We take a quick look at .224 Weatherby Magnum, the smallest belted case commercially manufactured.
The Weatherby line of proprietary cartridges was somewhat incomplete for lack of an ultra-velocity .22. The previous .220 Weatherby Rocket was actually an Improved wildcat based on the .220 Swift case, and Weatherby never manufactured this cartridge. The .224 Varmintmaster was introduced in 1963, but, according to the late Roy Weatherby, development work went back 10 years prior to that.
Introduction of the cartridge was delayed because of lack of a suitable action. The cartridge was offered in a reduced-size version of the Weatherby Mark V rifle, but the gun is no longer available. Weatherby continues to sell the ammunition.
The .224 Weatherby lies ballistically between the .223 Remington and the .220 Swift. It’s a belted case with the advantages and disadvantages inherent in this type of construction.
For the handloader, it mitigates certain headspace and case-stretch problems and should provide maximum case life. It’s an excellent long-range varmint cartridge with performance similar to the .22-250 Remington. Its popularity was determined largely by economic factors. One could buy a Remington, Ruger or Winchester bolt-action in .22-250 for much less than a .224 Weatherby.
It was the smallest belted case manufactured commercially.
.224 Weatherby Magnum Loading Data And Factory Ballistics:
| BULLET | POWDER | GRAINS | VELOCITY | ENERGY | SOURCE |
| 40 HP | IMR4198 | 28.5 | 4,100 | 1,493 | Sierra |
| 45 SP | IMR4198 | 28 | 3,900 | 1,520 | Sierra |
| 50 SP | IMR4064 | 32.8 | 3,800 | 1,604 | Hornady, Sierra |
| 50 SP | IMR4895 | 33 | 3,800 | 1,604 | Hornady |
| 53 HP | IMR4064 | 32 | 3,600 | 1,526 | Hornady, Sierra |
| 55 SP | IMR4064 | 32 | 3,600 | 1,583 | Sierra, Hornady |
| 55 SP | IMR4895 | 32 | 3,600 | 1,583 | Hornady |
| 60 HP | IMR4895 | 31.5 | 3,500 | 1,632 | Hornady |
| 55 SP | FL | — | 3,650 | 1,627 | Weatherby H22455SP |
Editor’s Note: This article is an excerpt of Gun Digest’s Cartridge’s Of The World.
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