Home Forums Lever Action Central Big Bore Levers Winchester Model 71s-The Hunter's Rifle

Winchester patterned the Model 71 as an alleged improvement on the 1886,
using the 348 WCF- sloped to aid in extraction.
The originals are still out there-inherited rifles that are not always appreciated for what they represent-the finest hunting
lever gun once made.
Do not be discouraged by an extra hole, or a slightly scratched finish.
These are bargaining chips on price, and do not affect the rifle's utility. To determine an early L tang M-71, the SN usually will fall below 16,000. The trigger on half-cock, will not move.It will on later
rifles. Some early standard rifles had bolt peep sights. For Alaska hunting, many M-71 rifles were carried by hunters and guides for hunting at mid range for caribou,deer-moose and bear. The 348/M-71 combination works well with Woodleigh-Hawk-Alaska Bullet Works bullets if you have to back a bear down on the trail or the gut pile. Guides also used fast actioned 71s in the 450 Alaskan wildcat. They needed a fast heavier caliber rifle that protected their clients.
Handloader Magazine had one of the finest tributes to the Model 71 -featuring the rifle coming to the rescue of
a figurative hunter deep in the North snow country facing down a charging bear.

Keep your nose to the wind, and your eyes along the skyline.

My 35/348 and 450 Alaskan 71s are sure killers. Very handy, very accurate.
Thank you 450 Fuller

You are right, Moose. Back in the late 50's good bullets for the .348 were hard to come by. The 35/348 was a good answer because Nosler had 358 partitions.

Now-we really have a choice in bullets. I have a 450 Alaskan and a 450 Fuller on pre-War early 71s.Along the
Kenai and in other serious brown bear country, the 450s are the way to travel. Bear spray may not work.

The 348 Ackley Improved is another good one. It pushes a 250 gr Hawk at about an honest 2375-2400 FPS. I killed a nice Alaskan moose in 2007 with that cartridge using a 270 gr Hawk bullet. Great sectional density for the big stuff. With the Woodleighs-Swifts-Hawks, the 348 Ack Imp is
starting to shine in the Model 71.

The 3rd and 4th guns from the top are my two Mod 71's

Some early deluxe models had bolt peeps too:

This one belongs to my buddy gunner now:

Love me those 71's
Pure artistry!

Most prized rifle I have.

In the East,they are devastating on large hogs and Black Bears.

It took me a while to fully appreciate the Model 71. My first day off the bench I wondered what all the fuss was about. Mine is accurate at 2MOA or better with numerous loads, the action is smooth but so is the action on all of my well used levers, the ballistics (standard 348) good but by modern standards not awe inspiring.

Now after about 1 year of use and a successful moose hunt under my belt I can say that this rifle grows on me continually unlike any rifle that I have ever owned.

Getting off the bench and into field positions reveals the wonderful balance and pointability. My father a 2nd generation Saskatchewan homesteader was a late convert to rifles from shotguns. He settled on a 24" Marlin 30-30 with a pistol grip. He would talk about how nice it pointed. Every year we went out he would put a 170 grain silvertip through the chest of his deer and it would be over. 1 year...1 shot. He would have loved the model 71. When you get off the bench you realize the old 71 comes up fast, balanced and on target and the pistol grip and stock design is wonderfully comfortable and aids in control.

The ballistics in the original 348 are also wonderfully balanced. A 200 grain bullet at 2500fps or a bit more is actually very capable if you match bullet construction to fit the game. The 200 Swift is fully Bison ready. The 200 Flextip 300 yard capable with some nice 6-7" groups at that range on my last outing. Recoil in an 8 pound rifle is very reasonable and easily handled by my 14 year old. On my moose hunt my 800 pound bull did not move one step after taking a high shoulder strike with a 200 Flatpoint. If you like more bullet weight a 250 grain at 2250-2300fps is no slouch.

The tactile feeling of working the action is nigh irresistible. It's not just smooth, it's the combination of smoothness, tight lock-up and the snick-snick, sound that just feels right. As an added bonus load your rounds a bit hot and you have the lever pop open telling you to back down a bit. Handy!

I like the ad that suggests the Model 71 is a "Universal" rifle. Pretty much sums it up and it is evident that the Model 71 was a product of love by the older generation of Winchester craftsman, with an unbroken pedigree stretching back to the 19th century. Stock by Whelen and team, cartridge design by Gerlich, action redesign by Winchester. When you pick up an old Kelly True Temper or a Finnish Pukko you realize that you are holding a design that evolved over generations of refinement by people who used their equipment every day. The 71 gives you the same sense. I guess the best one word description is, Beautiful.

