348 Winchester, 250 grain Silvertip load?

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SJPrice
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348 Winchester, 250 grain Silvertip load?

Post by SJPrice »

Good Morning Pards,

I am looking for suggestions for loads for my Browning 71 carbine. I have a very limited supply of 250 grain Silvertips and I would prefer not to use them up experimenting with loads. Does anyone have a favorite powder that has performed efficiently with 250's in the 348 Winchester.

Thanks,

Steve
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WinM71
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Re: 348 Winchester, 250 grain Silvertip load?

Post by WinM71 »

I always had the best luck with IMR-4064, the powder that the .348 was loaded with by the factory when it was introduced in 1936 (I have an original American Rifleman from February 1936 in which the new rifle and factory loads were editorially reviewed). I haven't loaded the 250s in years, ran out of them many years ago, so I don't remember the exact load I used.
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SJPrice
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Re: 348 Winchester, 250 grain Silvertip load?

Post by SJPrice »

Thanks, I will have to get some 4064. I am also interested in finding some additional 250 Silvertips. Does anyone have any they might be enticed to part with?
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WinM71
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Re: 348 Winchester, 250 grain Silvertip load?

Post by WinM71 »

The bullets are a tough one. Used to see them on ebay once or twice a year, but then ebay made reloading components unlistable. They show up on Gunbroker once in a great while, but the price usually ends up being somewhere between alarming and disgusting.
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Mike Rintoul
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Re: 348 Winchester, 250 grain Silvertip load?

Post by Mike Rintoul »

I apologize in advance that I cannot give out load data. However, I will point out that WinM71 seems to have the right idea. Also, for what it's worth, S780 and H414 tend to give the lowest pressure (CUP) among the various powders suitable for the 250 gr bullets. Good luck!
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Malamute
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Re: 348 Winchester, 250 grain Silvertip load?

Post by Malamute »

If you can't find any more Silvertips, Barnes makes a 250 gr Original. They may have load data for 250's also.
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SJPrice
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Re: 348 Winchester, 250 grain Silvertip load?

Post by SJPrice »

Mike,

Thanks. I am enjoying the 200 grain 348's from Grizzly. They are accurate and recoil is not bad at all. I would guess that they would do just great for anything I wanted to do with the 348. I just like the look of the big 250 grain Winchester Silvertip bullets. Thanks again for the suggestions.

Steve
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Re: 348 Winchester, 250 grain Silvertip load?

Post by 2X22 »

Not to dissuade you from 4064, but I use 58grs of AA3100 with 250gr Barnes. Velocity is 2090fps and I get groups in the 3" range at 200 yards.

I'm about to run out of the 250gr Barnes and have been casting lots of bullets to take their place. I'm NOT going to spend the money it takes now to buy 348 jacketed stuff. :evil:

2x22
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71fan
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Re: 348 Winchester, 250 grain Silvertip load?

Post by 71fan »

I have had very good success with RL 19 shooting 250 Barnes Originals and 200 gr Hornady. I am at the point where that's probably all I will use for the 348. The 4350s and 4831 have been dissappointing out of my rifles, as far as accuracy is concerned.

Good luck!
Chad
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Re: 348 Winchester, 250 grain Silvertip load?

Post by BigSky56 »

Steve, , Kodiak bullets of Alaska makes a 250 gr bullet that is like the win ST bullet theirs is comparable in jacket material but will retain weight better I believe Buffalo Bore loads these in his 348's.
Reloader 19 has been touted as the best powder and best accuracy for the 348 in all bullet weights. From the #214 Handloader magazine 250 gr barnes 59.5 grs RL-19 for 2266 fps and < than 1.5" groups @100 yds .
From the #45 lyman manual 200 gr bullet 53.3 grs of IMR4895 for 2469 fps factory load, accuracy load is 53 grs for 2450 fps and I get 3/4" group @100 with the hdy 200 bullet I have been using this load for 22 yrs have got 30+ inches of soft tissue penetration on elk shoots thru and broadside H/L shots. danny
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vancelw
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Re: 348 Winchester, 250 grain Silvertip load?

Post by vancelw »

2X22 wrote:Not to dissuade you from 4064, but I use 58grs of AA3100 with 250gr Barnes. Velocity is 2090fps and I get groups in the 3" range at 200 yards.

I'm about to run out of the 250gr Barnes and have been casting lots of bullets to take their place. I'm NOT going to spend the money it takes now to buy 348 jacketed stuff. :evil:

2x22
Don't get him hooked on AA3100. . .I noticed on Accurate's website yesterday that 3100 is discontinued. :o
I was looking for the load data excerpts that they used to have on the site that were from the Accurate #2 load data book. They were gone too. New website design. :?
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Re: 348 Winchester, 250 grain Silvertip load?

Post by 2X22 »

vancelw wrote: Don't get him hooked on AA3100. . .I noticed on Accurate's website yesterday that 3100 is discontinued. :o
I was looking for the load data excerpts that they used to have on the site that were from the Accurate #2 load data book. They were gone too. New website design. :?
??? :cry: :cry: :cry:

Now THAT is a bummer. I don't think I have much over 10lbs left. Guess I shoot it up and switch to RL19 which luckily I have quite a lot of.

