMR 4198 can be a useful Bee powder. Cases: Be aware that cases have been made with different volumes in the Bee's lifetime.

Probably you should stick with current W-W cases. Remington cases have very different capacities, on a percentage basis.

Remington has discontinued making Bee cases and ammo, but there are a lot of Rem cases still around. Reloading data: The Sierra and Lyman manuals (and perhaps others) used Remington cases for their recipes. Don't use their numbers for W-W cases. Use data from recent manuals. Don't try to emulate the practices of some posters on internet forums.

Some have developed Bee loads for Ruger No.1s that are likely to damage a Model 43. Taconic11: I used to own a Winchester Model 43 in 218 Bee - I shot it a fair amount before selling it. I only shot factory ammo in it because it was so cheap - back then! Currently I own two Varminters in caliber 218 Bee.

One is a Kimber Model 82 with 23 1/2' factory barrel - I use IMR 4198 in this Rifle with the wonderful Sierra 50 grain Blitz bullet. My other 218 Bee is a Ruger #1-B with 26' barrel - I use RL-7 and again the wonderful Sierra 50 grain Blitz bullets in this Rifle as well. I think the 218 Bee is pretty straightforward to load for with much fewer inherent kinks/problems than its little brother the 22 Hornet! Best of luck with your Model 43 - and be sure to try the nifty little Sierra 50 grain Blitz bullet. Hold into the wind VarmintGuy.

Test Specifications/ Components Firearm Used: Universal Receiver Barrel Length: 24” Twist: 1-8’’ Case: Hornady Trim-to Length: 1.910’’ Primer: Winchester WLR Remarks: Developed in 2007 by Dennis DeMille and Dave Emary, the 6.5 Creedmoor is a shortened and improved 30 TC cartridge case that was inspired by the.308 Winchester design. This short action design was created to maximize case capacity and a wide range of loading lengths, while still fitting in standard short action magazines. With the correct twist barrel, the versatile 6.5 Creedmoor can take advantage of the wide range of bullet weights available in 6.5mm. Reloaders should keep in mind that the 6.5 Creedmoor works best with medium to medium-slow powders such as H4350, Varget, Win 760, and RE-17. The light recoil and adaptability of the efficient 6.5 Creedmoor cartridge has already proven itself in high power, precision rifle series and benchrest competitions.

Couple that with respectable barrel life and its intrinsic accuracy potential and you have a recipe for success which should insure its legacy for decades to come. INDICATES MAXIMUM LOAD – USE CAUTION LOADS LESS THAN MINIMUM CHARGES SHOWN ARE NOT RECOMMENDED. INDICATES MAXIMUM LOAD – USE CAUTION LOADS LESS THAN MINIMUM CHARGES SHOWN ARE NOT RECOMMENDED.

INDICATES MAXIMUM LOAD – USE CAUTION LOADS LESS THAN MINIMUM CHARGES SHOWN ARE NOT RECOMMENDED. INDICATES MAXIMUM LOAD – USE CAUTION LOADS LESS THAN MINIMUM CHARGES SHOWN ARE NOT RECOMMENDED. INDICATES MAXIMUM LOAD – USE CAUTION LOADS LESS THAN MINIMUM CHARGES SHOWN ARE NOT RECOMMENDED. INDICATES MAXIMUM LOAD – USE CAUTION LOADS LESS THAN MINIMUM CHARGES SHOWN ARE NOT RECOMMENDED. INDICATES MAXIMUM LOAD – USE CAUTION LOADS LESS THAN MINIMUM CHARGES SHOWN ARE NOT RECOMMENDED.

INDICATES MAXIMUM LOAD – USE CAUTION LOADS LESS THAN MINIMUM CHARGES SHOWN ARE NOT RECOMMENDED. I agree with Joey. My last national records were with the 6.5X08, 260 Rem.

