348 wcf

[TXGunNut]

Bought a very nice old Winchester Model 71 in (what else?) 348 WCF the other day. Not really sure why other than it's a very nice old rifle and I happen to be collecting nice old Winchesters these days. :mrgreen: Problem is brass and boolits are a bit hard to find these days. Thinking pretty hard about a couple of Accurate designs (35-220D and 35-250B) but will need a custom boolit sizing die and probably a custom case mouth flaring tool as well. I think I have a set of loading dies located.
Any suggestions? Anybody have a handful of gently used cases lying around? Anyone have a favorite boolit?

[oldblinddog]

Contact lathesmith for the correct lube and size die. I'd choose the 35-220A for general use. Recoil from the .348 can be stout.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/994107/quality-cartridge-reloading-brass-348-winchester-box-of-20

[rintinglen]

I have three that I use in mine. An RCBS 348-200, an Accurate 220 grain boolit which IIRC is the 35-220C, and the 358-429 sized .350. If you primarily intend to hunt with it, I'd choose the Accurate, but for a fun plinker, the 358-429 is great. I load mine over 13.0 grains of Red Dot. That is the round I use most of these days. I bought a Sizer from Midway for My RCBS lubrisizer and made a push thru sizer from a LEE .338 sizer body and a 9mm push rod. I used an electric drill and sand paper and a piece of 1/4 inch dowel to polish out the die body, 220 grit for the bulk of the metal removal and 400 grit to finish it. I started checking the fit every minute or so when the hole started to show visible enlargement. I kept going until a boolit pushed though came out .350. I then polished the 9mm push rod down to fit.
201801201802
The two boolits on the right in the first pic are the Accurate 220 grainers and the second photo is the reduced diameter Keith boolits.

[35 shooter]

Good find. I've always liked the looks of the mod. 71 and have always wanted a .348.
Hope it turns out to be a great shooter for you!

[TXGunNut]

Thanks rintinglen, if you don't mind me asking why did you choose the 35-220C? I like your idea about the 358-429, have a new NOE copy collecting dust on my mould shelf. Hadn't really considered a plinking load but now I am, thanks.
Thanks, 35 shooter. Guess it's no surprise another 35 followed me home, lol. Only problem is all my other "35's" are actually 36's.

[rintinglen]

Tex, the only real difference between the three, is the length of the nose. The 220 C is just a tad shorter from the crimp groove to the ogive, which I thought might help me keep the cartridges short enough to easily feed. I had just gone through a problem with a mold whose boolit was a hair too long and made for trouble feeding with a Rossi 44, so when I ordered mine I took the "short" route. I'm not sure it was needed, but that's what I did.
Winchester 760 and H4895 have worked well for me with full charges.
The 358-429 shoots way low from the POI of the full charges. I have to add about 15 lines of elevation on my williams peep tp get it up to POA.

[TXGunNut]

Didn't notice the difference in nose shape, was looking at the lube grooves. For smokeless I like multiple shallow grooves even if I sometimes don't use all of them. 220C looks like a BP boolit to me with that big single groove, but then again I like the old BP designs.

[35 shooter]

Pic's?:???:

[Idaho Mule]

Tx, bring it on up here to Idaho and I'll help you out:drinks: I do have some brass I could part with if you need it. JW

[TXGunNut]

Pic's?:???:


Oops, sorry. Can't link the seller's site any longer, will need to take some pics.

[TXGunNut]

Pic's?:???:


OK, Buddy. Just for you! (If I remember how, lol.)

202725202726202727202728202729

[smokeywolf]

Very nice! You're going to have all kinds of fun with that. Be sure and keep it tucked in tight.

[TXGunNut]

Very nice! You're going to have all kinds of fun with that. Be sure and keep it tucked in tight.


Thanks! Never thought I'd say this but I'm not sure I'll be shooting this one. I'm not new to shooting thumpers, just not sure I want to invest that much in a cartridge.

[35 shooter]

Wow! That one looks like it was sold yesterday...nice find indeed.
Bet it would make quick work of a big ol Texas hog!!

[alamogunr]

I have the Japanese/Browning version of that rifle. Back when I got it the only mold I could find was a Mountain Mold with the designation MM 348_BC_250. Somewhere in my records I noted that it is a bore ride boolit. I don't hunt but just wanted the rifle. With that boolit loaded mid level(don't remember the powder or charge) it was pleasant to shoot. I have some Buffalo Bore loads I bought on closeout from an online vendor but I don't remember which one. The are a little(?) more exciting.

[smokeywolf]

I'd have to check my journal for the charge, but the last time I shot 348, I was shooting the Barnes 220 and was burning IMR 4895. The recoil was less than a stout 45-70 load.

[TXGunNut]

Wow! That one looks like it was sold yesterday...nice find indeed.
Bet it would make quick work of a big ol Texas hog!!

Thanks, I couldn't pass it up. A couple of old friends and I used to have a saying about how it was impossible to have too many hog guns. I'm pretty sure my late friend James would agree that I'm getting pretty close, tho. I'll likely get in lots of hunting this season, hope to take some rifles that haven't been in the field for awhile but this won't be one of them.

[rintinglen]

Mine won't be out either, thanks to the dipwads in Sacremento and the Lead Bullet Ban.
2 More years to freedom...