Bear Crusher.

[ShadeTree]

There's not a 348 slot in the bullet testing section so I wasn't sure where to put this.

Not a lot of bullet selections for the 348, but Swift started making a 200 grain for it in their A-Frame lever series of bullets.

Swift's claim is they revamped these bullets specifically for the slower lever cartridges. They are supposed to expand all the way down to 1200 fps.

I'm launching these at 2510. Jug tested 1 of them from a distance of 20ft. Obliterated the first several jugs and I found it in the 7th milk jug, roughly 40" of penetration.

It expanded to a uniformed mushroom of .615.

Retained weight was 194.5 grains, so 97% weight retention.

If on game performance proves anything like what the test showed, this is one heck of a bullet for the 348.

 

[Guy Miner]

Excellent!

Reminds me very much of the 350 gr Swift A-Frame I tested from a 45/70 long ago. Very similar performance.

Guy

 

[Blkram]

Very nice!

Would like to see its performance on those jugs at 100 yards.

Have always liked the A-Frame. Should be a great performer on bear, elk and moose.

What is your load?

Picked up a Browning with factory High Grade wood recently and need to work up a load for it.
Found a box of commemorative factory ammo w/ pic of Browning on box, but would rather not use it.
Winchester has made ammo recently and am waiting for store to get their shipment.

 

[DrMike]

Bear crusher? Well, I guess! I have always liked Swift bullets, and the A-Frame has had a place in my recommendations for multiple cartridges. That is great performance for that bullet--penetrating into tomorrow and expanding as it does. Great post.

 

[ShadeTree]

Very nice!

Would like to see its performance on those jugs at 100 yards.

Have always liked the A-Frame. Should be a great performer on bear, elk and moose.

What is your load?

Picked up a Browning with factory High Grade wood recently and need to work up a load for it.
Found a box of commemorative factory ammo w/ pic of Browning on box, but would rather not use it.
Winchester has made ammo recently and am waiting for store to get their shipment.

At 100 you better stack up 10-12 just in case, if you plan on catching it. Lol.

The load is Winchester brass, CCI 200 primers, and 54.5 grains of Varget. But be careful.

I'm happy enough with the speed, and it shoots the same height and just a little right of my 200 grain Hornady load, but would like a powder combo that fills the case better.

This bullet has a longer bearing surface than the hornady 200, somewhere around .078 from what I can tell, and generates higher pressure.

With the hornady's I could go all the way to almost max of 58 grains and slightly over 2600 and no signs of pressure. I'm now a touch over 2500 with the Hornady's at 57 grains.

I had no load data for this bullet so kinda winged it using the starting grain of 53 grains of varget with the 200 grain hornady's, and chronographed carefully while I worked up. Hit my max just 1.5 grains above that.

I was hoping to get 2550, but at just a 1/2 grain above 2510 with 55 grains, it spiked to 2610 and I had a sticky extraction on the initial lever opening. I've shot 5 total at 54.5 and no issues.

 

[SJB358]

THATS PLAIN AWESOME!

We need to get Jim or Fotis to make us a .348 section.

That 200 grain Swift looks awesome! Jeeze, ain’t much it wouldn’t tromp.

Very cool ST... I’ve got some extra jugs. Might need to try something today.

Oh, 4350 and RL17 work real well. I’ve used a bunch of 17 in mine. Very accurate and speedy as well.

Awesome bullet test!

 

[ShadeTree]

Yepper Scotty! The 348 is such a cool cartridge and rifle platform to start with, and a bullet like that makes it even more fun to work with. It's getting too late in the yr to mess around with much else, but I'd like to come up with a powder that would give about that speed with this bullet but fill the case more while keeping pressures down.

Blkram, one other information on that load that is pretty important given that bullet has more bearing surface is the AOL. I'm loaded at saami max of 2.795. I have the Hornady's loaded at 2.810 which puts them at the base of the neck. I made up a mock cartridge with this swift bullet at 2.810 and it seemed to cycle out of the magazine and back out of the chamber just fine, but just to be safe I shortened it up to 2.795. The Swift bullet is already below the neck at 2.810, so the deeper you go you risk farther messing with pressures.

