Interesting stat on the mag primers, North. Love your videos BTW. I subscribed and I hope it'll help!
A good principle to guide me through life: “This is all I have come to expect, standard lackluster performance. Trust nothing, believe no one and realize it will only get worse…”
That is good detail North on the magnum primers. I use them in the 348 AI. Though Hawk bullets have worked for me on moose, I think in the future I am going to narrow the field to 230 gr North Forks and Alaska Bullet Works 250s along with Woodleighs. The Swift 200s combine A-frame construction with the extra speed of a 200 gr in the Model 71. These well constructed premium bullets take the 348 cartridge into another dimension. I think the Hornady 200 gr bullet is a slight bit tougher than the factory 200 gr W-W Silvertip. Just my impression.
{Some of you may be familiar with Alaska Outdoors -somewhere in their forums someone had a mint pre-war Deluxe Model 71 in a posting-the rifle was chambered in 348 Ack Imp and he was really pleased with his M-71. I am doing more wildcat 348 research and cannot locate that posting. Let me know if you see it. Thanks. }
For those of you having difficulty obtaining 348 WCF brass-Graf and Son in Missouri have been stocking Jamison, W-W, and Hornady brass. The listed price recently was reasonable: 20 pieces of Jamison's-$26.00. Stocking availability is another question.
"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena-not the critic"-T. Roosevelt There are no atheists in fox holes or in the open doors of a para's aircraft.....
Thanks to Gun-Geezer for a copy of his load spreadsheet. I ordered cast bullets from Montana Bullet Works. 200 grain RCBS style with GC’s and blue lube. One hundred sized to .348 and one hundred sized to .349. The bullets were crimped firmly with.a Lee crimp die. I used 27.5 grains H4198 & WLRM primers. I shot a 5 shot group with each at 20 yards. The groups were pretty much identical. The bore was clean - each shot .6” group. Which is about what I could do with those sights. I did take off the hated buckhorn sights and mounted a Lyman Steel aperture sight.
These were from a “new to me” Browning 71, which I got here on the 24.
Next I’ll shoot groups at 50 meters and I’ll measure velocity.
I prefer classic. Semper Fi I used to run with the hare. Now I'm envious of the tortoise and I do my own stunts but rarely intentionally
Finally I can also share my load on here. Turns out, my inability to shoot well with a 4MOA Fastfire II caused the horrific groups I previously shot with my 24" Browning 71. Now it's wearing the Lyman peep sight again. Today I shot two sub-MOA groups at 100m with a .358 Sierra Pro Hunter sized to .348 over 54 grains of VV N140 with Starline brass and CCI standard primers. I was tempted to send it down the road recently, but with these results, I'll have to give it another try.
Finally I can also share my load on here. Turns out, my inability to shoot well with a 4MOA Fastfire II caused the horrific groups I previously shot with my 24" Browning 71. Now it's wearing the Lyman peep sight again. Today I shot two sub-MOA groups at 100m with a .358 Sierra Pro Hunter sized to .348 over 54 grains of VV N140 with Starline brass and CCI standard primers. I was tempted to send it down the road recently, but with these results, I'll have to give it another try.
You might have posted this before, if you did sorry for asking. What do you use to size 358 bullets to 348?
I prefer classic. Semper Fi I used to run with the hare. Now I'm envious of the tortoise and I do my own stunts but rarely intentionally
Lee push through sizing die. They made a special run of the older style die a while back and last I checked they still had some . They also have the new style that uses an insert in a aluminum housing that should do the same. Watch the video on youtube.
I got enough bullets to last a good while but I am gonna get the Lee sizer just incase . I shoot three .35 caliber rifles so I have a bunch of bullets and they will be easier to find in the future.
Grumpy old man with a gun.....Do not touch . Better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6. Don't bother my monument and I'll leave yours alone.
The videos show the SPEER Hot Core being resized. Any luck with other bullets, in particular Interlocks?
Ask the man that did the Video, maybe he has tried others by now. I haven't bought the die yet. I already shoot the Speer bullets in my BLR .358 for deer and hogs so I'll probably stick to those for squeezing down. If I need anything tougher I have Barnes 250's and will be stocking up on the Hawk bullets . Also am interested in the .348 and .358 bullets Dinny is working with at the moment and am hoping they will be affordable and plentiful.
Grumpy old man with a gun.....Do not touch . Better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6. Don't bother my monument and I'll leave yours alone.