760 lovers dates of Mfg / Serial Number

[The Gamemaster]

So it came to me on a whim that the 760 deserves its rightful place beside the 721 - with it's own topic and sticky.....

My experience began in 1971 when my family members took a ride over to Grice Gun Shop to purchase a new Remington Gamemaster 760

My dad knew of some people who owned one and were successful hunters. Dad was having problems with his 721 and wanted something better, something that gave him accuracy and fire power.

After some negotiations with Scoot - they walked out the door with two sequential numbered 760 BDL's for $99.00 each.
Dad opted for a Weaver mount / Weaver ( 2 - 7 ) scope and my uncle had them mount his father in law's old Leupold Varix 1 ( 2 - 7 ) scope with Weaver base.

In my mind, those two rifles were almost magical.
I saw my uncle sit under a tree in a blowing snow storm from morning to eve - only to shoot the only deer he saw that day at 4:45 PM on the last day of the season - 300 yards away.
My dad throwing lead and deer falling down like Chuck Conners on the Rifleman.

Several times, after my dad or uncle filled their game tag - they would allow me to use their rifle, which also brought me some luck.

For many years, I dreamed of owning my own Remington Gamemaster - especially the BDL Deluxe.
The very first 760 I bought was a .35 Remington made in 1960.
The owner was a disabled person who couldn't hunt anymore and his only stipulation was that I took care of it and gave it a good home. I paid him $250.00 for it, which was about a whole weeks salary back then - 1992 / and I shot many deer with it.

The next year - I found a local person who had two 760 Gamemasters and wanted to sell one to buy one of those new Black rifles with the stainless steel action.
$275.00 later, the rifle was mine.
It was made around 1962

I just couldn't seem to land my dream rifle with a price that I could afford. Then in 1994 it happened. I was working two jobs and my daughter was born and one day while driving past Grice Gun Shop on my way to work, I walked in the door and there sat a old abused 760 Gamemaster Deluxe BDL with a Redfield Widefield 3 x 9 scope...
I quickly paid the $350.00 for it, even though I couldn't afford to own 3 rifles at the same time. I took it home and cleaned it and took it to the rifle range and fired it with some of my dad's handloads and saw that it was already zero'd in at 100 yards.
I didn't even have to move the scope.

The first day of rifle season saw me sitting under a tree with my trusty new rifle. Only I didn't see anything. Not hearing a single shot from the camp made me discouraged, so I drove down to the camp to eat lunch with the gang and see what the strategy was for the afternoon hunt. No one had any answers!
I decided to go back up on the hill and see if my luck would change.

On my way up the hill, 12 deer crossed the road in front of the truck, but none with antlers.
I parked the truck and got out and started to walk up the road when I spied a deer grazing on the opposite hill about 200 yards away. I quickly cranked up the Redfield Widefield and saw a single spike antler. I quickly loaded a round into the chamber and took careful aim and fired and the deer ran towards me.
While trying to get off a second shot - I couldn't always be sure if it was a buck or a doe because of it only having one spike antler.
So I was worried was it a buck or not.

The dust cover slid behind the bolt - from years of wear and neglect - was just plain wore out from all the dirt inside of the action and jammed the action.
Miraculously the deer crossed the road and fell over dead right before my eyes.

I was afraid that I might have been accused of road hunting, because it looked real suspicious that I had shot a deer within sight of the vehicle and right next to the road. And, I had no way of getting the empty round out of the firearm.

So I quickly tagged the deer and threw it into the back of the Blazer and drove it back to the camp where I field dressed the deer and then hung it in the tree in front of the camp.
That is when the other antler fell off - making things even more complicated.

I quickly drove to Grice Gun Shop and explained my situation and how I needed my rifle repaired quickly because doe season started in two weeks. Grices had it fixed by the next day - no charge.

I went back to the camp, where I won the buck pool - about $40.00 which helped pay for the new rifle. I was the only hunter in the camp that year that shot a buck, so I got the money for the first deer and the biggest deer.

From that time on, I have shot many deer with that rifle and it has been my go to rifle.
I have since sold the other two rifles / along with many others.

I presently own 4 Gamemasters - along with a custom model 6 that I used my dad's 760 stock and forearm to dress it up a little.
I do have my dad's rifle, which I traded him for a .270 Winchester / 760 BDL Deluxe.

The idea came to me to start a thread which other people can post the manufacture date and the serial number - delete the last digit if you wish with a X.

You can also tell some of your own Gamemaster tales..

[The Gamemaster]

Latest Aquisition

Remington 760 BDL Deluxe .270 Winchester
Serial number B739423X

November 1980