I have wanted one of these awesome rifles since I was a teenager in the 70's, had a couple of them but had to re sell them soon after due to financial crisis of one sort or another. I finally have one - a long tang Deluxe no less - that is in wonderful conditions, shoots nice tight (2 icnes at 100 yards, tight by my standards for peep sights) groups and I am in a position to KEEP it and hunt with it.

I bought it for hunting Elk or large bodied whitetail deer in the timber as well as Coastal Black bear which can get pretty big. Roosevelt Elk in addition to the other game. I have on hand three possible loadings to use, seeking intel from persons who have actually used the 348 on big game and their impressions. My load number 1 is 4 boxes of late manufacture 200gr Silvertip ammo. I am thinking this to be a pretty good deer load, but a deer load only. Moving up the scale a bit, I own a good supply of Barnes Original style bullets with the pure copper .032 jacket and pure lead core flat nosed cannelured bullets for this cartridge in both 220gr and 250gr flavors. My gut feeling is to load and use primarily the 250gr Barnes Originals for anything that is not a deer. BUT, maybe I am selling those 220's a bit short? What say ya'll?

Thanks in advance,

MARK

yes I have. I have only owned my 71 Carbine a little over a year now, but I did take a 265 lb live weight Missouri Buck last year with it. 200 gr Hornady flatpoints over a stiff charge of IMR 4350 did the trick nicely.



I would not hesitate to use this same combo on elk or moose, but I think there are also some better options. I really need to get my hands on some Swift Aframe's. I bet those would just be devastating on elk and moose.

I plan on carrying this rifle again this year as it suits my style of hunting very well and I can't think of a better woods gun.

Nice buck, nice rifle, and PERFECT shot placement! I want to hunt whitetails in some hardwoods forests someday after I get a Kidney Transplant and have some energy to do so. Looks like loads of fun, and way different from my CRP grasslands mule deer hunting where my 348 is badly out of place and outclassed.

Thanks for the report and photo! Keep em coming.....

I'm telling you what Safariman I absolutly love the M71 for woods hunting. I have always been a M70 guy ( and still am), but I also have a thing for stillhunting and tracking. IMO there is no better rifle than a m71 for that job. The stock design is spot on, and the 348 puts em down.

That buck in my post showed no sign of being hit other than kicking like a bronco, and the blood trail and chunks of innards were amazing. It's a keeper for sure.

I've only shot one deer, a medium sized doe, with a .348, using the 200 gr. Hornady FP. That was about 25 years ago (wish I still had that rifle) and I have a very clear memory of the experience. At the shot the deer instantly went down and all four legs kicked up in the air, once.

That deer never knew what hit it and it remains the most impressive deer kill I ever made. It was a behind the shoulder, heart/lung area broadside shot. The bullet "overpenetrated".

I would not hesitate to use that bullet on an elk or moose within the .348's range limitations.

My dad just shot a huge Elk this AM with his. He called to tell me, talk about excited. I will post pics if and when I can. He was using the 250 original barnes and a Skinner peep sight, if I recall. He turns 69 in a few days, so it is a very fitting Birthday present! The biggest bull of his life.

Shortside

I've not used silvertips in that cartridge but I find they fragment like crazy in .30 cals. But a good solid bullet (not necessarily a "premium") would be fine on elk and moose in my opinion.

Thusly, I am shooting up all of my 200gr Silvertip ammo - as quickly as my tender shoulder will allow - and re loading the cases with 250gr Barnes Originals for large game and 220gr Barnes Originals for deer sized animals. Since so few of you have actually used this cartridge and especially the Barnes Original bullets in this caliber I guess I will have to take it upon myself to go slay some stuff and report back here. Sigh..... SOMEBODY has to do the heavy lifting.... <G>

I have shot several whitetails with the hornady 200 rn and several with the hawk 270 fp. I now only use the hawk 270 gr FP, it just hammers them. The 71 348 win is one of my all time favorite's.

Yes, many whitetails myself and three other guys in our Northern Wisconsin deer camp used the M71 as well. It was the go to rifle in our camp. Everybody used basic 200 grain silvertips but occasionally used the old 200 grain remington loads as well! That combo probably took 80 or more deer (we go way back to 1936!). Never a problem. One guy used his for elk and moose as well and never had an issue.

saj,

NICE buck and VERY nice rifle there! Thank you for sharing/posting!

