Winchester 71
- Thread starter gbflyer
- Start date
That's a must have bucket list for rifle loonies IMO. Fantastic designed rifle in all respects. Look, feel, balance, quality, and function.
It might of hurt a bit shelling out the money to buy it, but I promise it will do nothing but make you smile every time you pull it out of the gun rack and shoulder it and work the lever, not to mention shooting it.
A huge congrats is in order!
It might of hurt a bit shelling out the money to buy it, but I promise it will do nothing but make you smile every time you pull it out of the gun rack and shoulder it and work the lever, not to mention shooting it.
A huge congrats is in order!
DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
- 37,314
- 5,983
We'll sure be looking forward to seeing pictures of your acquisition as you report on your load work. That is a great rifle chambered in what has become a classic cartridge. Congratulations on picking up a classic.
- Thread starter
- #4
GB, I have a fair amount of 348 brass. So far I've been utilizing brass that was at least once fired. I've pitched several now that reached the end of their life. But I have 20 new cases from old stock of WW Super Speed cases, and 2 full bags of the old blue/white Winchester brass.
I'd rather not dip into the new bags of brass until I absolutely have to, but if you cannot come up with brass, let me know. I could spare some of what I got to get you going.
I'd rather not dip into the new bags of brass until I absolutely have to, but if you cannot come up with brass, let me know. I could spare some of what I got to get you going.
- Thread starter
- #6
- Thread starter
- #8
- Thread starter
- #9
Both those hornady bullets should be excellent for whitetail or bigger if you choose to use it for hunting. I get good results both accuracy and speed wise with the hornady 200 gr Flat nose and 57.3 gr's of Varget. Work up to that load of course if you use it. That's about 3/4 of a grain below max. Runs it about 2530 if I remember correctly.
You will love the rifle. I've heard some people comment about it being a beast to shoot on the bench, but I've not experienced that. All I've ever used is 200 gr bullets, and I'd have to say it's not bad at all with the faster powders and lighter bullets. The recoil velocity is slowed down and is just a big push.
Heavy bullets with the heavy charges of slow burning powder probably does turn it into a different animal on the bench.
You will love the rifle. I've heard some people comment about it being a beast to shoot on the bench, but I've not experienced that. All I've ever used is 200 gr bullets, and I'd have to say it's not bad at all with the faster powders and lighter bullets. The recoil velocity is slowed down and is just a big push.
Heavy bullets with the heavy charges of slow burning powder probably does turn it into a different animal on the bench.
BTW, I've killed 2 big doe now with mine which was my Dad's that he bought new when he was 18 or 19 if I'm remembering correctly what he told me. I wouldn't trade the experience for a bucket full of money. Something about sitting in the woods with that rifle across your lap that just feels right.
Pulling the hammer back is smooth and slick. The triggers are excellent for a lever gun and were hand stoned at the factory. I just can't say enough about the feel and function of the rifle. Pure quality.
Pulling the hammer back is smooth and slick. The triggers are excellent for a lever gun and were hand stoned at the factory. I just can't say enough about the feel and function of the rifle. Pure quality.
- Thread starter
- #12
Yepper, I'll help where I can. If you have any H4350 I'd probably try that also. Only reason I'm saying that is I got superb accuracy with IMR 4350 and the 200 gr Swift A-Frames. But that was not using book data as it didn't show IMR 4350.
I just used H4350 start data and worked up carefully using a chrono and watching everything carefully as far as extraction, etc. and stopped at around 2425-2450. I wouldn't recommend that necessarily unless you're comfortable with it, but it produced killer accuracy and H4350 is likely to perform somewhere close.
I just used H4350 start data and worked up carefully using a chrono and watching everything carefully as far as extraction, etc. and stopped at around 2425-2450. I wouldn't recommend that necessarily unless you're comfortable with it, but it produced killer accuracy and H4350 is likely to perform somewhere close.
GB, one other thing while I'm thinking of it. I don't know how knowledgeable you are on some of this stuff, so if I'm saying something that's obvious to you, I apologize.
As you know the 348 is a rimmed cartridge that headspaces off the rim. However once you shoot a case one time, I treat it just like a bottleneck cartridge and set the die to just bump the shoulder....maybe a little more generously than a bottleneck. I bump the shoulder on the 348 about .003.