When I started out deer and bear hunting in 1953 and with my own hand loads I looked at those Win. levers however they lacked scopes and I wanted a scope to see the 3" minimum antler on a Vt. buck.

The 99 Savage can easily mount a rifle scope. That was my choice for a woods rifle and a good one.

Those Win 71's can't.

Well I like the Savage 99 too. I have one in 284 that seems to think it should shoot like a bolt gun. I'd give the 71 more style points though the 99 is in there pitching.

The 71 is the coolest of levers. Have always thought about getting one.

my old neighbor had a deluxe model. he told me he bought it at the Legion in the 60's for something like 75 bucks. i never knew anything about them until he showed me his. when he died his son got all his guns except for an old beat up sxs and a arasaka which he left my boys. his son is a non hunting over educated yuppy so i am sure that 71 didn't last long at his house.

i am not a fan of winchester lever guns but i wish i had offered to buy that 71 but it seemed highly inappropriate to ask at the funeral and thats the last time i saw the guy.

I'd rather hunt deer with this than a damn savage 99:

I like them both !!

Damn, just damn!! Every time I see Loggahs gun room my envy hormones go through the roof! (but don't stop posting them)

One of the strangest Model 71s I have came by accident from
a grandson of the original owner. He wanted to sell it,
but as soon as they asked a few questions-prospective
buyers ran away like he had typhoid. Seems it had a scope and an unusual mounting system. Nobody was interested...
He read out "Lyman Alas" on the scope-and I bought it since the scope was worth half of the asking price. The Mount is the Weathermatic-Detroit. Very rare from the 1950s and it WORKS. Most ingenious mount, returns to zero every time and the iron sights are visible just under the scope in case its real foggy rain and you need to shoot....a Lyman Alaskan on a M-71. And I have killed deer with the setup. Francis Sell in Oregon would have liked it. So for those who think the Model 71 can't wear a scope, THINK AGAIN......for old mossbacks with tired eyes, just the ticket for a snow or rainstorm caribou-deer hunt.

Handled a 71 couple of weeks ago with a weaver side mount. Fairly difficult to get a cheek weld with that setup. Plus it ruined the way a 71 handles.

That's a gun room! I thought it was a gun shop. I was going to ask for directions! NICE

I want to party with you sir.

Edit - I will gladly provide the paper towels to mop up my drool.

I dont party much anymore!! stopped partying so i could afford to buy guns !!!!!!

Log:

I saw where you had a 450 Alaskan on a M-71, I am assuming-marked H. Johnson on the barrel. Some of those were
marked on the barrel: JKR for Johnson Kenai Rifles, the
name of his shop in SE Alaska during the early fifties.
I have a 450 Alaskan and Fuller that came out of Alaska.
Both are long tang early Model 71s. Johnson also liked to use late smokeless 1886 Winchesters for the 450 conversion.H. Johnson was a WWII Marine.
Bill Fuller was Johnson's riflesmith, making the reamers. His 450 Fuller has a slightly easier shoulder for chambering and feeding-than the Alaskan. Alaskan dies will still handload OK. I have kil;led deer and moose with the 348 and 348 Ackley. With good Hawk or Alaska Bullet Works.
bullets- bonded core-you can push the 348 Ackley to 35 Whelen velocities. The 450 is good for Alaska as you never know what might be around the next black spruce-waiting at the gut pile.

My retirement gift to me was a Brownchester M 71. A Turnbull conversion to 50-110. Not fun off the bench

John

Yes, my rifle is marked H.Johnson on the barrel, has the extra strap around the barrel to the magazine tube. I got probably 200 cases and 15 different boxes of 45 cal bullets with the rifle. I was hoping some day to get a bear or moose with it.

My Dad's foreman had one. I picked it up 44 years ago and I still remember it. The owner has since passed and he had 3 daughters that definitely did not hunt. I wonder where that old gun is now? He killed numerous deer and a beer in NB with it .

The model 71 is my favorite lever gun/calibre combo. Years ago, I had a standard grade model 71, that I foolishly parted with and that was a move, almost immediately, that I regretted. At a local gun show a couple of years back I spotted this deluxe and had to have it!!





