How many of you out there use the 348 for hunting? What is the most liked bullet that you like too?
Would it be better if you could get another 200 FPS out of it at the same pressure?
250 grain at 2500-2600 FPS?
How about the 220 TSX that Barnes dicontinued in 2002?

Barnes original 250's (and now 220's) have been my pick.

Used to load 3031, now Varget and sometimes 4350.

Faster and bigger could definitely be better, a Flex-Tip pointy bullet would also be nice.

I have been shooting Buffalo Bore bonded core 250's and they shoot good but are $$$. I bought some 230 Gr lead core North Fork's a while back and am anxious to load them up. They suggested some loads. Might check with them.
BTW; I like the cartridge.
If you find a way to get those extra 200FPS; let us know!

EZ

I use the 200 grain Hornadys for practice.
I have some original Barnes-X 200 grain all copper for hunting deer.
For larger critters, I have 250 grain Barnes Originals, although I would be OK using the 200 grain Barnes-X for elk and moose if I didn't hav the 250s.
I tried some 1900 fps loads and the accuracy was terrible, about 5 inch groups at 100 yards.
Seems that the closer to max velocity I can get a load, the more accurate my rifle performs.

Shooting Southern Whitetail @ ranges under 100 yds. I've done just fine with the Hornady 200's over IMR 3031. Don't need bigger bullets, or more speed. Mid-2200fps gives decent groups over iron sights with my bad eyes...and hammers our small-ish deer.

I found some info from North Fork using their 230 gr bullet.
I believe you will find the max charge they note will approach your velocity requirements (230 gr).
I would suggest that you contact them directly as I prefer not to pass on loading data. I will say that they suggest RL-17.

EZ

quote:

Originally posted by Doug Turnbull:
How many of you out there use the 348 for hunting? What is the most liked bullet that you like too?
Would it be better if you could get another 200 FPS out of it at the same pressure?
250 grain at 2500-2600 FPS?
How about the 220 TSX that Barnes dicontinued in 2002?

Is there a new "wonder powder" out there that will get us the velocity you suggest, or have you come up with a new "improved" cartridge similar to the ackley? The 348 case is so tapered that ackleyrizing really does a lot of good, unlike the minimal gains you get with most cartridges. I believe improving the 348 can lessen bolt thrust as well. Especially if you don't happen to get all of the case lube off of your reloads.

I use Barnes Original 220 and 250 for the biggest game and Hornady 200sand Wichester Silvertips factory ammo for deer.

They all work well for their intended purpose. I would be interested in new designs though.

I have put a lot of the 200 gr. Hornady's through mine only because they were about the only bullets I could find. Accuracy has never been good. I would like to find some 250's to try as I believe they are what the rifles reputation was based upon.
C.G.B.

From my first prelimary testing I am getting 2550-2600 FPS with a North Fork 230 gr. The M43 pressures are at 44K. Have some Barnes 220 and 250 originals coming.

I'd just like to find a rifle for less than a grand. DW

Browning 71's are out there for $975.

I take it, your measurements are from a 24" barrel?

EZ

quote:

Originally posted by Doug Turnbull:
From my first prelimary testing I am getting 2550-2600 FPS with a North Fork 230 gr. The M43 pressures are at 44K. Have some Barnes 220 and 250 originals coming.

Yes it was

I smell a cat!

Doug... you are up to a 348 cat arn't you!

I was hoping you would do a 410 version on the 348 case to get 400 @ 2100 for DG and 300 @ 2400 for anything else.

Excited to see what is behind the curtain.

quote:

Originally posted by Doug Turnbull:
How many of you out there use the 348 for hunting? What is the most liked bullet that you like too?
Would it be better if you could get another 200 FPS out of it at the same pressure?
250 grain at 2500-2600 FPS?
How about the 220 TSX that Barnes dicontinued in 2002?

400 grain .458 .272 SD.
230 grain .348 .271 SD.
250 grain .348 .295 SD. Excellent!

I have owned several M71 Winchesters and very much enjoy hunting with the .348. But then I really liked hunting with my LW M'86 in .33 Winchester too until I foolishly let myself be talked out of it.

I have always considered the .348 to be a .33 Win on steroids, and a very nice round just as it is for Roosevelt Elk in the coast range, that sort of thing.

So, no, I don't guess I'd have any need for hopping up the .348 round. It works just fine for me exactly as it came from the factory. Comfortably kills things quite dead enough.

What I'd really like to find is a good source of .33 Win LW carbines at reasonable prices.....still very adequate for a "get close enough" hunter in the bush, and a lot easier to find/make brass for.

I think Doug wants a plains game lever gun to go along with the 475 Turnbull to sell matching pairs.
A 348 putting out those numbers would be a great brown bear rig.

