Rem. 760 Gamemaster

[LeonardWashington]

Been interested in finding and buying a Rem. 760 Gamemaster. Was curious if anyone here has one, and how they like it. If they have found if what round it’s chambered in is better than another or functions better than others. Just lookin for some honest reviews on them I suppose, thanks

 

[19smiller]

I used to have one chambered in .308. Loved the rifle, but unfortunately lost it in my divorce. It was as accurate as I can be and never had a misfire or jam. I’m a little surprised there aren’t more pump rifles out there. I bought it back in 2011 for around $200. The .308 was nice and I had planned on using it for deer and elk. Now if I get another one I might look for a .243.

 

[LeonardWashington]

I used to have one chambered in .308. Loved the rifle, but unfortunately lost it in my divorce. It was as accurate as I can be and never had a misfire or jam. I’m a little surprised there aren’t more pump rifles out there. I bought it back in 2011 for around $200. The .308 was nice and I had planned on using it for deer and elk. Now if I get another one I might look for a .243.

I’m surprised there aren’t more either. It’s the perfect action for the way I hunt. Don’t really understand why Remington stopped making them.

 

[rseymorejr]

I have one that belonged to my father, it's a 30-06. Nice guns.
I think I saw one @Saint Firearms a couple weeks ago, 270 I think it was?

 

[Uncle Duke]

The Remington 760 was my first deer rifle. To this day it remains my favorite. I bought mine in 1979 I believe. The rifle debuted in 1952. The very earliest examples were not drilled and tapped for scope mounting, so keep that in mind as a possibility, though that time period was brief. Production of the 760 ceased in 1981, so I sort of snuck mine in.

You'll find quite few 760's (and the later 6's and 7600's) here in the east, especially in states adjacent to Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania is a big hunting state where deer hunting is religion for many, but one which did not (and still to this day does not I believe) allow semi-auto rifles for large game hunting. So many of Pennsylvania's large population of hunters chose fast handling lever actions, and a number of others chose pumps chambered for more powerful cartridges as well, especially if bear might be on the menu. I bought my .30-06 with both in mind.

It is said that Remington 760's will most typically show 2 to 3 inch precision at 100 yards with factory ammunition. In other words, fairly common yesteryear hunting rifle precision. Some examples will do better. I have heard of a few examples that will do much better. My particular example will shoot 1.5 inch groups with handloads it likes. The breed won't win any benchrest competitions, but they're plenty fast, and they're plenty precise enough for the hunting application they were intended for.

Good Luck!

 

[LeonardWashington]

The Remington 760 was my first deer rifle. To this day it remains my favorite. I bought mine in 1979 I believe. The rifle debuted in 1952. The very earliest examples were not drilled and tapped for scope mounting, so keep that in mind as a possibility, though that time period was brief. Production of the 760 ceased in 1981, so I sort of snuck mine in.

You'll find quite few 760's (and the later 6's and 7600's) here in the east, especially in states adjacent to Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania is a big hunting state where deer hunting is religion for many, but one which did not (and still to this day does not I believe) allow semi-auto rifles for large game hunting. So many of Pennsylvania's large population of hunters chose fast handling lever actions, and a number of others chose pumps chambered for more powerful cartridges as well, especially if bear might be on the menu. I bought my .30-06 with both in mind.

It is said that Remington 760's will most typically show 2 to 3 inch precision at 100 yards with factory ammunition. In other words, fairly common yesteryear hunting rifle precision. Some examples will do better. I have heard of a few examples that will do much better. My particular example will shoot 1.5 inch groups with handloads it likes. The breed won't win any benchrest competitions, but they're plenty fast, and they're plenty precise enough for the hunting application they were intended for.

Good Luck!

Thanks for the info. I’m more of an archery hunter than anything. So when I do gun hunt the spots I hunt I don’t get a very long shot. I usually run open iron sights anyways so I’m not to worried about a scope or long range precision.

 

[Kinetic]

My experience parallels Uncle Duke's. I bought mine in the late 70s in .30-06. Although I don't own a ton of rifles, this one is the best shooter of the bunch, even with my elderly eyeballs. Had a guy in NW PA do a trigger job on it so now it is has a much better pull than from the factory. And (IMO) it's just a good looking rifle.

Trivia: James Earl Ray used a 760 Gamemaster in .30-06 to murder Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

[Biggfoot44]

Don't forget the M76 Sportsman , mfg '85- '87 .

The lower priced variant of the M7600 , with matte finish and black painted wood .

