348 win cast

[shotman]

does anyone have a 348 win mold? what weight ? rick

[Bullshop]

Sure, got several from bout 180gn to 250gn or there bout.
BIC/BS

[shotman]

sent a pm rick

[johnly]

I will as soon as the 350-225 Group buy mold arrives.

John

[jwhite]

I have a LBT 220gr LFN and an older Ideal that weighs around 185gr. Both shoot real well in my Browning 71, I have shot several deer with the LBT bullet, softpointed and as air cooled wheel weight. That LBT bullet cast as a softpoint going 2100fps is a real thumper. Veral Smith can make you up a mold that will work real well in your rifle.
JW

[Le Loup Solitaire]

I have an old Lyman #350482 single cav, gas check, that casts with WW at .349 and weighs around 250 grains. They're tough to find , but every now and then one surfaces on E-Bay; problem is it sets off a bidding war. Lyman #350447 is another popular mold. It weighs around 200 grains. but it too is out of current production. LLS

[Morgan Astorbilt]

I also have a #350482, bought it back in the fifties, when I got my 71. It's a nice bullet for the brush, with three lube grooves. Unfortunately, there's no crimp groove, and to stay within max. overall length, you've got to crimp forward of the driving bands. With the long bullet extending into the case, I had trouble with my Lyman gas checks falling off, and rattling around in the case, so I stopped using them. Solved this problem when Hornady came out with crimp-ons.
Morgan

[jtaylor1960]

I have four if I counted right.The RCBS 200,a 250gr. Rapine,a 225gr. NEI and a 250gr. from Mountain molds.the one from MM is the only one I have shot.I killed a buck with it two years ago.

[shotman]

what do you size at? I can get a sizer from Lee for $29 Rifle has not shot a full box of shells so bore is mint. rick

[Bullshop]

We get best results at .350" to .351"
BIC/BS

[jtaylor1960]

I also use a ,351 sizer.

[stocker]

I have the big NEI mould as well as others. The NEI drops boolits at about 270 grains and is a serious hunting tool. I've mostly used an RCBS 200 for range work to save metal. I have a couple others by a custom maker that are in the 235-245 range but they see little use as they are not correct for nose dimension. Normally size at .350.

A recent thread on this site complained about currrent quality of NEI moulds. Mine is a post Walt mould (about 3 years old now) and is one of the best mould I own in any caliber . Both cavities are virtually identical as are the boolits. Drops freely when opened. Also shoot well although I no longer have a M71 and am waiting for a bargain #1 Ruger to have custom barreled as I really can't see open sights worth a darn any more and need scope compatability.

[JFE]

I have a couple of 348 moulds made by CBE (Aussie mould maker). Mould numbers are 350220 & 350262. The smaller bullet weighs around 232gr checked and lubed and the larger one, 272gr. CBE also make PB versions of them too.

The smaller one is designed so that bullet shank fills the neck, however with the longer one the base of the bullet sits below the neck line. Both have been very accurate at fairly high speeds in my Browning 71 (2000-2200 fps). The front driving band on both bullets is a little too long for the non-existent Browning throat, but I just seat the bullets a fraction deeper for clearance and this makes for a snug fit in the throat.

I also have been experimenting with Veral Smiths's 'glue on patch' idea. Here I used patched 338 PB cast slugs out of the 348 with good effect. This one I have pushed over 2300 fps with good accuracy, however they are somewhat fiddly to make. The beauty of this technique is that you can cast out of soft alloy and get good expansion without all the fuss of de-tempering bullet noses, HP-ing bullets etc etc. Oh yeah, and no gas check either. The mould I used for this is CBE's 340200, which was designed for the 33 Winchester.

Joe

[JFE]

I size to 0.350 and my Browning's barrel slugs 0.3475".

FWIW I made a lead throat impression and there is absolutely no throat in my rifle, ie the rifling starts exactly from end of the chamber. However the chamber does extend a fraction beyond normal brass length and this does provide some "throating" (if you know what I mean).

[alamogunr]

I have four if I counted right.The RCBS 200,a 250gr. Rapine,a 225gr. NEI and a 250gr. from Mountain molds.the one from MM is the only one I have shot.I killed a buck with it two years ago.

Just ran across this thread today. jtaylor1960, is the MM you have the one he had on his web site before he started making only user designed molds? I think it was supposed to have a sort of bore ride diameter at the front of the boolet. I have one of those molds but have not used it because I have several other levers that I've been working with.
John

[6pt-sika]

I also have a #350482, bought it back in the fifties, when I got my 71.
Morgan


Far be it for me to question another's reason for purchasing a gun .

But I am curiouse as to your reason for getting a 348 WCF to hunt in the Carolina's ? Did you hunt the western mountains for bear back in the 50's and 60's perhaps ?

[shotman]

I looks like any mold I get is over a $100 even a single. A 348 with jacket bullets is too much recoil to plink with. I want to stay light 180 200 range. A guy here offered let me use a mold but he will not reply now so I guess he didnt want to loan it anyway

[bigbear]

I have a LBT 220gr LFN and an older Ideal that weighs around 185gr. Both shoot real well in my Browning 71, I have shot several deer with the LBT bullet, softpointed and as air cooled wheel weight. That LBT bullet cast as a softpoint going 2100fps is a real thumper. Veral Smith can make you up a mold that will work real well in your rifle.
JW

I have tried several cast bullets (Mt. Baldy 250gr and some a friend gave me that his Dad casts) They all work well in my Win 71 but I cannot close the action on them in my Browning 71. How do you get yours to work, I read years ago that the Browning 71s had minimal throat and did't work with cast bullets as a result with out reaming out the throat...which I'm not going to do.

