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Rem 721 time to re-barrel, what caliber

J

JFricke

Private
Minuteman
Oct 28, 2023
41
20
Woods Hole, MA
#1
I have a 721 30-06 which I got from my father. Nothing fancy but it has a well adjusted trigger. I was hoping for the rifle to serve both as a range toy for local level 300 yd steel and egg matches, as well as a hunting rifle for whitetail in northern new england. The range use being the focus, and hunting as time allows at a friends property.

I recently spent some time at the range with it and it consistently has a POI shift as it warms up. Walks down the paper ~3" at 100 yards till hot, then holds steady. I knew it had a historic tendency for shifting POI so before I took it out I gave it pillars and bedded the action in addition to floating the barrel. I'm pretty sure the pencil barrel is the culprit and am considering re-barreling with something a bit heavier (M24/MTU) but am now thinking about caliber choice.

the basic perimeters are :
readily available match grade factory ammo because I have no time for reloading with a young family
cant be too small of a case cause it a long action and I would like to be able to use the blind mag

currently I'm thinking about 6.5x55 but am wondering what the recommendations might be.

I recognize that the recommendation will likely be origin action with 6BR prefit for the target work and leave the existing rifle alone for hunting but I like projects and making use of what I have.
 
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#2
M24 is a hell of a lot more than a bit heavier. The barrel, depending on length could weigh up to 7# all by itself.
It also probably would not fit your wood stock without completely fucking it up.


3rd, why do you spell recognise like a Brit?





Edited to fix auto-incorrect sticking some basketball player's name in my response.
 
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#4
DontShootEnough said:
.280 Ackley
Click to expand...
I have a 721 in .270 that I was thinking about rebarreling. When I do it will be .280 ackley, but that gun will be only for hunting.


OP, you’re kind of in a pickle because it’s a long action with a standard bolt face. IMO most calibers you’d be looking to build a target gun in long action would be a mag bolt face. (300 win mag, 300 Norma, 7mm mag stuff, ect.). But 280 ai might be a good compromise.
 
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#8
Wanting off the shelf ammo . 300 yards range. Just do .308 and be done . It will work in a long action . If you have to do a little work for the box magazine to work, the money you save on ammo will more than cover it. I honestly don’t think you have to mess with it for .308 to feed .
 
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#13
OP is getting some great feedback, but did bring a fairly specific question. I think what everyone is nibbling around is that it’s really difficult to have a single rifle for hunting and range/long range work - what makes a rifle/cartridge good at each is just too different - especially from a weight perspective.

I have a 24 inch M24 “temporarily” on a hunting rifle right now and it shoots like a dream, but I can’t wait to get it off.
 
#14
I'd rebarrel with a Bartlein in the same profile you currently have. It was your Dad's.

If you want to fuck around with a rifle for shooting targets, build one dedicated for such in one of the minimal recoiling rounds the cool kids play with.
 
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#20
I appreciate the advice about M 24 being a little too heavy for toting around in the woods. It’s just a trade off.

I have considered a rem/age set up, but I’m not sure I can get over the aesthetics. Might have to think about that some more.

As always, there’s lots of options. Will let you know what I decided on when it’s all done.
 
#24
Go 308 Win a long action will feed those overly long cartridges out of the mag.
Get a 9 twist so you can shoot 200 gr SMK to 230 gr Atips, and works with the 155gr, 168, 169, 175 177, 208 Berger, or eldm etc.

Conventional loads for moderate range or newer bullets and powders to increase 308 performance.
Barrel length probably best from 22" to 30." Depending on your needs.
M24 is pretty heavy as is the heavy Palma contour.
A 9 twist Rem Varmint contour will build a fairly light rifle for walking around.

A great bullet for the long action 308 is the 200 gr SMK .715 g1 BC.
I shoot it at 2740 fps in 22" 9 twist 5 R barrel with Lapua LR primed brass...or 2856 fps ave in long barrel.

This is a light walk around 308 22" barrel twist running 230 Atips at 2600 fps with hybrid cases....or new 177 SMK at 3045 fps.
Hybrid cases represent the maximum effort 308, not needed for moderate range endeavors....but its all there, 3600 to 3800 ft/lbs of muzzle energy available with the 308 case...a long action making it easier, with long high BC bullets.
I even shoot 250 Atips at 2515 fps in one of mine, but it's an 8 twist.
 

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#27
30-06 with a new barrel. Or 308 because it's a little easier to find and does everything the same in 300 yards with less recoil.

The barrel walks with heat because it wasn't properly stress relieved. You don't need a massive barrel, you just need one that was built properly.

I have an old savage 112 long action in 22-250. It feeds fine for a varmint rifle, so I wouldn't worry too much about a short action cartridge in that long mag.
 
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