Cast Bullets for 348 Winchester Model 71

[G.O. West]

These rifles have a very short throat. Mine measures 0.045". The 215 grain cast bullets from my custom Boomer bullet mould would protrude way too far into the rifling if I seated them in the case to obtain a normal overall cartridge length of 2.795". The other option would be to set the bullet set way back in the case, but I didn't want to do that. I decided that to solve the problen all I needed to do was modify the shape of the bullet's ogive. Here's how I do it.

My rifle's bore dia. is .340", so I took a 7/8 - 14 bolt, bored a hole through it and polished it to .340". I chamfered the mouth of the hole so the bullet would enter easily. This home-made die will now extend the length of the bullet's ogive so that it doesn't engage the rifling when the cartridge is chambered. I made a top punch and a handle (welded to a nut) to push the bullet back out after the ogive is sized. In the photo below you can see a washer between the nut and bolt head. It is the correct thickness so that the die seats to the proper depth when it is threaded all the way down into my reloading press. The steel "button" in the photo replaces the shell holder. The bullet sits on top of it, base down, and in this way raises the bullet into the this home-made sizing die.

My bullets are all powder coated because I like to shoot them at jacketed velocities. In the photo below this cast bullet is gas checked, sized to grouve dia. (which is .347 in my rifle), powder coated, and sized again.

Here is the same bullet after having the ogive pushed back in my home-made die so that I can seat the bullet out to a overall cartridge length of 2.840" which feeds well in my rifle.

Here is the same bullet (different colour of powder coat) loaded in the case.

The case now crimps the bullet in what was the front lubricating groove.

 

[G.O. West]

Here's the photo of the button that replaces the shell holder in my reloading press. It got cut out of my first picture when I posted it.

 

[Charlie98]

Interesting solution. By the way... you have a typo. You said your bore is .340"... that might be a bit of a problem shooting .348"

I have a Browning 71 that has the same problem, and fairly common with the Brownings. My solution is to trim my brass back to 2.200", that way I can seat either my cast 200grn RCBS bullet, or the Hornady 200grn jacketed bullets to the crimp grove/cannelure. I'm not loading maximum loads, so overpressure is not a concern.

 

[G.O. West]

By the way... you have a typo.

Bore Dia. (distance between the lands) is .340"
Groove dia. (distance between the bottom of the rifling) is .347". As with all machining there can be a slight variation between different guns. You need to make a throat slug to know for sure.

 

[Charlie98]

I stand corrected.

That slug looks about right, too... the rifling is right up against the edge of the chamber. If it wasn't so expensive, I considered having the chamber (throat) reamed.

 

[gw44]

I am going to have mine re-chambered for 348x35whelen or my be 348x358win what do you think or I could leave it alone !!!!

 

[G.O. West]

re-chambered for 348x35whelen or my be 348x358win

I think you will have trouble finding suitable 35 caliber flat nose bullets, which are necessary for the tubular magazine. Those conversions might also reduce the firearm's value. I have one converted to 450 Alaskan that I am very happy with, although it does have a stout recoil. I load it with the 400 gr. Speer at 2150 f/s.

 

[Charlie98]

Assuming you are using a .358" or thereabouts bullet, suitable bullets aren't hard to come by; I don't know the particulars of the .35 Whelen, however. But G.O. is correct, you would destroy whatever resale value it might have. The .348" bullet is plenty potent in it's own right, even given it's limited availability.