Mustangs Rule
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 4, 2021
- Messages
- 903
I will forever have a place of gratitude for a Remington Model 722 in .257 Roberts. I came from the east to the west, fifty-five years ago, with a full-sized Browning Belgium Mauser 30-06 and a Marlin 336-T, “T” for the straight grip Texan model in 35 Remington.
Neither fit my new needs when I moved to the desert mountains north of the Mexican Border. The deer were small and had fit into the high niches once filled with desert big horn sheep, of which there still was a seed stock herd.
I walked into a funky little Ma and Pa general store in the desert mountains where they sold a few guns and saw a Model 722 in 257 Roberts. It belonged to an old desert rat prospector and deer hunter who died, and his kin brought his rifle in this store to sell.
It came with a Lyman peep sight, the base notched into the stock and installed but without the eye piece. Mounted on it was a 3x Weaver scope with half the bluing gone. Covering the lenses were two cut off thumbs from old leather gloves.
The GI sling was OD green, and so worn and furry it looked alive.
It came with a wooden box, with brass, a Lee Loader, several boxes of Hornady 117 Grain Round nosed bullets, ancient primers, a few cans of powder and a little box, stamped Lyman which had the peep sight eye piece and some loaded ammo, all with round-nosed bullets.
I paid $175 for the entire package.
A few days later I cleaned it, cheeked the rings and mounts, all tight and went to shoot it.
It was my first tack driver. That 257 Roberts became my firearms professor teaching me a graduate level class on field accuracy.
I have a custom when buying a used firearm with obvious incredible history, to leave it alone, let it be. Hunt with it as time and a veteran hunter of old used it.
For many years I hiked and hunted the flat sandy playas and desert mountains, (Often seeing Wild Bighorns) and shot both varieties of desert deer with that fine rifle. Killed them all with the ammunition he loaded.
The stock comb was low for iron sights and when switching to a scope the old dessert rat bought a little leather snap on cheek lift for fast sight acquisition. It worked OK. I oiled it, used it thinking how my sweaty DNA was mixing with his.
One day when out hunting I had an accidental discharge. Talking with a gunsmith I became aware of the safety failure issue that began with the 722 and 721 Remington's, that was not resolved in later model 700’s.
Research suggests the company saved 5 cents/rifle not following the original safety design.
Through the years I had more problems with Rimingtons’. The boxed trigger on a 280, 700 mountain rifle, filled with dust in a desert sandstorm and the pull more than doubled. Next the extractor wore out on a 700 Classic in 35 Whelen. This was my extra insurance antelope rifle for hunting them in high mountain meadows in the grizzly filled Wind River range near where I once lived in Wyoming.
Admiring a stainless Model 7 in 260, I bought it after hearing the trigger was changed. Most always I have my winter shooting and exercise wrapped around snowshoe mountain biathlon course.
I shoot quite a bit and suddenly the trigger pull on this Model 7 more than doubled.
I took it to my gunsmith and was told these new triggers were not forged and fitted steel but instead were cheap cast white metal with hard plating at contact points.
It wore out, and I was worn out with Remington’s. I sold the last one of them.
In 1992 Winchester in New Hav4n Ct. began producing CRF Model 70’s again, until 2006. I bought a stainless Classic Featherweight in 6.5X55 Swede. Not as good as the old pre-64’s but still a worthy, and SAFE rifle. To meet my various needs as a then guide and hunter, I discovered the wonderful world of used Sako rifles. They are the “Gold Standard” not “Beer can Quality” rifles. Sako’s, Old Winchesters, and Belgium Safari grade Browning’s’ have served me very well.
I never ever again need another rifle,,,,yet,,,,there is a Rifleman’s’ yearning, a hunters’ longing, an old drum beat going on in my inner armory.
I want another Model 722 in .257 Roberts. One with a messed-up stock I can glass down smooth and finish it with Marine Spar Varnish. Better to have no checkering than cheap pressed checkering.
Okay I will put a safe trigger in. Fine if it has the stock cut in for the peep sight base. I will find and buy one,
Just give me a good bore. If the bluing is bad, I will get it parkerized, an old honest finish. I have a fixed 3X Weaver scope just serviced by Ironsight of Tulsa, Ok.