I did question the Winchester recoil pad. I was assured by a couple of Winchester collectors that, like the bolt mounted peep on some, the recoil pad was an extra or an option it could be had with.

For many years, the Model 71 and I coexisted... in mutually exclusive worlds. There were the Winchester "classics" in the earlier levers and the nouveau Model 88. Not just me; a lot of folks must not have appreciated the 71 during its production years. That considering over those years, it's sales numbers never anything the Olin family bragging to stockholders about. Also my own impression over decades of collecting, far fewer of the breed in the used market than even its modest sales numbers should suggest.

Finally... after decades of collecting, just within the last one, actually beginning to keep an eye open for a decent one. Qt last, several years ago an early, pristine 71 coming my way. Nothing fancy, just in really nice condition and completely stock! SN in the 14K range and long tang. So now I own one. It, joining a number of other Winchesters, Marlins, Savages, etc., in my stable. I still particularly covet my several 1886 Extra Lightweight models and also own both the Browning 86 Carbine (c 1991) and Winchester Extra Lightweight 86. (c. 2012).

Just the side remark that nowadays, there are a lot of collectible guns to be encountered out there which are terminally flawed. Particularly new collectors not appreciating how sometimes such as apparently small blems to make for disproportionate value depreciation. Those apparently astronomical gun prices for the unflawed and prices falling off quickly for what amounts to the too-many 'also rans'.
My take

Packed my 35/348 and 450 Alaskan for years. They are rifles converted by the same gunsmith who did an exemplary job. Wish I knew who it was.
The museum in Cooper Landing was run by a very nice lady who gave me some pictures of Johnson and called his son in Anchorage and we talked for a good while. The gals husband has a muzzleloader built by Bill fuller.
Anyway, thanks to north 61 and 450 Fuller i bought a late 71 last week. Shot water jugs loaded with 200 grain Hornady flat point at 2450. Went through five and bounced off the sixth. Broke the 2x12 the jugs were sitting on...... It's sighted in ready for the remainder of spring bear here.
Tools for cast bullet shooting arrive soon, that will be fun to run a 250 grain slug, or not.
Got a box of Winchester power point ammo with the rifle but it's not very good accuracy wise. Also stuck two cases shooting it, so that's no good. Chronograph said the extreme spread was over a hundred feet per second with the high at published velocity. That one stuck sightly.
I will do more water jug testing with different bullets, need cheaper gallon jugs though.


I

Thanks for that video...cool

I loved hunting with my old 71 deluxe long tang, but everytime I went out, I had a swarm of old cowboys following me around wanting to check out my old lever gun.... True chit, had one old boy stop me just to chat about my old 71. That was on a memorable elk hunt a couple years ago. Now gunner500 has the old girl. He's taking great care of her and I don't have to worry about old cowboys stopping me wanting to bs for 2 hours while I'm out elk hunting...

I've always wanted one as long as I remember. I never even held one in my hands. My late Great Uncle used to hunt with one in northern PA before I was born. He said he sold it and bought a .32 Special because the .348 was too heavy.

I have a Browning M71 Carbine and I love the Son of a Gun. It is accurate and just as the others described, it points like no other rifle I own. Mine loves the danged Woodleigh 250's at 2300. Hoping to find something to blood it, it deserves to hunt much more than I get it out.

Beretz,

Splain, if you will, exaclty the make and model of that peep and sling attachment on the forend. I'd like mine to have that set up.

LOL on the singing cowboys,You bet BSA, your old rifle put the deer in the pic I sent ya down so fast I thought I had missed.

You got it going on with your '71 too Beretz, I love these rifles, can't wait to work up a load with the 250 gr Woodleighs when my Barnes bullets are used up.

The sling attachments were there when I got the rifle. I have no clue who makes them. The peep is a WILLIAMS. Not a horrible sight but I would rather have a steel one. It works fine and retains zero year after year but I think it could be bent easier than a good steel one.

Gunner, I'd love to put an elk on its nose with the 250 Woodies. I think if I was ever hunting closer ranged sorta elk I'd carry it. Might have to do a Newfie moose hunt to or something. It just feels proper to hunt big stuff with the 348 Winchester.

You bet Beretz, call me crazy, but I can feel the 250 grains of hell the 348 cartridge and rifle turns loose while firing it, it's an angry round!

Elk, Moose, Big Bear would all die hard and fast with a good 250 gr bullet from the M-71's inside 200 yards.

