My friend has two Remington 30-06 semi auto rifles and is willing to sell one to me. My choice. One is a 740 and the other is a 742 Woodmaster. The 740 is the smooth stock version and the 742 is the fancy stock version. Both are in excellant condition and appear to be in like new condition.
Which one should I buy? Any thoughts on one over the other? Thanks
Randy
OT. Remington 740 or 742
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randy merta
- Levergunner
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Fri Sep 21, 2007 5:53 am
Re: OT. Remington 740 or 742
I still have a 742 carbine in .30-06 that my dad gave me as my first big game rifle. It was made in 1961 and has had loads of ammo ran thru it. I've always kept it clean and it has never let me down. It sat without being hunted with for 15 years or so while I was using "better" and "more accurate" rifles, but I carried it on two or three hunts this year.randy merta wrote:My friend has two Remington 30-06 semi auto rifles and is willing to sell one to me. My choice. One is a 740 and the other is a 742 Woodmaster. The 740 is the smooth stock version and the 742 is the fancy stock version. Both are in excellant condition and appear to be in like new condition.
Which one should I buy? Any thoughts on one over the other? Thanks
Randy
I don't see how you could go wrong with either one if they have been taken care of and are clean. Keeping the action clean on them will save any cycling problems.
Far away places only offer exotic ways to suffer.
Other than the wood they are both the same. Having worked "hunter sight in days" for the last 15 years I've seen and shot a great number of them. Of all of those I never saw a failure to feed or extract. It seems that they all shot well enough, 1.0" to 2.0" groups at 100 yards. My son has had one for 20 years and it still holds an inch when the shooter is doing his job. As far as which one to get, that would all be in the eye of the beholder if bore and bluing are equal. Good luck.
there is no such thing as a miss if you still have ammo
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BigBoreWhore
- Levergunner
- Posts: 26
- Joined: Sun Sep 23, 2007 11:41 am
- Location: Maine
Things to look for...
Chatter marks on the receiver rails, both top and the side you can see through the ejection port. This can be bad!
Weak driving spring, Change it there cheap!
These models are famous for collecting crud in the chamber area due to lack of proper maint. This often leads to stuck cases and broken extractors.
If you wind up with one have it cleaned by someone who has the proper tools(barrel wrench). They will yank the barrel off and polish the chamber, while apart they can check out the bolt face and extractor.
Put it back together with some good lube and a new driving spring and enjoy.
I dont like to be the rain on someones parade but, If you have seen as many of these come across your counter top as I have for repairs you would be a little cautious also. 98% I have returned in to customers in correct working order the other 2% are wallhangers... and there are no bolts available anywhere and remington will no longer fix them!
Chatter marks on the receiver rails, both top and the side you can see through the ejection port. This can be bad!
Weak driving spring, Change it there cheap!
These models are famous for collecting crud in the chamber area due to lack of proper maint. This often leads to stuck cases and broken extractors.
If you wind up with one have it cleaned by someone who has the proper tools(barrel wrench). They will yank the barrel off and polish the chamber, while apart they can check out the bolt face and extractor.
Put it back together with some good lube and a new driving spring and enjoy.
I dont like to be the rain on someones parade but, If you have seen as many of these come across your counter top as I have for repairs you would be a little cautious also. 98% I have returned in to customers in correct working order the other 2% are wallhangers... and there are no bolts available anywhere and remington will no longer fix them!
Overkill, When is dead not DEAD enough!
AKA- Raffica=(Full Auto or Burst)
AKA- Raffica=(Full Auto or Burst)
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horsesoldier03
- Advanced Levergunner
- Posts: 2068
- Joined: Sat Sep 08, 2007 7:32 pm
- Location: Kansas
I have a Model 742 in .308 and I love it. It shoots great and has never misfired or had a FTF or FTE. Mine has the 18.5" barrel and prefers 150 gr Remington Core lokt, it will string the 180s. If the price is right you cant go wrong with either rifle. My father in law has the 30-06 in a 7400 and it is about as accurate as most bolt actions at normal shooting distances. He states he has never had a problem out of his as well.
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morgan in nm
- Levergunner 3.0
- Posts: 532
- Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2008 12:04 pm
- Location: Eastern NM
Like so many others have said, pick the one that you like best. Some key points are that the 742 was designed to replace the 740 which was made only a few years. The 740 supposedly had functioning and reliability problems that was supposed to have been fixed with the 742. I have a 740 in 30-06 with a cracked scope objective lens and I have never had a problem with it. In fact, it is one of the most accurate rifles I own.
Randy, I have owned one of each, plus a couple 7400s to boot. I'd suggest you select the 742 if it looks good to your eye as it was supposed to be beter at extracting than the earlier 740. They are both good hunting rifles and you'll enjoy either one you choose! Good Luck.
We are responsible for leaving the same legacy of freedom and rights given to us for our children and grandchildren.
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randy merta
- Levergunner
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Fri Sep 21, 2007 5:53 am
Thanks for the responses. I did a search on the 740/742 last night on the internet and took a roller coaster ride on peoples opinions. I really like the looks of the 742 that has been offered to me and both guns are in very good condition. After a hour or so of researching the net I decided to pass on either one due to all of the bad reports. However I read the responses here and now I thinking I will buy the 742 if the price is right. I have decided that the only way I will buy the 742 is if the price is in the 'bargain bin' category.