2x22
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Yodar
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Re: 348 Winchester, 250 grain Silvertip load?

Post by Yodar »

You didn't like my post of yesterday? I don't see it here.
BigSky56
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Re: 348 Winchester, 250 grain Silvertip load?

Post by BigSky56 »

Yodar, Hobie wouldnt delete a post without talking to you about it. I have been getting server errors for the last 3 days and have lost posts in cyber space and PM's that were sent never got there fact is my post in this topic took me 3 tries. danny
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450 Fuller
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Re: 348 Winchester, 250 grain Silvertip load?

Post by 450 Fuller »

While an older post, this is a relatively rare topic. The 4350 range of slow powders is excellent for 250 gr bullets. It tends to fill the case better than 4064 and other middle burning rate powders.
"Go slow" -start low. Lever action rifles cannot be hot rodded with pressure. I stick to loads that parallel factory loadings.
Hawk and possibly Swift make bullets for the 348 WCF. Hawk Bullets are good-well made. I have used their 225-230 gr bullets and they work well.

Took an Alaskan moose with a Model 71 in 348 Ackley Improved, using a 250 gr Hawk bullet.
Fury Bullets in Michigan is a new bullet company as of 2022. They have a 220-225 gr bullet that is bonded.

I am not a fan of cast bullets in lever actions
with bottle-neck cartridges like the 348.

In 45-70, 444, or 45-90 they are fine as the cases are straight walled and pressures are kept lower.
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Rimfire McNutjob
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Re: 348 Winchester, 250 grain Silvertip load?

Post by Rimfire McNutjob »

Thanks. I've bookmarked the Fury Bullet site and will order some of the 220 FP's they have in stock. Great to have another source. Swift doesn't seem to run their 348 A-Frames very often.
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Drawdown
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Re: 348 Winchester, 250 grain Silvertip load?

Post by Drawdown »

I have no experience with the 348, to my great regret! I never even knew of the Win Mod 71 or its 348 cartridge, until I can't remember for sure? but I'd guess aprox 2000?? But being a lever lover lifelong, everything I read about the rifle & cartridge just took me with loving fascination, I wanted one bad! Asked around here for years, and in all honesty I don't recall anyone even being familiar with them, certainly none around here anywhere!
But you gotta love & admire the story, for Winchester certainly came out with the ultimate modern lever and cartridge for North America! But it was just too late, bolt actions had done stole too many hearts! Mod 70's took over! But there's never been IMO, a better purpose perfect rifle & cartridge designed than the 71 & 348, even the way its stocked! And it's little brother, the Mod 64 in 30-30 especially, also perfect for 2/3 of North America! Whelen I believe had a say in the stocks of these rifles?
Now I don't know if Winchester ever offered Silvertips in 30-30, but I just assumed they did? I've never heard mention of them, but if they did I'd like to have a box to keep!
I've got plenty reloading experience with the 30-06, but certainly none with the 348, but I know how well 4064 & 4350 is in the 06, only 2 powders I'm using now in the 06. Both accurate in every rifle I've tried, and 4350 seems to shine with heavy bullets, so I'd say it would be a winner in the 348, but just an opinion!
But it's to me a real shame that the ultimate American & Winchester Rifle story just came and went so fast. The Levergun is a better choice at real hunting ranges, where game should be taken, by hunting, not spot & shoot to wherever >>>>>>×!!!
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Turdyturdy
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Re: 348 Winchester, 250 grain Silvertip load?

Post by Turdyturdy »

Yes, the 30-30 ammo with silver tip bullets was very popular. Yellow box with bold Silvertip printed on front. I still have a few boxes stashed. The last I bought were the 76 Bicentennial red, white and blue box Silvertips. The cases are nickel plated with W 76 W stamped on head.
Drawdown
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Re: 348 Winchester, 250 grain Silvertip load?

Post by Drawdown »

I figured they were, but I don't recall ever seeing any or even mentioned, but I got my first 30-30 in 1981, and a box of Win PP's 170gr also. Still have the box and I believe 3-4 rds of the ammo.
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bgmkithaca
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Re: 348 Winchester, 250 grain Silvertip load?

Post by bgmkithaca »

Hawk Bullets also makes .348 bullets in flat points up to 270 grains.
FLINT
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Re: 348 Winchester, 250 grain Silvertip load?

Post by FLINT »

after a lot of research, I bought some H4350 for loading in the 348.

I was planning to go with Hawk bullets probably, but leverguns 50 recently posted a video using some North Fork 230 grain bullets that seem pretty good, so I might give them a try as well

https://youtu.be/nTihauxoYHU?si=-a-9DG3ce-rNzlnw

actually, maybe not. Just looked at their website. $94/50 is maybe a little steep for me. Hawk bullets are about half that and I've had excellent results with them in my 32-40.

Barnes originals have been out of stock for years. who knows if they will ever make them again.
JFE
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Re: 348 Winchester, 250 grain Silvertip load?

Post by JFE »

For 250gr pills in the 348, H4350 is the powder that is often recommended. It’s the one I used for loads using Barnes 250 gr originals. I achieved 2300fps and very decent accuracy.
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