Can Winchester .348 be downloaded

bushmaster1313

bushmaster1313

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Toying with idea of getting a Winchester 71 but the recoil of the 348 Winchester is said to be brutal.

Could I get a custom loader to use a bullet lighter than 200 gr and use less powder for an easier time on my shoulder

100 yard range is all I need
 
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For starters - is something lighter than a 200g bullet commercially available?
Secondly, you'll have to look for someone other than what I call the 'boutique' loaders such as Buffalo bore, Double Tap, Underwood and Grizzly to name some of them.
You could contact : Safari Arms, LTD.
They load the caliber but they have specific brands they deal with so if they don't offer that light of a bullet I'm not sure what they'll recommend.
 
Any caliber can be downloaded to about as low a MV as you want. It generally involves using a light charge of a faster burning powder. For most any larger volume CF cartridge, try using 13 grains of a shotgun powder like Red Dot or Green Dot (or even Bullseye, Unique, and 700-X) and about any bullet weight you wish to use. No wadding over the powder is needed or should be used. That will give approximately black powder ballistic performance (around 1200-1500 ft/sec depending on the bullet weight). Some fast rifle powders such as H4227 and 2400 are excellent for making up intermediate loads. For example, my favorite load for the .300 Savage is 24 grains of 4227 and a 165 grain bullet. It produces a MV of around 2000 ft/sec, and is much more pleasant to shoot than factory level loads. It still functions the long-recoil action fine in my Remington Model 81. Just experiment some.

A good source for lighter load data for a wide range of rifle calibers is the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook. Even though most of the information provided there is for lead bullets, jacketed bullet performance won't be much different.
 
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You could also try Trail Boss as a powder. I have a friend that uses it for reduced 416 Rigby loads
 
A lot of the older reloading manuals have reduced loads for rifle calibers. mostly lead bullets and from what I remember, they are about half velocity. So it can be done, finding someone to do it for you may be tough
 
You could probably get set up to handload your own for what several boxes of ammo from a custom loader would cost. You could also eventually make better and more accurate ammunition than that available from a custom loader because your ammo would be tailored for your rifle, not everyone else's.
 
Shouldn't be any trick to download it to .35 Remington levels, which would cut recoil and give you plenty of oomph out to 100 yards or more.
 
Here are some lead bullet .348 Win loads from the Lyman cast bullet handbook:

187 grain lead bullet #350447 (.348" dia.)
2400 20-23 grains, 1610-1779 ft/sec
4227 20-30.5 grains 1510-2123 ft/sec
4198 25-35 grains 1672-2150 ft/sec
3031 35-47 grains 1818-2338 ft/sec

255 grain lead bullet #350482 (.348" dia.)
2400 19-22 grains 1412-1560 ft/sec
4227 21-30 grains 1428-1838 ft/sec
4198 27-38.5 grains 1661-2096 ft/sec
3031 35-46 grains 1798-2217 ft/sec

There are several internet sources for .348 lead and jacketed bullets and also brass. Winchester still lists .348 Win unprimed brass as available, and there is usually some fired brass listed on Gun Broker. If you plan to shoot much, going into reloading in a modest way will be worthwhile. .348 loaded ammunition is difficult to find and is expensive. I don't think any of the big guys (Federal, W-W, R-P) still load it.
 
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There are some custom commercial reloaders around which might do it, but I would guess that could turn out to be be a costly proposition. Which is why the best approach would be for the OP to take up reloading in a modest way with used equipment from eBay, etc. Or if the OP has any friends who are reloaders, he could buy dies and components for a friend to use. Lee still lists a .348 die set for $30.
 
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Might be time to look into reloading your own.
A Lee Hand Press Kit and Lee dies will cost about $80.00. The Lee Pacesetter Dies come with a powder scoop , loading data and a shell holder. Everything you need. Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook has more data for cast bullets.
No bench required. I use one for all handgun and 30-30 reloading.
Something to think about .
Gary
 
Would it be possible to buy factory ammo, safely pull the bullets, dump a measured amount of powder using a scale, and reseat the bullet by hand with a hand loading tool?
 
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Sure, if you could find any factory ammo. And have a bullet puller. And a hand loading tool. I wouldn't reduce the factory charge much more than 10%-15%.
 
bushmaster- You'll likely find such an approach unsatisfactory, not to mention a possible of waste of time, money, and components. Also, if you got decent accuracy from such loads it would be despite the procedure used.
 
bushmaster1313 said:
Would it be possible to buy factory ammo, safely pull the bullets, dump a measured amount of powder using a scale, and reseat the bullet by hand with a hand loading tool?
Click to expand...

It sounds like you have never handloaded before and there's nothing wrong with that but what you are looking to do really isn't for a brand new reloader. Just a warning, .348 Win brass is very expensive and that's IF you can find any.

From what I'm told it's really not the ammo itself that causes the discomfort, it's the style of the stock and the light rifle itself. I'm not sure that's true but it's what I hear.
 
bushmaster1313 said:
Toying with idea of getting a Winchester 71 but the recoil of the 348 Winchester is said to be brutal.

Could I get a custom loader to use a bullet lighter than 200 gr and use less powder for an easier time on my shoulder

100 yard range is all I need
Click to expand...
No other cartridge uses .348" bullets. Consequently there is little incentive for manufacturers to make a variety of bullets or bullet molds. The cartridge case was not based on a standard head or rim design. That rules out reforming a common case. When I negotiated for once fired empty .348 brass 30 years ago a store owner flat out told me that since I could afford a Model 71 he had no sympathy for me and I could pay through the nose or go else where. It must be worse now. While a dump truck full of money will flush out a business willing to make reduced .348 loads the obvious answer for a non-reloader is to choose a different rifle.

That said, 30 years ago I did have a light .348 bullet mold and lucked onto the scarce gas checks to fit. I forget what brand the mold was.

On the good side my Model 71 had a slick fast to operate lever and casual target shooting with light loads was fun.
 
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There are a number of custom mouldmakers today that can produce virtually any mould one could imagine, and with custom dimensions, probably for under $200.00. However, the buyer would have to know key dimensions of his bore and chamber. I have not looked up the bore twist rate for a .348, but it's all a lot more complicated than designing a "light" bullet. If the bore twist is not compatible with a bullet's length and weight, it will shoot poorly, maybe very poorly. If a cast bullet has an undersize diameter, even if only slightly undersize, it will shoot poorly and lead the bore. If it's oversize by very much, again, all sorts of problems.

Recoil is a subjective thing and affects everyone differently. I wouldn't think recoil from a 250-grain factory .348 load would be excessive for most persons, except possibly from a benchrest, and that, only after firing many rounds.

No need to further address the difficulty in obtaining brass or loaded ammo; that's been adequately covered.

This whole matter is really not a project for a beginner and/or non-handloader.
 
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