I owned a .348 briefly in the early 1970's but the recoil bothered me. So I sold it for a good profit and bought a new Marlin 336-A in 35 Remington. Same basic profile and handling characteristics. I added a Redfield 2-7X scope and proceeded to take down many deer in Michigan and Pennsylvania. Now that I live in Florida, this 35 is my wild hog rifle and its a genuine keeper!

Sherwood

I have several Win 71s--am planing on using one of the 450 Alaskan on pig in a couple of months--in CA it is varied terrain but pretty wide open in many places so using iron (peep) sights will be more challenging than my scoped .270.. Pigs have great smell but sight, not so much, so you can stalk them pretty close if they don't smell you. Clearly pigs can be brought down with much less firepower but hey, fun to shoot the big bore levers--will leave the 50 Alaskan home for the next trip. BTW--love cycling my 71s--very analagous to the pre-64 bolt--butter. marty

You are from PA.

You know of Bob Bell. Scope guy in Gun Digest and PA Game News Editor?

You wanna shoot Bob's 71?

Got it the day he graduated High school and enlisted the next day.

Got to shoot it 4 years later. WW2 you know......

There have been some commented posts on the Model 71 in the carbine length barrel and those M-71s with scope mounts.
Scoped rifles were really catching on in the 1950s
and many owner hunters modified their rifles. Its a good idea for tired eyes-but it really changes the balance
and weight. The same may be said of short rifles or the carbine version. The original 24 inch barrel
had the best balance, in my opinion. When timber hunting for big game, balance is more important than
a couple of inches in barrel length. Velocity is somewhat also affected.

For those troubled by recoil, try a 348 Ackley in the M-71. You will come back quickly to the standard
348 cartridge. Recoil with the 348WCF is not really any stronger than an '06 or 35 Whelen.
I have some of the original W-W blue-yellow Grizzly bear boxes in 250 gr. Winchester discontinued
the 150 gr loading and probably should have replaced it with a belted 225 gr like Peters 210 bullet.

The current offerings by Woodleigh-Swift-and Alaska Bullet Works in 250 grain are excellent, as is the Hawk bullet.
The various weights in 348 by Hawk such as 180, 200, 250 really work. The 200 gr is excellent for muleys,
black bear and white tails. The 250s are better on moose and grizzly-except for close range.
Its the 450 Alaskans for coastal Kenai and Kodiak brown bear-Al Haselborg preferred older 405s
on Admiralty Island.

The 348 is a fine fire-arm. It has continued to grow on me since mine came into my life. I have a 1955 Winchester that at some point in it's life had the barrel cut down to 22" and a recoil pad installed. This took away some collectors value but allows me to use it as a main hunting rifle here in the Yukon. I used it on last years Moose and had to thread a bullet through Alders to connect. I can honestly say the main attribute of the rifle, fine balanced handling came into it's own that day and I connected. My dad was a great shotgun man..he would shoulder a rifle and comment on how it "came up", if it "came up" and the sights where on and the balance was fine he would consider it as a rifle for use. He used a long barrelled half magazine Marlin 30-30 and just loved the balance of that gun. I think he would have liked the Model 71 even better. The riflefeels alive in the hands...with my moose the sights where on and I was able to thread the needle in part because the rifle "comes up" with balance and grace and with the sights on. This is a tribute to an evolved design made by men of the same pedigree as my dad.

I used 200 grain Hornady FN at 2520 and the moose did not take a step! The old lever guys at Winchester talked management into pooling all their experience and making one rifle that could replace all the older Levers on the docket. The 1886's in 33 Win and 45-70, The Win 95 in 35 Win and 405 where essentially replaced by the finest lever that all those years of experience could create. It was a labor of love from the ground up and there is something special about this combination. In my opinion there is nothing much to be gained by improving it and it is a very well thought out design from the ground up. My own version will shoot into 1.5" groups with the right loads.

The only real struggle is in finding the correct bullet. The 250 grain bullets shoot to a very different impact point than the 200 in most rifles. The 250 Woodleigh is the most accurate bullet in my rifle and penetrates like a bugger! It prints about 5" lower than the 200 grain samples. The 220 Barnes Original core separates way too easy. I have settled on the 200 Horn FN for up to Moose, the 200 FTX for caribou and the 200 Swift for Bison. The Swift penetrates like a 250 grainer and I don't need to change the sight settings.

