Got a 71!

[FLINT]

Thanks to Leverguns member snkbittin who gave me a great deal on a model 71!! Never thought I'd actually be able to own one of these beauties.



Very sweet rifle! Every bit as good as I imagined it would be.

Here it is next to an old 1894 for scale. Definitely bigger, but not as big as I thought it would be. Seems lighter than my Savage 99s.



I've already bought dies and need to now find brass, bullets and powder.

Thanks to snkbittin, my dream of one day taking a moose with a levergun has gotten one step closer. Now just need to find a moose.........

[Grizz]

It's a beauty. I love the sound when the action is cycled, poetry in motion . . . hope you find the moose. . . fine dining

[RIDERED350r]

Color me green with envy! Very nice 71 Sir!

I too am a fan of the sound of an 1886/71 action. It just sounds....well...bigger, heavier, stouter. King of all lever action repeaters IMO

I aspire to own a 71 one day. I have an 1886 now, a nice old 71 would pair up with it nicely.

[Bill in Oregon]

Wonderful rifle to cherish and take care of. Man, I would love to have one, but I have to pay for soooo many home repairs ...

[OldWin]

Very nice!
I bought one many years ago. I never used it till I shot a moose with it in 2009. Dont think I've fired it since.
It's a nice rifle for sure, and a good shooter. I just don't seem to use my large frame rifles as much. One thing is for sure, it packs some serious power. I shot a decent bull at about 75 yards through the lungs. Even in the waning light, you could see a 4ft halo of red mist and hair come out the back side.
I'm mostly a deer hunter, so it's just more than I need most of the time. They are a beautiful rifle though. Congrats.

[Sixgun]

Yea….a ‘71 is better than money in the bank….,and snkbitten is a very cool, honest and knowledgeable guy……

Many people misunderstand the shootability of the mighty 348….a cast bullet at 16-1800 will provide for a glorious day of pleasure shooting……..I used the 348 for my main rifle in competition silhouette for many years. Size em .351. You only need to neck size for plenty of case life.—-006

[FLINT]

snkbitten is a very cool, honest and knowledgeable guy……
.—-006

Yes, I can't say enough good things about Dave/snkbitten. First class guy all the way.

[2ndovc]

Great looking rifle! That's one I've always wanted as well.

jb

[piller]

Congratulations! Hope you get a chance at a big moose.

[FLINT]

Thanks guys! now comes the fun part of making it go bang

[mnmarlin]

A bucket list rifle for me for sure, that or an 1886. That steel butt plate has to leave a mark though! Beautiful rifle.

[snkbittin]

Your very Welcome Billy..I didnt need 3 of em and that one walked up to me like a stray cat and I hadda buy it..Im super happy that shes at a good home ..Brass can be a bitch to find but you will and like Sixgun said neck size em only He knows What up

[buckeyeshooter]

I have always wanted a 71. Right now, just making due with a pair of 1886's.

[Streetstar]

Wonderful rifle to cherish and take care of. Man, I would love to have one, but I have to pay for soooo many home repairs ...

I can empathize there
That’s the story of the upcoming summer for me

If I write down my list in a public forum like this perhaps I will accomplish half of it!

Need new roof (thanks Oklahoma wind)
Gutters all the way around
— that is stuff to farm out though)

Stuff I will probably have to do myself

Repaint cedar siding , which is peeling bad after 4 years
Reconstruct outdoor deck handrail and stair risers (used Trex for the deck surface which is great, but the rest of the deck is falling down around it —— kind of like a Dodge with a Cummins engine. The engine may be good for 500k, but the truck itself falls apart long before that

Re-modeling the garage - Caught a sale on some of the checkerboard “car guy style” Floor tiles at Costco last winter and bit off more than I can chew because when I got them home I noted that the rest of the garage was looking shabby and needs a complete makeover before putting down new flooring

Replacing air conditioning condenser for loft over garage

Finish landscaping beds- This is tough for me because these areas are quite large and other than cutting and weed eating I dislike doing things for purely cosmetic reasons

I as mental justification to buy a PTO driven Rototiller for my tractor I said that I would use it to build some nice trails around my property and to rough out a gravel road to reach the back of it. It’s not a big ranch or anything, it’s 10 acres, So basically a hobby farm, but since I don’t own some thing like a section or anything I try to figure out ways to utilize all the space I have


Dang it. Just noticed again that this a post specifically about Winchester 71’s ! I just saw the comment on home repairs and was off to the races

The 71 is seldom encountered down here in Oklahoma, but I remember about 10 years ago my shop had one for $1350 in beautiful shape except for a significantly sized woodland scene of a buck whitetail and some trees carved into one side of the buttstock. The work itself was good, but………….. it wasn’t a rifle that was an impulse buy . Went home and thought about it And you guys know the rest of this familiar story. When I went back to the store it was long gone purchased by another about an hour after I left that day

Still want an ‘86 someday, but my ported Guide Gun was punishing my damaged shoulder enough that I sold it, along with a Ruger #1 in 45/70 as well. So not sure how much use it would get besides lookin’ at. Sometimes that’s a good enough reason, but I sure prefer to use my tools when I can

Congrats on the new to you 71 and I hope it groups great for you when you can get the ammo assembled