I picked up a first year of production (1948) Remington Model 721 in 30-06. It has the typical plain walnut stock with a Pachmayr Decelerator already installed. The metal is very good with the finish wear you'd expect on a hunting rifle this old.

It came with a nice Redfield steel mount and 'cam lock' rings and an old Bushnell Wideview 4 or 6 power scope. My Leupold Rifleman 3-9 will replace it.

The old gun has a 24" barrel with a nice bore. The rear sight was missing but I had a Marble's 68W fold down rear sight w/windage adjustment and a 1/16” gold bead to match. I easily achieved 100 yard zero. With that out of the way, mounted my Leupold 3-9x40 Rifleman; but the existing Leupold 700LA mount & rings wouldn’t allow the ocular far enough back for quick acquisition.

I already had a set of aluminum Leupold Rifleman rings and I wanted an aluminum rail with cross slots, to keep the weight down. I found a Leopold Back-Country rail locally. So my problems should be over, right?

Not quite. These old 721’s have a low comb stock, which to me means low rings. With those rings in place my objective bell kissed the front lug of the rail. So I hacksawed it off, squared it up with a file and gave it a dose of Birchwood Casey Aluminum Black. Didn’t turn out half bad and provided plenty of room for the objective bell.

All went well and zeroing was accomplished with seven rounds of Winchester 150 grain Power Point. This is easily one of the best shooting 30-06 rifles I’ve ever owned. Three shots at 196 yards (that’s where the shade was) including an adjustment, 1 ¾”.

I’ll be watching the back pasture for a coyote the next couple of mornings.

Sure love the old rifles. Looks like you found a keeper indeed.

They are wonderful old rifles that give up nothing to rifles made today. Very accurate, and completely reliable... Maybe not as fancy, but every bit as functional

I had one in 270 that I used for years and had some work done to refinish it. It was my first rifle. I foolishly traded it in on something new, and regretted it ever since. Then a couple of years ago, I spotted a 721 in the used rack of my favorite gun shop. I picked it up and sure enough it was my old 721 of 25 years ago. Same condition, same scope. Great price, too. Needless to say I bought it in a heartbeat. I replaced the cheap Bushnell scope with a Leupold, and gave it to my son as his first centerfire rifle... It's now his favorite rifle. I've got a 721 in 30-06 in the gun safe that will be his someday too...

I figured that since it had showed up again, that it was meant to be and that someone upstairs was looking out for me....

I've had a couple of those 'boomerang guns' and it's always a treat when they come back.
'

That`s so cool ! I like the 30/06 are you goin to use cast boolits ??

sounded like a nice period rifle/scope combo

I do have 40-50 of MO Bullet's #2 Whitetail 135 grain RNFPs and some old brass suitable for such a load. I do like a few mild-mannered cast loads in my coat pocket when out hunting.

Nice find. There's one floating on the Free Classifieds on 24HourCampfire.com in .300 Savage that I've managed to resist, but I'm weakening.

I have a 725 in .280 Remington, which is the deluxe grade on that action. My favorite deer/elk (if I ever manage an elk hunt) rifle. Once upon a time Remington built very nice rifles with the level of hand craftsmanship only imagined (or costing the price of a car) today.

That 300 Savage should be on the 722 short action, instead of the 721, but otherwise the same. Years ago, my Dad had a 722 in 300 and I wanted to get another 722 to convert to 250 Savage. Always thought the 250 could really be a different animal in a good bolt action with a faster rifling twist.

It is a wonderful cartridge in the right bolt action. I had a Remington Model 7 from the custom shop with a Mannlicher style laminated stock and a 20 inch barrel. It ate 100 grain bullets like a 3-year old eats M&Ms. Wonderfully accurate and a delight to carry. Perfect action for that cartridge and you could really load the cases a lot hotter than I'd have tried in a Model 99.

Just had too many deer rifles, so it went on down the road. Oddly enough, my primary deer rifle is a 1950s Model 99F, albeit in .300 Savage.