A friend let me try his 30-06 Rem 740 at the range recently. I used 178 grain Hornady Precision Hunter ammo. I know that bullet is quite accurate from my Remington 700. I didn't shoot very well with his rifle... It was only a 4x Leupold, but everything felt pretty good. I like Leupold M8 scopes and have a few.

I figure it's just me, not used to that semi-auto rifle.

Is the Rem 740/7400 typically pretty accurate? I wasn't expecting groups to rival a good bolt action, but 3" - 4" at 100 yards seemed a bit much.

Thanks, Guy

The ol' man had a 740 30-06
That thing was horrible for accuracy, but good enough for minute of whitetail boiler room.

Buddy has a synthetic 7400 in .270.

Like Direct Drive states, not really accurate but he gets his deer every year here in Michigan where shots aren't real long

My 742 Woodsmaster in 308 will put a full magizine around an 1.5" at a 100 yds.
Came with a vintage Leopold 4 x .Once i shot it ,i left it alone.
My cousin has an older 740 Woodsmaster carbine in 308 will do the same,both with 180 gr.

My experience with them has been hit or miss on grouping but never worked with them much as far as different loads to try and shrink groups if one didn't shoot like I thought it should.

Have seen 2 that would stay around an inch, a 243 and a 270. Several more were 2" guns but that would kill a deer a long ways out. Most of these never saw a shot in the woods over 75 yards.

They are notoriously inaccurate. 3 inch groups are not unusual.

Inconsistent accuracy,Inconsistent quality. Look for a Safari II not the all Belgium made one . You will be happy .

The 740 is the most inaccurate of all the Remington semi auto centerfires. I don't remember what Remington changed to make it the 742, but the replacement was much more accurate. The 742 was the rifle of choice among most of my family when deer season was introduced. They were dogging deer and wanted firepower. I have tinkered with and sighted in many 742s and successive model upgrades. I found 2 were accurate to within 1.5 inches. Most got 3 inch groups.

No, it's the rifle.. Especially when considering the Rem semi-autos come with probably the worst trigger in history..

Depends on how many rounds have already gone down the tube.....AND if the owner has done a proper cleaning procedure.. Glad he let you 'try' it - because now you know to stay far, far away from those models...

I had a 742 in 30-06 once upon a time. I struggled to get a 3" group @100

3"" groups if the gun actually went off when I pulled the trigger. Sold both of them.

They have lots of aliases: Jam-O-Matic, Jam-Master, Splatter-Matic. I know there are exceptions, but for the most part, shooting groups with them is an exercise in futility. Stick up a "deer target" at the longest range it'll be used at and try to keep them in the vitals.

Accuracy ain’t why folks like these. If I was looking for a semi-auto deer rifle, I’d go with a Browning, or more likely these days, an AR10 of some sort. All of them really go over my preferred weight these days, and since I can’t recall offhand the last time I needed a second shot, let alone a fast second shot, I’ll stick with other platforms.

A possible exception might be an AR15 or variant chambered for 6.5G, 6ARC, .350 or .400 Legend, or .450B, the last three for possible use in the straightwall regions.

A long time ago, Williams sold an "accuracy block" for the Remington 740s. I don't recall what it did that was supposed to improve the accuracy of those rifles, but Williams is a reputable company, so if they sold it as an accessory, they must have tested it before putting it into production.

A lot of WW2 and Korean War vets who had used the Garand bought semi-automatic hunting rifles in the 1950s and 60s. My Father's deer hunting camp was made up mostly of WW2 Marines and all of them shot semi-autos, mostly Remington 740s and 742s in 30-06. My Father and Bearrr264's Father were the outliers, as they dumped their 740s in favor of Ruger 44 Carbines once they became available. Remington 742s with Weaver K2.5 or K3 scopes installed in Weaver tip-off mounts were very common deer rifles in the area that I grew up in.

Bingo 260, I got laughed at with my 270 Mountain rifle. It was a 06 742 with 220s or get lost.