The intent for the Creedmoor was to reduce the case capacity of the 260 rem and allow the bullet to be seated out further in the case and still be with in the 2.800 max OAL of the magazine. While it did both of these it now needs to use faster powders and higher pressures to do what the 260 was already doing.

All of this was for XTC but the issue of recoil was diminished as new and lighter bullets came on the market and load it to the recoil level you want in the 260 there’s no difference. Now that Camp Perry is no longer the Mecca for the NRA National Championships and the dwindling numbers over the last several years the Creedmoor cartridge will enjoy the lime light for a small period of time before it flickers out. I wish Dennis and David all the best but the niche market it was intended for is now gone. I see raging fads in case designs, as that’s ALL this is about. A bullet going ‘X’ velocity really doesn’t need to know what case it came from. So what we do is redesign a case to suit a specific application then 10 years later we asked oh do you remember?? If I were to show you that list it would get boring rather quickly.

So when was the last time you saw a 30X338 on the line and the 6.8 Grendal, 264 Winchester, Opps and the 7mm RUSUM, 257 Roberts, 225 Winchester, 7mm Waters, it get endless. The problem with the 6.5 Credmoor is the demise of NRA XTC shooting as its no longer at Camp Perry. The specific intent for that cartridge is no longer there and some companies are trying to do their typical magical sales gimmick while they can. Ask 100 hunters if their using it this year?

30 Newton, 7MM Ross, 264 Winchester Magnum, 6.5 Grindal, 218 Bee, 22 Hornet, 35 Winchester, 348 Winchester, 7X57 Mauser, 8mm Mauser, 7mm RUM, 8mm Remington Magnum 6mm PPC yep everyone that owned them had the cats meow and nothing was better. Some ended up in production rifles that were spawned by some gun magazine and yet every year more calibers are designed that do the exact same thing as a previous caliber, ” they push a bullet out the barrel”.

Joe your right I can reduce my loads in the 260 Rem to the same as the Creedmoor and start worrying about efficiency just like my 1000 car engine and 250cc motorcycle. Another cartridge is like a breath of air you have the one you got and expect another to come along, if not things get real dark real quick and that is the same mantra of gun makers. The 260 never found a market.

It has literally been Remington’s red-headed stepchild since it was released in the late 1990’s. It’s a pity, because it’s a great round but the 6.5 Creedmoor is not a fad. It simply had the marketing at just the right time to push it to the top of the LRP game. With Walmart now carrying several models of budget rifles in 6.5 CM and carrying lots of ammo for them, this popularity is not going anywhere for decades. With handloads you can push 140gr bullets to 3,000 fps and the brass is readily available. If you can find 260Rem brass it’s twice the price and necking down cases comes with it’s own complications. Those velocities with the 140 grain bullet compare well with my actually chronographed 7×57 Mauser 29″ barrel velocities.

Chronographed ‘in Summer 2016″ 140 grain 7×57 2680 fps with H-4831 at a less than maximum charge of 48 grains My real world gun performs as shown in 50th Anniversery Sierra Manual. I doubt this cartridge will flicker out. Savage would not have introduced it in their new AR platform if they thought that. Like the 6PPC, it may be the perfect case capacity for the.264 diameter bullet.

Hunting is where this cartridge really shines. No noise, no kick. Just dead critters. Kinda sounds like my first love affair, the.250 Savage. It is, what we 250 hunters wanted.

A 120 grain bullet at 2800 and pressures kept in check, An option of a heavier bullet if we decide to tackle Black Bear or Elk. I have AR platforms in.260 Remington,.243, 6.5 Grendel, 308,.50 Blackout, 7.62×39,.223, and.50 Beowulf. No need for Creedmoor. If I did not have any Ar platforms and wanted a.264 caliber, I still see no advantage of a Creedmoor other then if u carried 400 rounds of ammo it would be a few ounces lighter then a 260.

