New acquisition - Winchester 71 - Target results added

[geobru]

I succumbed to temptation a while back and acquired a 1946 Deluxe M-71 with the bolt peep sight. I can't help myself from pulling it out of the safe every day or two to make sure I wasn't dreaming that I got this rifle. It is a real beauty! It now takes its place beside my 86's in 40-82 and 45-90.

I saw one of these about 10 years ago with the bolt peep, and I figured that some day i'd be flush enough to get one like it. Well, that day has arrived!
I was able to get some brass and bullets so I can get this old girl spewing lead again.

[Griff]

Congratulations! Here's hoping it shoots as good as it looks!

[piller]

Looks great!

[Nath]

[OldWin]

Very nice! I only have one 71. It's a post war standard with a 56 Lyman. I don't shoot it much, but did get to take a moose with it back in 2009.

[gamekeeper]

Congratulations on a fine looking rifle....

[RIDERED350r]

Congrats! A wonderful addition to an already impressive pair!

An original 71 is high on my list

[2ndovc]

Very nice. Always thought the bolt peep was cool!

Have fun!

jb

[FLINT]

Congrats! awesome rifle! a 71 is my dream rifle, but doubt I'll ever be able to afford one. my dream was to one day go on a moose hunt with a 71.

[JOG]

Wow, that's a beauty!
Congratulations!

[Sixgun]

Geo "bro"..... Although you say it was made in '46, it's a pre war gun....has the pre war hammer, bolt peep and the "look" of a pe war. Serial number is right around 21,000

Ya hit a home run! Now, get yourself a gas check mould and size it .351 and load it to 1600....brass will last forever.....---006

[Oldncrusty]

That's a fantastic way to treat yourself. Congrats!

[Walt]

I love it when members of this forum have such a detailed knowledge of older guns. Way to go, Six! I appreciate it.

[Sixgun]

Hey Walt....at 18 the only Winchester I knew was the '94......by the time I was 19 I owned '73's, '92's, '86's, and a pre war single action Colt....haven't stopped in 50 years...........and in that time frame I also got a doctorate in the "School of Hard Knocks."

I learn fast.....you have to.----006

[samsi]

That's a nice one, congrats. I've had a couple 86's but never a 71. The last "cheap" 71 I saw had a row of holes drilled along the left side of the receiver from some long ago side mount, ugh.

[geobru]

I am looking forward to getting to know this rifle a LOT better!

I found some Starline brass and Fury bullets to try out this one. It was pretty good for the first blush with the rifle. I'll be doing some more load development as bullets and powders become available.

Six: It may have some pre-war parts, but its a 23,000 rifle and has the two piece trigger assembly, unlike the prewar rifles. From what I understand, the prewar triggers won't move when the hammer is in the cocked position. This flip flops back and forth when cocked. I'll just have to live with that cuz I'm not going to toss it in the trash for that!!

These targets are the first results of test loads I tried. 5744 is the only powder I have with load data for 220 grain bullets. Minimum load wa 28.8 grains, Max is 32, so I loaded 29, 30 , and 31 grains to see where the sweet spot lies. Each target has 5 shots on it. Looks like target 2 and 3 are bracketing the sweet spot. I muffed the first shot on target 2 and knew it was low before I looked through the spotting scope. The POI was at 6:00. Target 2 has 2 rounds in one hole at 6:00 with a third shot about a half inch higher. Target 3 printed higher, but again there is one hole that had 2 rounds pass through it.

If youre wondering why I shot at 75 yards, it's simple. That's all the space I had and I wasn't sure I'd be able to see the target well enough any farther out to see what the gun can do. I have high mileage eyes that don't see nearly as well as they did 50 years ago!

[RIDERED350r]

Looks like a keeper!

[FLINT]

I would be super pleased with that.

31 grain load should be approaching about 2000fps (?)

should be a nice mild load

[geobru]

31 grain load should be approaching about 2000fps (?)

Yeah, calculated it'd be about 1951fps. Next trip, I'll be shooting through a chrony so I can look at the ballistics of the loads. This trip, I was kind of like a kid waiting for Christmas. I couldn't wait to see how it shot!