With different ammo you'd probably find some better groups. They usually have one or 2 they like better than 3."

But for 740/742/7400's 3" groups aren't uncommon. Before I knew better, I was plenty happy with the 2" groups my 7400 shot. Have had some do better, have some do worse. I mean...what are you looking for? If you were looking for a long range rifle, you'd be shooting something else anyway. I can tell you this, In MN, WI, MI, there are 100,000's of deer dead from them.

I have my grandpa's 740 in 30-06, which I do shoot. It will lay Federal 150gr and Hornady Interlock 150gr into 1.5" groups at 100 for 3 shots.

Some guys get worked up about the trigger. But again, if you were worried about the trigger, you'd be shooting something else.

Redneck likes to bash on the Rem's trigger and magazine. But he's a gb packer fan. So, take that for what it's worth.

You and the 4x scope are not the weak links.

I have a 742 in 30-06 in the safe. I shot a lot of deer with it over the years but it isn't a target rifle. I shot 180 gr Corelokts but it was designed to shoot 150 gr bullets from what I have read.

I like my .308 PA-10 a lot more so the 742 will stay in the safe.

There are better and worse rifles out there. I'd stay away from the 740 as I have heard they could possibly have a headspace issue if taken apart and not reassembled correctly (I'm not totally sure of this but have read this-Redneck can probably clarify this). They will wear out eventually and they do have their issues too. What I do know that is for every deer killed by a Model 70/700/77, etc. there have been thousands killed by a 740/742/7400 with a $20 scope in see-thru mounts. In the 70's I saw them everywhere, usually in 30-06 but I have an elderly friend that swears by his in 6mm Remington.

The biggest weakness of the 740/742/74/7400 line was that when, not if, the guide rails became damaged there was nothing that could be done to repair them and the rifle would never be 100% reliable again. For years, Ahlman's would covert 740/742/74/7400 series rifles with damaged guide rails into pump actions by using 760/76/7600 parts. I don't see them listing that service anymore, so either the demand dried up or the supply of pump action part needed for the conversion dried up. The manually operated 760/76/7600 series operated slowly enough that the damaged guide rails would work okay once the burrs were filed off.

That's probably exactly why my father bought a 740 in 1958. Air Corps armament specialist - wanted firepower in the Vermont woods.
It had a Redfield 3-9x in a tip-off mount.
Never jammed with his 180 Core-Lokts but would never group very well.

I admit it, whenever another deer lease member's guest shows up with one I think oh boy, here we go.

I have never had an issue getting a good rifle to shoot. I was at wits end with a 7400 , finally after a box of ammo the extractor broke so I brought it back to Walmart for a refund. They gave me a new one that shot just the same . It was chambered in 270. I sold it for more then I paid for it after hunting season to a guy I worked with. Happiest day of my life with the exception of when I sold my boat.

While stationed in Taiwan I'd shoot with the Chinese army. I could get all the 7.62 Ball ammo I wanted but couldn't check out a M-14 to compete with so put together a 742 BDL Deluxe with a Williams Guide peep sight and was fairly competitive out to 600 meters. Brought it home and put a Tasco WC 2-7 on it sorry no see throughs and gave it to my dad, he killed deer with it for 20 yrs, factory 180gr RNs always stayed round 2". I sold it to the neighbors kid when I bought dad a lighter rifle. It's more than likely still killing deer.

The 742 in 30-06 with an occasional 6mm thrown in was the most common rifle I saw other than sporterized military rifles in the deer camps I grew up in. I eventually ended up with a well used but well cared for 742 in 06 when one of the older guys could no longer hunt and needed money bad. Really did not want it but he made me take it. I guess I got a good one as it would average 1-1/2" groups with 150 grain factory loads and much better with my handloads. It started out as the camp loaner rifle that got used by several people to take deer. I know my B-IL killed at least 8 deer, several turkeys and a truckload of pigs with it over two seasons. I finally started hunting with it and killed a large number of deer and a really big number of feral hogs and goats with it. I ended up selling it to a young man that needed a rifle for what he could afford. The rifle is still killing game every season. If you keep the chambers clean and don't hot rod loads in them they can be good rifles. I think that rifle may have killed more deer than anthrax.

