Good evening!

Does anyone have any insight on reduced cast loads for 348 Winchester? I have some 230gr cast gas checked bullets that I’m wanting to load at a sedate velocity. Like 1500-1700fps. I’m doing a cougar hunt with a buddy of mine next winter in Idaho, and he wants to take his great grandfather’s Winchester 71 in 348. Factory ammo is beyond expensive and difficult to find, plus really over power for a treed cat. I have some brass and dies for the 348, so I want to create something mild loads for it. I’m taking a Winchester 64 in 30-30, ironically, made in the same year as my buddy’s model 71 (1937). Any load advice for pistol powder reduced loads or very sedate rifle powder loads would be great. Many thanks!

What types of powder do you have now? That is probably going to be the gating factor.

I’m hoping to use light pistol powder charges. I have bullseye, unique, 18+lb of 700x. For rifle powders I have 4320, 4064. But I’d like to stick with light loads using pistol powders.

I've been casually looking around for some loads and haven't found any, but I found an article that may solve the problem for you.

Here's a link: https://www.ammoland.com/2016/...loads/#axzz7GTDrbtB7

I’d look for a similar cartridge then look to reduced loads for the more common round. With interpolation, ‘assuming reduced loads’, one could safely develop some.

https://www.rifleshootermag.co...in-vs-358-win/330560

Often some of the slower handgun powders work, 4227,:Unique, 2400. For a little more one could use the ‘60% rule’ with H-4895.

I’ve used 4227 & 2400 for various reduced rifle loads.


https://www.handloadermagazine.com/the-348-winchester

This message has been edited. Last edited by: sourdough44,

Update: now that I got my brass, bullets and dies in, I used some good old Kentucky windage based on some friends’ advice. I have 225gr gas checked bullets, and with some cautious loading I loaded them with 11.0, 12.0 13.0,14.0 grains of unique. The hope is that the low end loads exit the barrel, and I can check for pressure signs on the way up. The goal is about 1500fps. A buddy of mine has had really great luck with 15.0 and 220gr in this 35 Whelen which he says is very mild. Let the great experiment begin! I’ll keep you posted. When I find something good I’ll update for the betterment of mankind.

Range Update:

I shot the 11-14gr loads today. After finding the elevation and adjusting it so POI was on paper, the 14gr load shot a 1.25" group of 4 shots. I was floored. I'm going to try 14.5 and 15 next to see if I can move the group up 1-2" on paper. Each grain of powder added was roughly 1.5" higher on paper at 50 yards. Recoil was about like a 357. mag rifle.