H4350 in 348 win

[98s1lightning]

Post your experience with H4350 in 348 win.

A friend of mine recently found contradicting load data from Quickload compared to Hodgdon site and Richard Lee 2nd Edition where:

Barnes 250gr @ 2.760 COAL
55.0 gr starting to 59.5 max

QL stating start load is dangerous.

I find conflicting data where some people are loading to 57.0 grains (safe per manual and hodgdon site) with 250's.

I have a batch of
(5) 55.0 gr
(5) 55.5 gr
(5) 56.0 gr
(5) 56.5 gr
(5) 57.0 gr

 

[mrawesome22-250]

You started at the start load and worked up in small increments. That's exactly how it should be done.

Pressures in Hodgdon's data was measured with real bullets going down real steel barrels using real powder.

Quickload is a simulation. Having used it extensively, I find it amusing how wildy off it can be sometimes. It's fun to play around with but I don't have any faith in it's predictions anymore.

 

[98s1lightning]

I haven't fired any yet.....

Thanks for posting

 

[98s1lightning]

I've decided these loads are too HOT for my liking. The lever is much stickier than I have ever experienced with the rifle. And WOW do these kick compared to the 200's. Dang.

I may call Hodgdon to see what they think. Or if I should be using a different powder if I plan to reduce below published.

 

[98s1lightning]

From Hodgdon Site:

"H4350 is ideal in the WSM family of calibers (270, 7mm, 30, 325). H4350 is the standard in such cartridges as the 243 Winchester, 6mm Remington, 270 Winchester, 338 Winchester Magnum and many more. For magnums with light to moderate weight bullets, it can't be beat! "

This makes me want to only use the H4350 in my 284 (stomping at the heels of a short mag) and STOP use of it in my 348win. I was trying to use one powder for both rifles but I am thinking not such a good idea anymore.

 

[tightgroup tiger]

If your Browning lever action is like mine you had better start at minimum. Mine shows pressure signs right above minimum starting load.
Mine is a Model 81, 30-06 which also has a short, minimum sized chamber and I consider max load in it at 1 gr over published minimum load.
The first box of factory loads came with the gun when I bought it and only seven rounds out of the box of 20 would chamber.
I started loading for it specifically and it turned out to be the most accurate rifle I've ever owned.
I know yours is a model 71 but if it was made in the 1990s by Miruko you may have one like mine.
I'll never sell that rifle.

 

[98s1lightning]

I actually think I have been a little too hot since I have started loading with this rifle years back, and just discovering/learning more about these chambers is bringing it to my attention.

 

[Charlie98]

When I started loading for my 16" barreled M1a some years ago, I realized it was going to take some effort to successfully reload for it... mostly brass and brass prep issues, among other things like powder selection, particularly with the 16" barrel. The same is also true of the Browning 71's (and maybe other Miroku Brownings, I don't know.) That short rifling leade is really tricky if you want to shoot big bullets at max, and is one of the reasons I quit loading the Barnes 250's. Hindsight being 20/20, even my book starting loads with the 200grn Hornady, using Hornady data, with H4831 wound up being too hot (in my opinion,) and I wound up backing 3grn off start, which produced a reasonable cartridge. One of the biggest issues is load data is produced with either a Winchester 71, or possibly a test barrel... not a short-chamber Browning, and I would love to see the data produced off that.