I read some time ago that a big reason for reliability problems with the 740-series rifles and to some extent the 760s, is simply the lack of maintenance they receive from the average once-a-year hunter. The piece mentioned a gunsmith who specialized in repairing (cleaning and lubing) them.

I suppose that folks who were raised on lever-guns with maybe a slathering of chopped mil-surps mixed in thought wiping Ol’ Betsy down with an oily rag and tossing her in a closet was all that’s required.

A friend had one, 3” groups was as good as it got

I had a Rem 742 carbine in 308 Win. Didn't have it long, nor did I shoot it much (30 rounds???). A guy at my range wanted it, and made me an offer I couldn't (and didn't) refuse.

I think it shot in the area of ~ 2.5" @ 100 yards with either 150 Hornady spitzers (maybe 165?) over ~42 (?) grains IMR 4064 and 4x scope.

Keep the chamber clean with a 20 gauge bronze bore brush attached to a short plastic coated cable cleaning "rod.". Dip the bore brush in powder solvent and attach the other end to a variable speed drill. Spin the chamber clean. If you just clean from the muzzle, the chamber never gets clean. This is the reason they are called "jam-o-matics" or "single shot semi-automatic rifles. ". Those Rem 740/742 owners never cleaned the chambers. What did they expect? Keep the chamber clean, use full-resized brass (or a small base sizing die and fully size the case), and it will function as it should.

Sold it 25+ years ago. Only had it it for 3-4 months. It was an ok rifle, and would've been fine for deer hunting in the Maine woods. I just had a buyer who really wanted it, and I helped him scratch his itch. I am a bolt action guy, so I haven't regretted my decision to sell it. No love, or hate, for the Rem 742 family.

Growing up and hunting in the woods of Northeast Mississippi the 740/742/760 in 30-06 were probably the most common rifles you would see at deer camp, Weaver "Flip Scopes" were popular too.
This is a page I've shared before with good information on a lot things including Remington firearms. The dimensions for the Williams accuracy block are there also, looks pretty easy to fabricate.

https://www.leeroysramblings.com/Gun%20Articles/remington_7407427400_semiauto.html

I am working on my 7400 in 30-06 also. I posted here: https://www.hunttalk.com/threads/rem-7400-weathermaster-poi.293484/

I opened up a little more room for the barrel and replaced a thinner washer. I can slip a business card until it hits the gas block. It is just a little too warm here in NY. I will wait when the temperature cool down a bit and head back to the range.

Most Eastern deer are probably shot inside 100 yards, and for that a 740/742 is probably fine. I've owned 3. 2 '06 and a 308. I really REALLY wanted one that would shoot, but eventually I got a BAR. None of mine ever jammed, but they just won't shoot consistent groups for me. My opinion it's the gas blocks that cause the issues with accuracy. Comparatively, I own several 760s I'd bet good money on against 95% of the bolt guns out there.

Moat are probably killed under 50.

Even here in the Midwest, the bottoms I prefer may give you a 75 yard shot but most will be under 30.

I wouldn't be opposed to owning another one if I find one with good rails in 308. I never got to hunt with the 30-06 I had because they aren't legal here so it's just a range gun for me anyway

I've owned at least a dozen or more, most were solid 2" rifles with a little load tweaking...every now and then, you'd find one that was sub 1.5". 760/7600's, on the other hand, always seemed to shoot better than 1.5".

I have had 4 742 rifles throughout a span over 50 years ,
And shot and been present when others have shot theirs I
Have never seen one ,that when shot by someone who could shoot with some brand of factory ammo and bullet weight that would not put 3 shots off a bench rest into 2.5 inches.

With some that would do less than 1.5 inches with the above caveats met.

