Family Heirloom....or new gun....???

W

Wildernesshunter

New member
My folks gave my mother's dad (my granddad) a Remington 721 in 30'06 back in the 50's. They bought it brand new and slapped a Weaver K4 on it....original El Paso scope. After Daddy Frank passed on 1974, my mother got the gun back in inheritance. Dad said he didn't think that gun ever had more than 100 rounds run through it. For my 16th birthday, they gave me the gun.

The gun is absolutely stock, even having the steel butt plate. I haven't done a thing to the gun, except discarding the scope, once the crosshairs wiggled loose. It is a shooter, driving 180gr Remington ammo brought from WalMart at about 1.5" groups. But, it is also a jackhammer. Back when I was in my 20's I killed a dozen deer with it, and just toughed out the recoil, but quit shooting it for 25+ years until recently. I have found....I absolutely HATE shooting the gun. I took it to the range yesterday, ran 10 rounds though it and my shoulder was killing me..... I would honestly rather shoot my Marlin 45-70!!!

So.....what would you do? Alter the gun with a good recoil pad and try to make it a gun I enjoy shooting? ...Or leave the gun bone stock, a family heirloom? I have even been shopping for Weaver K4's on Ebay, retuning the gun to it's original setup, so she can be a "safe queen" and conversation piece.

I've just come to this place in life, where I hate recoil. I have even sold two of my magnum rigs last year, down-grading to much lighter recoil guns. I have three long range setups, .223, 243 and 7 Mag.....and the 7RM gets limited attention (despite it weighing 14lbs with a great recoil pad). I would need to "replace" the ole aught six....with a deer rifle and am leaning to a 25'06, maybe the Weatherby Vanguard 2.

What would you do?


........
 
I would get a Past recoil pad and strap it to my shoulder rather then alter the rifle. I use one some times myself and it really works well. Also when shooting from the bench keep your back straight, leaning into the rifle hurts.
 
Searching just this one forum should find plenty of threads on how to reduce recoil in your favorite rifle or shotgun.
In addition to installing a really good pad, you can add weight to the stock.
Sometimes, using the above mentioned shoulder pad is required, too.
There's plenty of ways to help deal with recoil.
 
I am done with recoil too. three things you can do and still keep the gun. purchase reduced hornady ammo, reload reduced ammo. or rebarrel it to 6mm rem, 257 Roberts.
.....reduced ammo in my 308 featherweight feels like thirty thirty recoil but is more accurate. same thing for reloads. 25 06 is still stout. 6mm rem is still a long cartridge along with 257 Roberts, should feed well but a lot less recoil.
....when I was younger (62 now) I shot 300 mags, 375 h&h, 45-90, 454 casulls, etc.,,,, 243 or reduced 308s, 222s etc nowadays.
....the series 2 vanguards are excellent rifles. but they aint family heirlooms. bob
 
Oliver....I think that is what I will do.

I do not want to alter the gun. And I certainly don't want to add weight, hiking the Rocky Mountains looking for deer and elk.


As to another gun..... When I study the recoil values, it seems that the 25'06, 260 Rem, 6.5 Creedmoor, etc are all about the same. For a western hunting rig.....I am leaning to the 25'06......but am wide open to suggestions.

Heck, I am even looking at a 6.5 Grendel in the Howa.....just cause of light recoil. I think I can hand load this round to 2,600fps with 120gr pill.

I do like my .243 Win, 1,000 yard shooter, but cannot toot that 14lb gun around and think it is marginal for elk.
 
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The Grendel is pretty impressive...... With the recoil less than a 243.


Ballistics Results
RANGE (YARDS) VELOCITY (FPS) ENERGY (FT.-LB.) TRAJECTORY (IN) COME UP IN MOA COME UP IN MILS WIND DRIFT (IN)
Muzzle 2600 1846 -1.5 0 0 0
100 2468 1664 3.5 -3.3 -1 0.6
200 2340 1495 2.7 -1.3 -0.4 2.2
300 2216 1341 -4.4 1.4 0.4 5.1
400 2095 1199 -18.6 4.4 1.3 9.3
500 1979 1069 -40.7 7.8 2.3 14.9
 
The last thing in the world I would do it get rid of or modified your M-721. Grandpa's gun is just to valuable.