I hope it is me in a similar pic really soon. My deer hunting area is not a good one for such a rifle, but there is other game in our woods that could use some big and fast lever power.

Thanks for relaying this, Milwroad! Yeah, I would imagine those 200gr pills would really hammer a whitetail. Someday I want to hunt the North big woods with my model 71 and all of my Filson and LL Bean hunting wear. Red and Black Plaid clothing, shoes made from rubber and leather, of course.

Now you got it! Nothing better than fresh snow, red hunter plaid, swampers on your feet, Coleman lanterns for light, straw ticks for mattresses, an old wood stove, a drafty outhouse, a good card game at night for entertainment, venison tenderloin and eggs for breakfast, a sagging old buck pole, and a well worn Model 71.

That was better poetry than most of what I had to read in college.

Yep, but it is making my elk hunting itch all the harder and scratchier!

I am going to go shoot up another box of 200gr Silvertips today so that I can handload up some more Barnes topped ammunition.

Shot my first deer using a model 71, and the 250gr silvertips, in the 348W. Too much bullet, but killed the deer. We were actually hunting Elk, but never saw any (due to the outfitter not taking us to the right place, real pos person). I keep seeing the 71s at gun auctions and might, one day, buy one (I had borrowed the one for the Elk hunt, this was in 1959). I do think, considering the composition of the OLD style 200gr bullets, if using older factory ammo, especially with the silvertips, would go to a heavier bullet, as believe the 200s would tend to expand too much on Elk etc. Used the silvertips in my 45/70, and they tended to just flatten out. None of them penetrated anything.

Anyone load the Hornady Leverelolution 200 grain 348 offered by Midway. If so what results? Also need a new compass for my 71 as the one in my stock is broke. GW


After I posted this I found Yalie's thread on the Hornady bullet. PS still need a working compass. GW

I whacked my first elk with a model 71 Deluxe using my cast loads. DRT.

I located and bought 50 brand new 348WCF cases at a gun show yesterday and was so excited about my find that I styed up way past midnight (had to go visit in laws after the gun show till about 11PM) loading them all up. All of my 250gr Barnes Originals are now stuffed into fresh cases backed by 61 grs (book max) of H4831SC powder for about 2350fps and ther few remaining cases were topped with Barnes 220gr Originals ahead of 63 grs of that same powder, also book max. Should be running at about 2450 with that charge from my 24 inch bbl'ed full sized rifle. I am loving this thread, truly appreciate all of the stories and pictures, and now I am itching like crazy to go use my big boomer on some sort of live critter. I sure wish our Elk hunting here was not so poor, and that I felt better (I have late stage Polycystic Kidney Disease, makes me pretty sick much of the time) but I have to admit that having this rifle, loading the ammo and all is a wonderful elixir.

I've shot over 25 whitetails in Missouri over the years with a 71 Deluxe. Always used the standard 200 grain Sivertips and it always dumped them over in one shot if I did my job. I absolutely love it.
It's got the original sling which makes carrying it much easier. Even thought its about a 9# rifle, the balance is wonderful and I never tired of carrying it.

I'm mainly a Marlin guy,but the 71 intrugues me.I purchased a 41 vintage 71 deluxe last year and while I havent used it on game,I have done considerable shooting with it.I have used all reloads in my testing.The best accuracy was obtained with the Barnes 250gr and IMR4895 in my rifle.From expansion tests I think this bullet is too stout for whitetail.The Hornady 200gr with IMR3031 works quite well in my rifle and I would believe it would be the better choice on deer size game.I did notice the Hornady 200gr will come apart when pushed hard(2450+)
I am expecting the Hornady to hit like the Hammer of Thor on a whitetail.Time will tell.We just have deer and black bear here,so I likely wont get to use the 250gr load much.

When I was a licensed Montana outfitter back in the 70s & 80s I shot a lot of elk with my .348 Model 71. It�s an excellent saddle rifle with iron sights. It was not unusual for clients to borrow it after their scope took a tumble or their rifle wasn�t dependable for other reasons. Every elk shot was instantly dead (with a chest or neck shot).

I always kept it loaded with factory Winchester 200 grain Silvertip bullets. The rifle is excellent for closed-in brush (dog-hair) shots early in the morning on elk. After they�ve filled up on water, and then drift uphill to a flat semi-open bench holding feed, to bed down for the morning/day. In western Montana this is at the head of a north facing draw that has a grassy bench with open evenly spaced old growth trees at around 5,800 ft, with a dog-hair screen below and with the crest of the above finger ridge within 200 feet �for escape.

