With the new Model 1886lever-action rifle, and appearance of new smokeless powders on the market, in 1891, Winchester Repeating Arms Company started to experiment with necking down the .45-70 cartridge. The first attempt, a .31-62 with a 200-grain bullet, reportedly resulted in pressures too high for the action. Only a decade later, the desired result was achieved with a new caliber when the .33 Winchester was introduced in 1902.[1][3] Never popular due to lack of range despite high muzzle velocity (the 1886's tube magazine ensured that aerodynamic pointed-tip bullets couldn't be used except while single loading), the only other firearms offered in this chambering were the Winchester Model 1885 and MarlinModel 1895.[1][4] The round was eventually replaced by the .348 Winchester in 1936, and ultimately discontinued by Winchester in 1940,[4] although it is still currently produced in small numbers by other ammunition manufacturers.[1]
Use
Dimensions of the .33 Winchester
A good round for deer, elk, or black bear in wooded terrain at medium range, it outperforms the ballistically similar .35 Remington and can be improved with modern powders.[4]
Barnes, Frank C., ed. by John T. Amber. ".33 Winchester", in Cartridges of the World, pp. 83, 122, & 123. Northfield, IL: DBI Books, 1972. ISBN0-695-80326-3.