One other request is what would be a price I should buy for a gun that is 95% or better in condition?
Thanks
Randy
One other request is what would be a price I should buy for a gun that is 95% or better in condition?
Thanks
Randy
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BigBoreWhore
- Levergunner
- Posts: 26
- Joined: Sun Sep 23, 2007 11:41 am
- Location: Maine
You, my friend, are RIGHT ON! Remington semi-autos are fine if not "refined" rifles. I have owned somewhere around 6 or 8 in my hunting/ collecting years. I own no less than 3 right now and sold a very good friend one of mine last year, knowing he'd love it. Nuff said!BigBoreWhore wrote:If they are priced right I will buy them all day long, For the average hunter who shoots a box of ammo a year... and if they are properly maintained they will last a lifetime....
We are responsible for leaving the same legacy of freedom and rights given to us for our children and grandchildren.
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John in MS
- Levergunner 2.0
- Posts: 431
- Joined: Sun Apr 01, 2007 7:56 pm
I guess I'll have to be the dissenting opinion, based on a sample of one...
c. 1975 my Stepmother gave my Dad a 742 BDL. He is a very good rifle shot -- was on a winning regional Smallbore Rifle team in college, and saddling him with this boat-anchor was pretty irksome to me, when he could have had (and made good use of) a very nice rifle instead.
The trigger absolutely sucks, and I'm told there's not much that can be done about it. The accuracy is 2-3" at 100 yards (3-shot groups) despite fairly extensive load development plus testing with factory ammo. The best it will shoot is 1.9" at 100. Bench technique is not a problem; 1/2 moa average from an 8-lb, custom 7x57 bolt gun is easy for me. It has a square forend and handles like a railroad tie. I begged my Dad to let me throw it in the Gulf of Mexico somewhere so we could tell the Stepmother it was stolen, and I would pay to replace it with a nice bolt-action with a good trigger, proper balance/handling and good accuracy. He is too much a child of the Depression to think of getting rid of a still-functional firearm and knew he'd never hear the end of it from my (rather unpleasant) Stepmother if he used any other rifle, so he declined, citing "sentimental attachment."
He was meticulous in maintaining it, and it's presently in about 95%+ condition. It functions reliably, and he's killed 11 deer with 11 shots.
It does the job given that our ranges are short and our shots generally don't require much precision or fast handling. None the less, I still can't stand the thing, and it appears I'm stuck with it for all time because it was my Dad's rifle. As was noted above, if it breaks a bolt (which I've been told by numerous dealers/gunsmiths that they do pretty regularly) you have an expensive paperweight.
That said, if you like it, go for it, as to each his own. However, I personally would only buy if it's a bargain, particularly given the risk of parts breakage. It will definitely get the job done, but there are much nicer rifles out there... For those who got good ones, I'm very happy for you, but in my 33-year experience of talking to various 742 owners, I've heard far more stories ranging from mediocre to poor performance, than I ever have heard of anyone really liking them.
Just my experience; if yours is different, please keep your flames to yourself.
John
c. 1975 my Stepmother gave my Dad a 742 BDL. He is a very good rifle shot -- was on a winning regional Smallbore Rifle team in college, and saddling him with this boat-anchor was pretty irksome to me, when he could have had (and made good use of) a very nice rifle instead.
The trigger absolutely sucks, and I'm told there's not much that can be done about it. The accuracy is 2-3" at 100 yards (3-shot groups) despite fairly extensive load development plus testing with factory ammo. The best it will shoot is 1.9" at 100. Bench technique is not a problem; 1/2 moa average from an 8-lb, custom 7x57 bolt gun is easy for me. It has a square forend and handles like a railroad tie. I begged my Dad to let me throw it in the Gulf of Mexico somewhere so we could tell the Stepmother it was stolen, and I would pay to replace it with a nice bolt-action with a good trigger, proper balance/handling and good accuracy. He is too much a child of the Depression to think of getting rid of a still-functional firearm and knew he'd never hear the end of it from my (rather unpleasant) Stepmother if he used any other rifle, so he declined, citing "sentimental attachment."
He was meticulous in maintaining it, and it's presently in about 95%+ condition. It functions reliably, and he's killed 11 deer with 11 shots.
It does the job given that our ranges are short and our shots generally don't require much precision or fast handling. None the less, I still can't stand the thing, and it appears I'm stuck with it for all time because it was my Dad's rifle. As was noted above, if it breaks a bolt (which I've been told by numerous dealers/gunsmiths that they do pretty regularly) you have an expensive paperweight.
That said, if you like it, go for it, as to each his own. However, I personally would only buy if it's a bargain, particularly given the risk of parts breakage. It will definitely get the job done, but there are much nicer rifles out there... For those who got good ones, I'm very happy for you, but in my 33-year experience of talking to various 742 owners, I've heard far more stories ranging from mediocre to poor performance, than I ever have heard of anyone really liking them.
Just my experience; if yours is different, please keep your flames to yourself.
John