Home Forums Lever Action Central Big Bore Levers 348 Hornady Bullets

Thanks very much for the heads-up on gas checks! I wouldn't have known that...

I ordered some 250-grain Woodleigh Weldcores from Midway yesterday, and some 200-grain Swift A-Frames from Graf & Sons. Plus some new Starline and Hornady brass from Midway. All to augment my stach of Hornady and Barnes bullets, Winchester brass, and factory-loaded Winchester Silvertips. Big buck$$$ once all was said and done.

Just checked my records; last time I fired it was in '87 when I was working on loads with the 200-grain Hornadys and 250-grain Barnes. Didn't do any chronographing. I guess I need to correct all that.

I would expect the original 200-grain Winchester Silvertips would be just fine for the tiny whitetail around here, about all I get out for -- some years -- these days. Maybe the 200-grain A-Frames for hogs, I guess. And the heavier bullets much be good for something...

Actually, I began thinking about some of this after reading through another campfire thread about loads for coastal brown bears. Happens I've got a .338 WM that I'd like to pass down to somebody in wifey's family... and I'm not real great running a bolt rifle anyway... which leaves the Model 71 as maybe what I guess I'd choose if I were on a bear watch up there. (Not actually hunting.) Which lead me to the 250-grain Weldcores as maybe viable. Not a lot of brown bears here on the coast of the Chesapeake, though...

-Chris

A quick review of loading data from several sources (Ken Waters' Pet Loads, a couple Handloader articles, Hodgdon's on-line reloading center, etc.) suggests Hodgdon's "Extreme" powders H4350. H4831SC, Varget, and H3895 could be the current cat's meow and/or bee's knees for temperature insensitivity. I gather they're all "short cut" too, even though only one is specifically labeled that way...

I could be basically starting from scratch, no pressing need to stay with the W760 that I tried 30 years ago (and which worked well).

Lots of other powders are listed as suitable, of course, but is there anything better than the "Extreme" products? At least for getting started?

From among those four, and aside from the normal expected differences in temperament with any given rifle/barrel/primer/case... are there any other reasons one might be better than the others? Charge weights to case size? De-coppering? Low flash? Makes the morning coffee? Et cetera?

I think I've still got a stash of BR-2 primers...

-Chris

Hornady responded to my inquiry on their Interlock 200 gr FP-discontinued.
There reply indicated uncertainty based on the current backlogs of available bullets. So-not promising.
I will stick with Hawk, remaining Hornady, and Barnes original, North Fork and remaining Kodiaks.

More supplies gradually arriving. Got the Starline and Hornady brass, and the Woodleigh 250s, in from Midway.

Glancing at the bullets next to a case... Hornady 200s extend to the bottom of the neck... and the 250s (both Barnes Original and Woodeigh) extend to tbe bottom of the shoulder... assuming using the crimping grooves.

My old supply of Hornady 200s is product #3410. No mention of either "InterBond" or "InterLock" on the box...

-Chris

Hornady InterLoc was just the design in the jacket. It was not available on the 200 gr FP originally.
The Hawk 200 gr is probably the closest to the Hornady in terms of quality for the design and price. They work well at about 2400 FPS.
A Lee factory crimp die is money well spent. Keep velocity close to the originals in 200 gr. I have some Hawk 225 gr and they are about perfect.
Peters offered a 210 gr early on. It was supposed to be a good bullet in the 348 Model 71.

I've spoken to Dennis at Fury Bullets about this subject. While ordering the dies to get into making 348 bullets is easy and affordable, finding someone to run the machines is a not. Dennis struggles to keep up with current orders and can't afford to be slowed down by making 348 bullets. Maybe I can convince him later on to order the dies.

Thanks, Dinny

Thanks; figured on getting a Lee crimper. Turned out to be very useful, almost mandatory, on my .44-40 cowboy loads...

My Hornady's are old, old packaging unlike the current pictures... probably just plain ol' cup-and-core, then. Haven't looked at Hawk yet; might do that just so I have a bazillion options sometime down the pike...

