talk about your all-time bone headed moves.....

[avery53]

If you can retrace your tracks, borrow or rent a metal detector.
Over the years, I have found about everything that can be lost for people.
Even found a guys wedding ring in a gut pile.

avery

[remington600]

You really need to find the original. If you found a replacement then you will have to make sure the headspace is correct.

[The Gamemaster]

I was using my dad's Model 721 / 30-06 one year in doe season and lost a empty shell.
Wanted to see how far the rifle ejected the empties and didn't have a empty shell out of that rifle.
Found a empty of my uncles and shoved it into the chamber and it got stuck and I tried to force the bolt to remove it or chamber and broke the extractor clip.

I ended up buying a used model 700 bolt and having it machined for the 721.
I think dad gave the guy $60 for the bolt.

Bolts don't just fall out of rifles - you had to do something to loose it.

If it was me, and hindsight is 20/20 - I would just sell the rifle and buy another one and forget about finding a used bolt for a obsolete rifle like yours.
The cost of the replacement bolt might be more then what the rifle is worth!

[John Gyde]

OK, here's one of my best Darwin moves. I was elk hunting in Montana. It was COLD!. I returned to camp and unloaded my rifle with my hands shaking after removing my mitts. One of the rounds bounced off a log and ended up in the campfire. I tried briefly to push it out of the fire with a hot dog fork, but soon figured out that it might be a wiser move to get back a few feet. When the round went off, it was more of a thud than a bang, but still was the basis for camp conversation for a few days...Duh....

[kcoop9999]

sold a near mint model 14 in .35 Rem for $150.00 so i could have cash for MX race entry fee and gass. Stupidest move was trading off an 1893 Mauser in 7.65. Normally nothing special but realized later it was the one I wanted to keep, Built by Hopkins & Allen for Belgian army, Less than common and worth much more than what ever it was I traded for and I'm not sure I even remember that was !!!!!

[Yellowhouse]

Find a trash magnet like contractors and roofers use. You should be able to cover a lot of ground. A metal detector with a big coil would work too. You're better off finding that bolt. Even if rusted electrolysis can work wonders.

[marlinman93]

Find a trash magnet like contractors and roofers use. You should be able to cover a lot of ground. A metal detector with a big coil would work too. You're better off finding that bolt. Even if rusted electrolysis can work wonders.

Wonder if he's still looking after 6 years?

[aardq]

If I had a bone-headed move, IF, I sure wouldn't post it in a public forum, unless I was looking for help, like the OP.
Dan