Remington 721 Experiences and opinions

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kerreckt

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I just bought a Remington 721 in 30-06 manufactured in April Of 1950. It is in very good to excellent condition. Much credit must be given to the two former owners because they took great care of it. I love older rifles and I fell for this one hard. I would like to hear others folks experiences with and opinions of the Remington 721 rifle. Thanks and best wishes.
 
My primary Elk rifle is my uncle's old 721 in .30-06. I use factory 220 RNSPs, and have had great success in the Colorado Rockies. The 5x6 Bull staring at me as I write this agrees. :)
I find that modern plastic stock, plastic trigger guard, plastic magazine guns are really rather soulless and offer nothing over classics like the 721. If the extra pound or two of weight really bothers you, you need more pre-season conditioning.
My 721 can no longer be described as "Excellent". The stock dings, scratches, worn bluing, and duct tape residue are evidence of a REAL working rifle.
 
My 721 is chambered in .270 Winchester.She kicks like a mule,due to the stock configuration and metal buttplate I believe.Made in 1949,still shoots great,and has a soul.
 
I had a 721 in 30-06, great rifle and more accurate then I was. It was sold but I still hear about it being used in camp as a back up rifle. Usually after the Magnums fail because of not enough practice.

I do not remember it being heavy.
 
I have a 30/06 that was my grandfathers. Most accurate hunting rifle I've had and it's back to being my main bolt action to use over the other rugers and brownings I have. Just a great rifle that seems to shoot everything well.

Sent from my Droid tablet using Tapatalk 2
 
Thanks for the replies. I just read #3 and that is what I couldn't put into words. These old rifles have a soul. Mine is the most accurate 30-06 I have ever shot. There was an older gentleman at the range who almost had tears in his eyes as he told me about his father's 721. These rifles do have a soul.
 
The current Model 700 is simply an "updated" Model 721/722. My favorite Remington bolt-action is the Model 725, the immediate predecessor to the Model 700 and is nothing more than a gussied up 721/722. It was only made for a few years (1958 to 1961) and, consequently, can be very hard to find and are generally pretty pricey if you ever do locate one.
 
My Father had one in 300H&H. Its one of his favorites and the thing shoots extremely well. He has taken several deer with it and a few past 300.
 
I inherited a 721 .270 from my dad. Including bloody fingerprints on barrel. It shoots awesome and has a Leupold VXII scope.

It has sole. Dads sole. Mine and my family. I love it. I am going to work up some loads for 130gr Hornady SST bullets.

You'll love it.
 
I have a 270 and a 30/06 Remington 721. Rugged, plain, smooth operating and very accurate sums up the 721.
 
Safety notice

All 721 owners should pay attention to this.

http://www.remington.com/pages/news...tion-program/remington-model-721-and-722.aspx

A few years ago I was heading out of the woods after a day of hunting and released the safety to unload the rifle when it discharged. I was freaked out as I was sure I hadn't touched the trigger. When I got home, I stripped the rifle but could find nothing amiss. I put the rifle away but shied away from using it.

Later, I was looking to download a user manual since I'd bought mine used, and ran across the safety notice. Apparently, there have been enough instances of this for Remington to initiate remedial action. The fix allows the bolt to be worked without releasing the safety. I had mine done a couple of years ago although I still haven't used it.

Your particular rifle may never experience this, but to me, this is something that needs to be done.
 
My Dad bought me a 721 in 300 H&H before my first elk hunt in 1957 when I was 14 years old. I was use to a 30-30 and the first time I fired it from a kneeling position it knocked me over backward. I was sold from then on.

My Dad put a 4X Bushnell scope on it and I learned to handle the recoil. Later that fall I killed a 5 point bull with it with one shot.

I still have it and never ever considered needing another "big game" rifle.
It rode around in the gun rack in my pickup on the ranch for 20 years.

I put a Reinhart-Fajen stock on it maybe 30 years ago, other than that, I haven't changed a thing.

I have no idea how many game animals and other critters I have shot with it.


It's as good today as it was back when he paid $81.00 for it brand new.
 
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I have the short action version, the M722, in .257 Roberts. It was my grandpa's and I shot my first deer with it at age 11 in 1963 near Leaky, Texas. So, I'm kinda biased, but I don't think the BDL/ADL has anything, but bling on this old gun. It still shoots a 100 grain Sierra Game King BTSP over a compressed charge of H4831 into 1/2 MOA at 100 yards with. It has killed dozens upon dozens of deer in the last 60 years and has won a few "deer rifle only" club bench rest matches beating out a BUNCH of different high dollar sporters.

Some years ago, I refinished the stock on this old rifle, had the metal re-blued, and set the trigger where I like it at 3 crisp pounds. It is still probably my favorite hunting rifle, though I kinda like my little M7 in .308. These rifles didn't have ebony end caps or white line spacers or even recoil pads and the wood was rather plain and uncheckered, but they're danged good shooters. One can always add his own recoil pad. That is not necessary with .257 Roberts chambering, though. :D
 
A few years ago I was heading out of the woods after a day of hunting and released the safety to unload the rifle when it discharged. I was freaked out as I was sure I hadn't touched the trigger. When I got home, I stripped the rifle but could find nothing amiss. I put the rifle away but shied away from using it.

That happened to a M340 Savage an uncle had. It was probably caused by the trigger adjustment screws getting out of adjustment. A dab of loctite after trigger adjustment or even just after purchase avoids this. This is NOT just a 721-722 problem and is a reason that if you don't know what you're doing, you'd best leave the trigger adjustments to the gunsmith.
 
That happened to a M340 Savage an uncle had. It was probably caused by the trigger adjustment screws getting out of adjustment. A dab of loctite after trigger adjustment or even just after purchase avoids this. This is NOT just a 721-722 problem and is a reason that if you don't know what you're doing, you'd best leave the trigger adjustments to the gunsmith.

That or the sear being stuck from 40 years of gummed up oil/gun lube/dirt/etc. The beef of course is that the safety locks the bolt. Even the the older 700's were this way. The retrofit changes this.

If the trigger is properly cleaned, you shouldn't have any issues. I had to completely tear mine down a couple years ago for the same. No problems since.

The 721's are great rifles with long smooth actions (sometimes tough to mount a scope on) Mine was purchased at the base PX at Eielson AFB in 1959. It killed all manner of game in Alaska, New Mexico, Texas, etc. before I got it from my father, and it's been hammering deer in Texas for the last 30 years.
 
I have 2 in .270 and 1 in 30.06. All good shooter's. However, they have no family history. They were bought at an auction. I had a 725 that I stupidly sold years back. Anyway, I had one of the .270's re-barreled for a 25.06. The smith did some magic on the trigger. Usually get at least two, "what kind of rifle is that"? when I go to the range. Co-incidentally there are 9, 721's in .270 in the family.
 
I've got 721 in .30-06. Bought it from a guy I worked for summers when I was a college kid. Not sure, but I think it's mid '50s vintage.

It was my first centerfire rifle. I had been borrowing my Dad's -06 Rem. 760 to control woodchucks on neighboring farms. The 721 took over that role.

It's a good old gun, but my M700 will out shoot it. Heck, the old 760 would out shoot it; but that 760 was somethin' special...one of the most accurate -06s I ever shot.

Best I could get from the 721 was 1-1/2" groups at 100 yards. Glass bedding and new scope didn't help. I've still got it, but haven't shot it in decades.
 
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