I tested some historic examples and the 250 Silvertip that Elmer loved, is not a great penetrator and separates all the time. It expands very quickly though and would be a fast killer on Elk and smaller. I wish we could still buy the 180 Speers....they were pretty incredible bullets for deer and caribou and hang together very well.


The 348 in it's natural habitat in the Yukon. 10 minutes after this shot our moose was down


What the 348 excels at.... bringing home the bacon

Good results, North.

You might give Andy at Hawk Bullets in NJ a try. They used to be in Glenrock, WY.

I used a 270 GR Hawk in a 348 Ackley on a nice bull moose in 2007. The rear sight on that rifle was a flat based Lyman 48.
I have used a Lyman 56 with a Marbles 95 fold down in the rear dovetail. In the outback, its nice to have a ready to go
rear sight in case the peep sight breaks or becomes unuseable. The slide on the Lymans allows for quick detach, and then
you can flip up the 95 sight. It is really handy on bear rifles. Guides use similar rigs.

Back about 9 years ago, the Hawk Company made up some 225 grain bullets for me. They also offer the 348 WCF bullet in 180 gr.
I even have some 270-& 300 gr Hawk bullets for the Ackley rifle. Kronfeld wrote a good article on the 348 Ackley: its featured in Wolfe Publishing's
Big bore Rifles book. Ackley himself was amazed at the performance level: regularly produced 175-200 FPS more than the parent cartridge
with 200-220 gr bullets. Worth the effort, though few will modify an existing original Model 71.
Your bullet tests are excellent. The original 250 gr Silvertip bullets are not the performers compared to Hawk 250s or Woodleigh-Swift.
Hawk and Alaska Bullet Works-(Juneau). Hawk and Alaska BW also produce a 400 gr flat point suitable for the 450 Alaskan.

HRM

North, what is your load for the 200gr AFrame?

I use H414. 59.0 grains gets to 2500fps in my rifle with good case life. This bullet uses 2 grains less powder or so with most loads to get the same pressure/speed as the 200 Hornady.

Not the most accurate bullet in my firearm but 2-2.5" groups with open sights are possible.

Loggah, looks like someone cut about 4” off the barrel on the fourth rifle from the right. You should probably get rid of that one... to me 😂😂

I like the 71s

Ooooohhhh, I love those carbines!! There's one on Gunbroker I'm watching, but it's sellin above my pay scale.

I feel your pain! I can’t afford to pay “gunbroker market value” for the carbines, but I always watch for them.

Went to a gun show on Kodiak Island about 84 there were 5 or 6 Model 71,s owned by the famous bear guides P&T . Good condition for reasonable money did not buy one, I should have!!!!!

Are any of the newer replica 71s any good?

Have owned several of the older mod 71 rifles, currently running a new reproduction mod 71 by Winchester. Shoots great, doesn't hurt as much when get a little hunting wear. 3 moose so far using 250 Woodleigh's. Want to find one of their deluxe models just because.

Andy H @ Hawk Bullets once asked me for an opinion between an original Winchester Model 71 or one of the Browning replica rifles.
My opinion was the Winchester would always be worth more in the long run, as an original. He bought the original. Winchester now has made
a serious error starting with their 1886 rapid taper half magazine rifles in 45-70. They placed an EXTRA tang safety a couple of inches behind the hammer. I am afraid they used the same useless tang safety on the repro Model 71.

This was a bad idea-probably at the fool-proof attorney's for Winchester insistence. Dangerous, as one could put it on double safety by accident. John Browning
and Winchester originally stuck with the 1886 and 1936 half cocked hammer safety --that worked for over 100 years.

I have just recently found a first year production Model 71, and it has the pre-war fit and finish. The trigger at half cock remains still with no movement or rattle.
Ready to do what is intended from the dark timber of MT-WY-CO through Alberta-Alaska and NWT to the Yukon.

since most of you big bore gentlemen enjoy the famous Winchester 71 348, I kept my eye`s open at my gun shop and a dear friend found a real nice Deluxe Winchester 71 348 ,plus a like new box of Winchester silver tip 348 unfired or used ammo too,so I purchased both gun and ammo ,will show my son this 348 this Christmas weekend,it surely is another neat gun. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL

To All,

As much as I'd like to have a 71 to hunt with, I cannot imagine paying the scalper's prices that I see on the Worldwideweird.
(I haven't even seen a Model 71 for sale in South Texas in a decade or more at ANY price.)

