Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Any Remington 742 owners?

I honestly can't get an exact # of 742s that friends & family have owned and hunted, >> less than 20 I'm sure

BUT we must have been lucky. NONE of them were problematic.

ATST I accept and believe the 'gunsmiths' here who say many of the 742s had problems.


Jerry

My very first semi auto rifle I bought when I got out of the Army, 1973, was a BAR in 7mm Remington Magnum. I was only using iron sights then and I could hold a 2-21/2: group off a rolled up quilt, laying prone, but at 75yds ( furthest I could find to shoot.) I had bought 175 corlokts factory ammo (hadn't started handloading yet) because I wanted to elk hunt with I later on. "If" I kept that rifle really, really clean, and oiled right ( I bought "real gun oil" then too but forget the name now) it would work. If it got rained on pretty hard ( it rained a lot in that past of East Texas) it would jam. I killed one big yearling with it ( he had to weight all of 75 pounds! ha) and when it hung up, I got spooked. As I mentioned, I had become OCD about reliability. I took to Oshman's in Beaumont and traded "even" for a new Marlin 1894 44 mag and a 12g, vent ribbed Mod 870 Magnum. The boss man kind of fussed at the salesman when we were signing paperwork, but I walked out with the two. I hunted the next couple season with the Marlin, but if you "leaned to the right" when work the action, even it would "hang up". Aaaagh! I went back to my Mod 94 Classic 30-30 and then got off into bowhunting. I didn't buy a "super reliable", Mod 70 ( my first bolt gun that wasn't military surplus) from a cousin until 1975. I sent off and got a Weaver 2x7 "Wide View" and found a fellow who handloaded some match ammo for me ( this was in summertime) it shot great. But I got so into bowhunting, I ended up selling it to to buy some bow equipment/arrows. That Fall I killed my first bowkill buck ( and my biggest WT down there to date!) he was a heavy 10pt (5x5) with a "button" and maybe 140 pounds on the hoof. Really big for that area! But this was in October bow season, no other bowhunters on our lease before me and my BIL! It spoiled me and I hunted hard each October, then when rifle season started I just used the Mod 94, the 742 I bought from my uncle and then began playing with the Ruger 77 280 in late 1977 for the rifle season. Texas then had a 3 deer limit ( in Liberty Co) 2 bucks and one doe ( only with a permit) But Archery started in October, ran consecutively with rifle season which was 3nd Saturday in November and ended January 3rd, or something like that. I miss those long seasons! You "might" get 9 days here, but if you hunt a CWMU ( private ranch w/a state tag) you may get 3-5. That's it.

Jerry,
The serious cold is likely the missing ingredient amongst your family and friends not experiencing issues.

ya i got my dad`s very old 740 and that is a good name Lightning ! funny too !

I have a 742 carbine version in .30-06 that my father bought me in 1968. Neither he nor I knew anything about rifle hunting at the time. We hunted a lot, but in west central Alabama most everyone there back then used shotguns with buckshot or maybe slugs. My father had his own hunting land, but many in that era would not allow "high powered rifles" to be used on their property. Now that I think about mounting the Weaver K-4 scope and sighting it in procedure, it is a wonder that I ever hit anything with it back then. For several years I still used a shotgun as my primary deer weapon. I still have it, managing to hang on to it through some trying times and a devastating divorce from my first marriage. I had quit hunting for a period of about 20 or so years due to relocation and no hunting opportunity. Then, I was very fortunate to get hunting opportunities again since about 1998. The old 742 has always worked for me, never a jam. Having said that, I have always well maintained it and have not put a huge amount of rounds through it. In about 2004 I replaced it as my primary hunting rifle with a classic Winchester M-70 in .30-06. Don't know what I'll end up doing with it. I hate to get rid of it because my father bought it for me. It would make a good hog gun.

That's where I'm at. It was my late grandfather's and I want to see if I can get it shooting decent. Not getting rid of it, but sure would be nice to drop something with his old rifle, "lightening" or not. Ha

TexasCity- I grew up/worked up in Liberty, co from you! When I got out of the Army, 1973, I worked for a pipeline repair company. We went all over and in that Texaco and Gulf Refinery! I left Texas in 1987 to pursue Ministry. (Live in Utah now via Oklahoma) Hang onto that old 742, Dad's are special, and anything that reminds us of them, well, its honorable.

Yep, In a previous life I have spent some time in both of those refineries. Also owned a little property in northern Liberty County. Sold it after a couple of years. I'm going to hang onto the rifle as I don't have many mementos from my father. He has been gone now since 2000. His second wife and I did not get along, unfortunately, and I got none of his things after he died. She gave his things to her family or trashed them. I cannot understand such behavior. Disgusting. But, I have many fine memories of him that she could never do away with. He loved to hunt as did his father.

I barely remember my grandfather, but many have affectionately described him to me as a "full time hunter and part time farmer". He farmed for a living, but lived to hunt. I hope that I may have gotten a little bit of that DNA. I remember well describing to my father my first hunt after me being away from it for 20 or so years and the nice buck I took with that rifle. Boy did his eyes light up! That was about two years before he died. Good memory. Yeah, I'm going to keep the rifle.

