A guy walks into a hardware store...

[BoringCruffler]

Bagged my first deer with a 722 in .300 Savage. Still have it though I moved the scope to my Winchester. It is surprisingly good with the original iron sights--I had always figured they were mostly for decoration. The relatively tame recoil has made it a favourite for my son and his friends to learn to shoot 'high power' rifles. Iron sights and a 12-inch gong at 250 yards makes them feel very accomplished.

 

[Camohunter]

I inherited my dad's 721 in 300 H&H. Very neat old rifle in a cool caliber.
I have hunted with it a few years and bagged one bull elk with it using 180 grain accubond. Pretty good combo.
Allen

 

[Spitpatch]

Bagged my first deer with a 722 in .300 Savage. Still have it though I moved the scope to my Winchester. It is surprisingly good with the original iron sights--I had always figured they were mostly for decoration. The relatively tame recoil has made it a favourite for my son and his friends to learn to shoot 'high power' rifles. Iron sights and a 12-inch gong at 250 yards makes them feel very accomplished.

My solution for that:




Remington M722 .300 Savage. Lyman Alaskan 4x. Redfield receiver sight. Original buckhorns. All sight systems operational and sighted.

But, you say, "That's only the slide block for the Redfield! It has no elevator slide and peep!"
You would be correct.
Note where the slide should be in the block (behind the large knurled set screw) you will see some (blurred here) lettering.

That "blank" has a stamped inscription in block lettering:

BUTT
PLT

...directing the prospective new owner of this gun to remove the Buttplate, where I have inletted a fitted recess that holds the slide and peep, wrapped in oilskin paper. The stop screw allows installation with repeatability after the scope is turned out from the STD mounts.

I call it "The Puzzle Gun."

Paid $175 for the rifle not long ago at a "crappy Portland show". Came with the Redfield.

 

[Rem725]

BUTT
PLT

I wonder if you could modify/clone a Military BUTT PLT with a trap door onto your 721,2,5 or your M70.

 

[Spitpatch]

I wonder if you could modify/clone a Military BUTT PLT with a trap door onto your 721,2,5 or your M70.

I'm sure NEF or another maker of custom gun fittings has a trapdoor BUTT PLT that would be a complement.

 

[orygun]

I've owned a few rifles of the early-mid 50's and they have all been really solid guns. A JC Higgins in 270 was a nice one as was the Winchester Featherweight in 30-06 with one of them "need-a-screwdriver" Weaver variables and a set of tip off mounts with good ol iron sights. That Winchester was "too nice" to hunt with and I let it go. I should not have... I should have used it.
My current Mod70 (vintage 1952) wears a much newer VariX-II in Redfield mounts and the iron sights. Rifles back then always came with sights. A scope was a option that many chose not to purchase.

I was probably 8 or 10 when I saw a new ad for a Remington bolt action rifle. I thought it was very strange the gun didn't come with sights.
I also thought the Model 600 was COOL!! You want sights? Here ya go!

 

[CLT65]

Back when I hunted, a scope was an accessory, almost an afterthought, or so I thought. I knew a lot of guys who used cheap Bushnell or Tasco scopes, and some serious hunters who spent real money for a $150 3-9 Leupold.

I remember being a bit shocked many years later when I found out that a lot of folks nowadays spend more for glass than they do for a gun. I understand the practical arguments for a quality scope; but the thought of spending thousands for one was a foreign concept to my way of thinking.

 

[Spitpatch]

I've owned a few rifles of the early-mid 50's and they have all been really solid guns. A JC Higgins in 270 was a nice one as was the Winchester Featherweight in 30-06 with one of them "need-a-screwdriver" Weaver variables and a set of tip off mounts with good ol iron sights. That Winchester was "too nice" to hunt with and I let it go. I should not have... I should have used it.
My current Mod70 (vintage 1952) wears a much newer VariX-II in Redfield mounts and the iron sights. Rifles back then always came with sights. A scope was a option that many chose not to purchase.

I was probably 8 or 10 when I saw a new ad for a Remington bolt action rifle. I thought it was very strange the gun didn't come with sights.
I also thought the Model 600 was COOL!! You want sights? Here ya go!
View attachment 744785

Just remember: YOU started this.

See, "Son of Guy in Hardware Store" at a theater (thread) near you.

 

[Oridahoan]

What price precision (in 1951)?

Remington 721A: $79.95

Weaver K-V: $57.50

Beuhler Mounts: $20.00.