 

[Europe]

Bear crusher? Well, I guess! I have always liked Swift bullets, and the A-Frame has had a place in my recommendations for multiple cartridges. That is great performance for that bullet--penetrating into tomorrow and expanding as it does. Great post.

+ 1

shade tree --if it is not broke dont fix it and that certainly is not broke. That Swift bullet will do the job. Did want to let you now that Woodleigh makes a 250 gr for the 348, that I hear also works well

 

[SJB358]

Bear crusher? Well, I guess! I have always liked Swift bullets, and the A-Frame has had a place in my recommendations for multiple cartridges. That is great performance for that bullet--penetrating into tomorrow and expanding as it does. Great post.

+ 1

shade tree --if it is not broke dont fix it and that certainly is not broke. That Swift bullet will do the job. Did want to let you now that Woodleigh makes a 250 gr for the 348, that I hear also works well

That's what I am running in my 348... Great bullet, very accurate in my rifle.

ST, I think you'll find that Swift will do EVERYTHING the heavier bullet will do and probably give a touch less recoil as well. Either way, 220/221, whatever it takes!

 

[ShadeTree]

I suspect you're correct on both counts Scotty. I looked at the 250 grainer's including the Barnes. The Swift's are certainly more expensive, but I figured I'd try them and the way it worked out I might even try them on deer. Way more bullet than needed, but with that speed and easy expansion they might have plenty of shocking power at woods ranges on light game even though they're a very tough bullet. Possibly a mouse to moose setup with 1 gun and 1 bullet.

 

[1100 Remington Man]

It's just to bad Winchester is not making the Model 71 any more.

 

[ShadeTree]

It's just to bad Winchester is not making the Model 71 any more.

If they made a carbon copy of the original and included all the fit and finish work and extra trigger work, ect, you'd probably be looking at a $1800 plus factory gun at today's prices.

I'm biased I know, but in a lever gun, they nailed it.

 

[SJB358]

It's just to bad Winchester is not making the Model 71 any more.

If they made a carbon copy of the original and included all the fit and finish work and extra trigger work, ect, you'd probably be looking at a $1800 plus factory gun at today's prices.

I'm biased I know, but in a lever gun, they nailed it.

Agreed, I have a Browning copy and it is an amazing shooter for me.. Wouldn't trade it for 3X what I paid for it!

 

[Europe]

It's just to bad Winchester is not making the Model 71 any more.

If they made a carbon copy of the original and included all the fit and finish work and extra trigger work, ect, you'd probably be looking at a $1800 plus factory gun at today's prices.

I'm biased I know, but in a lever gun, they nailed it.

Agreed, I have a Browning copy and it is an amazing shooter for me.. Wouldn't trade it for 3X what I paid for it!

The young lady in the North would agree, as she has one of each, in fact I think she has two 71's and a Browning. She has stated that as much as she likes the 71, she also likes the Browning. I am surprised Bear and Mike dont have one, but maybe the 45/70 is a better fit for them

 

[ShadeTree]

Scotty and Europe, there's no guarantee that I will end up with this gun, my other brothers still hunt here and there, but out of the 4 boys in our family I'm the one that by far that is the most into hunting and guns.

I don't know if Dad will have a drawing for the guns or how he's going to do it, if he's just going to choose which guns go to which boys, by rights my oldest brother should get the 71.

Regardless, in the meantime I have full access to keep and use Dad's 71 and I cherish that opportunity. How many people are reloading for and using their Dad's model 71? Had an awesome hunt with it last yr and plan on doing my best to create even more memories with it.

If I don't end up with it, it's gonna cost me some money by choice. I love the gun and WILL have another.

 

[FOTIS]

Your load?

 

[ShadeTree]

Your load?

On my second post. Everything is pointing it's right at max with this bullet, so approach carefully in your rifle.

 

[gerry]

Wow that bullet looks perfect. Would love to see what they would do to a moose or bear 8)

 

[Blkram]

Have these components now, just need to get them loaded and tested.
Looking forward to harvesting game and seeing it work first hand.

 

[JD338]

That should work for bear or anything else you want to hunt with a 348.

JD338