.218 Bee works

[Texas by God]

I pulled an April Fools prank (sort of) on a fat Jake gobbler this morning. I was sitting on “Ironhenge” and managed to fool 3 gobblers into thinking that I was a lonely hen.
When they got to 50 yards away they stopped and stared and as they tried to figure out who was going to get first chance at the big ugly tee shirt wearing hen…..POW!
The 55gr Lee Bator at +or- 1600 fps dropped him and he flopped about for a few seconds then stopped.
Only one gobbler flew away- the rest of the flock kept milling about in the tall grass.
Chicken https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240401/053e4acc84af7aee4d4b5d78272ff6a3.jpg
fried turkey breast and mashed potatoes and gravy for supper tonight! https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240401/665c4ed0cfa46dbf3c94ec5ed6207c4c.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[WILCO]

Fantastic!!!!

[dverna]

We cannot use rifles to hunt turkeys here in MI. Nice report TbG.

[versa-06]

Good Show!!! Season not open here yet in Va. Hope to get lucky with a couple. -06

[35 Rem]

I wish we could use rifles in TN for turkey. The 218 Bee and 22 Hornet with modest cast loads are perfect for such hunting. Congratulations on your gobbler!

[Txcowboy52]

Great job Thomas, only one question. When do we eat ?!!

[turtlezx]

think most states are shotgun only. would be much easier with a rifle pop out in the hay lot like a would chuck

[Texas by God]

Great job Thomas, only one question. When do we eat ?!!

Just did!
There’s still some left, though!
Another week and they’ll move out of the hayfield because the clover and Kline will be too tall.
This is great because we haven’t seen many in the last few years but we’ve seen them every day for a month or so this year!
I’ve killed them with handguns and shotguns too. I love calling them in.
I haven’t sniped one at long range in decades- back when I thought that I HAD to get one……youth…..


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[koger]

Is this with that Lee mold you got off me?Congrats on the gobbler, our season here opens in 2 weeks.

[Texas by God]

Is this with that Lee mold you got off me?Congrats on the gobbler, our season here opens in 2 weeks.

One and the same, Sam!
It’s a good one.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[dk17hmr]

Tell us about the 218 bee is it a rechamber?

[white eagle]

man with the Bee wow
I was just thinking about the BEE and did some reading on it
took my Hornet out for a walk the other day thats what got me thinking of the Bee
Anyway nice job on the gobbler wish we could use rifles here but that aint the case
Best to ya

[veeman]

When I read 218Bee, my mental picture immediately saw a Winchester 92. Was kinda disappointed to see a shotgun lookin thing. ;) Congrats on the turkey!

[Texas by God]

Tell us about the 218 bee is it a rechamber?

No, it’s a stub job with a 1-14” twist Tikka 22-250 barrel shortened, machined, and chambered.
It’s permanently epoxied inside of the 20 gauge barrel.
Not as fine as a Winchester, Marlin or Browning- but still accurate and fun.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Thumbcocker]

Great story and neat gun.

[versa-06]

Creative, Effective, Just Plain Works!!! Congrats!!! -06

[Rapier]

With 22 center fires legal for deer in FL. The 218 Bee is a great, deer in the garden, head shot rifle. A turnip eater drops like a stone.

[Tripplebeards]

That's awesome!!!! I wish we could use rifles here!!!! I love the little H&R's. I'm going to try and do a trigger job on my heavy barrel 223 I bought new in 95'. Just floated the fore end.

I shot a 3-year-old with a thick short beard that looked like it was frosted on the beard tips a light tan in color... It was either rotted off or must have froze off I'm guessing. It had one in a quarter inch super sharp Spurs. Shot it a few weeks ago at 15 yards with a 12 gauge. I did a orange sauce Turkey Leg cooking post on it. Weighed just over 26 pounds. Been out with my 10 gauge and all I've seen are hens...and one huge nuance raccoon that got sent to Jesus with 2oz of #5's.

[versa-06]

Tripplebeards;- Well did you smoke & eat the Racoon? They are great!