So I'll stick with my Model 760 that JES remodeled for me in 9.3x62mm.

yours, tex

Well if the new College boys who are managing Browning pull thier heads out.

A). JUST like S&W brought the classics with a very high price (but worth it to consumers) - they could bring back a line of 71’s.

B). Then they would screw it up on the Winchester side of the house and stop making brass, and. Ammo. (Can any spell 7WSM)

Then Hornady & Nosler could step in and fix thier mess, with even better brass.

If I recall, Browning does not make the ammo or brass, as that is still done by Olin which retains the Winchester brand name for those.

I do agree that we need to press both companies to do a run of proper 71 stuff, though with only about 47,000 of the original 71s plus the recent modified copies, plus some Italian knockoffs, there is a small market compared to items using more popular cartridges.

Believe me, I don't like it either..

Norm

It's your entirely choice, but regardless of what you can find in Texas, where guns are quite popular and prices may reflect that, let me tell you my own impressions of what is available on GunBroker, though I have not checked the other sites. Original Model 71s are getting a bit rare since only 47,000 were made, but they ARE available if you shop around.

Several are available for $1-2000, and that would include a few nice old Winchester ones, a few beater ones with recoil pads and tapped for unsightly scope screws and several new Japan-made Winchester and Browning 71s. The latter group have the undesirable stock-mounted safeties. All are suitable for hunting, though.

Then there are a few that go up above $2000 including some of the new ones with nice engraving. Also some quite nice old Winchester "Deluxe" models with checkering,, sling mounts, etc.

Finally, there are a few above $3000 that are old ones but in mostly pristine condition. Usually these are "Deluxe" versions. Few of these get any bids, but some may. I'd guess that these are for collectors, not shooters.

I have one coming that is in the first price category above. It is definitely a shooter, but a genuine old Winchester Model 71 with Redfield adjustable peep sight, checkered walnut stock so a "Deluxe," original steel buttplate, quite modest wear to wood and metal and fine bore. The front sight still has its cover. The price was quite reasonable for what it is, I thought.

I hope to pick it up from my FFL holder today!

Did I mention that ammo is expensive and hard to get? .

Norm

NEVER BE ENOUGH DEMAND FOR THE 348 WIN. STUFF, I do own a nice 71 deluxe 348 win.,i do I agree would like to see it happen but it won`t, but it does make my 71 worth more since this gun is no longer made.

To do a conversion to a 475 On a 45-70 case would you go with a repop 71 or a Repop 1886? Browning or Winchester.

I shoot a 71now and like it. A friend was the original owner. Since 1942

Not meant to be a derail. Ijist a lot of knowledgeable folks in this thread.

I’ll start a new one if needed

Anjin,

No argument with what you said. ------ Fwiw, an old undergrad prof of mine & "sometime hunting buddy" left his "well-used" Model 71 Delux to me in his will but when I drove up to Arkansas from Houston to get it from his executrix, she claimed that it was stolen between the 5 days between when his will was probated & when I arrived there.
(I later learned from a college chum that she sold the rifle for 1,000.oo to a doctor from Hot Springs., - I'm STILL mad about that whole deal.)

yours, tex

so the doctor is in possession of "stolen" property?

kid0917,

YEP, though I doubt that she told the doctor that it was MINE. "JeanAnne" is a thief/liar but she's NOT that stupid.

As an "out of state guy", GOOD LUCK getting a Hot Springs/Garland County judge or jury to return the rifle to me.

NOTE: That makes TWICE that something like that happened to me: When I was 15YO, my Uncle Jack left his VERY NICE 1917 Model T Ford Center-door sedan to me in his will. - It was stolen DURING his funeral, along with a lot of other valuable things from his house. = Some creep "cleaned out" the house/barn of everything that was worth much of anything.
(That theft was reported to the DPS & Texas Rangers but nothing was ever found to my knowledge.)

yours, tex

I gave up partying many years ago for the same reason. It appear I only have about half as many as you, buy I am still working on it. Added 3 this past week.

My Dad purchased this 71 back in the 50's. It is a pre-war model. I use it for shots under 200 yds and timber hunting for elk. My Dad has been gone for 4 years now and I use his hand loads for hunting. Great shooting rifle. Will not go anywhere as long as I am alive.






And waiting for a bull this past season....


Dave

Beautiful rifle! Awesome field picture!

Great rifle and providence!! That rifle would be priceless to me as it is to you!

Wow ! That is a beauty and very high on my bucket list.

