looking for info for loading 348 winchester for hunting

[vikingson57]

I love my model 71 and have hunted deer, bear and elk with it....I want to start shooting and hunting with cast boolets...so any information on bullets, loads and what not would be great. Thanks

[pworley1]

Lyman 350482 over 35g of IMR 4198 or Lyman 350447 over 31g of IMR 4198 might be a good place to start.

[tazman]

Tjhis is all I could find. It comes from the Lyman Reloading Handbook 44th edition
117386

[vikingson57]

unfortunately Lyman does not make any molds for the 348 any more. Any suggestion on 220 to 250 grain bullets would be welcome. I have the Lyman book but since the bullets are different didn't know if they would still apply.

[Bullshop]

We sell them and have some load data developed for our boolits. Some of our Alaska customers have taken moose and grizzly bear with our boolits and their 348 rifles.
I have probably fired a few thousand rounds from various 348 rifles both original and repro in developing loads for our boolits.

[fouronesix]

IMO The M71 may be the best lever gun Winchester ever made. +1 on Bullshop having good 1st hand knowledge about the 348.

I've had 5 different original M71s and currently have two. They all have shot well and have been easy to load for. All mine shot the 200-230 gr bullets better than the 250s.

RCBS does make a mold for it. http://www.midwayusa.com/product/182924/rcbs-2-cavity-bullet-mold-348-200-fn-348-caliber-349-diameter-200-grain-flat-nose-gas-check

[451whitworth]

I use the Accurate 35-220B and the LBT 250gr. LCFN powered by RL-15. The RCBS mold dosen't cast large enough for use in any of my rifles, it would be a great mold if it dropped @ .352". I mess with 4 of these rifles, Browning & Winchester, and think that a 225gr. bullet works out to the perfect length for the case.

[vikingson57]

451whitworth, what do you size your bullets too? I have shot the Barnes in 230 and 250 and agree that the 220 is a better size. Does LBT make a 225? What alloy do you use...I have heard everything from wheel weights to softer and harder. Thanks for they information.

[451whitworth]

451whitworth, what do you size your bullets too? I have shot the Barnes in 230 and 250 and agree that the 220 is a better size. Does LBT make a 225? What alloy do you use...I have heard everything from wheel weights to softer and harder. Thanks for they information.
I size .352" for three rifles and .354" for one Browning. That one .354" chambering Browning is an anomaly as far as I can tell. I've never conversed with anyone that had to go that big. To answer your questions: Yes, LBT will make you any weight you want. Veral is a true custom mold maker. I use WW collected during the good ole days of no steel/zinc and all you could carry off for free.
I oven heat treat WW's in virtually all my rifles (except 38-55) for general shooting (non hunting) applications as I drive them 2000-2400 fps depending on the cartridge. It makes it easier for me. The Browning rifle that chambers the .354" bullets drove me nuts in my early cast career. It was the first rifle I tried to cast for back in high school when my Pop bought it new in '87. It was a long multi year learning experience before I achieved success. Just this week I sent Veral/LBT an order for a custom 225gr. LFN cut to .354" diameter to use in all the rifles sized as needed. Since it is so over sized I'm having the shank cut for .35 cal gas checks. I have a ton of those and they are way cheaper than 348 gas checks.

[rintinglen]

I have two molds, the RCBS 200 grainer, and a 220 grain Accurate mold, that I use in my own Win 71. My boolits are sized .351 For hunting, I use 56.0 grains of WW-760 with the Accurate boolet heat treated and gas checked, I have also used 55.0 grains of IMR 4350. Experiments with WW 748 were less accurate.
For a fun plinker, I use the Lyman 358-429, sized .351 over 13 grains of Red Dot. It hits way low, but groups quite well.