• Winchester Model 71 348 Serial Numbers
• Winchester Model 71 348 Serial Numbers
• Winchester Model 71 348 Serial Number List
• Winchester Model 71 348 Serial Number

The Model 71 Winchester and the.348 WCF Cartridge. The Model 71 Winchester was the culmination of the large-frame leverguns produced by the famed old company. Introduced in 1936 it was an upgrade of the famous Model 1886. The Winchester Model 71 was a lever-action rifle introduced in 1935 and discontinued in 1958. A slightly modified version of the Browning designed Winchester Model 1886, it was only chambered for the.348 Winchester round; except for an extremely rare.45-70 Government and.33 WCF. That does allow us to determine the exact dates of manufacture for those serial numbers (October 18th, 1935 - December 14th, 1945). Throughout the 24-year production run, Winchester incorporated a number of identifiable production changes to the Model 71. My research survey is designed to identify when each of the changes were made.

The Winchester Model 71 was manufactured beginning October 18th, 1935, and production ended late in the year 1958. In regards to the rifle shown in the pictures, it appears to be a rebarreled Model 1886. All Model 71 rifles were equipped with a pistol grip butt stock, and have a curved lower tang. The lower tang on this rifle is a straight grip.

History

The Winchester Model 1886 lever action rifle designed by John Moses Browning is considered by many to be one of the finest lever action rifles ever built. Designed for the largest black powder cartridges of its era, examples of some of its nine chamberings include the .45-70, .40-90, .50-100 and .50-110. In 1902 the M1886 was chambered for its first smokeless powdered cartridge in a bore size of Winchester invention, the .33 Winchester Centrefire (WCF). This cartridge fired a 200 grain .338” bullet at 2200fps and was designed for large North American game. Although the .33 WCF quickly gained popularity, interest in the cartridge gradually waned. The .33 WCF could not do anything that could not be done with the cheap surplus military .30-06 rifle firing heavy bullets and when the depression hit during the 1930’s, many U.S hunters resorted to using the .30-06 over sporting arms. Low sales of the M1886 rifle along with the high cost of producing such a finely machined and fitted firearm forced Winchester to discontinue this model in 1935.
In order to salvage sales Winchester engineers redesigned the M1886 cutting production costs while a new more powerful cartridge was designed to re interest lever action fans. In 1936 Winchester released its new lever action rifle, the Model 71. Although having been through a cost cutting exercise the action of the M71 was beefed up for the new potent cartridge, the .348 Winchester. As a further boon, the butt stock of the 71 featured a pistol grip and a straighter stock (less drop at the heel) to help tame recoil.

Winchester Model 71 348 Serial Numbers

Case capacity of the .348 Winchester is impressive. The cartridge design was based on the .50-110 cartridge case with a case rim diameter of .610” and a case length of 2.255”. Rather than continuing to use the tooling for the .33 bore, the new cartridge was designed to fire a .348” bullet, a completely new caliber. Initial loads featured a 150 grain bullet at an advertised 2920fps and a 200 grain bullet at 2535fps. Later, a 250 grain load was introduced at an advertised velocity of 2350fps.
The .348 had ample power and suitable projectiles for hunting a vast range of game body weights out to moderate ranges and although it gained a following the .348 suffered the same fate as its predecessor. Reasons for the lack of continued interest in this cartridge were most likely due to the odd bore size, unique to both the cartridge and Winchester rifle. Again production costs could not be justified with low sales and during the 1950’s the Model 71 and its .348 chambering were discontinued. Factory ammunition which at one time was loaded by both Winchester and Remington was reduced to just one load from each manufacturer but even these have disappeared. Winchester’s last load consisted of the 200 grain Winchester SilverTip at an advertised velocity of 2520fps for a realistic 2450fps in 24” barreled M71 rifles.
The .348 is currently caught between two worlds. On the one hand, original rifles are highly prized and fetch high prices on the second hand gun market. Winchester also make limited runs of model 71 rifles. The case design is highly prized, firstly in its own right as the .348 Winchester but also as a source of brass for the.450 and .500 Alaskan wildcat cartridges designed by Harold Johnson (1950’s). Both the .450 (.458”) and .50 (.510”) cartridges boast velocities of around 2100fps with 400 grain bullets and were designed to be used in the Model 71 rifle. Other wildcats based on the .348 and 71 rifle include (but are not limited to) the .30-348, the .348 Ackley Improved and the .358-348. There is therefore a limited but continued demand for both model 71 rifles along with either brass or loaded ammunition.

