Going with the .348 Improved was only a rechamber job, going with a .35 Improved was also a re bore. I also had access to a life time supply of the wonderful 250 grain super bonded bullet Alaska Bullet Works made for the .348 before the owner passed. As a back up Woodleigh makes a 250 grain .348 bullet as does Barnes. Also I got a resizing die from Lee and in a pinch I can size the 220 grain .35 caliber Speers to .348 caliber.

I wanted the extra velocity as I only hunt in Alaska and the improved version offered a substantial gain over a standard .348 load. If I was "state side" I would not of bothered with a Mod. 71 in .348 as the standard version is not much better then a .356 Win. using 220 grain Speer Hot Cores, that are rumored to be tough bullets. A friend of mines son use them on two big Yukon River moose out of his .358 Norma. He likes them.

My Mod. 94 Big Bore .356 is a slick little power house and is couple pounds lighter then the 71 is. But, the Ackley Improved offers a better impact velocity for our local brown bear population that likes to hunt the same moose I do.

I bought a reamer and nose reamer from a guy and had a local smith doe the reamer job and avoided shipping costs for rifle to Jes. Eventually I will find out if the nose reamer is needed when I figure out how to get some custom 270 or 300 grain .38 bullets made. I may or may not need the extra length, time will tell. Jes did a .338-06 rebore for me on my old Springfield O3A3 I grew up hunting with and if he was local I would use him more as he is good and fast. My manly 17 year old grandson has it now.

I truly wish both Winchester and Marlin would offer a .35 caliber lever gun firing .35 caliber bullets at .35 Whelan velocities. Also a .375 Alaskan Improved in a 7 lb. rifle. Ranger Point Precision for a short time offered a reworked Marlin 336 based on a shortened .35 Whelen case they stated was rated for 50,000 psi. They no longer offer it and I wonder if they had issues.

Good luck with your new Browning, much of what I have read claims they are the best Mod. 71 ever made and the Mod. 71 has very pleasing lines to my eyes. Mine is a Deluxe Winchester made by Miroko and is the best looking blue steel and walnut rifle I own. I am fire forming Starline brass, spendy, but with correct resizing and annealing should last for several firings. Starting out with H322 and am also going to try the StaBall 6.5 powder.