Opinions on the Remington 740 Woodmaster please

bill c68

bill c68

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I am considering getting a 740 Woodmaster in .308 for myself and for my wife to use this spring on a bear hunt.

Any opinions?

Accuracy?
Reliability?
Felt Recoil?

As with any semi auto sporting gun... if there is accuracy issues, can they be corrected?
 
I own the same gun in .30-06 but I have not used it a great deal, it was a gift when I was yonger. So in terms of recoil I can't really comment. Reliability, out of the 50 or 60 shots I have taken with it, it never once failed. In terms of accuracy I found that it shot well to about 200 yards with just factory loads and not too much time, not sure the exact grouping but it was in the kill zone. Past that I did not have much success on paper, but I also did not put time into it at all.

So if you are interested in a .30-06 instead feel free to give me a shout!

Evan
 
Accuracy is pretty good.
Felt recoil is low in 308 for sure.
Reliability is hit and miss.I have owned quite a few of them.Problem is if they start to act up (jam) its usually not a quick fix.
You gota keep em very very clean.Alot more work than other rifles.Still there is no guarantee that it will be trouble free.Not saying it wont be.I had a 742 in 243 for many years that worked great for me without any problems.Ended up giving it to my father who used it to take about 40 deer with it and no probs till the action fell apart and was pooched.Most jam issues I have seen with these guns are mostly in 30-06.Seems the 243 and 270 feed best in these.

You might be better off lookin for a BAR in 308 as you have some time before next bear hunt.

Whatever you choice good luck.
 
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Got one in .270winchester. 1 3/4" groups knelling from 100yrds. Accurate reliable, had one fail to eject fully, jam but that’s about it.
My rifle had a faulty trigger new out of the box but that was replaced under warranty.
Iron sights are decent and a n added bonus for the budget minded.
Only extra you need are swivels and a sling.
I'm happy with it.
It has to be the mildest recoiling hunting rifle I've ever used. The .308 I think would be milder or at least feel that way.
Very reasonable price also.
 
Are you talking about the 740 woodsmaster from the 1960's or the new 750 Woodmaster that is new this year? IF its the old one, forget it, too unreliable. The new one has been revamped and looks promising. Great for the wife and kids, hardly any recoil.

remington autoloader timeline:
 
i had one mod 742 in .308.
junk!
seen many others in several calibers, worn out junk.
If it was not cleaned very often it will wear out fast. Start jamming and giving greif.
Not very accurate but then what semi auto is compared to a solid action.
 
I have a 760 pump. The pumps get better with age...the action gets smoother...(as opposed to the semis which seem to get worse over time).
 
My uncle has the older version he hunted with in the 1960s. He says it wouldn't cycle in the cold weather.

I have two pals who have the Remington pump they like a lot.

With the removeable magazine they are quick to load if you happen to see one while driving to your hunting spot, but I have noticed that they are awkard to pump and keep sight of the target if shooting from a solid rest.
 
My first deer rifle was a 742 in 30/06. I only used it one year though; one deer, one shot, one jam. I tried different cleaning procedures, different ammo and a new magazine then I got rid of it. Accuracy was 2-2.5" I think and the muzzle jump was crazy.

I have a very small soft spot for them since I took my first deer with one and it was my first centerfire but I still avoid them.
 
I have the new 7400 carbine in 30-06. It has a god awful trigger but bagged front and rear shoots 1 and 1/8" with 150gr silvertips and 1 3/4" with Federal 150gr. So far it has proven reliable. Felt recoil is less than my Savage 10FP in 308. My father in law had one of the first remmy semis in 308 mid to late 50's. It has been reliable and still shoots well.

Brian
 
SO!! ............ Let's recap :dancingbanana:

We should sticky this and paste it in the newbie section along with the 270 vs 30/06 stuff. :p

captonion said:
Reliability is hit and miss.
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SparkyWonderDawg said:
My rifle had a faulty trigger new out of the box but that was replaced under warranty.
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blargon said:
IF its the old one, forget it, too unreliable.
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huntman said:
i had one mod 742 in .308.
junk!
seen many others in several calibers, worn out junk.
If it as not cleaned very often it will wear out fast. Start jamming and giving greif.
Not very accurate but then what semi auto is compared to a solid action.
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SwedishMan said:
I have a 760 pump. The pumps get better with age...the action gets smoother...(as opposed to the semis which seem to get worse over time).
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MD said:
My uncle has the older version he hunted with in the 1960s. He says it wouldn't cycle in the cold weather.
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mistahmojoryan said:
My first deer rifle was a 742 in 30/06. I only used it one year though; one deer, one shot, one jam.
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gunrunner100 said:
From experience working on the 740 and it's sinister cousin, the 742, you'd spend your money wisely somewhere else.
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Ahhhhhhhhh SC, you make my life so easy. Buttttttttttttt wait, what was that line in there about the Pumps getting 'smoother' with age??? Why in hell doesn't Remmington just build them right from the get go????
 
Dosing said:
Ahhhhhhhhh SC, you make my life so easy. Buttttttttttttt wait, what was that line in there about the Pumps getting 'smoother' with age???
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Is that the best razz you can get out of this post?? :rolleyes:

Nobody (including me) ever said that the pumps were as nice a those goofy European guns you like, but then they don't cost five times as much either. As an engineer, you should know that new machined surfaces often work better after a bit of use when they become "lapped" one to another. No doubt the more expensive guns you talk about are the same.

Why is it I never see any pics of your guns? At least I own guns. :cool:


.
 
I've never owned a 740/742/7400. But Remington has sure sold a LOT of them. Can they all be that bad? Just worked on a couple this season - one was a .280 - which has been used very effectively by a very experienced local hunter for years. The other was a .30-06, and it needed some sight work, too, unrelated to it being a 742. The owner is satisfied with it.
 
I've seen a lot of jammed semi remingtons, but it was mainly due to either a bad magazine, or dirty gas ports, etc.
Either can be fixed, but I would not own one myself.
The pump Remington, on the other hand, is another kettle of fish!:rolleyes:
I don't think I ever saw one that had anything really wrong with it, all that I handled and shot ,shot decently , they handle well, and are reliable.
Not much more a hunter could want for if he wanted a good hunting rifle.
But then, I wouldn't own one of them either, but that is just me.
Cat
 
SuperCub said:
Is that the best razz you can get out of this post?? :rolleyes:

Why is it I never see any pics of your guns? At least I own guns. :cool:
.
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Yeah it was the best I had, I mean its close to Christmas, my Advent Calender is sitting here taunting me with its chocolatey goodness and I thought... 'aw shucks...be nice to poor old Paul' :redface:

As for part two, guns are passe, dull and boring, I mean who owns guns anymore. I gave them up for lent and never looked back. And yep, the Euros actually finish everything properly before it leaves the factory :D
That said you must not have been paying attention when I posted pics when I had them :p
 
tiriaq said:
I've never owned a 740/742/7400. But Remington has sure sold a LOT of them. Can they all be that bad? .
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No, one or two can be good. My 7400 Carb in '06 worked pretty well for the two weeks I owned it :D
I've seen problems with every model, though the 742 was the one with the ADs associated with it in my experience. It was one of those putting a bullet through a couch at a hunting camp that prompted a long call between me and Remington. Thier customer service didn't impress me either, though thier legal savy is beyond reproach.
I have seen lots of problems with them over the years, but that said 90% of it was bad owners, using WD40 and crap like that on them, or in one case bear grease. Regular cleaning and lube will keep them working, but they are still on the low end of everything even when they work.
The pumps just felt cheap compared to the solidity of some of the lever guns out there, as well as some of the pump shotguns.
 
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