Performance

When we shift from the .30 caliber to the .338 bore the changes in terminal performance tend to be very subtle. The .348 takes a further step up in bullet diameter in comparison to the .30 calibers and it is here that we begin to see a glimmer of changes in bullet behavior and terminal performance. These changes are still subtle and are effected by bullet designs.
Now, rather than seeing a hydrostatic shock cut off point of around 2600fps on mid weight game, the increased frontal area has a meaningful effect and depending on game body weight resistance (being neither too lean or too heavy and depending on the type of bullet used), we begin to see greater nervous trauma leading to a rapid loss in consciousness at lower impact velocities approaching 2300fps. This translates into shorter dead runs. Please see Effective Game killing section for more information on hydrostatic shock and nervous trauma.
The .348 can be described as having a power level that sits roughly halfway between the .358 Winchester and the .35 Whelen. But again, bullet design has a major influence on the ability of this bore to render fast kills.
The .348 does its best work at close ranges. It produces a high level of trauma when loaded with 200 grain bullets at velocities of 2500fps which stay above the 2300fps mark for a short distance. Once this initial velocity is shed, performance becomes somewhat more mild. With fast expanding bullets, game may run but are just as likely to react in a drunken manner and not travel too far. At impact velocities below 2200fps, wounds become more narrow and game run longer distances.
With slow expanding bullets, the .348 can produce clean kills but lean game may run some distance before succumbing to blood loss. Performance of such loads can be fairly ho-hum.
When loaded with 250 grain bullets at 2300fps, the potential for nervous trauma causing an immediate loss of consciousness is less evident, however wounds remain somewhat broad on large bodied game down to 2200fps and then gradually narrow as the 1800fps mark is approached, after which, wounding potential falls off rapidly. This bullet weight generally carries too much momentum for fast killing of light or lean game and should be reserved for larger bodied animals which offer a good deal of body weight resistance for energy transfer.
The use of core bonded bullets in the .348 deserves careful consideration as these tend to work best at impact velocities above 2400fps. Having said this, the flat point bullet designs used in the .348 help (regain) terminal performance at lower impact velocities. The net result is that providing ranges are kept short and animals are of a relatively large or stout build, it is possible to obtain a mixture of good trauma (fast bleeding) and relatively deep penetration with core bonded bullets.
The .348 can tackle large bodied game but should not be considered a true heavy game (600kg / 1300lb) cartridge in the same manner as the .375 and larger bores.
As for the rifle, the model 71 is of sound and strong design, featuring immensely handsome lines. This rifle cannot however be fitted with a traditional scope sight. And while open sights are quite fine for bush work, one must understand that low light hunting under or into a bush canopy can at times completely obscure sights, making accurate shooting (especially dark colored animals) very difficult. Readers are encouraged to study Williams sight products along with Skinner sights. Please take care to study both aperture (peep) sights along with high visibility front sight options.
It is also important to understand that many of the old rifles are now quite worn. The actions may still be strong however the bores of many rifles have seen better days. Rust and the resulting pitting from wet weather hunting or damp storage conditions versus poor preservation regimes all take their toll on the bores of these old rifles.
The Model 71 is a tube loaded rifle and must be loaded with either flat point bullets or the rubber tipped Hornady FTX. These bullets are no hindrance to the .348 and if anything these help increase terminal performance providing ranges are not pushed too far. The combination of a flat point bullet in a wide bore driven at high velocity can increase the versatility of a medium bore cartridge, enabling one load to achieve fast killing and consistent results on a wide range of game body weights.

Factory ammunition

Winchester’s now defunct 200 grain Silvertip was ideal for game weighing up to 320kg (720lb). The Silvertip produced some highly desirable results, the stout aluminum tip when driven back caused explosive expansion but could not be expected to hold together if large heavy round bone (ball joints) were encountered. On ordinary cross body shots, providing not too much muscle and bone was encountered, the Silvertip produced severe destruction to vital tissues. The frontal area of the Silvertip was usually wiped off on impact, allowing reasonably deep penetration however the 200 grain .348 bullet lacked a high enough SD to truly benefit from this action. At times and depending on the range (beyond 75 yards), game would not go down immediately however animals hit squarely would react in a drunken manner going down soon after.
It should be noted that all Winchester loads (150, 200 and 250 grain) were initially of the Silvertip type. Winchester all so produced Power-Point (soft point ) loads for a time however it was the Silvertip that produced the most spectacular results. Furthermore, a good number of hunters utilized the 250 grain Silvertip in the far reaches of Canada and Alaska for Moose hunting. The Silvertip could achieve desirable one shot kills but it must be understood that all energy was expended rapidly and that penetration at close ranges was somewhat limited in comparison to modern premium bullet designs.
Today the sole remaining loads available for the .348 Winchester are those loaded by Buffalo Bore and Grizzly. All are core bonded loads, expensive and hard to obtain. Comments on the use of core bonded bullets can be found within the performance section of this text.