Is there a campfire thread about best powders for the .348? Haven't found anything comprehensive with the search tool... I have Ken Waters' Pet Loads, the Steve Gash and vanDeburg articles from Handloader. I see I mis-typed H3895 up above; meant H4895.

-Chris

Ranger: I like slower burning powders from H414 and IMR 4451 with magnum primers and also RL 17 and 19. They more nearly fill that big case and give good accuracy with decent velocities and a nice even pressure curve.

Thanks, I'll look closer at those. Have you tried working with Hodgdon's "Extreme" powders in that general range, too?

-Chris

Igot really lucky with an original 71 that wants to shoot. I have had such great luck with 4451 and magnum primers with Hornady 200 FP's and H414 with all bullet weights that I have not strayed much. The Alliant powders seem promising as well. It's nice having a rifle that doesn't require extensive load development to shoot well.

North61, that is true, I've had my Browning M71 for about 15 years. First thing I did was buy 500 cases, 600 200 Hornady FPs and about 300 250 Barnes Originals so I had everything I needed and not risk components being discontinued. I also managed to find some 200 grain Barnes X bullets. I'll have to give 4451 and/or 414 a try. IMR4064 shoots well but if the others are more of a case filler.

I'm disappointed in how Hornady quietly discontinues bullets, especially their round noses. I have 154 RN's for my 280, but would've liked a few boxes of the 175 and the 250 for my 358 Win. And now the 348 staple, the FP. Seems like a better marketing strategy would be to produce a bunch of stock, announce that it will be discontinued at x-point in time. Sales for those items will spike for those who use them to stock up and have customers with the stock they need.

Well, the Swift A-Fame 200s arrived from Graf & Sons.. Fancy "individual" packaging, no less, kind of impressive.

And I've also got some Hornady 200 FTX bullets inbound from Impact Guns.

One of these days I'll have to get off the dime and get the Lee crimper... and then I can get on with starting the project...

-Chris

I was passing through a small town and stopped at their gunshop yesterday and saw 10-12 boxes of the Hornady .348 200gr bullets on the shelf. I would have bought them if I still had a 71..

Those are a danged good bullet for the 348 Win. Pretty tough and accurate as well.

I'll keep pounding away with the Woodies though. I like how they fly and they aren't too badly priced for the volume I put thru my rifle.

If you shoot your Model 71 enough, it can really impress with accuracy and fast handing.
Keep in mind that the original three loading bullet weights from Winchester were 150-200-and 250 grains.
The 150 gr was dropped as it had little sectional density and was not reliable. The 250 gr probably did not sell that well,
so was discontinued. Peters made a 210 gr which was effective, but rarely seen.

I have some 225 gr Hawk bullets that are close to the perfect weight in the .348 WCF. Fast enough,
but heavy enough for anything virtually. The Hornady is still a good bullet, so hang on to what you have .
The Swift intrigues me a bit because it is a bonded A-frame at the original 200 gr weight. Will work well for bear and is well constructed.

I'm bringing up this thread again because I just passed through that same area and that same shop still has those same bullets so whoever I talked to and said they called them flat out lied to him

I am glad I have a little over 1,000 of the 200gr Hornady (and a lesser supply of other bullets in .348, totalling perhaps 400).

The one bullet I'd love to have, but cannot find, is the 220gr Barnes X.

From the other day. I ended up buying a couple boxes for my friend, since I was passing by that little shop again, on my way home.. They raised their price, from the last time I saw them back in August... Same bullets, same store. Just a little more dust on the top of the box this time..

I just got another box of the Hornady 200gr from a friend. Add them to the Barnes 200gr and 220gr XFNs, 200gr FTXs, and all the lead cast bullets I have, my unborn grandkids will be shooting my single shot .348 for generations to come.

Thanks, Dinny

I heard some one from Sitka is buying the Alaska bullet works business. Hopefully they will start offering their bullets before long. Before the prior owner passed I had talked him into making some 220 grain bullets for the .356 Win. and was prodding him about 220 grain bullets for the .348. Being and old school Alaskan old Karl felt the 250 grain weight was best for Alaska in the .348 so that was the only weight he offered.