The 348 on this platform is a great brush gun for shots less than 200 yards. If I am hunting in the western Washington forests, most shots are less than 100 yards. My longest shot in 40+ years of hunting in the woods here was about 225 yards. The average distance was about 75 yards, primarily because most of the time you can't see much farther than that unless you are in a clearcut.

[Nath]

That's great shooting geobru.
What a hoot

N.

[Sixgun]

Geo bro.....just a suggestion.....from my experience model 71's do not like the forend tip being tight so shots will spread out after a few shots as the barrel warms up....UNLOAD it then look straight down and see if any of the metal of the forend tip is touching the barrel and if it does file it away and leave the screws one turn out.....locktite em so you don't lose them.

I used a model 71 for hi power silhouette for years and it would get hot after a 10 round string. That baby can be hot as a exhaust manifold and still group tight.

That's just a suggestion if you plan on blasting out 50 rounds. Also, when sizing, back out your die one turn and don't push the shoulder back and the brass will last forever......you know, 348 brass ain't cheap....bro! -----006

[geobru]

Geo bro.....just a suggestion.....from my experience model 71's do not like the forend tip being tight so shots will spread out after a few shots as the barrel warms up....UNLOAD it then look straight down and see if any of the metal of the forend tip is touching the barrel and if it does file it away and leave the screws one turn out.....locktite em so you don't lose them.

I used a model 71 for hi power silhouette for years and it would get hot after a 10 round string. That baby can be hot as a exhaust manifold and still group tight.

That's just a suggestion if you plan on blasting out 50 rounds. Also, when sizing, back out your die one turn and don't push the shoulder back and the brass will last forever......you know, 348 brass ain't cheap....bro! -----006

Thanks for the suggestions.
When I reloaded the cases that I reused, i stopped the downward stroke of the press as soon as the primer popped out. I wanted to see how that works out since this is the only gun that those cases will see. I do have a spacer that I use when reloading my 40-82 to keep from working the brass too much that I could use with the 348. I did find out that after 12-15 loads, I have to anneal the 40-82 brass. Did you ever have to anneal your 348 brass?

I checked the forend tip and one corner is touching the barrel. I am not sure I will file it down because I probably won't be putting too many 10+ shot strings through the gun. I attribute any stringing or flyers in my groups to the lack of clarity in my vision. I had 20-10 vision for most of my life, but as I got older, that deteriorated significantly. Now, if it weren't for peep sights, I wouldn't be able to use open sights at all!

[Sixgun]

Yea Geo Bro......I'm blind in one eye and can't see out of the other. I knows whatcho mean.

You could also "maneuver" the tip just by loosening the two screws and tapping the contact area away from touching..the forend tip sits on a sliding dovetail....

My brass never splits...I mean that....can't think of any more than one or two out of thousands of rounds I put through one of my 71's.....here's why......I size my cast bullets .351 and the case is a near "slip fit" into the chamber with only a thousandths at most to expand.....loads are kept light at 1600...so theres very little work hardening of the brass.

You have to keep in mind that Winchesters were quality guns.....they were not cheap by any standards. They didn't wait until the chambering reamers were worn down to a nub before they replaced them. These guns were not ....you know what kind...Starts with an R and sometimes a U. or a T but are universally known as "J".

Yea....it's a picnic everyday....-----006

[geobru]

Six
Ur right! The tenon is set up just like the 1886...... Oh yeah the 71 is a modified 86!! ..... I'll do a little maneuvering to get some separation on that corner. I looks like there is some oom for adjustment. I did some research on this board and you were using 22 grains 5744 with 215 gr cast bullets. What bullet mold do you have? I think that will be the biggest hurdle to jump to be able to shoot this baby without spending $0.90 per bullet!

[Sixgun]

Bro da dude......I'm always right and that's why people strongly dislike me.....cannot ever remembering a time that I made a mistake except when my mother told me I miscounted the grains of sand in a coffee can.....I was off by 2 pieces out of 27,493. But....I was only 2 years old..

Now, on to business and getting Geo Bro blasting away with his newly acquired Model 71 that's American made.....My mould was by NEI which is no longer in business. From what I read, the owner (after the founder Walt) has a problem with his nose and white stuff.....he stuffed me out a couple of hundred.