Now I have seen some jam but almost always because the owner of the rifle filled the inside of WD-40 and had never cleaned the rifle.

And some that the cleaning method was to pull the bolt back and reach in with a rag and and WD-40 and wipe inside the action.

Or a couple with bad magazines that with a different magazine would clear up a jamming problem.

Are there truly bad ones out there ?
I am sure there are ,but so are there anynumber of rifle brands and actions that get through Quality control at the factory.

But to hear people say that they are by and large Jammomatics or that they cant hit the inside of a barn when standing inside the barn is by and large bull chit.

No doubt mostly havent a lot of experience shooting them or listening to 2nd hand information passed down information from others who have no or very little experience shooting them either.

My brother had one of those abortions as his elk rifle, until I put together a Ruger 77 for him. With the Rem he was a better elk hunter, than an elk shooter......He brought the Rem to me to see what I could do for it, as, after the first round, the next 3 or 4 would go into 3 inches, about 6 inches lower and to one side.

This was AFTER I had reduced the trigger pull from something over 17 lbs (the extent of my weight set) to 6 lbs or so. Before the trigger work, it was a solid 13" to 15" "grouper"

Unable to cure the problem, I called Remington. They said, yeah, some do that, and sometimes putting a new barrel on helped, but not always, and if I figured out the problem, would I give them a call? . I never did either.

You literally could not give me one.

These are the results with my 7400 30-06 today after the mod.

https://www.hunttalk.com/threads/rem-7400-weathermaster-poi.293484/page-2

My 742 .30-06 will shoot under 2” with 180gr Sierra RN and 4064.
Saw the old man shoot a turkey out of the air that we jumped hiking in one day when I was a kid with it. I’m guessing it’s a late 60’s, gas an aluminum butt.
Never seen factory ammunition or any other load than the one mentioned.

Like many here, I grew up in SE Texas, we ran deer with dogs until they outlawed them, around '69 or so. Anyhow, I saw a couple older Mod 740s, 30-06 in our group or neighboring lease. Saw many Mod 742s, majority in 30-06. The one my Dad had ( and I used a few years) was a solid 6" (with a 2x7 Weaver) at 100. When Federal came out with their Red Box ammo, loaded with 165 Sierra BT, that brought it down to 4" groups. No sweat as I never shot a deer/hog over 50 steps with it, usually in bow range, ha. BUT, it was a jammo-matic on steroids. The very few I saw in .308, and 6mm Remington were easily 1.5" shooters. Not as prone to jamming either. I shot a Model Four in 270 that was like a good bolt gun! I had a Belgium BAR 270 like that too. The one Mod 750 carbine I had briefly in 35 Whelen was also very accurate. I could never warm up to the Remington pump, but everyone knew they shot well ( from friends who used them that is). I might "try " another Mod 742 again IF it was in 308 or 6mm. I think they work best with short action rounds/

I have a Remington 750 Carbine synthetic stock and forearm in 30-06 with a 2-7x33mm Leupold and the Timney 870/1100/11-87/7400/750/7600 trigger kit. It shoots 1 1/2" to 2" groups with a few different factory loads.

NYH1.

Bought a used but minty 742 carbine 30-06. It would put the first shot right on (cold bore), the next few would group nice, about 7" lower.
Proly why that rifle was minty LOL

Neat guns, but I'd go 7400 if wanting a Big Green auto. Just to avoid the bolt rail chew.
heard the 742s were prone to that in .30-06.

IMHO a clean .308 carbine 742 might be worth trying. But prices have gone silly.

Lucky for me the 760/7600 stuff fits me well. And the one I had in .30-06 w 150gr was comfy.

Had mine since 1982 have never miss a deer.
For some reason she won't shoot Remington loads FTE,no problem with all other loads.

How did you get one to shoot a magazine full?

I have have not had any jamming problems with it,not even in the Alagash in Maine,pretty cold there in Nov.
Rifle came with 2 mags,both work fine.I use 180 gr. Core- Loks in it .