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Thread: Woodmaster 742 Ammo

  1. #1
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    Default Woodmaster 742 Ammo

    One of the guns that I inherited from my dad's passing is a Woodmaster 742 in 30-06. Wanted to try and get it dialed in this year and hunt with it. My question is, as my dad always used the cheapest shells, whats some good factory ammo/grain combinations that has gave your 742 some success? Figured I'd ask before going on a wild goose chase.
    Last edited by dhall1693; 08-14-2019 at 09:30 AM.
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  2. #2
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    I have never had one that the ejector wouldn't rip the lip off a shell every once in awhile.
    I missed the biggest deer of my life 30 years ago due to this.
    Missed him at 200 yards and the SOB ran straight to me and stood broadside at 30 yards and the gun had jammed on the failure to eject.
    Know issue
    There are video's out there on how to cure it.

  3. #3
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    Core loks. And prepare for some ejection fails.
    Last edited by Pcole; 08-14-2019 at 09:58 AM.

  4. #4
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    I would leave it in the safe as one of dads old guns. My dad gave me one for "my" first deer rifle. nothing but problems. I don't remember the details, but even with good leupold scope mounts and a decent scope(s), it would never hold a zero. you could dial it in, and the next day it would shoot 12" off. A gunsmith (he could have been full of shit) said they were notorious for being hard to keep dialed in. something about the action of the gun and the recoil. After 2 seasons of screwing with it, its been a safe queen for the last 15 years.


    Didnt they fix these issues with the 7400 or whatever it was that came out shortly after the 742?
    Last edited by dixiedeerslaya; 08-14-2019 at 10:21 AM.

  5. #5
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    Those guns made people LOVE Browning BARs.

  6. #6
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    Keep chamber squeaky clean. 180gr corelokt hard to beat. I had a 7400 as my first scoped rifle i bought myself. Killed one deer with it and it jammed after first shot i couldnt budge it without taking it apart. Had 4 deer staring at me while i was digging in chamber with a pocketknife. It didnt stay at my house long after that
    Last edited by Phone Man; 08-14-2019 at 10:49 AM.
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  7. #7
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    I mounted a scope on one for a buddy the other day. Nothing impressive by any means but it held a 3 inch group at 200 with 150 grain SST’s. That was better than I expected out of it and that terrible trigger doesn’t help anything.

  8. #8
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    My dads been hunting with one for at least 30 years. 180 grain corelokt and never had a problem, probably hasn’t checked zero on it in 10 years. I asked him last season if he wanted to check the zero on it and his response was “ when the sumbitch gives me a reason to not trust it, then i will worry about it.” He finially bought a new box of bullets last year.
    Last edited by adamb61085; 08-14-2019 at 11:32 AM.

  9. #9
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    I have a 740 that was my grandfathers. No matter what ammo you use, 6-8in group at 100 with occasional fliers. He used it to kill truckloads of deer. Great swamp rifle, never had ejection issues.

  10. #10
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    No problem with holding zero on mine, probably killed 50 deer in front of hounds with it.
    Take a brass brush to the chamber aggressively and that usually takes care of the ejection problems.
    I always liked them, a little heavy if I remember correctly but I think mine was a shorter "carbine" model.

  11. #11
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    180 grain RN Corelokt was always the 30-06 round of choice back in the day. It will crush a deer even now. Especially inside 100 yards which is about the intended range .

    I'm a lefty and always preferred the 760 or 7600 pump action Remingtons. Had several that were quite accurate. Had a deluxe Model 6 in .270 that was surprisingly accurate. Still have a 7600 .308 synthetic 18.5" carbine that shoots very well. A good smith can clean up the triggers and get them to at least 4-4.5 lbs.
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  12. #12
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    Make sure screw on end of forearm is tight also

  13. #13
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    To your question about ammo, I used 150 grain coreloks. !80 grain isn't necessary to kill a deer.

    My first deer rifle many years ago was a 742. Like many others, I had jamming issues until I started using a breech brush specifically made for the gun and started thoroughly cleaning the breech/chamber as necessary and the jam problems went away. It was never a tack driver but it killed a lot of deer. Here is a link to the brush-

    https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1005025528?pid=16920

    After 4-5 years of use I replaced it with a 7400 and continued to have great success killing every deer that I shot at. Probably killed 20+ deer with it.
    A few things I learned about these guns over the years was-
    1- Keep it clean and lubed. Pay special attention to the chamber and the gas ports below the chamber.
    2- After a few uears I figured out that the barrel would get hot (30-06) after a few rounds but once sighted in, all cold bore shots were always spot on. After 3-4 rounds the group would open up and be all over the place. I quit shooting 10-20 rounds and "chasing the scope" at the range after making this discovery.
    3- I loved this style rifle for the ability to quickly and easily remove the magazine, clear the chamber and make the gun safe for storage or transport. I spent most of my time hunting public land and you're not allowed to transport a loaded firearm in your vehicle.
    4- both of these rifles came with the see thru scope rings. Replaced them on the 7400 with low mount rings and a good scope and it became a great shooter.

    It's a great firearm IMO. When properly cleaned and lubed the action was smooth as butter.The only negative I had was the trigger. It had a lot of creep and was heavy at the break.

  14. #14
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    I had an older 742 once and a gunsmith told me not shoot anything over 150gr. The recoil system was not the best design and the bolt slams back with such force that it cuts grooves in the receiver. Once the groves are cut deep enough the gun will fail and is not repairable. Remove the bolt and look toward the back side of the receiver where the lip is the bolt rides on. You are looking for shiny serrations or not he’s worn into the receiver.
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  15. #15
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    Who doesn't have an ol 742 or clone in the safe?

    I got one that won't hit broadside of a barn.

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  16. #16
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    I'm with Scatter Shot. We have shot the 150 gr Core Lokt from it and its ran well and accurately. It is basically a backup gun for if my or my Dad's primary gun takes a tumble or a hard knock, and its good for that. It is an interesting gun and is so different when coming from bolt guns to that thing with all the movement and action cycling.

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