Cast loads for my 348

[smokeywolf]

Wouldn't mind having that mould in a 2 cav. iron or brass. Too much arthritis to handle anything bigger for any length of time.

Just checked my inventory of 348 supplies. My cast bullets are 208 grain. The design is similar to the Lee bullet above, but less nose. Not even sure if I have the mould. About 10 years ago, picked up about 200 rounds of brass, several hundred rounds of both jacketed and cast bullets and something close to 1,000 gas checks from a guy who was liquidating his 348 stock.

 

[Spindrift]

Nice rifle and bullet!
With the faster powders, I’d try those bullets with powder coat, without gas checks. You might find a good practice load that will conserve your supply of gas checks. However, I’d start by coating just a couple of bullets to check if the added nose diameter (due to coating) will cause chambering issues.

Please keep us posted on your results, and good luck!

 

[Glaciers]

Nice rifle and bullet!
With the faster powders, I’d try those bullets with powder coat, without gas checks. You might find a good practice load that will conserve your supply of gas checks. However, I’d start by coating just a couple of bullets to check if the added nose diameter (due to coating) will cause chambering issues.

Please keep us posted on your results, and good luck!

Read your post and slapped my forehead.

Well I had cast up a pile of 22 and those 348 bullets and had PC’ed and tested the fit in my Hornet for the 22’s. So I cast up a second batch of the 22’s when I was casting the 348’s. Intended to PC the 22’s to add to the rest and at the same time PC some 348’s like you suggested. Well being distracted I PC’ed all 103 of the 348’s.
Well then I read your post and realize what I’d done, thinking I’d end up remelting them as if like my Winchester 30-30 - 1894’s was a pain with PC’ed bullets. I had intended to use conventional lubes on half anyway, but next time.
Long story short I made a dummy this morning and smooth as butter. I’m very happy. I’m going to load them without gas checks anyway, so I’ll see how they shoot by this weekend.. this Model 71 has a Lyman receiver sight and puts factory loads into 3” at 100 yards, so if I do my loading and cast correctly, things should be good.
I can’t shoot like you or Ben, but I have fun.

 

[Glaciers]

Well the best of intentions hardly ever hold up when reality strikes. Finally got to shoot the 348 with the LEE bullet. Had loaded up some light loads using Red Dot with 6.1 grains on the light end and 11.8 on the high end. For fast loads I was going to switch to 2400 and 4198, 30-31 or some slower. But wanted to test a few of these light loads first then come back into my loading room (40 feet away) and load up the more promising loads for further test before moving on to the slower powders.
Well breakup decided to kick into high gear and hold my attention for the last 10 days. But got to shoot these light loads today. The 6.1 895 fps and 7.9 came in at 1036 fps both grouped well but need to load more along with the 9.7 grain loading which was used more to dial in the receiver sight. I had forgotten that the 71 was sighted for factory fodder so 9.7 did even get a fair shot at grouping. The 6.1 load did 5 shots into 2” with 3 making a cloverleaf. Same with the 7.9 load. I finally figured out why each group had two that were wide of the first 3 shots. My bench setup has me leaning down a little to much. When by the forth shot my glasses had come down my nose a bit and having tri-focals I realized I was straining to focus on the front sight.
Anyway with breakup coming under some control I’m hoping to expand the testing with more Red Dot loads at about 1000 to 1100 fps and ad in some 2400 loads to kick it up to 1400 - 1500 fps.

Michael just for your information while the dummy round chambered fine for some reason the loads for testing were a hard close on that front band. The next batch I will be crimping over that band.

 

[Michael]

Thank you John.
From some odd reason I keep hearing a voice in my head telling me that it will shoot really sweet with 55grs of IMR-4350.