The older 742s in 6MM and 280REM seem to bring good money if in good condition.

You may very well have something right there !
Also about 1/2 of the 742s I’ve been around we’re in La. (Louisiana)

Interesting idea.

Jerry

I’ve had many of the Remington semi autos and while I hear they’re jammers I’ve yet to have one jam on me. I’ll admit that the ones I had I didn’t get too intimate with but I’m sure that it’ll work just fine for your purposes. If your grandpa didn’t have any problems and was able to put meat on the table with it I don’t see any reason you won’t do the same. Having the sentimental relationship with that rifle is more than enough reason to get many more years of use out of it. You’ll also have the privilege of recalling memories that you thought had long escaped you when you spend time carrying a well loved and well used rifle afield.

Coincidentally I bought one used at Cabelas a couple of years ago for $279. It was like brand new and in .280rem but I bought it because it had a nice Leupold on it. I took the scope off and sent it to Leupold for cleaning but they chose to send me a new scope which is what I preferred anyway. I then sold the rifle for $300 to a pawnshop so I did alright on that deal. I shot 15 rounds of 3 different types of ammo for a reliability test and it passed with flying colors. I never shot that rifle for accuracy but it was “minute of boulder” at 300 yards. 😁

Good luck and I hope you have many successful hunts and create a lot more memories with your grandpa’s old rifle. 👍

AcesNeights,

Fwiw, I got a 742 in 6mm Remington on a car-trade as "boot", gave it to my 1st cousin (who is the best meat-hunter, who I know = He always gets his deer, "BBQ pigs" & coyotes, too.) & he's only taken 18-20 deer & a truckload of feral hogs with it.

NO problem for him, obviously.

Of course, where Randy hunts, the ranges are relatively short, the land is SWAMPY & the brush is THICK. = That 6mm seems to do well for him, as it makes quarter-size 5-shot groups out to 100M, which is farther than you can usually SEE a deer on our NETX lease.
(There are areas on the lease that you cannot see beyond 20M or so.)

Btw, many of the same people who "DOWN" the 742 also call my beloved 760 rifles "JUNK", too. = I was cleaning rifles this week & I only have EIGHT 760 rifles.
(One wonders how many of "the complainers" have ever actually shot a 742 or 760 & how many are just "spreading gossip", like so much manure??)

Btw, I fell in love with the 760 rifles, when I was stationed at Ft Indiantown Gap in PA & traded for a 760 carbine in .30-06. = It's REALLY LOUD with the short tube but it digests 180 grain handloads perfectly fine & hits hard..

yours, tex

The 760/7600 is a very good rifle... They need very little maintenance and work well for game at short-to-medium ranges.. Only (somewhat) weak point is the crap Rem magazines.. But once the owner gets a couple of good ones, he/she should be good to go for a LONG time...

I’ve never seen the Jam o matic problem either. I’ve had them and two of my brothers plus friends. Only jam ever with mine was a reload a buddy did when we were young. He was new to reloading and the first round jammed and broke the extractor. My brother came back from Nam and bought one in 06. He reloaded and shot hundreds of rounds with no problem. Ed k

Morning Redneck. I'm NOT being smart but I have a ?
I have a few Model Sixes - dressed 7600s. I (my Son) have the FIRST m Six I bought in the late 80s and some others.







What is the problem/s with their magazines?


Jerry

The few carbine length 742s the guys used in our camp were in 30-06. Those puppies were loud...and their rifles were even louder! (Get it?) But getting in/out of a pickup, treestand or box blind is always easier with a shorter rifle, and that's very appealing to most folks who hunt like that. Plus, shots are usually short. My neighbor in town used a Marlin 336 30-30 with a 4x scope and got his deer every year. I would go over and visit with him. he was an old retired Oilfield worker, super nice guy. His box blind was exactly 100yds from a good deer trail. Semi-open woods/palmetto.

Keep the chamber clean and full length resize, my 243 has never had a problem. Terrible trigger keeps groups to 1"- 11/4". Good enough for coyotes

REDUX !




Morning Redneck. I'm NOT being smart but I have a ?
I have a few Model Sixes - dressed 7600s. I (my Son) have the FIRST m Six I bought in the late 80s and some others.







What is the problem/s with their magazines?

Pretty much everything... Again, they usually work OK in the pumps - but it's a total crapshoot to have one work right in the semis... And Rem has no problem charging $25-30 for a unit that probably cost 'em about $4.... Lotta guys around here usually have to obtain 4-6 of 'em, see which of that group work, then toss the remainders in the trash where they so RICHLY deserve to reside..

I went through 3 before I could eliminate it as the "only" reason for my old 742 30-06 jams. The rifle "settled down a bit" with the then Federal "Red Box" using the Sierra 165 SBT Gameking, remember those? It "tightened up" my 100yd groups from 4-6" with Remington 150 CL to 3-4" with the Federal. Of course, that made it "minute of hog head" at 20-40 yds!