Hand loading

Just as factory ammunition for the .348 is rare, hand loading components are also limited. Brass is still obtainable and with a number of wildcat cartridges based on the .348 case, supplies of Winchester brass should continue into the future. The .348 case gives good results with 200 to 250 grain bullets when loaded with H4350 / ADI 2209 burn rate powders, though faster powders (H4895 / Varget) can be useful with lighter bullets. The big .348 case takes hefty charges, driving 200 grain bullets at 2500fps with 60 grains H4350, 220 grain bullets at 2400fps with 57 grains H4350 and 250 grain bullets at around 2300fps with 55 grains H4350. Please note that these loads may be too dangerous for some rifles and should be reduced by 10% before working up. These notes are provided here purely due to the fact that load data is now difficult to obtain for the .348.
One powder of interest for the .348 is Hornady’s Superformance powder (not Leverevolution). Superformance is suited to this particular cartridge due to its slow burn rate and high bulk density which suits this case capacity quite well. For those who are serious fans of the .348 and are well grounded in hand loading including the ability to read pressure signs carefully, Superformance powder will allow the hand loader to develop much faster loads than those quoted here.
Only four projectiles are readily available for reloading the .348 at this time of writing, the 200 grain Hornady Interlock, the 200 grain Hornady Flex Tip (FTX), the 220 grain Barnes Original and the 250 grain Barnes Original.
The 200 grain Hornady is a soft bullet but not explosive unless hitting heavy bone. Performance can best be described as adequate. The Interlock sheds a great deal of weight as it penetrates, but does so in a gradual manner and is not a spectacular killer. This bullet produces clean but generally delayed kills on light framed game if the CNS is not struck directly. The Interlock loses a great deal of weight when striking the major bones of lighter animals, even those weighing less than 80kg (176lb) and can be prone to bullet blow up on heavy bone. In summary, this is a bullet that can be too tough (or retain too much momentum) for fast kills on light game yet can be too soft for heavy game. Such are the limitations when a bullet designer tries to cover the needs of a wide range of hunters with just the one bullet design.
The 200 grain Hornady FTX has breathed new life into the .348. This projectile offers explosive performance similar to the old Silver Tip. Wounds are noticeably wider than other offerings resulting in faster killing. By the same token, penetration is limited as can be expected with this type of performance. This bullet can tackle a wide range of game with Elk as an upper body weight limit. It can be used on heavier game such as Moose but the hunter must have realistic expectations. This is not a deep penetrating bullet. These considerations aside, the FTX is a truly well designed bullet, an SST for the levers. With one load, the hunter can tackle the leanest of deer through to relatively large bodied animals with great consistency.
For those who are not familiar with Barnes Original bullets, these are a more basic conventional bullet design. Performance is similar (to paint a picture) to that of the Sierra Prohunter or Norma conventional soft points in that the jacket is fairly heavy while the core is typically soft. The Barnes bullets do not produce immediate ‘explosive’ performance and perform much like the Interlock but with somewhat greater jacket and core integrity. These are not spectacular killers, but they do get the job done in a reliable manner. The heavy 250 grain Barnes bullet has from time to time been used to take Moose in Canada and Alaska. Under these circumstances the mild impact velocities help the Barnes Original to obtain adequate wounding and relatively deep penetration.
Beyond these bullets there are now few options for .348 users apart from those offered by custom or semi-custom bullet makers. For those who have no access to the FTX and are wanting the same rapid energy transfer, it is possible to hollow point the Interlock and Barnes projectiles, however the hollow points need to be wide and relatively shallow. The same process can be utilized to make heavy 250 grain bullets slightly more responsive. It would be nice to see at least one bullet maker offer a more explosive heavy weight bullet for the .348. One has to remember that heavy bullets arrive at very low impact velocities when fired from the .348 which can aid penetration - but at the expense of wounding. In contrast to this, a fast expanding but heavy .348 bullet can allow the hunter to have his cake and eat it, increasing over all versatility.
Please note that if bullets cannot be found for your rifle it is possible to swage down .358 caliber bullets such as the Hornady 250 grain round nose (an excellent hunting bullet design). This operation can be performed with a custom made swaging die (similar to a reloading die) which allows the .358” bullet to be pushed through the die and swaged down by .010”.