Cost, availability of parts and ammo still lead me to 260 Remington. Creedmoor would be nice to add to my collection but not worth spend $5000 for rifle, scope and reloading accessories for my self esteem. Please convince me I am wrong and I will buy it, I got the money. I built a nice rifle from a Ruger American Preditor. The stock was cheap crap and the rotary mag left a lot to be desired.

I bought a nice Boyds Prarrie Hunter Stock in Pepper Lamiate with beautiful checkering, fore end cap with accent line, grip cap, custom length of pull, upgraded recoil pad., and for my ego, a monogram. Inletted a CDi Bottom metal kit with 5 round detachable box magazine. Glass bedded the action and free floated the barrel, The Ruger action and trigger are first rate for the money. The bolt sounds like a zipper when you cycle the bolt, so I polished it, smooth now. Shoots sub MOA.629″ at 100 yards. With a decent scope is easily a 500 yard gun. ( it came with a nice scope but I had a Nikon to put on it My handloads shoot better than factory.

It likes the heavier 140 grain HPBT and they are easy to load with IMR4350. I fully enjoy shooting this gun and its just pretty to look. Mitchell Maxberry says: January 9, 2017 at 2:16 pm I agree with Joey. My last national records were with the 6.5X08, 260 Rem. The intent for the Creedmoor was to reduce the case capacity of the 260 rem and allow the bullet to be seated out further in the case and still be with in the 2.800 max OAL of the magazine.

While it did both of these it now needs to use faster powders and higher pressures to do what the 260 was already doing. All of this was for XTC but the issue of recoil was diminished as new and lighter bullets came on the market and load it to the recoil level you want in the 260 there’s no difference. Now that Camp Perry is no longer the Mecca for the NRA National Championships and the dwindling numbers over the last several years the Creedmoor cartridge will enjoy the lime light for a small period of time before it flickers out. I wish Dennis and David all the best but the niche market it was intended for is now gone. Hey Mitchell!

Long time no see or talk! While I agree with what your saying in regards to Camp Perry and the XTC shooters etcbut in the PRS matches the 6.5 Creedmoor is probably the first pick. Then the.260 Rem. And the 6.5×47 Lapua.

Hodgdon Reloading Data

The Creedmoor being available in box match ammo before the.260 really was I think helped it a ton as well for the guy who didn’t reload. The demand for 6.5mm barrels and from what we see what customers want on fittings the numbers are staggering in terms of demand. Later, Frank Green Bartlein Barrels Like.

Hi Frank, your making fantastic barrels keep up the good work. Not factored into this is that all of the ammunition; well over 100,000 rds; I used in competition were reloaded by me, not factory loaded. My question and a good one for Sierra as well, is how much factory loaded 6.5 Creedmoor ammo is used in PRS matches? I suspect that most is re-loaded ammo even though the factory ammo shoots quite well.

There is no substitute for velocity when shooting the same bullets in the same wind, higher velocity means your closer to the target. Thank Mitchell for the comment on the barrels! I agree the.260 has a little more muscle and don’t get me wrong I’m not knocking it.

I’ve got three rifles with barrels on them in.260 Rem. (two hunting rifles and one PRS rifle). I’m a fan of the.260 and the 6.5 Creedmoor as well. Like what I said and I’m going to say in the last 3-5 years the amount of requests we are seeing for chambered barrels in 6.5 Creedmoor it’s leading the pack. Also the demand for 6.5 Creedmoor test barrels is in way more demand as well over.260 Rem.

Later, Frank Like. Sierra stepped it up a notch with this introduction, thanks guys! I’ve been bitten by the 6.5mm bug, already shooting 6mm and 7mm regularly.

I shoot out to 600 most weekends and guys are doing very will with the 6.5 CM. I see almost no 260s these days. But the spirited 260 vs 6.5 CM discussion has me waivering on my next gun. But something to keep in mind for hunters is this- You can sing the praises of a 6.5CM or 260 all day for long range paper punching, but I’ve decided that for killing medium / large animals at 600+ yards regardless of accuracy it doesn’t have as much steam left as I’d like.