[JFE]

How do you get yours to work, I read years ago that the Browning 71s had minimal throat and did't work with cast bullets as a result with out reaming out the throat...which I'm not going to do.

Get yourself a Lee factory crimp die in 348 and use your other seat/crimp die as a seater only. Adjust the seater so that the bullet clears the lands, then apply a crimp via the Lee FCD. My rifle has proved to be very accurate with cast using the 'factory throat'.

My Browning also has no throat but has a long chamber neck which may appear to be a very short throat, but isnt. See pics below.

The left pics shows a lead impression of the chamber/throat area of my Browning.

The right pic shows Barnes 250gr FN, CBE 350262, 350220 and 3 pics of CBE 340200 patched for use in the 348.

[jwhite]

I have tried several cast bullets (Mt. Baldy 250gr and some a friend gave me that his Dad casts) They all work well in my Win 71 but I cannot close the action on them in my Browning 71. How do you get yours to work, I read years ago that the Browning 71s had minimal throat and did't work with cast bullets as a result with out reaming out the throat...which I'm not going to do.

Bigbear,

I too use the lee factory crimp die, in fact the 220gr LFN LBT boolit does not even have a crimp groove on it. This bullet when seated with gas check flush with bottom of case neck will chamber just fine. This is the heaviest LFN that will work in my Browning, Veral first cut me a 240gr and it would not chamber unless seated with check well into the case. If you provide Veral with a chamber impression and case with a bullet seat backwards that is touching the rifling he can make you a mold that will do what want for your rifle. That 220gr LFN shoot better than any jacket bullet I have tried.
JW

[ammohead]

I have a 350482, but my favorite shooter is a lyman 350457. It drops about 248 gr looks like a loverin, has a gas check and a nice flat point. Using H4831 and my own lube I get 1900 fps and great accuracy. I haven't killed anything with it yet....someday.

ammohead

[shotman]

Guys I found a Lyman 350 447 mold It is new never been used. so I will see how a win 71 will shoot with cast.One thing I have found there is not much reloading info on that cal. I have an old Lyman 45 manual and it has more than any I have seen.

[shotman]

well I guess there is more molds than I thought, run into a guy that has quite a large lot . He has the 350-447 457 and 482 in 1 and 2 cav. rick

[bigbear]

I have a 350482, but my favorite shooter is a lyman 350457. It drops about 248 gr looks like a loverin, has a gas check and a nice flat point. Using H4831 and my own lube I get 1900 fps and great accuracy. I haven't killed anything with it yet....someday.

ammohead

How much H4831? And I know all the legal warnings, releases, etc. I am on my own, like my rifle , eyes, hands and fingers so I will work up to any recommended load. Thanks!:smile:

[Sawdust]

How much H4831? And I know all the legal warnings, releases, etc. I am on my own, like my rifle , eues, hands and fingers so I will work up to any recommended load. Thanks!:smile:

Did you ever get any load data?

Thanks

[bigbear]

Found some load data and with Mt. Baldy's 250grGC bullets,neck sized only ,43gr H4895.2-3"groups, cloudy, cold snowy day.And I know it's heresay but 71 fanatics may save me from burning at stake Hornady 200gr jacketed bullet 58.5gr IMR 4350 WinLR Mag primer,3 shots 1.2" group, same day, at 100meters.I couldn't force myself to shoot another round. You must understand, for my first 4years shooting the 71 I was happy to keep 2-3" groups consistently.Lordy, I love the 71 and 348Winchester. And to those panty waists , it's great fun to plink with, just stand up on your hind legs! but not in a sweaty t-shirt in July,ouch ,that left a mark, burt I still beat youngest son and his Win94 44mag in our coffee can rolling contest!:guntootsmiley:

[peerlesscowboy]

How much H4831? And I know all the legal warnings, releases, etc. I am on my own, like my rifle , eyes, hands and fingers so I will work up to any recommended load. Thanks!:smile:
I'd be interested in that also. I'm just now proceeding to work up a .348 load with my new RCBS 200 gr cast bullets. My old Hornady 200 gr "J" bullet load is 64 grains H4831 for 2324 fps. I'm thinking something like 60 gr should be a good place to start with a 200 gr cast, est. maybe somewhere around 2100 fps or so?

John C. Saubak

[bigbear]

How much H4831? And I know all the legal warnings, releases, etc. I am on my own, like my rifle , eyes, hands and fingers so I will work up to any recommended load. Thanks!:smile:
[smilie=s:Still waiting after all these years.... any new loads???

[bigbear]

Any new load data for cast bolts in 348 Winchester???

[indian joe]

does anyone have a 348 win mold? what weight ? rick

Yeah I have a CBE (Cast Bullet Engineering - Australia) 225 grain Gas Check - Exit Speed = 2350 FPS

With AUD @ 67 cents US the price would have to be attractive - its a quality brass mold

[Abert Rim]

Joe, what load are you running? It would seem that bullet at that speed would want to do some honest work.

[Abert Rim]

Joe, never mind. I see your load in the "Jacketed loads for .348" thread.