And if the stock is low, I will take some harness grade leather and make a cheek lift. I know how to do such things.
Mustangs Rule.
Neither fit my new needs when I moved to the desert mountains north of the Mexican Border. The deer were small and had fit into the high niches once filled with desert big horn sheep, of which there still was a seed stock herd.
I walked into a funky little Ma and Pa general store in the desert mountains where they sold a few guns and saw a Model 722 in 257 Roberts. It belonged to an old desert rat prospector and deer hunter who died, and his kin brought his rifle in this store to sell.
It came with a Lyman peep sight, the base notched into the stock and installed but without the eye piece. Mounted on it was a 3x Weaver scope with half the bluing gone. Covering the lenses were two cut off thumbs from old leather gloves.
The GI sling was OD green, and so worn and furry it looked alive.
It came with a wooden box, with brass, a Lee Loader, several boxes of Hornady 117 Grain Round nosed bullets, ancient primers, a few cans of powder and a little box, stamped Lyman which had the peep sight eye piece and some loaded ammo, all with round-nosed bullets.
I paid $175 for the entire package.
A few days later I cleaned it, cheeked the rings and mounts, all tight and went to shoot it.
It was my first tack driver. That 257 Roberts became my firearms professor teaching me a graduate level class on field accuracy.
I have a custom when buying a used firearm with obvious incredible history, to leave it alone, let it be. Hunt with it as time and a veteran hunter of old used it.
For many years I hiked and hunted the flat sandy playas and desert mountains, (Often seeing Wild Bighorns) and shot both varieties of desert deer with that fine rifle. Killed them all with the ammunition he loaded.
The stock comb was low for iron sights and when switching to a scope the old dessert rat bought a little leather snap on cheek lift for fast sight acquisition. It worked OK. I oiled it, used it thinking how my sweaty DNA was mixing with his.
One day when out hunting I had an accidental discharge. Talking with a gunsmith I became aware of the safety failure issue that began with the 722 and 721 Remington's, that was not resolved in later model 700’s.
Research suggests the company saved 5 cents/rifle not following the original safety design.
Through the years I had more problems with Rimingtons’. The boxed trigger on a 280, 700 mountain rifle, filled with dust in a desert sandstorm and the pull more than doubled. Next the extractor wore out on a 700 Classic in 35 Whelen. This was my extra insurance antelope rifle for hunting them in high mountain meadows in the grizzly filled Wind River range near where I once lived in Wyoming.
Admiring a stainless Model 7 in 260, I bought it after hearing the trigger was changed. Most always I have my winter shooting and exercise wrapped around snowshoe mountain biathlon course.
I shoot quite a bit and suddenly the trigger pull on this Model 7 more than doubled.
I took it to my gunsmith and was told these new triggers were not forged and fitted steel but instead were cheap cast white metal with hard plating at contact points.
It wore out, and I was worn out with Remington’s. I sold the last one of them.
In 1992 Winchester in New Hav4n Ct. began producing CRF Model 70’s again, until 2006. I bought a stainless Classic Featherweight in 6.5X55 Swede. Not as good as the old pre-64’s but still a worthy, and SAFE rifle. To meet my various needs as a then guide and hunter, I discovered the wonderful world of used Sako rifles. They are the “Gold Standard” not “Beer can Quality” rifles. Sako’s, Old Winchesters, and Belgium Safari grade Browning’s’ have served me very well.
I never ever again need another rifle,,,,yet,,,,there is a Rifleman’s’ yearning, a hunters’ longing, an old drum beat going on in my inner armory.
I want another Model 722 in .257 Roberts. One with a messed-up stock I can glass down smooth and finish it with Marine Spar Varnish. Better to have no checkering than cheap pressed checkering.
Okay I will put a safe trigger in. Fine if it has the stock cut in for the peep sight base. I will find and buy one,
Just give me a good bore. If the bluing is bad, I will get it parkerized, an old honest finish. I have a fixed 3X Weaver scope just serviced by Ironsight of Tulsa, Ok.
And if the stock is low, I will take some harness grade leather and make a cheek lift. I know how to do such things.
Mustangs Rule.