Regardless of accuracy, I’m not taking head shots at that distance. My 7mm RM shooting high BC 168gr bullets with a brake on it recoils about the same as my 243 Win with no brake. 40 rounds in a day at the range is no big deal.

And it is a.5 MOA Savage (handloads) I bought for $450 on sale, swapped $600 tactical stock onto it and whala. No way a 6.5 CM keeps up with a 7mmRM for long distance killing and it is not inherently more accurate. I also handload for 6.5×55 Swedes; all converted military guns; but even using the lower pressures for the Swedish mauser; I do not see the Creedmore as that much an improvement. I use Sierra bullets when I can get them. They often prove out accurate when you are about to give up on a specific powder and bullet weight. Loaded ammo is available for the Swede though, you just have to know where to look. Biggest positive for all 6.5 owners is the gaggle of new bullets all this Creedmore interest is spitting out.

Get’em while they are hot. I am very glad to see that in the load data Sierra Tech’s have put up for the 6.5 Creedmoor they have ALSO noted for posterity and us reloaders that the bullet really requires a spin rate of 7.5 (or faster) to stabilise correctly. That is unfortunately beyond most of us who have commercial rifles with 1:8 twists (and slower 1:9)! I utilise Sierra’s EXCELLENT 142g MK bullet in my Tikka t3 ‘Sporter’ 6.5x55SE at all ranges out to 1,000yds on the famous Bisley Ranges in Southern England (UK) and the 1:8 of this rifle does a fine job with them.

However, from YOUR side of the pond in particular, quality, full power load data for Commercial 6.5x55SE chambered rifles (not the old military units) is thin on the ground fron the various powder and bullet manufacturers. Any chance of this being addressed please, especially in the Sierra 130 gr tipped, and 140 and 142 gr MKs that I use. Pretty please!?? I have an idea for improving the 6.5 Creedmoor that will give it more velocity yet still fit in the 2.80 inch magazine limit! Take a 308 case and neck it down to a 6.5 caliber and call it a 6.5X08.

By its very nature that is a wild cat which will out perform the 6.5 Creedmoor. I’ve been shooting mine of years and set national records and won so many matche, like 5 NRA Nationals and over 52 regionals and state Championships including International 300 meter between NZ and Ostralia and some dozen plus records. Love my superior 6.5X08!

Since when did we think smaller is better, I’ll by pass the 9th District court decisions, however. I am working my loads gradually as you suggest, keeping.030 off the lands but I have a question. My Tikka Tac A1 shoots factory Hornady 140 & 143g rounds off the shelf @ 1/2″moa @ 200 yards. Seems a factory Hornady factory OAL is nearly a full.100 short of my lands @2.804″. So how important, really, is loading.010.002″ off the lands. My eventual goal here is to compete in some 600yd+ shoots.

I also see people loading H4350 to a full grain+- over your highest recommended load. I fail to see how one could benefit from doing that? @ Michael Kuhn, Krieger barrels offers a 1 – 7.5 twist. I would go with the 5 R option in case you decide to shoot some thin skinned lighter bullets. Other wise you’re liable to be blowing jackets. Had a Hart 1 – 8 in 6.5 x 06 that would blow 100 grain bullets and re- barreled to a 1 – 7.8 Obermeyer to shoot the now discontinued 155 match king that would shoot those 100 gain without blowing the jacket.

Something to think about if you decide to take your target rifle on a vermin hunting. I have been a 264 wm fan since I was 13 years old and 39 years later still the sam after 3,000 + rounds. I have never tried any precision shooting before with it. With keeping the love for the 6.5 cal in mind the heavier bullets do seem too have a bit more velocity than the creed. This gun was bought by my father in ’61 he didn’t like the recoil it had so he bought a 270 win.

I have had no issues that most people talk about as accuracy goes with barrel life or throat erosion, it still kills whatever I shoot. Gus are like buying tires, everyone has their favorites, so sick too your guns as if you will. So keep calm and shoot on.