Darn It, Hornady...

[Jeff Higgins]

... you did it again...

You discontinued another "go-to" bullet in one of my favorite oddball calibers. Just about the time I've got a decent load worked up, too.

Some of you may remember my excitement over finally acquiring a Model 71 Winchester in the old and long obsolete .348 Winchester chambering. That rifle, in that chambering, had eluded me for most of my shooting career, until finally stumbling into one at my favorite local gun shop. It had been purchased new by someone else and promptly returned when he found ammunition to be unavailable. Lucky me - I got it at a substantial discount as a now "used" (but unfired) rifle. "No problem", I thought - "I'm a hand loader"...

Well, it took an awful long time to find brass, finally turning some up on ebay. Bullets were not going to be a problem - Hornady has been making their 200 grain offering in that caliber for decades. Until just now - they discontinued the darn things. I can't believe it - they even made a run of brass last year. Now it's all discontinued.

Hornady has always supplied the niche markets like this one, making those oddball bullets that others wouldn't bother with. They did this once before, though, discontinuing the 160 grain roundnose so many of us depended on for our 6.5 Swedes. Granted, it's back after a decade's hiatus, so maybe this isn't "forever" either. In the meantime, though, the race is on to snatch up remaining inventory at the various suppliers before everyone else notices...

Here is a loaded round, next to a .30-'06 with a 200 grain bullet for comparison. They achieve about the same velocities, which makes the .348 an unusually useful lever gun round.

[Bill Douglas]

You may need to stockpile enough to see you out.

[flatbutt]

Maybe the current shortage has them making more profitable ammo. I can't find factory loads anywhere let alone primers.

[911boost]

Need me to look at any of the places here Jeff to see if it’s stock and grab it for you?

[Jeff Higgins]

Sure, I would really appreciate that. I'm not sure where "here" might be, but I've found that none of our local retail outlets, no matter how specialized, carry any .348 stuff. It's all on-line, and I've pretty much scoured the "usual suspects". I've already ordered from a couple, and both have limited the quantities I was able to order.

There are other manufacturers who make .348 bullets, but they are all more or less towards the "boutique" end of the business and two to three times the cost. I have a good supply of 250 grain Barnes Originals, for example. And, while 250 grains was Keith's recommended weight, modern thinking is that that weight simply gives up too much velocity. Swift and Woodleigh make various weights, but they are well over a buck a bullet.

If worse comes to worse, I have a bullet mold from Buffalo Arms for a 250 grain bullet, which would suffice for a "plinking" load. I could then save the 200 grain Hornadys for "serious" work. I currently have on hand, and will soon be receiving enough, to bring my total to 700 pieces. I know that sounds like "a lot" for a centerfire hunting rifle, but I do shoot a lot. And this one is a lot of fun to shoot...

[cabmandone]

I'll check a few small local gun shops that carry reloading supplies. If they have any I'll let you know.

[Por_sha911]

Is it possible to have a mold made?

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by Por_sha911

Is it possible to have a mold made?

Yup, and I do have one on hand. I shoot cast bullets by preference from most of my lever guns and single shots. Most, however, are black powder cartridges, or were originally and I load them with smokeless to black powder velocities. Cast bullets are made to order for these calibers.

The .348, however, is a far more "modern" chambering, capable of much higher than "black powder" velocities and, therefor, cast bullet velocities. It will shoot these 200 grain Hornadys at over 2,600 fps, which is a large part of its appeal. It makes it an honest 250 yard hunting rifle, which is almost unheard of in a traditional lever gun.

So, yeah, I can shoot cast bullets at substantially reduced velocities and use them as "plinking" loads so I can save the jacketed bullets for hunting. I thought I had (and posted above that I did) a 250 grain mold, but it turns out it is a 200 grain mold. I've been meaning to cast some bullets and get busy working up a plinking load anyway, so maybe this will be the impetus to finally do that.

[911boost]

You got it Jeff, I will look around for some .348 200 grain Hornady’s...

Here is northern CO

[Jeff Higgins]

Awesome! Thank you.