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Shooting & Reloading - Mausers, Big Bores and others >> Rifles

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Ripp
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Reged: 19/02/07
Posts: 16072
Loc: Montana, USA
Behind-the-bullet-348-Winchester--and Model 71
      #334698 - 22/11/19 03:18 AM

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“Winchester.” There was a time, before the Model 70 had become a household name, when Winchester was synonymous with the lever-action rifle. It’s not really that difficult to imagine; there have been so many excellent models over the years that it’s tough to pick a favorite. The Model 1894—first to be chambered for the .30-30 Winchester—has sold well and continues to do so, the Model 1895 was one of Teddy Roosevelt’s favorites, the Model 1873 had a movie named after it, and the 1886 was one of the strongest lever-actions developed.



The ’86 was chambered for a number of powerful cartridges, like the .45-70 Government, .45-90 Winchester, .50-110 Winchester and the .33 Winchester. As excellent as the 1886 was, and is, it was discontinued in 1935, replaced by what many consider to be the penultimate lever-action rifle: the Model 71.

Winchester’s pair of premium rifles—the Model 70 bolt-action rifle and the Model 71 lever-action rifle—may have marked the apex of the company’s designs, and while the Model 70 would be chambered in a good number of cartridges from .22 Hornet up to the big .470 Capstick, the Model 71 would be chambered for (with a handful of exceptions) just one cartridge: the big, rimmed .348 Winchester.

Based on the .50-110 Winchester, the .348 Winchester built on the concept of the .33 Winchester; they share the same 0.610-inch rim diameter, and both use a tapered, bottlenecked case. Where the .33 Winchester was released in 1902, during the early days of smokeless powder, the .348 Winchester reared its head in 1936, after smokeless powder had a chance to evolve a bit. The Model 71 action is strong—even stronger than the 1886—and the .348 Winchester gave unprecedented velocities from a rimmed cartridge. Using a 19˚-10ʹ shoulder angle and a case measuring 2.255 inches, the .348 offered three bullet weights throughout the production of the Model 71 rifle: 150, 200 and 250 grains at a muzzle velocity of 2890, 2530 and 2350 fps, respectively. The light 150-grain bullet had a poor sectional density and was never really that popular, but the 200- and 250-grain loads worked very well against all North American big-game species.



Sadly, the Model 71 rifle was discontinued in 1958—making way for the excellent Model 88 in .358 Winchester—but the ammunition continued to be offered by Winchester-Western, though by 1962, both the 150- and 250-grain loads were dropped. It was the 250-grain .348-inch bullet, with a sectional density of 0.295, that gave the .348 Winchester its excellent reputation against the larger species like brown bear and moose, though the 200-grain slug—sectional density of 0.236—worked on smaller species, including black bear and elk. Being housed in the Model 71’s tubular magazine, the .348 Winchester was limited to flat-point or round-nose bullets; the top ejection of the rifle wasn’t conducive to mounting a scope over the center of the bore, so most Model 71s remained iron-sighted affairs. Yet, within the range confines of an iron-sighted lever gun launching relatively heavy slugs, the .348 was a winner, giving muzzle energies between 2,700 and 3,100 ft.-lbs.

Though discontinued in 1958, there are still many good Model 71 rifles on the used market—including some newer rifles from Cimarron and Browning—and the cartridge remains a perfectly viable choice for nearly any game species, albeit at closer ranges. Factory ammunition can be a bit of an issue; Hornady loads their LEVERevolution line with a 200-grain FTX spitzer bullet at 2560 fps, Winchester offers a 200-grain Power-Point load, and among the big hitters, that it. Buffalo Bore, Grizzly Cartridge and Choice Ammunition are among the boutique shops which will serve the owner of a Model 71 well. For the handloader, Hornady offers new cases, Roberson Cartridge Company does, as well, and there are some excellent bullets on the market, including the 220- and 250-grain Barnes Original, the 200-grain Hornady FTX and InterLock bullets, the 250-grain Woodleigh Weldcore and the 200-grain Swift A-Frame. Quite obviously, this lineup of bullets will handle a wide variety of game animals.



Powder choices for the .348 Winchester include IMR4064, IMR4320 and IMR4350, IMR 4166, Hodgdon H414, H4831SC and VARGET, and Accurate’s 4350; all are well-served by a large rifle primer. I’d recommend a good roll crimp, as your ammunition will be loaded in and out of the tubular magazine, with the bullet pushing the base of the cartridge ahead of it into the tube.

