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Common uses: Hunting, Big Game
| Type | rifle (centerfire) |
| Typical load | 200gr Winchester Super-X Silvertip |
| Muzzle velocity | 2520 fps |
| Muzzle energy | 2821 ft-lb |
| Published G1 ballistic coefficient | 0.289 |
| Case length | 56 mm |
| Overall length | 70.9 mm |
| Range (yd) | Velocity (fps) | Energy (ft-lb) | Drop (in) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 2520 | 2820 | -1.5 |
| 100 | 2224 | 2196 | 0 |
| 200 | 1949 | 1687 | -5.6 |
| 300 | 1696 | 1278 | -20.4 |
| 400 | 1471 | 960 | -47.4 |
| 500 | 1280 | 727 | -90.5 |
At 1,000 yards, .348 Win. (200gr at 2520 fps, 100 yd zero, standard conditions) has a modeled come-up of about 70.3 MOA / 20.5 MIL, retaining 858 fps (subsonic).
| Range (yd) | Velocity (fps) | State | Drop (in) | Elev (MOA) | Elev (MIL) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 300 | 1696 | Supersonic | -20.4 | 6.5 | 1.89 |
| 400 | 1471 | Supersonic | -47.4 | 11.3 | 3.29 |
| 500 | 1280 | Transonic | -90.5 | 17.3 | 5.03 |
| 600 | 1133 | Transonic | -154.9 | 24.7 | 7.17 |
| 700 | 1032 | Subsonic | -246.5 | 33.6 | 9.78 |
| 800 | 961 | Subsonic | -370.4 | 44.2 | 12.86 |
| 900 | 905 | Subsonic | -532.3 | 56.5 | 16.43 |
| 1000 | 858 | Subsonic | -736.5 | 70.3 | 20.46 |
Extended predictions beyond 500 yards are modeled from the same G1 engine — useful for initial DOPE, but outside the 500-yard manufacturer-table validation audit. Confirm with observed DOPE, especially near transonic.
A retained-energy reference only — not a shoot/don't-shoot distance. Real effective range depends on your accuracy, shot placement, bullet construction, and conditions. The ~1,000 ft-lb (deer-sized) and ~1,500 ft-lb (elk-sized) figures are commonly cited rules of thumb, not standards.
Your barrel, ammunition lot, and conditions will differ — always verify against the manufacturer's data and your own rifle.
The .348 Winchester is remembered as one of the most powerful rimmed cartridges ever offered in a lever-action rifle, and it is closely tied to the single rifle built around it, the Model 71. It excels as a woods and brush cartridge for heavy North American game, driving heavy flat- or round-nose bullets with enough energy for elk, moose, and bear at moderate ranges. Because the Model 71's tubular magazine requires blunt-nosed bullets, its relatively low ballistic coefficient limits it to shorter distances rather than open-country or long-range work. Factory ammunition and rifles have long been scarce, so the cartridge survives mainly among collectors and dedicated lever-gun hunters who handload for it. Within its intended niche of close-cover big game, it remains a hard-hitting and well-respected performer.
Introduced by Winchester in 1936, the .348 Winchester was developed as the sole chambering for the new Model 71 lever-action rifle, itself a refinement of the earlier Model 1886. Its case was derived from the large .50-110 Winchester, and it was conceived to succeed older big-bore lever cartridges such as the .33 WCF, giving lever-action rifles enough power for heavy North American game at a time when bolt-action and semi-automatic designs were eroding the market for large-caliber lever guns. The Model 71 and its .348 chambering remained in production until the late 1950s, and the round is now regarded as a classic of the lever-action era.
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