Closing comments

The .348 Winchester is certainly an interesting cartridge. Performance can range from mild or adequate to emphatic and spectacular depending on the type of bullet used. The .348 has the appeal of a classic muscle car but at the same time, it has a practical element to it, the potential to be a solid working hack for the bush hunter.
It is doubtful that the .348 will ever make a huge come back with the .358 bore well established and producing excellent performance in its own right. Furthermore, Hornady and Marlin have in recent years combined to corner the lever action market with new hot chamberings. Nevertheless, the .348 will continue on, loved dearly by those who use it. And with the rifle and brass both in demand for the creation of potent wildcats, the model 71 .348 caliber rifle will not be forgotten.

Suggested loads: .348 Winchester					Barrel length: 24”
No	ID	Sectional density	Ballistic coefficient	Observed MV Fps	ME Ft-lb’s
1	HL	200gr Interlock	.236	.246	2500	2775
2	HL	200gr FTX	.236	.320	2500	2775
3	HL	250gr Barnes Original	.295	.327	2300	2939

Suggested sight settings and bullet paths
1	50	100	150	175	200	225	250
1.4	1.6	0	-1.6	-3.8	-6.6	-10.1
2	50	100	150	175	200	225	250
1.3	1.5	0	-1.5	-3.5	-6	-9.1
3	50	100	150	175	200	225	250
1.6	1.8	0	-1.8	-4.1	-7.2	-10.9

No	At yards	10mphXwind	Velocity	Ft-lb’s
1	200	6.9	1849	1519
2	200	5.1	1990	1758
3	200	5.7	1825	1848

Please take careful note of impact velocities at 200 yards. Below 1800fps, most projectiles begin to struggle with expansion.

Winchester Model 71 348 Serial Numbers

.348 Winchester	Imperial	Metric
A	.610	15.49
B	.553	14.04
C	19 Deg
D	.485	12.32
E	.376	9.55
F	1.650	41.91
G	.605	15.37
H	2.255	57.28
Max Case	2.255	57.3
Trim length	2.245	57

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Winchester Model 71 348 Serial Number List

In the early days of the Great Depression, Winchester Repeating Firearms Company engineers and designers began to think about a new hunting rifle and cartridge. The rifle would be a lever action, as in those days it was the most favored. The company’s Model 86 Winchester had fallen on hard times. All of the black-powder cartridge chamberings had been dropped, and the old-timer had been chambered only in the .33 WCF cartridge since the 1920s. With its 50th anniversary coming up in 1936, it appeared to be time to introduce an updated rifle and cartridge. The plan worked, up to a point.In January 1936, the new rifle was introduced and the ’86 was dropped, along with its remaining cartridge. The new rifle was the Model 71. It resembled the Model 86 in many ways but differed in others. The ’71 had a half magazine holding four cartridges and a pistol grip necessitating a curved lever. The vertical locking lugs of the ’86 were maintained but were now tapered. Overall cartridge length accepted by the ’86 was considered to be 2.875 inches (often 2.88 inches in practice); this dimension in the Model 71 was reduced to 2.795 inches. The Model 71 was offered in rifle form with a 24-inch barrel over its lifetime. A 20-inch carbine was offered – I’m given to understand – between 1937 and 1947. There were two versions of the Model 71. A Deluxe version included a pistol grip cap, sling swivels and sling along with checkering on the buttstock and forend. A standard version lacked these amenities. Winchester developed a special rear peep sight for the ’71. It was adjustable for elevation and windage and mounted on the end of the bolt. A standard open sight on the barrel was an option.

When it came to the cartridge, Winchester continued with an odd size. Bullet diameter was .348 inch; the .33 Winchester had a bullet diameter of .333 inch. The case decided upon was the .50-110 Winchester, which also served as host to the .50-105, .50-100 and .50-110 High Velocity, depending on powder charge and bullet weight. The .50-110, introduced in 1887, had a case length of 2.400 inches, a rim diameter of .610 inch and a base diameter in front of the rim of .553 inch. The new cartridge was simply shortened to 2.255 inches and necked down to accommodate a .348-inch bullet diameter with the other dimensions remaining the same. Body length became 1.650 inches, case body and shoulder together became 1.804 inches with a remaining neck length of .451 inch. Shoulder angle was 19 degrees, 4 minutes. These dimensions are from current sources such as the Hornady Handbook of Cartridge Reloading, 10th Edition. Some earlier sources listed the same cartridge overall length but with a neck in excess of .5 inch.

