Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Is It Shot Out?

I posted this down in the reloading forum, but thought it might get some more views here.

I have a Remington model 721 30-06 that my grandpa gave me. I’ve been trying to work up a load for it with a few of the historical pet loads, and I’m not having much luck. And the velocities are way slower across my chronograph than I feel they should be. (52 grains 4064 and a 150 NBT only going 2790 in a 24” barrel) I decided to see how close to the lands I was getting with the 150 BT seated at book COAL. So I used my Hornady OAL gauge to see. I run the bullet in till it stops, set the screw and pull it out. The bullet gets left in the rifle, but
It easy to remove. I go insert the bullet back in the tool, and there isn’t enough case neck left to hold the bullet. So either the throat is a mile long, or the barrel is toast. I have a hard time believing that as my grandpa purchased the gun new, and quit hunting in the mid eighties. I seriously doubt he shot a box of factory ammo a year out of it. So, is it it possible that it’s shot out?

Hard to say why the throat is so long, however back when that rifle was made the predominate load used a 180 grain bullet and chambers were cut to handle 220’s. You could have the barrel set back, but I would just chose another bullet. Nothing wrong with 168’s or 180’s.

probably is full of carbon and some copper ,needs a abrasive cleaning with J.B. cleaning compound. its not a quick job either you need to rod that rod back and forth awhile. good luck,Pete53

What is the accuracy of a 5-shot group when you use book COAL? (at 100 yards)

Not at all uncommon for a factory chambered .30 Cal of any iteration to have a very long throat.

I’d bet it isn’t shot out. I’d give it a good cleaning and try some of the normal accuracy sorta loads that work for 30-06’s and see what happens. Chances are it’s just a typical chamber and 150 BTs are fairly sharp pointed Bullets. Maybe try a traditional 165-180 and see where the lands are at with them.

Good luck. Sounds like a cool old rifle.

An old 721 in 30-06 that I owned long ago wouldn't shoot lighter bullets worth a damn. It like 200 grain round nose Remington cor lokt bullets. It was accurate with those but the recoil with that steel buttplate was too stout for me.

And of course, we're assuming all screws are tight, that old stock hasn't warped a bit to put weird, out of the way pressure on the barrel or action.... What does it have for sights? If optical, are all rings, mounts etc snugly screwed down....Is it a known good scope? If irons are they snugged down and are you one of the few left who can actually rate a rifle's accuracy using iron sights? By the way, aside from being slower than you think they should be, what do the groups look like at what distance?

There's a similar thread down in the reloading section with some possible answers.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...r/15652383/gonew/1/is-it-shot-out#UNREAD

Place a shim under the front of the action, near the recoil lug, lifting the barrel out of the fore end until you are sure the barrel is free-floating. The 721's had built-in bump in the fore-end pushing the barrel up. That old of rifle the fore-end may have moved some. My bet that will take care of the rifle's problems with accuracy. If that cures the ills, then: take out the bump, and free float the fore-end glass bed the recoil lug may help also.

I doubt it's shot out, but a 700 30-06 barrel new take off would cost less than $100.

More likely to be a bedding issue. If it were mine, I would clean it vigorously with an anti-copper agent and use JB compound after that. Then I would look closely at the bedding. If I remember correctly, there was a lot of wood to metal contact of that generation's gun barrels.

The 721/722 Remingtons, like the 700, had forend tip-pressure on the barrel. Like 700s, this can easily be fixed by taking a rasp to the "speed bump," and bedding the front end of the action with a thin shim in the epoxy.

Hmm sounds like a long throat and dirty barrel and people are recommending re-bedding the rifle? I would really clean the barrel with first a solvent and then a copper cleaner and then JB and probably have to repeat a couple of times. If going to this much trouble, now might be a good time to use DBC, I do most of mine just for added corrosion protection out of habit. Your rifle may have some pitting from storage. If a friend or a gunsmith has a bore scope this would be a good place to start. A barrel casting would be good too but I would make sure there is no pitting first so it doesn't get stuck in the barrel.

Then I would try some longer bullets or maybe buy some 220 grain factory loads to see how it shoots and if you are loosing velocity with those. And if they don't shoot acceptably then it is time to consider bedding the rifle. I would also get some 180s and 200 grain bullets and you might consider a round nose bullet just to test with. For a lot of hunting a round nose bullet is not a handicap. Only if shots over 300 yards were likely would it make much difference.

I have a M1917 30-06 sporter with a long throat and I get best results from a long rounded bullet like the 220gr. Sierras.

Credit card cut to size works for the shim and you can shim first to see if it helps before you start removing wood. MD gets the credit for that trick.

I’d doubt it shot out too...you need a bore scope. They are not expensive any more and can tell you all you need to know for barrel life and copper build up.

Your velocities are not too far off imho.