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Remington Woodmaster Opinions - 740 - 742 - .30-06

ChrisInTempeChrisInTempe Member Posts: 15,562
edited March 2013 in General Discussion
I've read reviews of these old rifles that the accuracy was poor and feeding / ejection problems were common. Some comments were that the 740 / 742 guns worked best with heavy loads, 180gr for example.

Anyone here have experience with this gun?

Comments

  • kissgoodnightkissgoodnight Member Posts: 4,063 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Had 742 hated it.
  • mossberg500manmossberg500man Member Posts: 833 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Stay far away from it, they had a tendancy to self destruct and have the bolt seize inside the receiver
  • Farmall ihcFarmall ihc Member Posts: 103 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    popular deer gun here in wisconsin for the uninformed.Jamming problems, poor accuracy,nicknamed the Jammington.
  • golferboy426golferboy426 Member Posts: 970 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    lots of haters but I've had a 742 bdl deluxe since the early 80's and have taken over 30 deer with it. Never once jammed I sighted in when I got it. was about 3 inch group at 100 yds with factory ammo. I put 3 thru it every year plus 1 for the deer. I've also put about 200 accelerators thru it on yotes Nevr once jammed and still accurate enough for me
  • allen griggsallen griggs Member Posts: 35,668 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I had one in 1982. Killed 3 deer in 12 seconds with that gun.

    A few days later I shot another deer with it, but it stuck. Firing pin was broken. That took 3 months to get fixed.
    Back at the range the following week it jammed. I left the range and drove to Macon and bought a Mauser sporter, sold the Remington the next day.
  • ChrisInTempeChrisInTempe Member Posts: 15,562
    edited November -1
    I've been searching the web and finding it difficult to locate happy owners. Some comments that if you are hunting in country with no more than 100 yard shots, accuracy is liable to be good enough.

    Golferboy426's is the single completely positive comment I have read (thanks by the way!).

    The temptation is that I saw these guns advertised when I was young and thought the semi-auto or pump-action versions in large rifle calibers was a great idea. Especially being magazine fed, though I wanted a greater magazine capacity. Of course I could not afford one then.

    Now it is sounding like they only worked until worn and never shoot well if the forearm mounting is not quite perfect. Something about it pulls on the barrel. That's the gist I am getting anyway.

    As all the one's I am seeing today are pretty well used looking, I'll not be taking the gamble.

    Oh well, another youthful gun fantasy goes down in flames!

    oh-the-huge-manatee1.jpg
  • allen griggsallen griggs Member Posts: 35,668 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Get a M1 Garand.
  • Sig220_Ruger77Sig220_Ruger77 Member Posts: 12,754 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Farmall ihc
    popular deer gun here in wisconsin for the uninformed.Jamming problems, poor accuracy,nicknamed the Jammington.


    Yep, sums up my experience here in Wisconsin as well. My father-in-law and a few guys he hunts with have them and all have had at least one jam while hunting. They are an okay gun for someone who is meticulous about cleaning, but for the general crowd that owns them around here, they are not the right rifle for them. You are just asking for carbon build-up, or the likes of that. I have even seen them freeze shut in the cold mornings of deer season.

    Accuracy isn't bad and they generally have nice wood on them are a couple pros I guess.

    Jon
  • savage170savage170 Member Posts: 37,539 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Get the Browning Bar it's. Worth the few extra dollars
  • dreherdreher Member Posts: 8,891 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Maybe I was just lucky but I enjoyed the 742 (ADL, BDL??)that I owned. Don't remember it jamming. Inch to an inch and a quarter at 100 yds with Barnes bullets. Mid 60s manufacture, pretty rifle, kinda liked the basket weave checkering. Got 8 shots in 2 years. 8 shots, 8 deer, no tracking. Will concede that SC deer are pretty small on the average, which I'm sure helped on the one shot stops. I had rotator cuff surgery and got rid of every rifle I owned that even thought about recoil. 30-06 replaced with 243. I'm not going to say I had a love affair with the 742 but I was kinda sad to see it go. Paid 300. Had it for several years. Shot 10 deer total over about 4 years. No misses. No tracking. Sold for 375. As my first sentence stated, maybe I was just lucky but if you read my comments what's not to like??
  • NEIAPredatorNEIAPredator Member Posts: 1,443
    edited November -1
    I have a 740 in 3006. I have killed countless deer with and never had any trouble. It's all in the care you take of them. Over oiling will cause problems. I shoot 165 grain Remingtons and they are accurate enough to kill any deer I ever shot at and cycle well through the gun.
  • WarbirdsWarbirds Member Posts: 16,926 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have had a 742 in 30-06 for 20 years and the gun was bought used. I have never had an issue with it, but I mustt admit it has been 2-3 years since I've shot it.

