Author Topic: Anyone still hunting with a .348? (Read 787 times)

warty308 · « **on:** December 13, 2005, 06:23:54 PM »

I'm curious if anyone still hunts with a .348 or anyone has some reloading information.

Warty308

CowboyEngr · « **Reply #1 on:** December 14, 2005, 11:09:07 AM »

Heck yeah! I have one of the Browning remakes of a few years ago and managed to take an elk with it when I lived in Colorado. If you can manage to get within iron sight range, it's a dandy performer and fits very well in a saddle scabbard. I have not reloaded for it in some time, but load data is available and straight forward.

Based on what reputation it has, I bet plenty of folks in Alaska still use it every fall.

rvtrav · « **Reply #2 on:** December 14, 2005, 02:26:18 PM »

I have a close friend and nieghbor who hunts with his '71 every year.
He's the "one bullet a year" deer hunter and just uses factory ammo though.
I think that the .348 would be an excellent round to load, and I haven't got a clue as to the availability of factory rounds. I guess the last box he bought is gettin' close to twenty years old, maybe this fall he'll be due for 'anothern.

warty308 · « **Reply #3 on:** December 14, 2005, 06:19:31 PM »

Thanks for answering! The last box of shells I bought was in '84 or '85 and it set me back almost $40. That alone will make you a "one bullet a year shooter." I still enjoy hunting with it and deer don't go anywhere after being properly introduced to it. It'd be pretty neat to hunt elk with it. I bought some reload dies and bullets from Midway and I believe you can buy brass there also.

MODEL71 · « **Reply #4 on:** December 15, 2005, 08:46:21 AM »

I REGULARLY use a m71 , i'm at work without loading data , yet i have neve fired a factory load .
i live in northwestern ontario , aside from the light getting thru the bolt peep , it gives me everything i could ask for from a rifle

CowboyEngr · « **Reply #5 on:** December 16, 2005, 07:10:06 AM »

When I got my Browning/Winchester mdl. 71, I also bought 4 boxes of the Browning/Winchester 348 ammo. I shot two boxes of the factory stuff and have kept 2 boxes unfired. I have reloaded from the first 40 pieces of brass since then. Since I left Colorado, my elk hunting has been limited to a few days, so I have chosen to use a scoped Mdl 70 Win bolt action. However, the mdl 71, 348 Win. is about as classic as it can get when you're in dark timber or broken, somewhat short range country. It's a good rifle/cartridge combination and nothing will ever change that. It's a shame that rifles/cartridges like it have kinda faded away. In general, I think we have become more a group of shooters, and less a group of hunters, than we used to be. The Mdl 71 Winchester belonged with a group of hunters.

gsp71 · « **Reply #6 on:** December 19, 2005, 05:21:07 PM »

I've been using a mod. 71 on and off for 25 years mostly during deer season if it snows. I still have 2 boxes of win silver tips, 200 gr. but have been loading Hornady 200 gr soft points using win 760 and imr 4350. I'm presently working up a load using Barnes 250 soft points. Hornady's reloading book has information for their bullet. Ken Waters book "Pet Loads" has information on several bullets including 250 gr. The only other info I've noticed was in a very old Lyman reloading book. I'm sure there is more out there somewhere. I'm going to use the 250 gr. load on pigs. I've never killed a pig and I've never killed anything with the 250 gr. bullet so I'm not sure what's going to happen but I know something will.
Ron