Is the .348 Winchester a practical choice, as far as ammunition availability and modern rifle production? Probably not, but if you find a good Model 71, it sure is fun to hunt with such a classic cartridge. The .348 Winchester gives a good balance of striking energy and moderate recoil, and among the rimmed lever-gun cartridges, possesses some impressive terminal ballistics. Of all the designs that Winchester has brought back—and Winchester, I hope you’re listening—the Model 71 in .348 Winchester would be welcomed by this author for sure.

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ALL MEN DIE, BUT FEW MEN TRULY LIVE..


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DarylS
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Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 27006
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...
Re: Behind-the-bullet-348-Winchester--and Model 71 [Re: Ripp]
      #334699 - 22/11/19 04:34 AM

Yes - model 71 is a hell of a rifle on it's own & makes a super/duper .450 Alaskan or .50 Alaskan.
I have a Uberti model 1886/71 - no not a Winchester, but with pistol grip, lighter weight hunting barrel,
beautiful walnut stock, solid black pad and chambered .45/70. It has a super slick action and much nicer
handling than the Browning Model 1886.


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Ripp
.577 member


Reged: 19/02/07
Posts: 16072
Loc: Montana, USA
Re: Behind-the-bullet-348-Winchester--and Model 71 [Re: DarylS]
      #334702 - 22/11/19 05:00 AM

Quote:

Yes - model 71 is a hell of a rifle on it's own & makes a super/duper .450 Alaskan or .50 Alaskan.
I have a Uberti model 1886/71 - no not a Winchester, but with pistol grip, lighter weight hunting barrel,
beautiful walnut stock, solid black pad and chambered .45/70. It has a super slick action and much nicer
handling than the Browning Model 1886.




I grabbed one last year.. have not even shot it yet.. but, look at it a lot..

--------------------
ALL MEN DIE, BUT FEW MEN TRULY LIVE..


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DarylS
.700 member


Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 27006
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...
Re: Behind-the-bullet-348-Winchester--and Model 71 [Re: Ripp]
      #334720 - 22/11/19 01:53 PM

Yeah - the pistol grip really feels great in the hand.

--------------------
Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V


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crshelton
.333 member


Reged: 10/11/15
Posts: 379
Loc: Republic of Texas
Re: Behind-the-bullet-348-Winchester--and Model 71 [Re: DarylS]
      #334743 - 23/11/19 05:26 AM

I have shot, but do not own a Model 71, but do remember that at first glance it reminded me of the Model 63 owned my uncle; nice lines and fast handling.

I was well into practicing with my Miroku/Winchester 1895 .405 for a buffalo hunt when my friend who owned the rifle range offered his M71 for test firing. We swapped rifles and the 71 balance seemed butt heavy and light compared to my .405. After a couple of off hand shots, I gave it back with thanks, but no thanks; for me it was too short, had too brisk recoil, and was too light.

Plus with an 1886 45-90,1892 .357, and 1895 .405, there was no opening left in my armory(or safe).
My friend kept his 71 a while and then went back to his 1886. It is great to have so many rifle choices that a shooter can usually find the ones that best suit him.

--------------------
CRS,NRA Benefactor Member, TSRA, DRSS, DWWC, Whittington Center
Android Ballistics App at http://www.xplat.net/


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lancaster
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Reged: 06/05/08
Posts: 9038
Loc: There's a lighthouse in the mi...
Re: Behind-the-bullet-348-Winchester--and Model 71 [Re: crshelton]
      #334765 - 23/11/19 10:52 PM

never had such a thing but allways had a special relation. when I got my reloader licence( you need this here to do it) one of the first things I bought were 100 .348 Winchester cases because of my old lebel rifle in 8x50R. there was no other basic brass then so the first work I do with my brand new rock chucker was than to form 8x50R out of .348 Win.
still have this brass - maybe 70 - survive after endless reloading probably 30 -40 times with light loads.
over decades .348 win brass had help a lot of chaps to made brass they could get nowhere else.

--------------------
Norwegian hunter misses moose, shoots man on toilet
.
bringing civilisation to the barbarians


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DarylS
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Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 27006
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...
Re: Behind-the-bullet-348-Winchester--and Model 71 [Re: lancaster]
      #334775 - 24/11/19 04:55 AM

There are quite a number of different ctg. can be made using .348 brass.
John J.Donnelly's Ctg. Conversions book details some of them with the methodology.

--------------------
Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V


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