    To be objective, their aren't many rifles more readily available in pawn shops than them. Which kind of tells me when push comes to shove and a guy needs to let go of a gun, lots of people figure they can do without their 7400/742/760 rifle.
  • discusdaddiscusdad Member Posts: 11,427 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by NEIAPredator
    I have a 740 in 3006. I have killed countless deer with and never had any trouble. It's all in the care you take of them. Over oiling will cause problems. I shoot 165 grain Remingtons and they are accurate enough to kill any deer I ever shot at and cycle well through the gun.
    those same words I would use to describe my rem 1100 too much oil and cold temps make it a single shot too. I bought my 742 here on GB last year and I gotta say its treated me fine. I do with it as I do with my 1100 almost running it dry.
  • MG1890MG1890 Member Posts: 4,460 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Take my word here: lots of hunters cannot maintain their bolt action rifles & pump shotguns. You cannot believe the horrid rust, junk, dried oil & dirt in the guns I fix every year. Even Remington 870's are neglected to the point of failure!

    Most will not even attempt to disassemble or clean an autoloading rifle. They really are good guns, just too complex and difficult to clean for the average hunter. Heck, once Bubba finds his cleaning rod, douses the brush with some Hoppe's and runs it down the muzzle, all that slush goes right into the action.
  • select-fireselect-fire Member Posts: 69,493 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Bought a new 742 for my Dad in 1974. It was particular on factory ammo. Some winchester stuff would not cycle. Remington ammo along with reloads would work. I never killed a deer with it but splattered many of groundhogs with 150 or 180 gr bullets.
  • wildthingwildthing Member Posts: 93 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Drop the mag. Lock the bolt open. Very carefuly reach a finger up into the reciever and feel the rails. On older guns the rails will be razor sharp from wear. This will cause it to jam. I have worked on more than a few of these guns. Once they start jamming it's over. John
  • MIKE WISKEYMIKE WISKEY Member Posts: 10,043 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    they tend to wear out fast, you have to remove the barrel for a proper cleaning. you can do LOTS better (Browning)
  • gearheaddadgearheaddad Member Posts: 15,091 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by savage170
    Get the Browning Bar it's. Worth the few extra dollars


    +1
  • AmbroseAmbrose Member Posts: 3,221 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Posted by Wildthing: Drop the mag. Lock the bolt open.

    On my 740, the mag. IS the bolt lock. Wish it did have an independent hold-open!
  • nunnnunn Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 36,083 ******
    edited November -1
    I usually see these as used guns, offered as trade-ins or for sale. I won't accept one at any price unless I have a chance to shoot it first. Too many owners of these dogs take them into gun shops or to gun shows, more than willing to dump them on unsuspecting dealers. I was burned twice. That was enough.

    On a positive note: Many years ago, a friend bought a used 742 that would not work. I contacted Remington for him, to see if they would fix it, and it seems that, at that time anyway, there was sort of a secret warranty on them. We had to send the rifle in, along with some money, and Remington sent back a brand new Model Four. I don't remember how much money it was, but it was low enough that my friend was very happy and thought he got a heck of a deal.
  • ChrisInTempeChrisInTempe Member Posts: 15,562
    edited November -1
    You know, it may be worthwhile to price a bid on one based upon the value of the scope that's on it and the sling. Set the gun value for parts, then part it out. Seeing as how so many are in need of repair that is!

    One I saw on GB has a receiver with very little of the original bluing left. But the trigger guard is dark blue. Tells me it's been worked on, parts replaced. Seems a tell-tale sign of past trouble to me.
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