Ballpark 2 week's wages for a workin' man.

I come up with $1,573. About the cost of a new model 700 and leupold VX 3.

 

[HA556]

"A Man Walks Into A Hardware Store"

A man walks into a hardware store and asks the clerk for a faster way to cut down trees. "My axe isn't cutting it anymore, it's just too slow," he says.

The clerk looks around for a bit and comes back with a chainsaw. "Here, this might be what you want." The man says, "Oh yeah, I've heard of those! I'll take it!" So the clerk rings him up.

The man comes back the next day, holding the same chainsaw. "Hey, I think there's something wrong with the saw you sold me yesterday," he says. "I tried it out last night and it's even slower than my axe!"

The clerk takes it from him and looks it over. "Well, there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with it..." He pulls the starter cord and the chainsaw starts running.

The man jumps a bit and says, "Wait, what's that noise?"

 

[Rem725]

"Wait, what's that noise?"

An oldie, but a goodie. Maybe.

 

[orygun]

Just remember: YOU started this.

See, "Son of Guy in Hardware Store" at a theater (thread) near you.

The hardware store in town eventually had a new 600 in the display rack. It stuck around long enough for me to drool on the counter a couple of times.
Coast to Coast and Western Auto also had displays of guns, too. There were gunsmiths in town, but no "gun stores".

 

[Pete F]

Back when I hunted, a scope was an accessory, almost an afterthought, or so I thought. I knew a lot of guys who used cheap Bushnell or Tasco scopes, and some serious hunters who spent real money for a $150 3-9 Leupold.

I remember being a bit shocked many years later when I found out that a lot of folks nowadays spend more for glass than they do for a gun. I understand the practical arguments for a quality scope; but the thought of spending thousands for one was a foreign concept to my way of thinking.

The old Tasco and Bushnell scopes were very well made and had great glass. I am talking in the 60's and 70's. I have a 3-9x Tasco made in Korea that I got from my Dad. The glass was made in Japan and is very clear. Japanese Tasco's were great scopes for the price. They didn't have three layers of fancy coatings, but were clear to the edges.

I also own a more recent Bushnell Legend Ultra HD 3-9x that is a wonderful scope. I have it mounted on my Ruger M77 stainless, paddle stock in 7.62x39.

The Europeans used to spend 3x the cost of the rife for the scope. I am not sure if this has changed, but they used to make fun of Americans with their cheap scopes.

I usually try to do 1:1, Remington 700 VTR with Leupold VX-3 4.5-14 CDS w/parallax adjustment.

 

[Rem725]

Here is a pix of a good hardware store rifle. It isn't mine. It was on the internet. So it must be true.

 

[Ura-Ki]

I have both 721 and 722's I got way back when nobody knew what they were, the 700's were all the rage, and nobody cared much for the early hunting rifles that didn't come from across the pond! I also have an Ultra Rare Rheinmetall Sport, a licence built 721 that were sold in Europe in the post war years!

 

[HaveGun]

My dad was showing me one his rifles the other day that I'll inherit someday. It was a pre-`64 Model 70 in .270 built by Al Biesen as sort of a tribute rifle to Jack O'Connor. Just absolutely beautiful rifle with lots of engraving and a gold Dall sheep inlay in the magazine floorplate. He used it to take his first Grand Slam.

I was drooling over a rifle that is likely worth more than my new SUV when my dad told me he had it built in 1971 for the huge sum of $764.

When the rifle was new...

 

[TTSX]

Back when I hunted, a scope was an accessory, almost an afterthought, or so I thought. I knew a lot of guys who used cheap Bushnell or Tasco scopes, and some serious hunters who spent real money for a $150 3-9 Leupold.

I remember being a bit shocked many years later when I found out that a lot of folks nowadays spend more for glass than they do for a gun. I understand the practical arguments for a quality scope; but the thought of spending thousands for one was a foreign concept to my way of thinking.

Some folks do, but if you'll allow me to be honest, my experience in the field has always shown me people who hunt with the cheapest rifle they can buy with whatever trendy "just as good" scope they find at Cabela's or bi-mart. And they often wax poetic about what they'll buy "someday" until someday never comes and they have a brand new cheap-o whoopty doo combo. It's a frustrating thing for me when I often just pick up the winchester 94 anyway. Places I hunt often barely get to the close side of 200yds.


TLDR: I've never seen a $1k hunting scope in the field