 

[Uncle Duke]

Rigj

My experience parallels Uncle Duke's. I bought mine in the late 70s in .30-06. Although I don't own a ton of rifles, this one is the best shooter of the bunch, even with my elderly eyeballs. Had a guy in NW PA do a trigger job on it so now it is has a much better pull than from the factory. And (IMO) it's just a good looking rifle.

Trivia: James Earl Ray used a 760 Gamemaster in .30-06 to murder Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Right you are on the MLK murder.

In another twist of irony, I just now did a double take when I saw your post number!

 

[Uncle Duke]

Don't forget the M76 Sportsman , mfg '85- '87 .

The lower priced variant of the M7600 , with matte finish and black painted wood .

Nice catch! I did indeed forget.

 

[Batt816]

Rigj

Right you are on the MLK murder.

In another twist of irony, I just now did a double take when I saw your post number!

760 post count. That’s a Classic!

 

[Uncle Duke]

760 post count. That’s a Classic!

For real!

If 760 turns out to be tonight's Pick 3, that's gonna be it for me! Exit stage left. I'm outta here!

 

[Biggfoot44]

And in the same time frame , the Sportsman M74 version of the M7400 .

 

[Doco Overboard]

I have and use periodically a mid 70's 760 in .270 primarily for Sika deer drives.
Anyway,
Dependent on what type of extractor it has in the bolt and how well it functions is important.
The riveted in extractors and the rivets themselves found in the older ones are getting sort of hard to come by these days.
Especially for the auto loading varieties but I'm not sure the pump woods masters are subjected to the same stresses of the former type so maybe not too much to worry about in that department.
I never had to change one out on a pump but the auto loaders a few times over time. You have to pull the barrel off to get the bolt out of them but its a modular system easy to do with the right tools.
I find some the spare box mags are reliable when managed correctly and kept clear of water/debris but they are climbing in price for the factory versions.
So a good mag/spare is important to have around when you find them. The chamber radial clearance are generous on every one I worked on but some of the later Remington 70's 80's rifles are very well made and finished but look at the recievr rails for peining in any of the earlier varieties before they changed the rifles over to the newer extractor version.
If I'm not mistaken, (pretty sure now that I think of it, memory here) the stock is fastened with a bolt instead of through the tang with screws which is a plus in any pump, auto, single shot, lever system becuase of recoil and operating characteristics for repeatability.

 

[shocker998md]

I took my first deer with one in 30-06. I later on found one in 35 rem and love it.

It's more of a novelty rifle to me as I feel there's better options out there that will perform better.

 

[pre64hunter]

Been interested in finding and buying a Rem. 760 Gamemaster. Was curious if anyone here has one, and how they like it. If they have found if what round it’s chambered in is better than another or functions better than others. Just lookin for some honest reviews on them I suppose, thanks

A guy had a nice 760 for sale, not sure, not sure why I even remember it, but I THINK it was $700 with a scope in 270. At the Bel Air Gunshow, first table on the left as you walk in the door.
I've been seeing some of these going for over $1000.

 

[pre64hunter]

Back before 1970, it seemed half of everybody hunted deer with a 30-30 lever action, at least in PA. Then after that they all were buying Remington 760 in 30-06. I worked in a gunshop in the 1980's, for deer rifles we sold mostly Rem. 742's or 760's for PA because you can't use a semi-auto in PA.
All the 760's I encountered over the years shot pretty good and held their zero from year to year. Not so much with the 742.
The 7600 looked and worked close to the same as the 760 but the bolt lock up and lugs were different. Where I hunted, half of everybody still uses the 760/7600.

 

[2flhun]

I think that Atlantic Guns has one in their used rack if you want to put hands on it

 

[Bigsawer]

My brother's in .243 was fast and comfortable to shoot. It fit perfectly into his favorite prey rotation of deer and groundhogs.

 

[pre64hunter]

Back before 1970, it seemed half of everybody hunted deer with a 30-30 lever action, at least in PA. Then after that they all were buying Remington 760 in 30-06. I worked in a gunshop in the 1980's, for deer rifles we sold mostly Rem. 742's or 760's for PA because you can't use a semi-auto in PA.
All the 760's I encountered over the years shot pretty good and held their zero from year to year. Not so much with the 742.
The 7600 looked and worked close to the same as the 760 but the bolt lock up and lugs were different. Where I hunted, half of everybody still uses the 760/7600.

I looked at this one this morning at the show. It was a 30-06, older period correct Redfield 4x widefield, in very nice condition, price reduced to $550 and was gone this afternoon.