I use one but have not reloaded for it yet. The factory 200 grain Winchester make large holes in small deer. I would not like them for game bigger tham whitetails. Doug you actually fixed my rifle a few years ago. Nice job at a fair price.

The cartridge is a variation of the ackley and the ackley 40 degree. The 250 grain will be about 2500 FPS using 4064 powder.This is a 24" bbl. I will have dies so that you can form brass from 50-110 or fire form 348 brass. This may come in handy for those that need 348 brass but can not find it. Also working on a scope base for the 71 that is a Ruger #1 bass that is modified and put on the barrel for an extended eye relief scope like a Burris 1.2x4 or the Nikon 2.5x8. They have rings that are detachable and a flip up rear sight so you can iron sights as needed. This will get the bit that everyone seems to want but in a pinch you can shoot 348 Win out of it with out a problem.

And what is the point in higher velocities given the desire for a powerful (which it already is), open sighted elk, moose and bear thumper?

About like a 35 Whelen. Now you just need some tough bonded core 348 bullets. hmmmm? or the 230 gr NF.

quote:

Originally posted by Doug Turnbull:
The cartridge is a variation of the ackley and the ackley 40 degree. The 250 grain will be about 2500 FPS using 4064 powder.This is a 24" bbl. I will have dies so that you can form brass from 50-110 or fire form 348 brass. This may come in handy for those that need 348 brass but can not find it. Also working on a scope base for the 71 that is a Ruger #1 bass that is modified and put on the barrel for an extended eye relief scope like a Burris 1.2x4 or the Nikon 2.5x8. They have rings that are detachable and a flip up rear sight so you can iron sights as needed. This will get the bit that everyone seems to want but in a pinch you can shoot 348 Win out of it with out a problem.

Doug

FYI, 2600 is the same velocity I reached in my personal 348AI.

Mike
yes it is the same as the 348AI 40 degree for pressures, but is it the AI or the AI 40 degree you speak of? This gets to be a bit confusing and the 40 degree needs more action work than the Turnbull variation. I am planning on having brass made and loaded ammo for the Turnbull. But you can always shoot the 348 out of it if you need to.

Yup, the 348AI could use some improving itself as far as feeding. There are at least three (not counting yours)versions of he 348 improved. I have the orignal design and the feeding could be better. It does feed but you can definitely feel a hitch in it's getalong. Then there is the Kiff design that has a slightly longer neck with a smaller diameter right before the shoulder. And Scovill had one in his lever book that looked just like mine except the neck was left the same length as the parent case. The "improved" 348, any one of them, probably adds more powder space than any other AI case.

I'm selling my Browning 348 carbine. Anybody interested? Marc

Doug,

I have used the .348 for quite a while on deer and my favorite deer load is 56grains of Reloader 19 and a LBT 220gr LFN. This load gives about 2100fps from a 20" barrel. I have also softpointed this bullet by pouring a nose of pure lead and then following up with wheel weight for the rest. This is makes for violent expansion and great penetration, sort of a poor mans partition bullet. Before I got the LBT mold I used the 200gr hornady's with 53.5gr of IMR 4064, these worked well but the bullet is a a little too stout for whitetails, probably better suited for bigger game. I have not fired a jacket bullet for several years in this rifle the cast bullets work so well. I have also had great luck using DATA 85 powder in this rifle, I got 16lbs of it cheap a while back and the .348 seems to be a good one to use it up in.

Jerry

Whats wrong with the 348 the way it is? Another 100-150fps won't mean squat if the feeding is not as smooth. Heck, at the ranges a 348 is shot the little bit of gain you do get with the improved version won't make a bit of difference in the overall outcome.

quote:

Originally posted by eezridr:
Now you just need some tough bonded core 348 bullets.

Woodleigh have made a 250gr FN bonded core bullet for a while now.

In this case, the answer would have to be that I would like to "continue". The area where I hunt pigs is in the California no-lead zone.

I have 25 200 gr. x-bullets, given to me by a friend, that I'm going to load up for next spring. After they are gone, won't be able to use my model 71 on the Central Coast.

Does anyone think that Barnes might entertain the idea of re-introducing a .348 non-lead bullet?

Tony

These guys would probably make some.

http://www.lehighbullets.com/

http://www.ch4d.com/

http://gscustom.co.za/

http://www.cuttingedgebullets.com/

http://www.safaribullets.com/specs.html

http://www.generalbullet.com/

or maybe

http://www.northforkbullets.com/magento/

or even

http://www.barnesbullets.com/

If enough people contact them

Duggaboye,

Thanks for the links. I'll follow up.

Tony