collath,
I used 8x50R Lebel for my 12.7x44(although I trim cases to 42mm), I think you will find it easier than 348 to make cases from and 348 is now pretty hard to find. The groove diameter of my 12.7 is .501", it's interesting that yours is .497". I load with a combination of dies,so I use .509" bullets,because the cases sized in the 50-70 die won't hold a smaller bullet.They chamber fine and my theory is the larger bullet centers the cartridge in the chamber better. The .358 Enterkin was dreamed up by my late friend and mentor Gene Enterkin in the late 1950s(he told me that it came to him in a dream). It is on the full length H&H case and with his 250 gr rebated boattailed bonded core bullet would go over 3000 fps. The chronograph would read 3018,or 3012,etc. without any correction for instrumental vs muzzle velocity, elevation, or temp and no rounding off to the next hundred fps;like some do. He sold them as proprietary caliber rifles and sold ammo to those that didn't handload. He had dies made by RCBS and sold them to those that did. It was similar to the 358 G&A Alaskan, but much older and beat the Alaskan velocity. The Alaskan usually was chrographed from a 24"barrel and Gene used 26" barrels, so they would be pretty equal with same length barrels.A couple years before we lost him, he went to Africa and pro hunters let him use the 358 on Buffalo and Lion, inspite of it not really being allowed. They were so impressed with it that asked him to make a 375 version. Shortly before he passed away, he had worked the 375 up, had reamers made, had a couple rifles made (I chambered the last one for him), fireformed and packed cases up to send to RCBS(Huntington-I think); but wasn't able to send them off. before he passed away. I was able to buy 358 and 375 reamers and headspace gauges, as well as the pressure barrel, and an incomplete barreled action from the family.I would have liked to buy more, but there was just so much I could afford. I put the rifle together and stocked/scoped,and sighted it in mostly as a keepsake in memory of my mentor. I may load it down to 35 Whelen and hunt with it sometime, but I'm really more into sporting metric calibers.
I think I will buy a box of heavy .224 Bullets at the next gunshow and take you up on your kind offer.
Mike
I used 8x50R Lebel for my 12.7x44(although I trim cases to 42mm), I think you will find it easier than 348 to make cases from and 348 is now pretty hard to find. The groove diameter of my 12.7 is .501", it's interesting that yours is .497". I load with a combination of dies,so I use .509" bullets,because the cases sized in the 50-70 die won't hold a smaller bullet.They chamber fine and my theory is the larger bullet centers the cartridge in the chamber better. The .358 Enterkin was dreamed up by my late friend and mentor Gene Enterkin in the late 1950s(he told me that it came to him in a dream). It is on the full length H&H case and with his 250 gr rebated boattailed bonded core bullet would go over 3000 fps. The chronograph would read 3018,or 3012,etc. without any correction for instrumental vs muzzle velocity, elevation, or temp and no rounding off to the next hundred fps;like some do. He sold them as proprietary caliber rifles and sold ammo to those that didn't handload. He had dies made by RCBS and sold them to those that did. It was similar to the 358 G&A Alaskan, but much older and beat the Alaskan velocity. The Alaskan usually was chrographed from a 24"barrel and Gene used 26" barrels, so they would be pretty equal with same length barrels.A couple years before we lost him, he went to Africa and pro hunters let him use the 358 on Buffalo and Lion, inspite of it not really being allowed. They were so impressed with it that asked him to make a 375 version. Shortly before he passed away, he had worked the 375 up, had reamers made, had a couple rifles made (I chambered the last one for him), fireformed and packed cases up to send to RCBS(Huntington-I think); but wasn't able to send them off. before he passed away. I was able to buy 358 and 375 reamers and headspace gauges, as well as the pressure barrel, and an incomplete barreled action from the family.I would have liked to buy more, but there was just so much I could afford. I put the rifle together and stocked/scoped,and sighted it in mostly as a keepsake in memory of my mentor. I may load it down to 35 Whelen and hunt with it sometime, but I'm really more into sporting metric calibers.
I think I will buy a box of heavy .224 Bullets at the next gunshow and take you up on your kind offer.
Mike
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