Review: Pedersoli 86/71 Lever Action Boarbuster Evolution

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Introducing the Pedersoli 86/71 Lever Action Boarbuster Evolution, a modern take on the classic 1886 rifle. Chambered in .45-70 Gov, this rifle blends historical elegance with modern functionality, featuring a robust Cerakote finish, threaded barrel, an interchangeable loop lever, and a refined walnut stock. You’ve come to the right place for those seeking a premium lever gun with a unique European touch.

86/71 Boarbuster Evolution Specifications:

The Boarbuster Evolution Out of the Box

Pedersoli ships the 86/71 Boarbuster Evolution with a standard loop lever, a beautifully finished walnut stock, and a smooth Cerakote-coated action. Optional accessories include a larger loop lever, a side Picatinny base, and a ghost ring sight—each sold separately.

Stock & Grip

The Boarbuster Evolution features a select walnut stock finished with a Silicon Grip film coating. This protective layer adds durability and weather resistance without compromising the rifle’s natural aesthetics.

At first touch, the stock felt almost like fake wood due to the tacky texture of the silicone protective layer. Initially, this was unexpected, but over time, I came to appreciate the extra grip it provides. Where traditional wood furniture can be slick, this coating ensures a non-slip grip, which is excellent for hunting. However, the silicone layer is fairly easy to scratch off. This will give a more worn look after some use in the field. The ergonomic design of the stock provides a comfortable cheek weld while keeping a classic, polished look without aggressive texturing like modern polymer stocks.

Lever & Action

One of the unique features of this rifle is its interchangeable loop loading lever. Out of the box, it comes with a standard-sized loop, which feels comfortable and responsive. However, for those wearing gloves or wanting a different aesthetic, an oversized lever is available as an add-on. The lever action itself is smooth and consistent, reinforcing Pedersoli’s reputation for high-quality craftsmanship. Every time I work the lever, I feel like I am running the gun version of a high end Italian sports car. The machining and fit is great, and the Italians have proven once again that they know their stuff.

One of the most unexpected features of this rifle is its safety system—or lack thereof. The manual safety cannot be activated once the hammer is cocked, meaning the only way to make the rifle safe is to slowly lower the hammer. In my mind, this isn’t ideal for a hunting rifle, where I want it cocked and ready but with a safety engaged. However, the lever lockout feature is a plus. When de-cocked and activated, the safety prevents the lever from cycling, acting as a secondary safety mechanism.

Ejection & Reliability

The Boarbuster Evolution utilizes a breach-loading, vertical ejection system, allowing spent casings to eject straight up and over your shoulder. Unlike side-ejecting lever guns that can have cycling issues when tilted, this top-eject system enables smooth operation from nearly any angle. I had no issues with brass hitting my face, and casings always landed just a few feet behind me.

Standard lever guns struggle when the rifle is tilted to the right, but the Boarbuster’s design lets me cycle it at practically any angle without feeding issues. The only time I experienced a slight snag was when trying to cycle the rifle completely upside down, but otherwise, the action was flawless.

The loading port is also larger than most lever guns, making it easy to load rounds quickly. The loading ramp doesn’t pinch my fingertips, which is a major improvement over some lever guns that can be painful to load. Fit and function is excellent throughout every aspect of this rifle.

Sights & Optics

The rifle comes with a red fiber optic front sight, and an adjustable rear notch sight with green fiber optic inserts. Placed at the forward end of the Picatinny rail, the sight radius is quite short, but it is out of the way and quick to pick up. However, for the entirety of this review, I chose to mount up a Vortex Crossfire red dot which worked without fail. 

The Boarbuster Evolution features a forward-mounted Picatinny rail section, which is necessary to avoid interfering with ejected casings. This scout-style design requires a long-eye-relief scope for proper use. While not ideal for traditional scope mounting, this setup aligns well with the rifle’s intended functionality and hunting applications. For those of us from the US who want to mount traditional scopes or thermals, Pedersoli sells an offset Pic rail that mounts to the side of the receiver. 

Boarbuster Evolution Barrel

With a 19-inch barrel and a 1:18″ twist rate, the rifle is designed to handle heavy .45-70 loads effectively. The six-groove rifling offers practical accuracy, and the Cerakote finish ensures excellent protection against the elements. Another great feature is a threaded barrel. This allows for mounting various muzzle devices or suppressors.

One thing I noticed during testing is that the barrel heats up quickly. After just six quick rounds, the barrel became quite hot. So if you plan on dumping rounds at the range, or unloading on a sounder of pigs, I’d recommend bringing gloves.

Trigger

The trigger on the Boarbuster Evolution is impressively crisp, breaking cleanly between 4.5 and 5 pounds. There is no noticeable take-up—it’s right on the wall and ready to go as soon as you apply pressure. This makes for a predictable and precise trigger pull, enhancing accuracy and control when taking shots in the field.

Precision & Accuracy

Due to the forward rail placement, I wasn’t able to use any of the scopes I had on hand, so I opted to shoot using a Vortex Crossfire red dot. Because of this, I chose to test accuracy at 25 yards instead of a longer distance. Not ideal, but it allowed me to see the target. Despite using a red dot, I was still able to achieve mostly around 2 MOA groups with various Buffalo Bore ammunition types. However, I believe the rifle itself is more accurate than I could be with that setup. Nonetheless, shown in the table and image below are the results I achieved. Also, bullet velocity was recorded using the Garmin Xero C1 chronograph.

Ammunition Type	Average Velocity (FPS)	Group Size (MOA)
Buffalo Bore 300gr JHP	2269.7	2.23
Buffalo Bore 350gr Barnes TSX-FN	2030.0	2.88
Buffalo Bore 380gr Mono-Metal	2086.9	4.97
Buffalo Bore 405gr JFN	1942.3	1.95

Buffalo Bore Ammunition

Throughout this review, all of the ammunition used was supplied by Buffalo Bore. They are the official ammo sponsor for this review and offer many types of high-performance ammunition. They sent out 300, 350, 380, and 405gr rounds which all ran flawlessly. I have used their ammunition across multiple firearm reviews, and have always had good results.

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Final Thoughts on the 86/71 Boarbuster Evolution

The Pedersoli 86/71 Lever Action Boarbuster Evolution is a refined take on the classic 1886 design, offering a modernized lever gun with European craftsmanship. The Cerakote finish, premium walnut stock, and well-balanced barrel make it a standout option for hunters and lever-action enthusiasts alike. Utilizing a threaded barrel is a big plus, while the forward Picatinny rail limits this rifle to be paired with red dots or scout scopes. It currently has a street price of around $2600, and there is no doubt it is a premium Italian rifle, but rest assured because it runs like one too.

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