Bite the bullet and buy a gun you can shoot.

If you want to shoot the 721, don't modify it. Go to Buffalo Arms.com and buy one of their recoil pads that go on your shoulder. I wear mine for all my heavy shooters and it works WITHOUT MODIFYING THE GUN.

https://www.buffaloarms.com/large-right-shield-rand-elite-recoil-shield-lrs

Its comfortable, fits under the jacket or shirt, and you wont know its there until you shoot and release you don't have the recoil.
 
I've had a 7mm-08 and while I thought it was nifty, I now believe the 308 is just superior and the 7mm-08 is redundant. I don't feel that way about the .260 or .243....they have a place.....as well as the .338 Federal.


I know....It's a weird way of thinking...I know....but I am really trying to decide between a 25'06 or a 6.5 Grendel.....


Effective and low recoil.....
 
Eghads, that's the largest shoulder pad ever.
Might as well use a pillow.
Or a gel bicycle seat. :)
Somewhere I have a shoulder pad made from a gel type wrist protector designed for use with a computer keyboard.
Works pretty good, too.
Let us know how that thing works out.
 
There's exactly the same rifle and scope on Gunbroker, with a lot of personal rules(kinda funny) at $674.90 that ends tomorrow and not one bid.
Other used 721's are running $150 and up to about $500.
Isn't exactly a collector's piece. Buy a Pachmayr slip-on recoil pad(About $25 at Brownell's) and use it. Or buy a new M700.
 
I'll throw my 2 cents in as I have been in a similar position. If you don't enjoy shooting the gun which is understandable, and there is nobody in the family you wish to give it to or wants it, I would sell it and get something you would want. 6.5 Creedmoor is one I really am having fun with.
Another option is to give it to some young kid you know and give him something to start off with. Lots of options and none wrong. I wouldn't alter the gun in any case though.
 
It really depends on the value you place on grand-dads gun. I have a couple of guns that were my dads and I will never let them go. When the old 30-06 won't shoot any more I will re-barrel it but keep it as a 30-06 or maybe a 308. It started life as a CMP gun in the standard 03A3 configuration and then dad put on a stock that he finished. I watched him rub boiled linseed oil into that wood for weeks.
I have other guns that I bought but none of them hold the memories and value of that '06.
 
If you sell it, you will regret it. If you don't like the trigger, then maybe get a Timney, but otherwise keep it unaltered. I really like slip-on recoil pads because it doesn't alter the rifle; it adds length-of-pull, which reduces perceived recoil for those of us that are taller than average; and you can take it off if you are wearing heavy winter garments. While it's fine to have some heavy-game loads that you use when the occasion merits, but if they are kickin' the snot out of you, switch to something more pleasant. And if you reload, it's a simple matter to pick up some 130 grain bullets from Speer or Hornady, and throttle them back to perhaps 2800 fps for general practice and even for deer hunting. And yes, definitely put a period-correct Weaver K4 on it. If you are faithful to do all these things, you should soon grow into a greater appreciation of the rifle.
Then, when you are headed out to the trailhead for your wilderness hunt, be sure to get there in a period-correct, middle-50's or at least pre-'64 pickup truck, (Willy's maybe?), leave all your 21st century trinkets at home and make your camp like an outdoorsman from an earlier era. The 21st Century will still be there when you get back; but walk away from it for a moment, and remember your grandfather.;)
 
It is a family heirloom that you seem to regret having because of bad experiences with it in the past. If my thinking is correct, then pass it along to another family member who might appreciate it and go buy what you want.
 
If I was having recoil problems with the gun that I hunt with I would shoot it in so it's zeroed and take it hunting. I wouldn't take it to the range to shoot all day. I would buy a new gun for that and keep the other a solid hunting tool.

It is now an Heirloom. Sell it and you might regret it. Alter it and you might regret it. Rechamber it and you're wasting money you could spend on another gun.
 
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