[Tripplebeards]

No, I left it for the eagles and coyotes. I've tried raccoon several times over the decades and cared for it. They were so overpopulated on my property that the turkeys were disappearing a few years ago so remove everyone I get chance to. They are massive nest raiders along with possum. Removed over a 100 raccoon amd over 60 possum in one year on my property. I had the most turkeys I've heard gobbling since the 90s 2 years ago. Still wasny anywhere near the good old late 80s and 90s population. They use to be like mosquitoes in my area. Its been sparse again this year like old times. Don't know if it was becuase of the army warm up and they were at the end of the breeding cycle, or close to it, when season first started. Hardly any gobbling and I only saw one Tom a month ago thst came in silent. Think they are getting thinned out again by nest raiders, fox, coyote, and bobcats.

[Beaverhunter2]

Sweet rifle and a great bird!

I wish we could use rifles here. My .32 caplock would be a blast to hunt turkey with!!

[Tripplebeards]

I'd love to take my LTR in 223 out for turkey! I have a load with 40 grain vmax and 27 grains of benchmark that will shoot .2" to .3" at 200 yards. Have another load with 25.2 grains of H4895 and 25 grwins of benchmark with a 60 grain vmax that also voth shoot just as tight. I'd love to see what it would do on a turkey's waddles! I have it set up with a timney 1 1/4 pull and a leupold 4.5-14 vx111 bought for it back in day when I bought it around 00'/02'. The thing is a tac driver with every single load I've ladder tested in it. Don't think it's ever shot over a moa. Most groups are half-inch or less on average. Still working on my NEF 223 for accuracy. Next week I'll do a trigger job on it. Love those little single shots!!!!!

Here's my first season bird. It's been a tough year. Hopefully 6th, and final one week, season will be better.

Here's my 26 pound 2oz rotted bearded bird...

https://i.imgur.com/8xL09yT.jpeg

https://i.imgur.com/pcMeEJ7.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/bsNIvNS.jpg

[ChristopherO]

Sweet rifle and a great bird!

I wish we could use rifles here. My .32 caplock would be a blast to hunt turkey with!!

I could get excited about turkey hunting if I could use the TC .32 Cherokee, too.

[farmbif]

you can use those same bee slugs in a 22-250 and easily rip both lungs out of any monster buck

[Texas by God]

Speaking of muzzleloader for turkey, I can tell you for certain that a .490” rb will deliver a dinner!
And yes, I’d shoot an unalarmed deer within 100 yards with the Bee using high velocity jacketed bullets.
That’s also legal here.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[RICHP]

Glad you got your bird. In my younger days I was hell on turkeys, spring and fall. When Marlin came out with the 1894 in 218 Bee I thought it was just right for turkey and got one. Shot one gobbler at about 50 yards, after thrashing around for a minute he got up and ran away, dragging a wing. That was it for me, went to .222 Rem. Never looked back.

That being said I shot one at point blank range with a .270 Winchester, feathers went everywhere. Just as I was closing the bolt on another round he left like a hellicopter. Did not find him either.

[Texas by God]

I’ve switched to varmint loads for the summer.
13 grs 4227 with the 40 gr Hornady Zmax(I’ll miss them) and CCI 400 primers.
This is at 100 yards on 1/4” steel.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240522/17a18c94e3078d2082613ba982eadb81.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Tripplebeards]

I’m sure a good explosive little fragile bullet like that is key for dumping them on the spot. I would also assume you aim straight up from the leg where the wing folds in to the body just like an archery shot….if you’re not trying to head shoot them, which is probably almost impossible the way they wiggle around.

Have you ever done any trigger work on it and tried to float the fore end?


I had to go to a graduation party out-of-state and got back late yesterday afternoon and went out for a few hours. It was the most productive day that I’ve heard gobbling in the last month and a half! I had three gobblers from 330 till the 70 mile an hour wind hit at 6 o’clock and flooding. None of them ever showed up but a hen did right when it started storming and I got locked down by her in my blind. She hunkered down right next to my decoys at 15 yards during a massive rain down fall. 10 minutes later that 60 to 70 mile an hour wind started blowing and she took off to head for a tree. Not a fun drive home needless to say trees laying all over the road and flooding going across most the roads as well. About 10 yard visibility so I drove about 20 to 30 miles an hour.

[Texas by God]

In the past I’ve used .222, .223, and 22-250 and bigger calibers - and placement is important to prevent meat damage with high velocity jacketed bullets.
This one with the .218 was with a cast flat nose bullet- it worked fine and didn’t tear up anything edible.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk