Any recommendations on components and load? I was given my grandfather's model 71 for Christmas (apparently my uncle was going to pawn it until my mother stepped in and bought it) and only have 15 rounds. Internet sleuthing tells me I'm not doing any plinking with commercial ammo.
Reloading 348 winchester
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ArchAngelCD
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There was an article in one of the gun mags recently. I will look for it.
Edit: The article is in the December 2017 Handloader Magazine #311. You might be able to find a copy in the store if you're lucky. I will look it over and give you the highlights.
Edit: The article is in the December 2017 Handloader Magazine #311. You might be able to find a copy in the store if you're lucky. I will look it over and give you the highlights.
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ArchAngelCD
Member.
After looking over the article and charts within I highly recommend you try to secure that copy of that issue of Handloader Magazine. There is a ton of load data with MANY bullets. I will post the ones they called the most accurate.
The testers used WLR and Federal 210 primers in all loads.
They tested 10 different bullets with several powders for each. I'm posting the most accurate load and powder for each bullet but for the most heaviest bullets since they are not good plinkers because of excessive recoil.
175gr Cutting Edge Lever Raptor. 53.0gr - 54.0gr gr RL-15 w/54.0gr most accurate
200gr Cutting Edge Lever Solid 49.0gr - 51.0gr IMR-4895 w/51.0gr most accurate
200gr Swift A Frame 50.0gr -52.0gr IMR-4895 w/50.0gr most accurate
200gr Hornady FTX 56.0gr -57.0gr Varget w/56.0gr most accurate
200gr Hornady FP 59.0gr - 60.0gr IMR-4350 w/59.0gr most accurate
250gr Barnes Original FP 46.0gr - 47.0gr H4895 w/47.0gr most accurate
Now for the plinker.
200gr Cast RCBS 348-200-GC bullet
21.0gr SR-4759 or 42.0gr H4895
Use at your own risk and I'm not responsible for mistaken number posts.
I hope this helps you.
The testers used WLR and Federal 210 primers in all loads.
They tested 10 different bullets with several powders for each. I'm posting the most accurate load and powder for each bullet but for the most heaviest bullets since they are not good plinkers because of excessive recoil.
175gr Cutting Edge Lever Raptor. 53.0gr - 54.0gr gr RL-15 w/54.0gr most accurate
200gr Cutting Edge Lever Solid 49.0gr - 51.0gr IMR-4895 w/51.0gr most accurate
200gr Swift A Frame 50.0gr -52.0gr IMR-4895 w/50.0gr most accurate
200gr Hornady FTX 56.0gr -57.0gr Varget w/56.0gr most accurate
200gr Hornady FP 59.0gr - 60.0gr IMR-4350 w/59.0gr most accurate
250gr Barnes Original FP 46.0gr - 47.0gr H4895 w/47.0gr most accurate
Now for the plinker.
200gr Cast RCBS 348-200-GC bullet
21.0gr SR-4759 or 42.0gr H4895
Use at your own risk and I'm not responsible for mistaken number posts.
I hope this helps you.
Charlie98
Member
I reload for and shoot my 71 quite a bit, there are some jacketed bullets available from Hornady and Barnes, and I get my cast bullets from Montana Bullet Works. I have a 20" Browning 71, so IMR3031 works best for me, but IMR4064 or H4831 might work better in a rifle-length barrel.
You are in luck! Brass just became available at Midway... it's been out of stock for years. If you want to handload, and you don't already have a stash of brass, I would jump on it pronto before it's gone.
There is quite a bit of data available from all sorts of sources, much of it is older data. Start low and work up. Just saying.
You are in luck! Brass just became available at Midway... it's been out of stock for years. If you want to handload, and you don't already have a stash of brass, I would jump on it pronto before it's gone.
There is quite a bit of data available from all sorts of sources, much of it is older data. Start low and work up. Just saying.
ArchAngelCD
Member.
I would buy a quality set of rules because you don't want to damage hard to find brass. I'm very partial to RCBS rifle dies because the wirk, they are fairly prices and their QC is second to none.
Just a note, do not adjust the sizing die according to the instructions. That might cause case separation and early failure just like in the 303 British. Adjust the die to just kiss back the shoulder just a bit. A Wilson case gauge will help.
https://www.sinclairintl.com/reload...adspace-tools/wilson-case-gage-prod33287.aspx
ArchAngelCD
Member.
Here are two links for some cast bullets.
https://www.montanabulletworks.com/product/348-rcbs-57911-200gr-fn-gc/
http://westernbullet.com/lyman350457.html
https://www.montanabulletworks.com/product/348-rcbs-57911-200gr-fn-gc/
http://westernbullet.com/lyman350457.html
Fine Figure of a Man
Member
You have a very cool rifle.
I loaded some for a friend a few years ago. He had done me a favor and refused to take any money.
200 grain Hornady and 4064 as I recall, with Lee dies.
Take care of that brass and buy a bunch when it is available. The guy I loaded for bought a box of 20 loaded rounds from Cabela's for $75.
He had a bunch of brass and several boxes of loaded ammo from 1971. The boxes and brass looked fine but only about 1 of 20 rounds would fire. I pulled all the bullets and reloaded all the brass he had. Dies and components cost me less than $100. Not bad since he spent about 10 hours preparing and cooking pork ribs for my wedding.
I loaded some for a friend a few years ago. He had done me a favor and refused to take any money.
200 grain Hornady and 4064 as I recall, with Lee dies.
Take care of that brass and buy a bunch when it is available. The guy I loaded for bought a box of 20 loaded rounds from Cabela's for $75.
He had a bunch of brass and several boxes of loaded ammo from 1971. The boxes and brass looked fine but only about 1 of 20 rounds would fire. I pulled all the bullets and reloaded all the brass he had. Dies and components cost me less than $100. Not bad since he spent about 10 hours preparing and cooking pork ribs for my wedding.
Charlie98
Member
I have Redding dies because RCBS didn't/doesn't make dies (if memory serves.) I also have a Wilson drop-in case gauge. Be very careful with the roll crimp or you will buckle the shoulder trying to put the crimp in... I have a separate crimp die now, and that helps. The Lee FCD does not go down far enough to effectively work, at least in my experience.
As mentioned, I use Montana's RCBS 200grn cast bullet w/gas checks in my carbine. I was shooting it out to 900yds this past summer with a Williams receiver peep, it worked very well with IMR3031. Velocity with IMR3031 was actually higher than with H4831, because of the shorter barrel, I believe; the muzzle blast from the H4831 loads was substantial. From what I have learned, powders in the IMR3031-IMR4064 range would work best with 200grn bullets, I'd save the H4831 for the 250grn bullets.
If you shoot cast, you will have to bell the case mouths slightly or risk crushing the mouth, or shaving lead. I improvised and used my .380 bell die and just manually bumped the mouth open to seat my cast bullets. Not the most exact method, but it worked.
Like others have mentioned, if you want to load any quantity of brass, you need to get it now. Once that run is sold out, it's very unlikely we will see any for a while. I lucked out, I happened on 4 boxes of factory ammo for about the same price Midway is asking for new brass... but that was a bolt out of the blue, I didn't even know 4 boxes of factory existed, still.
I had a pretty good quantity of vintage factory ammo at one time, (pre-70's) and, like the other poster mentioned, reliability with it was very spotty. I wound up just pulling the bullets and processing the brass as once-fired. It seems like the older ammo was all stored in the tractor shed or in the basement, I had to scrap some of the cases because of corrosion spots.
OP, you are welcome to PM me directly if you have specific questions, I have some reloading data I can share, and if you are jammed up for components I might be able to help.
As mentioned, I use Montana's RCBS 200grn cast bullet w/gas checks in my carbine. I was shooting it out to 900yds this past summer with a Williams receiver peep, it worked very well with IMR3031. Velocity with IMR3031 was actually higher than with H4831, because of the shorter barrel, I believe; the muzzle blast from the H4831 loads was substantial. From what I have learned, powders in the IMR3031-IMR4064 range would work best with 200grn bullets, I'd save the H4831 for the 250grn bullets.
If you shoot cast, you will have to bell the case mouths slightly or risk crushing the mouth, or shaving lead. I improvised and used my .380 bell die and just manually bumped the mouth open to seat my cast bullets. Not the most exact method, but it worked.
Like others have mentioned, if you want to load any quantity of brass, you need to get it now. Once that run is sold out, it's very unlikely we will see any for a while. I lucked out, I happened on 4 boxes of factory ammo for about the same price Midway is asking for new brass... but that was a bolt out of the blue, I didn't even know 4 boxes of factory existed, still.
I had a pretty good quantity of vintage factory ammo at one time, (pre-70's) and, like the other poster mentioned, reliability with it was very spotty. I wound up just pulling the bullets and processing the brass as once-fired. It seems like the older ammo was all stored in the tractor shed or in the basement, I had to scrap some of the cases because of corrosion spots.
OP, you are welcome to PM me directly if you have specific questions, I have some reloading data I can share, and if you are jammed up for components I might be able to help.
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