Model 71

[flintshooter]

Anybody casting for the 348 win. I have a model 71 that I hunt deer and bear with and would like to start casting for it. I cast for several handguns but, this would be my first casting for a rifle.

[Nobade]

That combination can be difficult to get to work really well with cast boolits, due to the relationship between the chamber, throat, and bore. It has been done, can work well, but often takes some effort compared to other guns. My one suggestion is to make a chamber cast of your rifle, draw up everything, and give some thought to what the boolit needs to look like before you start. And make sure the chamber will accept a cartridge with a boolit seated in it that is big enough to seal the bore. A little preliminary work now will save you hours of frustration in the future.

-Nobade

[Bullshop]

We ( The Bullshop) have several designs available for 348 Win from 180gn to 250gn.
I have a good bit of shooting experiance with a 71 Win both original and replica.
Unless otherwise requested I supply boolits at .350" to .351" diameter because that is what has worked best for me. I would estimate that I have fired between 1 and 2000 rounds in testing so have something to base my opinion on.
My favorite of the designs we have is an NEI design of about 230gn. It is a comprimise weight between the two most populer factory weights. All my shooting has been with factory duplication loads, no reduced loads and the 348 is well suited to full power cast boolit loads.
At one time there was a factory 180gn load that was booked at 2700 fps but it was never very populer.
It was an atempt by Winchester to keep lever actions alive in the face of the 30/06 milsurps comming into the main streem so with the 180gn load they gave published balistics that compaired favorably.
Problem was it didnt shoot good.
Anyway we do have a 180, 230, and a couple different 250s available. From customer feed back I know that some of these have harvested moose and griz.

[fouronesix]

Having owned and shot 5 different original 71s, I came to the conclusion that they shoot the correct 200 gr Jbullet very well BUT the options for factory cast bullet molds are next to nil. I finally broke down and designed and ordered a Mountain Molds mold for the bullet I wanted. Pretty straight forward and similar in design to the standard RCBS RNFP GC molds but with a slightly smaller meplat. It drops a 200 grain bullet at about .3505 and I size to about .3495.

[451whitworth]

I cast for one original and three Browning 71's. Nobade mentions the throat of 71's and i have to agree. It dosen't seem to exist. In my Brownings any portion of the bullet that sticks out of the case must be bore diameter. I use the LBT 250gr. LCFN and the Accurate 35-220B moulds. The Accurate mould has a crimp groove that i use as an extra lube groove because loaded rounds using the crimp groove won't chamber. i use different diameters on certain rifles. One of my Brownings chambers .354" bullets with ease and shoots very small groups with receiver sights. Overall the Browning 71's are the most accurate cast bullet rifles i own. I shoot full power loads using RL-15 @ 2150-2200 fps.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

I'm loading for a M71 Win original. It is not the deluxe model but is in pristine shape. I use Lyman mold #350482, a 250 grain round nose that is in effect an overgrown 311291. When pushed into the 2000-2200 fps MV range it shoots very accurately, hits hard at both ends and for hunting purposes is adequate for just about anything afield in the western hemisphere. Many of the M71's were favorites in Alaska where they were rebored/rechambered for some of the hardest hitting wildcats ever designed, easily capable of dealing with the largest of anything you might meet anywhere. But some of the recoil stats are not fun. LLS

[fouronesix]

Many of the M71's were favorites in Alaska where they were rebored/rechambered for some of the hardest hitting wildcats ever designed, easily capable of dealing with the largest of anything you might meet anywhere. But some of the recoil stats are not fun. LLS

That's why Johnson had to beef up the magazine hanger on his wildcatted 71s. The recoil would tear the mag tube off. :)

[flintshooter]

Well, that gives me lots of info to digest to decide if I wanna go the casting route with this rifle. I'll start with a bore slugging and go from there, thank you for all the great info.

[rbertalotto]

Are Gas Checks available in .350?

I have my eye on a real nice Model 71 that I "need" to fill out my collection......:drinks:

[451whitworth]

Hornady makes 348 gas checks

[fouronesix]

Molds for the 348 Win use a .320" gas check shank- either Gator or Hornady- labeled "348".

[rintinglen]

I curently cast for an original m-71 using the Accurate arms 35-220b, and the RCBS 348-200, which cast a bit heavier, more like 210.

I have not had a problem with the Accurate boolit, though there is virtually no clearance between the front band and the rifling. I have yet to shoot the RCBS, but a dummy round seems to work ok.

Surprisingly, I have had very good luck using the 358-429 sized .351 at modest velocities. For a fifty yard plinker, it works very well over 10 grains of Unique.

63500