Cast bullets for Winchester model 71- Advice needed

[Eddie Southgate]

Just bought a 1936 model 71 and want to get set up to cast for it and hope to get a little advice . I have not loaded cast for these and was hoping to get a heads up on the best mold in the 200 grain range . Am leaning toward one from Accurate or LBT if they are still in business. What do you size your bullets to for your particular rifle ? Any other issues I should be aware of regarding cast in these rifles ? All info appreciated as I am retired now and can't afford to buy a bunch of molds that won't work . Thanks in advance.

Eddie

[Nueces]

Mine is of similar vintage to yours, a long tang. Barrel slugs at 0.348. To get started, I ordered some Beartooth flat points sized 0.349. My advice is to check your throat and then load just one to check functioning and chambering, as older Winchesters often have no throats at all, just a sudden transition from chamber neck to rifled bore, and won't accept many bullet designs with more than bore diameter noses. So, I now have a beautifully crafted box of 20 that won't chamber.

My 1886 in 33 WCF does much better, even with bullets sized 0.340 for the 0.339 barrel.

[indian joe]

Mine is a 1980's vintage Browning - I use a CastBulletEngineering 225 grain gascheck (hornady gaschecks seating and sizing die is .349), winchester 760 powder, it clocks 2350 FPS, I prefer this boolit to the hornady 200grain jacketed - which seemed to me to be too fragile up close - have not taken much game with it

[JFE]

The main thing to watch is the front drive band. Ideally the front drive band should be thin and tapered to provide a tight fit in the chamber. As mentioned above, chambers have no throat but may have a slightly longer neck. Either way get yourself a Lee FCD and then crimp where the bullets chamber, feed and cycle properly.

The CBE mould that Indian Joe mentioned was used to win levergun championships in Oz. It’s a good mould and the base section fits inside the neck, if that is a consideration.

[rintinglen]

I have had very good results with the Accurate 35-220b, as well as the RCBS 200 grain boolit. WW-760, H414, Imr 4064, have all worked ok for full power loads, with a nod going to 760. The Accurate bullet seems to be a hair more accurate in my 1950 rifle.

The first pic shows loads with the Hornady FTX, Hornady RN, both 200 grain, and the Accurate boolit on the right.
The second pick is my favorite plinker. It is a 358-429 sized 350 and loaded over 13 grains of Red Dot. It shoots way low, but groups very well and I have often thought that I'd use it for my Pigs and Chickens if I ever get to shoot lever action silhouette again.

[Eddie Southgate]

Thanks guys .