Nice! My 71 has a bolt peep and is 1941 vintage sn 19xxx which I bought around '83 or so. The Browning 71 HiGrade carbine I picked up is very nice also. They are fine rifles.

"71's" No checkering, No scope! NO Thanks!

nice Winchester 71, I am glad I found and purchased a real nice deluxe Winchester 71/ 348 mine will never be used as long as I own it ,these 71`s are neat but to be honest a Savage 99 lever is much more accurate and so are the Browning BLR`S.

Very nice Heliman.


A 71 is a dream rifle for me.


Hopefully someday!



Glad you kept the rifle.

The M71's & M86's are handsome old guns. I have had a couple off them. They are heavy with no scope so I bought M70's.

I prefer the Savage 99 F's to any Winchester lever. Mine are 358's!

I bought one last year from my cousin who purchased it from a lawyers estate.
We shot it at the range once.
If I don’t use it in the next few years, it will be for sale on this site with all the ammo I have.

Another fatal grizzly encounter in the west-guide out of Jackson Hole, WY was killed and his hunter mauled badly by a charging
female with half grown yearling cub. Happened in the Teton Range-September, 2018. Real recent.

If in bear country, whether deer or elk hunting-what you are carrying becomes your "bear rifle". If you are carrying a Savage 99 in 22 HP,
make your shots count.
Modern bolt rifles have no iron sights. Grizzlies are faster than black bears. They can catch a horse inside 100 yards. Part of the problem is
their speed. A Model 71 in experienced hands is FAST in cycling. Carrying a 44 or 45 Colt in a good holster is an excellent idea along with a belt knife.
Bear spray sometimes works....not always.

When hunting with the Model 71, insure that you have the best bullets available: Woodleigh, Alaska Bullet Works,Swift ,Hawk Barnes. They must
hang together-preferably bonded core. Practice careful cycling of the action. Then practice shooting and reloading. Get good at it.

Kind of wish they had checking, as it would be easier to grip. But my '71 is sweet like it is. No checkering, no scope, no slings, and all!!!

My eyes arre the pits. But with peep I'm grouping 1" at 50 yards. I wouldn't take a shot past 75 yards or so.

My Winchester 71 "Deluxe" built in 1941 has checkering, so they are available and come up on GunBroker from time to time.

Similarly, my Browning Model 71 "High Grade" carbine has nice cut checkering,

Many old plain 71s have reduced values because they have extra holes for scope mounts. I'd think those might be good candidates for having checkering added. And some are eligible for adding a scope, though I personally don't like the setup for offset scope as I am left handed.

I"ve also got a 71 Deluxe from 1941 with the bolt peep and a HiGrade Browning carbine, both are fine rifles. The Browning has some very fancy wood which I like.

Does anyone shoot cast bullets in their 71's? I need to shoot mine more and need to get a mold to cast, can anyone recommend one for the 348 please.

Accurate molds are some of the best. He has several designs to choose from.
I shoot a lot of the Lyman 190 grain and a 250 from mountain molds. Gator makes gas checks.

Thanks, I"ll check them out.

Winchester listed and referred to M71’s as the “Model 71 Special’ or the ‘Model 71 Rifle’. The term Deluxe was never used....

I may own a deluxe 348 Winchester 71 and yes its a nice rifle, but I have to agree the Savage 99 or the Browning BLR levers are what I prefer. both are more accurate and you can mount a scope on these two easier too.

I’m wanting a 71 bad, and reading this thread definitely hasn’t helped to cure the want any. Thanks a lot guys!!

If you have a properly bedded Winchester 71 you might be surprised how well they shoot. Mine shoots as well as I can with aperture sights which is about 1.5 MOA with tuned loads. Fed an un-tuned load and that can quickly turn into 3MOA. I get ever so slightly worse as range opens up, (probably 58 year old eyes syndrome). With 200 Flextips and H414 I can get 6" groups at 300 yards which will put caribou on the table. I have a Savage 99 in 284 with a 2-7X scope and it will go 1MOA with the correct loads. The MOA count stays constant and I can put 3 into 3" at 300 yards with the scope set at 7X. Fed un-tuned loads it can go into 2 or 2.5MOA.