The rifle and cartridge were introduced in January 1936, with the .348 Winchester cartridge loaded with 150- and 200-grain bullets. Various reports of factory-original muzzle velocities for the 150- grain bullet range from 2,890 to 2,920 fps. Muzzle velocities for the 200-grain bullet have been reported from 2,520 to 2,535 fps.

In The Rifle in America, Phil Sharpe notes that he became aware of the new cartridge early on in its development during a visit to the Winchester factory. He was able to test fire the experimental cartridge as well. At the time, cases were headstamped “.34 Winchester,” and Sharpe kept a sample for his collection. /edraw-mind-master-pro-version-crack-torrent.html. Considering the two-digit designation old fashioned, Sharpe suggested the company go with three-digit nomenclature reflecting the groove diameter of the barrel, hence, the .348

Winchester.

It is interesting to note that at the time all this was going on at the Winchester plant, the company was developing a new bolt-action rifle to replace the Model 54 – the venerable Model 70, which was also introduced in January 1936. This explains how the Model 71 got its name. It was not named after its year of introduction like other Winchester lever actions; it was simply the next number available.

The Model 71 Winchester was only chambered in the .348 Winchester cartridge, and the cartridge was only chambered in the Model 71, with a couple of exceptions. The original load offerings of 150- and 200-grain bullets were met with a demand for a heavier, 250-grain bullet. In time, Winchester complied. The 150- and 200-grain bullets were introduced as part of the company’s Super Speed lineup. The 250-grain load was first offered with a Silvertip bullet. Eventually all three bullet weights were available as Silvertips. Other companies, such as Remington and Peters, produced .348 Winchester ammunition, with Peters offering a 210-grain Belted bullet.

After World War II, returning G.I.s looked more to bolt-action rifles with telescopic sights as their preferred hunting tool, and the Model 71 began its inevitable slide. In 1958, the Model 71 was discontinued after 14,254 rifles and carbines had been manufactured. Ammunition production continued with the three bullet weights being offered, but in 1962 the 150- and 250-grain bullets were dropped, leaving the 200 grain as the sole option. It’s still in the Winchester line today; other major manufacturers of .348 Winchester ammunition have discontinued the product altogether.

In 1987 Browning began selling a Japanese-made replica of the Model 71, also in .348 Winchester. Parts were not interchangeable with the original, but the rifles were well received. Both rifle and carbine models were offered in standard and Deluxe editions. The rifles appeared in the 1988 Gun Digest with the notation that production would be limited to 3,000 rifles and 3,000 carbines. By 1991, Gun Digest no longer listed the model, suggesting the run ended in 1990. Despite its relatively short run and limited production numbers, the Model 71 and Browning look-alikes are held in high esteem in Alaska. Its lighter weight and handling characteristics have made it a favorite with those who hunt and fish where contact with big bears is likely.

Even though ammunition options are restricted to a 200-grain bullet, the demand for new .348 Winchester component cases is high. It would appear few cases have been the basis for so many wildcat cartridges ranging from the .348 Improved through the .375, .416, .458 and even the .50 calibers. The most well known is likely the .450 Alaskan.

My involvement in all this began a couple years ago when a good friend walked into his local gun emporium, spied a Model 71 resting in a corner and decided quite rightly that life would be better if he returned home with it.

Calling to celebrate the new purchase, he casually informed me he had for some years 100 new, unprimed .348 Winchester cases. He ordered loading dies and bullets, and I researched loading data. Upon arriving at his place with said data and a few powders, we set about loading cases for his “new” rifle. It was the standard version, sans checkering, sling swivels and pistol grip cap. The rear sight was a Williams peep. The levergun was in quite good shape; according to the serial number, it was manufactured in 1949. At his local gun club range, we hit a snag. Lowering the rear sight until the cross piece barely cleared the gun’s vertical locking lugs still left 200-grain bullets impacting more than a foot high at 100 yards. Clearly, the previous owner had shot it little, if at all, as such performance would be unacceptable under any condition.

To shorten the story a bit, my friend later called, offering to lend me the rifle for this article, and I set about gathering as many .348 Winchester bullets as I could find, and ordering a higher front sight from Lyman Products. The sight selected was the Model 31 with a height of .345 inch. This solved the problem but left little flexibility. Were the rifle mine, another sight with a height of .360 inch would have been used, assuring greater flexibility regardless of bullet weight or velocity.

