Since 1965 I have lived and only hunt in Alaska and do it mostly with a scoped magazine fed bolt rifle. I am 69 now and want to do some hunting with my lever guns and usually me and other Alaskan's fire their first shot at a big game critter at well under 200 yards. Since my hunting is for moose and caribou and occasionally bear I lean towards tough bullets that dig deep and hold together. I am in the process of having a NIB Mirkoru Winchester Mod. 71 Deluxe converted to a .348 Ackley Improved. I have two bullets that I plan on using most of the time after my fire forming is done with 200 grain Hornady FN bullets.
Karl of Alaska Bullet Works In Juneau makes a Super Bonded Premium bullet for many calibers and Alaska's guides think highly of these bullets, especially the lever gun users. According to Karl he mostly makes a heavy jacketed version per customers request. The nose of the bullet is .025 and tapers to twice that thickness, .050 at the base. He said it holds up at close range and expands when velocity drops off. I ordered three box's of 50 from Karl for my .348 Win. and according to load data I have found I may be able to get close to 2,500 fps mv with that bullet and H4350.
After watching a You Tube video of a guy that reduced the diameter of 180 grain Speer .35 caliber bullets to .348 diameter bullets with a special die and shooting them with no problems, I ordered a bullet reducing die from Lee and plan on reducing the cheaper .35 cal. 220 grain Speer FN to .348 diameter and seeing how they hold up. I heard they have a fairly heavy jacket and if they hold up at a close 20' mv and expand at 200 yard impact velocities on a broad side moose or caribou it would be great. The Kodiak bullets have a reputation for doing that.
I have read conflicting stories on penetration on big animals with Woodleigh bullets, but, conflicting stores exist on almost every bullet! LOL But, I have not ruled out their 250 grain FN for the .348 and a friend speaks highly of them.
My .348 will wear a XS receiver sight and their front sight with the white stripe. Once I get the rifle back I will see how my old eyes do out to 200 yards on a 8" paper plate that is painted brown. The gun smith is doing a trigger job, getting rid of the rebounding hammer and cutting the barre to 22", I just don't want to have a 24" barrel on my .348. The rifle is also getting a black .800 thick Pachmayer Sporting Clays recoil pad and a cool 5 round butt cuff with bear head carving from Lever Gun Leather Works. I have two of his 5 round butt cuffs, one on a Mod. 94 Big Bore .356 Win. and a Marlin 45-70. Eventually it will wear a full length magazine tube like the rest of my lever guns, I prefer that look.