That�s for all you guys that have shot elk in Montana, compare that to where you got your elk. No, I wasn�t watching you when you got one. That's where they live due to logical reasons and here you thought old outfitters were so keen.

I don�t think 250 grain bullets make that much difference. They kick harder and don�t print as flat as the 200. I load 200 grain Hornady bullets, too, and my rifle shoots dead-on at 100 yards giving 1�� or smaller groups (very common). I�ve had to take a few elk out to 150 yards, but that was because putting a sneak on exposed elk standing out in the open, of a lightly wooded south facing slope, is pushing my old luck. Just SHOOT!

The Model 71 is a great saddle rifle, because I can ride through tough-stuff, with all the hard bouncing around when the horse looses his footing, and I still don�t have to worry about a scope. When we crest a ridge I look between the buckhorn of the horse�s ears and if there�s an elk anywhere to be seen old �Rusty� has him pegged. It�s a breeze with a good horse. We work together and then I slip off and slide the 71 out quickly and that old 86-action is so smooth. Every client that shot it immediately offered to buy it; I could have sold it a hundred times.

Joe Back, the most famous Wyoming outfitter used a .348 Model 71 saddle rifle. I always figured that if it was good enough for Joe it has to be OK. George Moore was another famous Montana outfitter who hunted the �Bob� working out of Ovando and he exclusively used a .348 Model 71. I�m from the same area and can attest the .348 200 grain bullet is enough for elk, deer and bear. It�s all about hitting the critter with a well placed confident & accurate shot.

In comparison, the heaviest bullet I ever shot in a 30-06 was a 200 grain and elk are regularly shot with 180 grain bullets. I have a couple of .416 Rigby�s, but they�re intended for backup not overkill. Don�t discount a 200 grain bullet.

�Smile, you�re holding a legend, pick a good spot, take a deep breath and aim, now squeeze slow �Boom!� Those few words worked every time for clients and my Model 71 created a lot of great memories for them �and ME!

Stoneman

Stoneman,

THANKS for the great post and stories! That model 71 of yours must be a really special gun to you and your family now.

I am hoping to make at least a few of my own with mine, now.

MARK

Just recently got back into the mod 71 since there is finally a better bullet selection. After a lot of testing settled on the 250gr woodleigh, by far the most accurate in my rifle, new win. Only shot one animal so far with it, med size moose. 125yd quartering shot thru lungs into shoulder, looked like God hit him with a sledgehammer, recovered bullet and it was perfect!

Any pictures of the recovered bullet. That Woodleigh shoots real well outta my 348 as well.

Awesome!! That is just cool. I hope to kill an elk with mine one of these days. The 71 is a very cool retro rifle for sure..

Mine goes way back to 1937


No pics of game kilt, but here it lays on the gray carpet:

Best moose gun ever!!

Agree with "the best moose gun ever" statement! Took last years and this years moose with 250 woodleighs, recovered both bullets and they were perfect! Have a good supply of the recent 200gr power points, has anyone used/recovered any? Don't really need the woodleighs for deer but hunt in area's with a lot of brown bears so need a bullet that would work for both if needed.

I know where there's a new in box deluxe (original production). Think the price is at 6 grand, wish I had the change to bring it home.

This is an excellent subject on the field use of the 348 cartridge/
Model 71 combination.
My best white tail buck was running and hit with a 348 200gr Silvertip
25 yrs ago. I have switched to Hawk bullets in 200-250-and 270 grains.
They really work. If you are looking for a 348 bullet that is accurate and holds together-the Hawk bullets and Alaska Bullet Works are best buys at the same price as lesser bullets-as to construction. They have to hold together.

For the few of us that have Winchester 71s that are chambered in 348
Ackley-the 270 Hawk or 250 gr is the way to go-it is like a 35 Whelen
as to stopping power. I stopped an Alaskan moose in 2007 with the 270 Hawk in my 348 AckImp at 90 yards. One shot. In Alaska, you never know when a bear will show up at the skinning pile. That is when you might
wish for the right tough bullet. I have early 71s in 348WCF,348 Ackley-and 450 Alaskan. There is a difference in the stopping power of each cartridge. But the Hawks-Alaska B Works-and Woodleighs are bonded
cores and hang tough. If you are out in bear country, your hide might depend upon a quality bullet.