That helps support headspace, I think helping accuracy, and will greatly help case life. Setting the die to factory instructions pushes that shoulder WAY back every time.
As you know the 348 is a rimmed cartridge that headspaces off the rim. However once you shoot a case one time, I treat it just like a bottleneck cartridge and set the die to just bump the shoulder....maybe a little more generously than a bottleneck. I bump the shoulder on the 348 about .003.
That helps support headspace, I think helping accuracy, and will greatly help case life. Setting the die to factory instructions pushes that shoulder WAY back every time.
Sorry just typing stuff out as I think of it now as my brain gets full and I forget sometimes. Ha.
You will just have to experiment some to get the most out of it and the most case life. The 348 is a really tapered cartridge, which makes it feed and chamber like greased snot, but isn't conducive to long case life at all. All that gets squeezed back down with each resizing.
Setting the die like I suggested helps all that. But if I remember correctly somewhere around 3-4 sizings like that you have to bump it down harder for one reloading or cases start to get tight on closing, and real tight on extraction.
You will just have to experiment some to get the most out of it and the most case life. The 348 is a really tapered cartridge, which makes it feed and chamber like greased snot, but isn't conducive to long case life at all. All that gets squeezed back down with each resizing.
Setting the die like I suggested helps all that. But if I remember correctly somewhere around 3-4 sizings like that you have to bump it down harder for one reloading or cases start to get tight on closing, and real tight on extraction.
Thankful Otter
Handloader
- Oct 8, 2012
- 783
- 96
I am not a rifle loony, in the classic sense anyway, but the 71 has worked well for me ( bear, muskox, buffalo, moose, caribou )
Living in bear country ( black, brown, white ) I like the way the 71 handles, rides ( sled, plane, canoe ) and hits.
All my shots are under 100 yards, usually, way under, and I hunt without a scope, so it has served me well.
I use it for everything but goat, sheep and dedicated wolf reduction projects.
The owner of Hammer is a very nice man and others tell me that they make an excellent bullet, however i have not used them. It is to bad the owner of Alaska Bullet passed away, as he would have made some for you. Maybe someone will (or has ) reopened his shop.
I use 250 gr Woodleigh
Living in bear country ( black, brown, white ) I like the way the 71 handles, rides ( sled, plane, canoe ) and hits.
All my shots are under 100 yards, usually, way under, and I hunt without a scope, so it has served me well.
I use it for everything but goat, sheep and dedicated wolf reduction projects.
The owner of Hammer is a very nice man and others tell me that they make an excellent bullet, however i have not used them. It is to bad the owner of Alaska Bullet passed away, as he would have made some for you. Maybe someone will (or has ) reopened his shop.
I use 250 gr Woodleigh
- Thread starter
- #17
Thanks for all the advice. Keep it coming. I haven’t loaded for a barrel that I didn’t chamber myself in a long time. I always build myself a stub gauge with the reamer to set cartridge headspace. Wonder if Wilson or someone makes a case gauge for .348? Totally takes the mystery out of measuring shoulder bump. I’ll have to look into it if I shoot this thing a lot or get another one that’s more of a user.
The Alaska Bullet Works guy was great. He was in Juneau which is our “main town”. I went to his place once to get some bullets for 45/70. I have heard that someone from Sitka is going to start it up again but only hearsay. That’s a tough business to be in SE Alaska because of the atrocious freight costs associated with being held hostage by Alaska Marine Lines.
The Alaska Bullet Works guy was great. He was in Juneau which is our “main town”. I went to his place once to get some bullets for 45/70. I have heard that someone from Sitka is going to start it up again but only hearsay. That’s a tough business to be in SE Alaska because of the atrocious freight costs associated with being held hostage by Alaska Marine Lines.
1100 Remington Man
Handloader
- May 1, 2007
- 1,164
- 323
Yes I would like to see the Pictures of your Model 71 very Classic Rifle indeed.
Rednek rampager
Beginner
- Oct 4, 2020
- 108
- 5
I really love my 71. My grandfather bought it new back in the ‘30’s and passed it down to my dad sometime in the mid 60’s.
Pop passed it down to me after I graduated college. It still shoots true.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Pop passed it down to me after I graduated college. It still shoots true.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
