Remington 742

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Other than .30-30 leverguns, probably more deer taken with that rifle/caliber than any other. >50% are found with some gawdawful Williams see-thru mount and a POS 3x9 or 4x scope.

If AR's or AK's probably have, on average, the most rounds downrange per rifle, the I'd bet the 742 is the polar opposite, at least for semi-auto rifles.
 
I personally wouldn't buy a 742 but would hold out for a 7400, The 742's had issues with the bolt's locking lugs eating into the receiver ruining the gun. I've seen several examples of this.
 
I HAD one in .30-06, and just about the time that I was starting to really figure it out and get some half decent groups, it decided to go and break on me :(. Basically the bolt kept locking in place after the shot, so it made the rifle pretty much useless. After talking to the gunsmith about it, it seems as though it is not an uncommon problem. It is too bad because it was a really fun rifle and it mated almost perfectly with a 3-9x40mm leupold rifleman.
 
Accurate enough to hunt at 300 meters with a scope. Mine has been completely reliable even though it has seen some hard use. The 30.06 is probably still one of the most versatile cartridges on earth.
 
I had a Remington 740 in 30-06 years ago. Like others have said, accuracy was mediocre. I had trouble getting the mags in and out with the somewhat awkward latch mechanism. The weaver scope mounts that I had, had the large knobs which interfered with grabbing the bolt handle. More than once I scraped fingers. The rifle worked fine. I found it a bit unhandy.
 
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I have a 742 carbine in .30-06. I have owned it for 27 years and during the time I have shot the dickens out of it.
I have never had a single problem or malfunction with it.
Accuracy has been OK. It will shoot 1.5-2 MOA. It tends to do better with bullets under 180 gr.

It has been a great rifle for me. I set it up for Pamm this year with a Leupold 1.5-5X20 scope so she can use it for elk in October. It's a perfect ladies' hunting rifle since the recoil is moderate.

I would not hesitate to try one of these. They are nice rifles.
 
I have deer hunted for 30 years with a Remington 742.
I developed a load for it using a Sierra 165 gr hpbt.
It is a very accurate load, and the rifle has never gave
me any problem what so ever.

Don't know how many deer I've taken with this gun,
but I've never lost one. Those that are down on hollow
points for deer, probably haven't tried them.

Windjammer
 
My Dad had one in 30-06 for 25 years before he passed. Always brought home the deer with it. Lots of firings, but never a problem with it. He told me many times , he loved that rifle.
 
I have a 740 in .280 Remington that I bought($150) from an older gentleman in our hunting club in 1986. I take it deer hunting on about half my trip and have never had an issue.
 
My first hunting rifle was an old Remington 742 Woodsmaster carbine (.30-06, of course) with a Leupold Vari-X II 3-9x40 scope.

Nice rifle--a real boomer, though, with that short barrel!
 
Good hunting guns if you keep it clean and be careful when cleaning the barrel from the muzzle so you don't damage the crown. Not really built for a lot of shots like a military rifle, but good enough for hunting.

A Bore Snake is a great option and would probably have saved the crowns of a lot of these nice little deer rifles over the years.

The carbine version is a very handy little rifle.

If you are looking at one, make sure that the rails inside the receiver are not rough and the action cycles smoothly. I believe it's the rails inside the receiver that get dirty and rough - causing a lot of gunsmith heartache.

If it's $250 or less and in good shape -- buy and enjoy!
 
Funny, I just bought a 742 in 30-06 myself. I was about to make a thread but I'll post it here.

My first 742 in .30-06 was gifted to me after my great-uncle passed. It's the one with a scope mount. I recently found an iron-sighted 742 also in .30-06 and decided to pick it up on a whim to keep the other one company. Maybe I'll find a fewmore one day when I open the safe?

There's about 6.75 million units between their s/n's.

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