I owned two .348's years ago. Shot bear and deer with them.

The Hornady 200 Interlock was sure death on deer, really smacked 'em! But those 200's tended to break up pretty soon after impact.

I also had a bullet mold for a Rapine 262 grain bullet and used it to shoot a small bear.

The .348 is a great cartridge...in a way.

Lots of taper and for big stuff needs heavy bullets IMO.

I'd love to hear Phil's take on its performance in AK.

I interviewed Harold Johnson {originator of the .450 Alaskan} a couple years before his death and he told me the cartridge was not too well liked in AK back in the '40's and '50's due to bullet breakup on bear. I remember him telling me he knew personally of an instance where a bear rose out of the water and before it could shake off was shot with a .348 {I don't recall the bullet} and that bullet broke up in the wet fur, going very little into the bear.

He didn't have a lot of good to say about the 250 Silver Tip either. Hence his development of the .450. Lots more there, but as for the .348, my opinion is it is a GREAT deer and Idaho bear round, but for really heavy game needs a very strongly constructed bullet. Velocities are higher than one might think, it being a levergun and all. Its a big case.