.348 Winchester
Developed by Winchester and introduced in
the Model 71 lever action rifle in 1936, the .348 Winchester is another great
woods cartridge that is now known by few and forgotten by most. No standard
production rifle has been available in this caliber since the Model 71 was
discontinued in 1958 and Winchester is down to loading one factory loading.
All of which is meant to say the the owners of Model 71 rifles would be wise
to stock up on ammunition and cases since the .348 case is not easily formed
from any other case. The same goes for the
Hornady 200 grain bullet since it is
the only .348" bullet available from a major manufacturer. Custom bullets
are available in this caliber, but their cost rules them out for punching
holes in anything other but big game.
There once was a time when both Winchester and Remington offered .348 factory
loads with 150, 200, and 250 grain bullets, but only the
Winchester 200 grain Silvertip
load has survived. Those who know the Model 71 say it is the finest lever
action big game rifle ever produced and they are probably right. The quality
and handling were certainly there and the accuracy was good enough for shooting
game at woods ranges.
When loaded with the Hornady 200 grain
bullet, the .348 is an excellent cartridge for hunting deer and black bear
but it takes more bullet weight to make the .348 Winchester work on elk and
moose.
Source: Hodgdon Data Manual, 26th Edition
© www.reloadbench.com 1999 - 2005 All Rights Reserved
|
|
 |
|