.224 Weatherby Magnum
TypeRifle
Place of originUSA
Production history
DesignerRoy Weatherby
Designed1963
Specifications
Parent caseNone, proprietary
Case typeBelted, bottleneck
Bullet diameter.224 in (5.7 mm)
Neck diameter.252 in (6.4 mm)
Shoulder diameter.394 in (10.0 mm)
Base diameter.415 in (10.5 mm)
Rim diameter.430 in (10.9 mm)
Case length1.923 in (48.8 mm)
Overall length2.330 in (59.2 mm)
Rifling twist1-12"
Primer typeLarge rifle
Ballistic performance
Bullet mass/type Velocity Energy
45 gr (3 g) SP 3,457 ft/s (1,054 m/s) 1,194 ft⋅lbf (1,619 J)
50 gr (3 g) SP 3,415 ft/s (1,041 m/s) 1,295 ft⋅lbf (1,756 J)
55 gr (4 g) SP 3,242 ft/s (988 m/s) 1,284 ft⋅lbf (1,741 J)
60 gr (4 g) SP 2,958 ft/s (902 m/s) 1,166 ft⋅lbf (1,581 J)
Test barrel length: 44
Source(s): Hodgdon [1]
.224 Weatherby Magnum maximum C.I.P. cartridge dimensions. All sizes in millimeters (mm) plus Imperial (inches).

The .224 Weatherby Magnum (5.56×49mmB) is a sporting cartridge that was developed in the 1940s by Roy Weatherby, and commercial ammunition was produced starting in 1963. At the time it was the only belted magnum varmint cartridge.[2] It is a proprietary cartridge with no major firearms manufacturers chambering rifles for it other than Weatherby. It was originally called the .224 Weatherby Varmintmaster when it was introduced alongside the Weatherby Varmintmaster rifle, but the rifle was discontinued in 1994 and the cartridge was renamed.

Design

The cartridge design began years earlier but its introduction was delayed, at least in part, because of the unavailability of a suitable action. An earlier high-velocity .22 caliber round from Weatherby called the .220 Weatherby Rocket was based on the .220 Swift though it was unsuccessful and never manufactured.[3] It was the first

For more than 50 years, it was the only Weatherby cartridge to have an angled shoulder instead of the curved, double-radius shoulder found on other Weatherby cartridges. This changed in 2019 with the introduction of the RPM (Rebated Precision Magnum) family, which launched with the 6.5 Weatherby RPM[4] and was followed in 2022 by the .338 Weatherby RPM.[5] Both RPM cartridges have angled shoulders and, in a first for the company, a beltless design.

Performance

Performance is similar to the popular .22-250. Once Remington introduced rifles in .22-250, they quickly superseded the .224 Weatherby Magnum in popularity, forcing Weatherby to chamber rifles in .22-250. This was the first time that Weatherby offered rifles in a commercial chambering.[6]

Performance for 55 grain bullet (BC of 0.235)
Muzzle100 Yds200 Yds300 Yds400 Yds500 Yds
Trajectory -2.83.70-9.8-27.9
Energy (ft·lbf) 16271244944705516370
Velocity (ft/s) 365031922780240320561741

Sporting use

.22 caliber rifles are legal in some areas for big game up to the size of deer or larger. Convention holds the .224 Weatherby and similar cartridges are better suited to long-range varminting.[7] Similar statements are made concerning other "big" 22 caliber cartridges like the .220 Swift and .223 WSSM.

Currently many states in the United States do allow 22 caliber rifles on big game, but the majority require a minimum of 6mm.[8] Well known firearms author P.O. Ackley believed that fast 22 caliber cartridges were suitable for medium-large game.[9] Craig Boddington has said that such cartridges are suitable for smaller deer.[8] Bullets suited for hunting big-game are available from major manufacturers such as Nosler and Barnes.[10]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Hodgdon Online Reloading Data". Archived from the original on 2007-11-11. Retrieved 2007-07-19.
  2. ↑ https://www.riflemagazine.com/weatherby-s-varmintmaster-224-magnum
  3. ↑ Cartridges of the World 8th Edition, Book by Frank C. Barnes, DBI Books, 1997, ISBN 0-87349-178-5 p. 23
  4. ↑ von Benedikt, Joseph (March 25, 2020). "Weatherby 6.5 RPM Cartridge Review". Shooting Times. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
  5. ↑ "Weatherby .338 RPM: First Look". Petersen's Hunting. August 4, 2022. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
  6. ↑ https://www.ballisticstudies.com/Knowledgebase/.224+Weatherby.html
  7. ↑ http://www.norma.cc/content.asp?Typ=59&Lang=2&DocumentID=247&Submeny=4&Rubrik=Calibers&Title=224%20Weatherby%20Magnum .224 Weatherby at Norma
  8. 1 2 "Centerfire .22s For Big Game". Archived from the original on 2010-04-15. Retrieved 2010-06-29.
  9. ↑ Handbook for Shooters & Reloaders vol II, Book by P.O. Ackley; Plaza Publishing, 1966, ASIN B000BGII48
  10. ↑ "Nosler's Big-Game Bullets". Retrieved 2010-06-29.
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