Honestly, I dont know as the only moulds I ever used was the NEI and a very rare Hensley & Gibbs mould that has 4 different cavities...45-70, 33 W.C.F., .405 W.C.F. and a .348 W.C.F.

I'm sure there are companies that make one...Accurate?...RCBS?....just make sure you get a mould that drops out at .350, .349 at the least......I use .351 for centering it in the bore.

Yes, I like 5744 for all around playing but for hunting I'd go to 3031...no slower powder than that. Or the Hornady jacketed, if you can find them.-----006

[Sixgun]

Looking at the picture I just put on there shows a very nice wide point .348 which would be an excellent big game bullet as you can push it as fast as a jacketed bullet.....for a few shots anyway...

[geobru]

Six,
I'm real sorry to hear that you disappointed yer mama like that. Prolly scarred her for life!

I did buy 2 boxes of 200 grain Hdy flatnose in an online auction.

I'll still be looking for either a bullet mould or someone with a mould to sell me some boolits!

[Tycer]

Following

[Bearskinner]

I just got my Accurate bullet mold yesterday, so I cast a couple hundred 250 grain gas check bullets for my M 71. I’ll Powder coat them, size and gas check in a couple days.

21AEBE26-3E02-4A5D-B79E-7B8B38620399.jpeg

3E76FC51-A371-440C-A5C3-D3606B4B9596.jpeg

[Ysabel Kid]

Honestly, I dont know as the only moulds I ever used was the NEI and a very rare Hensley & Gibbs mould that has 4 different cavities...45-70, 33 W.C.F., .405 W.C.F. and a .348 W.C.F.

I think that has to be the coolest bullet mold I've ever seen!!!

[Sixgun]

I think that has to be the coolest bullet mold I've ever seen!!!

Thanks Kid.....ya know, my gunshow buddy told me one time, "you and I have been going to gunshows for 15 years and I never saw you buy a gun." ......he was close, maybe 5 in my lifetime out of a thousand good shows ......you don't get no buys at a gunshow, at least the kind that I command in order for me to buy it......I like .30-.40 on the dollar.

But I tell ya, my eyes would scan the tables for old sights and moulds......and I spied the one pictured maybe 10 years ago and the dealer didn't realize the significance of it. "He told me he didn't even know what it was for but he did say, "it's got to be worth a hundred." So gave it to him. I would have paid $300 or more.....you just don't find rare calibers all in the same mould like that plus in designs that were proven by the old timers at the time.

Look at the .348 on the end....good enough for grizz. --Thanks Kid-----006

[Walt]

I've never seen anything like that mold before either. Wonderful! And it looks like new except for that generic sprue plate stop bolt.

[Ysabel Kid]

I think that has to be the coolest bullet mold I've ever seen!!!

Thanks Kid.....ya know, my gunshow buddy told me one time, "you and I have been going to gunshows for 15 years and I never saw you buy a gun." ......he was close, maybe 5 in my lifetime out of a thousand good shows ......you don't get no buys at a gunshow, at least the kind that I command in order for me to buy it......I like .30-.40 on the dollar.

But I tell ya, my eyes would scan the tables for old sights and moulds......and I spied the one pictured maybe 10 years ago and the dealer didn't realize the significance of it. "He told me he didn't even know what it was for but he did say, "it's got to be worth a hundred." So gave it to him. I would have paid $300 or more.....you just don't find rare calibers all in the same mould like that plus in designs that were proven by the old timers at the time.

Look at the .348 on the end....good enough for grizz. --Thanks Kid-----006

I like it even better knowing the backstory Six!!!

[Mike S]

Great thread!

Congrats geobru on the M71 find! I've always wanted one and will never be able to acquire one, so I'll just enjoy vicariously!

[RIHMFIRE]

Awesome gun and thread
Time for you to go moose hunting!
Yes, I am jealous!

[geobru]

Congrats geobru on the M71 find! I've always wanted one and will never be able to acquire one, so I'll just enjoy vicariously!

Never say never. I never thought I'd get one either. I'll admit that I've never spent as much on one gun, but I saved up for the time when something special would come up and this was it.

Years ago, I passed on a Model 64 deluxe that was in great shape and opted for a shooter instead. I love that shooter, but I regret not having the deluxe model, only because it represented the best that was available at the time. Thats why I waited for a deluxe 71 with the bolt peep.