Powder selection began with IMR-4895. Especially with 200- grain bullets, it seemed about ideal, but since most load data developed with it was fairly old, there were now several powders with similar burning rates that needed to be explored. Eventually 11 were chosen.

Bullet selection turned out to be a surprise. I ended up with 10 jacketed bullets ranging in weight from 175 to 270 grains, plus one 200-grain bullet cast from an RCBS mould. Most were flatpoints, befitting the lever-action, tubular magazine design. There were two exceptions: a Hornady 200-grain FlexTip (FTX) bullet with its polymer tip, and a Hawk 230-grain SP developed, I’m told, because Ruger once chambered its No. 1 rifle in .348 Winchester. Cutting Edge provided two bullets, a 175-grain Lever Raptor and a 200-grain Lever Solid. Both are homogenous brass. Swift contributed a 200-grain A-Frame. Hornady makes two .348 bullets, the aforementioned FTX and a 200-grain InterLock FP. Barnes lists 220- and 250-grain bullets in its Original lead core series, but I was only able to obtain the 250-grain bullet. Hawk Bullets provided four: a 200-grain FP, 230-grain SP, 250-grain FP and a 270-grain FP. The company makes a 250-grain SP, but I did not have a large enough sample to conduct any tests (the Hawk 165-grain FP was not available at the time of my testing). And last, a cast RCBS 348-200-GC 200-grain bullet.

Eleven bullets and powders, with multiple powder charges of each, promised to be too daunting a task of little or no value, so decisions had to be made. IMR-4895, the long-time favorite, was the fastest-burning powder selected and performed extremely well across the board, but other slower powders, all the way to H-4831, had their moments. The powders I would rate best are IMR-4895 for most uses up through 200-grain bullets, along with IMR-4350, H-4350, Reloder 15 and Varget. For bullet weights above 200 grains, H-4831 produced the smallest groups and extreme velocity spreads. Also performing well in this group were IMR-4350 and IMR-4895. For cast bullets, several powders performed well, but the best in terms of extreme spreads and group sizes was SR-4759. Palm treo 680 unlock code free. As this powder was recently discontinued, I would fall back on either IMR-4895 or H-4895.

Another snag was discovered during the handloading and shooting process. Lever actions tend to lock up at the rear of the bolt, thereby allowing for a certain amount of flexing upon firing. This in turn leads to case stretching. If a handloader is not careful in the sizing operation, case separation is inevitable. That said, keeping cases trimmed to 2.245 inches, setting the shoulder back no more than is absolutely necessary to smoothly close the action and not seeking the maximum muzzle velocity not only solved the problem, but also ensured a reasonable case life of five or more loadings.

For example, it is easy to find load data for the popular 200-grain bullets showing a muzzle velocity in excess of 2,500 fps. Reducing this to 2,400 fps was all it took to minimize case stretching in the borrowed rifle. This backing off from maximum loads would hardly be noticed in the woods at peep sight ranges and frequently produced tighter extreme spreads and smaller groups. To be fair, some of these high-velocity loads shot very well, especially with Cutting Edge bullets, but the price was too high in case life, at least for me.

Winchester Model 71 348 Serial Number

Crimping when loading cartridges to be used in lever actions is a necessity. A Lee Factory Crimp Die accomplished this chore well on bullets with and without cannelures.

Narrowing down bullet choice was difficult and best left to the individual shooter and his specific needs. That said, at least one load with each bullet performed very well. For game such as pronghorn and whitetail, I would not select bullets heavier than 200 grains. For heavier game, strongly constructed, 200-grain bullets and those of greater weight are a better choice, especially in close timber. Among the 200-grain choices, I became particularly enamored of the more lightly constructed Hornady 200-grain FP and the more strongly constructed Swift A-Frame. For heavier bullets, in this particular rifle, the Hawk 250-grain FP really stood out.

All bullets shot to the same windage. Vertical stringing at 100 yards was due to velocity variations. A 270-grain Hawk bullet might barely reach 2,000 fps, whereas a top-loaded Cutting Edge 175-grain Lever Raptor could slide over the screens at 2,800 fps. The most pleasant to shoot and most generally useful were 200-grain bullets at 2,400 fps or so. The best 100-yard, three-shot groups hovered around 2 inches – certainly adequate given the sights and likely uses.

Looking back, the Model 71 and its cartridge may well be anachronisms, relics of an earlier age. But for those of us who admire the handiness of the action type and the slower and quieter pace of hunting in the woods, there will always be a place for a good lever action.