I just got a Sako L46 in .218 Bee and was going to load with .224 Hornet bullets, when someone suggested it may take .223 bullets.

How do I tell if I have a .223 or .224 bore?

What arms take the .223 Hornet projectile?

Thanks

You slug the bore with a soft lead bullet.

Nordic2 is correct.
I'm not sure the Sako was ever factory offered in the 218 Bee. Do you know the history of the gun?--Aftermarket barrel, gunsmith, previous owner, etc ? If you can get any info, try to follow it.
If you just want to shot it, slug the barrel or have a GS do it for you.

Anschutz 22 Hornet rifles have a 223 bore. Most Anschutz 22 Hornet shooters use which is most accurate in their rifle, either 223 or 224. I normally use a 224 dia. in mine.

Joe A.

quote:

Originally posted by aliveincc:

I'm not sure the Sako was ever factory offered in the 218 Bee. Do you know the history of the gun?--Aftermarket barrel, gunsmith, previous owner, etc ? If you can get any info, try to follow it.
If you just want to shot it, slug the barrel or have a GS do it for you.

A Sako owners member told me that they only made 450 L46's in 218 Bee. I really like it now.

Some time this weekend I have to drive 300 miles to borrow some brass and dies.

Thanks for the info guys

I have a Winchester Model 54 in 22 Hornet, and its barrel is 223. So, I shoot Sierra's 45 gn 223 bullets. But, a guy who knows, said that he shoots 224 bullets in his 223 barrel, starting low and working up on the powder charge.
Proceed at your own risk as I don't know personally.
As Nordic said, slug the barrel to find out what your barrel is.

Try both .223 and .224 bullets for accuracy. Those light, soft bullets have thin jackets and both will be bore diameter after traveling their own length. Do normal load work up on both diameters and see which it prefers.

Unless you were loadin' .223s on the ragged edge of a KABOOM it MIGHT cause a problem to throw in some .224s but even that would be uncommon.

Enjoy your excellant and beautiful tiny rifle! I would love to have one in .17 Rem.

You've got a great prize there. Of the very early L46's (those made prior to the advent of the .222 Remington), the Hornet was by far the most numerous, with relatively few .218 Bees being imported to the U.S. The figure you have of 450 is far too low for the total production, but it could be in the ballpark for the number imported to the U.S. The .25-20 was even rarer, and the .32-20 is so rare as to be the stuff of legends. Even the proprietary 7mm Sako (a little cartridge most riflemen don't even know exists) is more common in the U.S. than the .25-20 and .32-20 in the Sako L46.

This "issue" of bore diameter comes up fairly regularly and is about the least significant factor you'll come across in shooting your Bee. Bore diameters vary considerably with many makers (not only in the Bee and Hornet, but with modern .22's like the .223). One diameter or the other may shoot better in your gun, but neither will, due to diameter alone, produce excessive pressures. Experiment with various loads using a judicious selection of powders and other components. I've have outstanding results in this class of cartride with AA 1680, but there are a number of other powders which are good candidates.

The strength of your Sako's action exceeds the pressure capacity of the brass many times over. You have a significant margin of safety in this action. Just watch your brass for signs that it is absorbing more pressure than is desirable (bulging, hard extraction, loosening of primer pockets, etc.) Stay within the pressure parameters of the brass and you can use either nominal .223" or .224" bullets.

Incidentally, it appears that Sako used the same 1-16" barrels for all of its early .22 centerfires, even including the .222 Remington when it was adapted to the L46 action in about 1950 or so. Whatever their bore diameter, there are lots of them floating around out there and in use with bullets measuring from .2225" up to .225" or so. All of them will work.

quote:

Originally posted by Jim C. <><:
Try both .223 and .224 bullets for accuracy. Those light, soft bullets have thin jackets and both will be bore diameter after traveling their own length. Do normal load work up on both diameters and see which it prefers.

Unless you were loadin' .223s on the ragged edge of a KABOOM it MIGHT cause a problem to throw in some .224s but even that would be uncommon.

Enjoy your excellant and beautiful tiny rifle! I would love to have one in .17 Rem.

Good posting, and that's what the other guy mentioned. He's a shooting writer, and I have a lot of respect for his judgement.
I'll have to try some of the 224/45 gn Hornet bullets in the Model 54. They sure couldn't shoot any worse then the 223's; THEY were beyond BAD..

Thanks for confirming about using 224's in a Hornet with a 223 barrel..

Don

In my Hornet, I get far better accuracy by using either 40gn Sierra BKs or 35gr Hornady V-Maxs than the standard Hornet bullets. Same may be true for the 218 Bee.

Joe A.

The little Sako L46 is a great rifle. Once had one in .222 Remington and it was a real shooter!! Nice find on your L46 in .218 Bee!!