However, handling and ergonomics goes to the 71 and so do style points. The balance and ergonomics have allowed me to take quick but precise shots that took game that I might have had trouble taking with another rifle. This has imbued my own 71 with special memories that comes from success on dangerous rivers in deep wilderness with a trusted friend. When I scare up a bear the fast handling and solid 8 pounds of John M Browning ingenuity paired with an effective cartridge gives me immense confidence. So far the bears have not tested that confidence.

I like a lot of rifles including my 99 but the 71 is my last rifle to go. It's hard to get brass and when loaded heavy the brass will not last that long, it's really not suitable for a scope without ruining it's best qualities and yet....it's just a beautiful, classic and effective firearm and well worth the trouble. It's my dedicated moose rifle and has provided my family and I with many a steak!

When my eyes can no longer see the front sight I have a Turnbull mount for a Fastfire II, and the dot sight will help me use this rifle into my 70's. After that it will hang on the wall or be gifted to my son who hopefully can take more moose with it for his family. It will have even more mojo by then. In 2052 my rifle will turn 100. It still might be the best thing in the woods! Not bad!

Good points on the Model 71's inherent virtues as a hunting rifle that can handle anything to include bears-in North America. As Alaskans have learned and experienced,
what you have in your hands at the time becomes your "bear rifle". A serious charging grizzly may be another matter, but the bonded core bullets now available
that were not available 50 years ago bring the .348 WCF into another class of rifle. With fast repeat shots, it challenges even the 338 Winchester.

I have owned a Model 71 with a Lyman Alaskan in a Griffin and Howe QD side mount. Wonderful rig, but it added another 1.5 pounds to the total weight of the rifle. So-it does
slow the inherent qualities of the M-71. A good aperture iron sight will handle most shooting at the M-71's effective ranges.

The Savage 99s are trim slick packages, but they are not as reliably fast as the 1886-Model 71 rifles by Winchester.

Rifles are personal, and a lot of judgment on rifle and cartridge reflect game taken with the confidence and satisfaction of years of successful hunts. So it is with the Winchester Model 71.
In the deep Alaskan bush, my Model 71s tend to be chambered in the 348 Ackley Improved or the wonderful 450 Alaskan. Elmer Keith influenced Harold Johnson in
the development of this cartridge. He used both the later 86 and Model 71 for this heavy wildcat. They are about the best rifle in serious bear country-where a downed moose may
attract a big bear. Then the moose hunt turns into a bear hunt -fast.

Which is more useful, the 348 ackley improved or the 450 Alaskan?

Ive wanted a 71 for awhile. Got my eye on one at the moment, trying to procure funds lol. I wanted a do all levergun to handle deer to elk to hogs to black bear. Something I can sight in 2-3" high at 100 and be good to 200 pretty easy. From my reading it sounds like a 348 should handle that nicely. Ive got 100 pieces of new Winchester brass so I figure im ahead of the game. Im just trying to enjoy these older iron sight guns like sharps and leverguns until my eyes wont let me anymore. I have a marlin guide gun that shoots great, but it just doesn't have that warm and fuzzy feeling sitting in the deerstand like my sharps or old win 94 does. I don't bowhunt, so hunting the old way with old style guns is my challenge. When I connect it makes it all the more sweeter

no warm fuzzy feeling here with my Winchester special/deluxe 348 yes like I said its a dang nice rifle,i do like Savage 99 284, my 45-70 guide rifle is neat too but when in comes to kill`n stuff and have`n a powerful lever rifle at camp give me my Browning BLR 300 Win. Mag. won`t matter if that bear is close or 500 yards away a 300 Win.Mag. will get the job done ! I do wish Browning would chamber a Browning BLR in a 338 Win. Mag. S.S. now that would be a real nasty Bear rifle !

Well heck pete53, I'll trade ya a BLR for that crappy ol' 71. Might save ya from bein' et by a bear.

NOPE I`LL KEEP THAT 348 SPECIAL / DELUXE its one of the cleanest I have ever seen . but I will use my 300 win. mag BLR when I camp.

would the 325 wsm scratch that itch?

If I decide to sell mine in the coming years I will post on the fire first.

How about the best of both?:

A scout scoped Browning 1895 carbine, chambered in a 41 caliber "whelenesque" wildcat? High BC, 350 grain A-frames sptizers at 2400 fps. That's 50,000+ psi territory. It makes easy work of a 300 yd shot through 30 mph winds on caribou, and hits hard like a 458 cal on bears up close. Just another one of them thar Alaskan concoctions hodge-podged together in Alaska:

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...ng-1895-scout-rifle-project#Post13233780