Hey have any of you guys ever hunted with a remington model 7400 semi auto rifle 30-06.. Ive been lookin around at different guns and while Id prefer a bolt action, I think I found a good deal on a used 7400.. The guys says its in excelent shape and would part ways with it for $250, and its actually a friend of mine that owns it.. I havent bought it yet, and havent seen it either.. Im a left handed shooter so I will have to special order a left handed bolt action gun.. But I kind of forgot about semi autos, which I could shoot either way.. My only reservations are accuracy and range.. I know in the long run a bolt action will be more accurate, but do you guys think with a quality scope that a guy could take a deer or yote out to say 200 yards tops with this gun?? Id much rather shoot one at 100-150 but say they dont come any closer is 200 yards pushin it?? or is this gun just a pieca crap to start with and maybe I should stick with a bolt action... heres some info on the gun..

http://www.remington.com/products/firearms.../model_7400.asp

heck of a gun, i have been hunting with one for 4 years now and absolutly love it. shot deer up to 150 yards never had to make a real long shot with it but wouldnt hesitate if i had the chance. you cant go wrong with a Remington.

In a pinch and for the money, if its in good shape, that'd be a good buy! I've never owned one, but have had friends that did and they really liked them!

I'd see if he'll let you shoot it for groups first. The 742 and 7400 are good, dependable guns, but will rarely give you the accuracy of a comparable bolt gun. My 742 will shoot about 1.5" @ 100 yards all day long, but I've rarely gotten better groups than that with it. That's still acceptable accuracy for a 200-250 yard shot though, so if you like the gun and it shoots well for you, go for it!

Thats a good deal, like Wes said ask to shoot it and see if you can shoot good with it. My grandfather has one and he loves it.

the 7400 and 742 have generated more disagreement than religion and politics combined. some people swear by them and others swear against them. both will do the job but, if they are not maintained properly, both can jam (just like any semi-auto). as far as shooting consistently @ 200 yards, the 7400 will easily provide the accuracy needed. the difference will always be in your ammo. some well known and respected makers have loads that will not group at all in the 7400. i will not go into hand loads but many people i know have tailored loads for their 7400 that would impress anyone. in my family, i'm the oddball i shoot an a-bolt in .308 while nearly everyone else shoots a 7400 in 30/06. i thought that i would have a HUGE advantage at the rifle range but i was wrong. my cousin and my brother, shooting federal premium ammo in their 7400s, can get consistent 1/2" to 3/4" groups @ 100 yards. that's about what i'm getting so there goes my HUGE advantage.

i have an older friend that has killed several bucks at or near 200 yards. he has always shot the 7400.

i would recommend selecting a round with a ballistic tip bullet. as the 7400 cycles, and chambers the new round, it can deform the tip of a soft nose bullet. this alone can dramatically effect downrange accuracy. this is an observation that i made with my a-bolt. i was never a fan of ballistic tips until i tried them last year.

Thats right you do have to keep them clean especially the clip any slight bit of grit will not allow it to function properly. My 7400 jammed on me twice once mule deer hunting and once whitetail. All and all killed many deer with it though wouldn't hesitate shooting out 200 yards with it either. Great gun

My dad just recently gave me his Rem. woodsman model 742 in .30-06 which is the early model 7400. Shoots great and very accurate. One of my hunting buddies also shoots a 7400. Never heard him say anything bad about it. It actually has less kick for the same caliber bolt action. Very good and popular gun.

Hey thanks for the imput fellas.. Since I know the guy I'll see if hell let me try it out first.. Im sure he will.. Im a noob deer hunter and have never gone deer hutning, just turkeys.. I also intend to use it for dirty yotes too.. From what I've read here, and if the guns in as good of shape that my buddy says its in. It might be a wise decision to pick it up anyway, he said he wants $250 for it and thats alot cheaper than me buying a $500 new gun and another couple hundred on a decent starter scope.. If it doesnt have a respectable scope on it Im gona get a new one for it.. Atleast then if I decide i dont like deer I wont have spent a great deal of money for nothing, and Ill still have a decent gun for mowing down yotes.. Besides I'd rather bow hunt than rifle hunt.. but since Im a noob I feel its best to start with a rifle...

I have killed several deer with the 7400 30.06 . My gun prefers Federal ammo. I have 3 shot groups @ 100yards you can cover with a dime. I plan on hunting with it this fall.

Hey,
I think all the replies are correct. If you don't keep the 7400 clean it becomes what we in florida call the remington 7400 jamamatic. I shot the 7600 pump for years and loved it, until I got the 700 bolt. But if you keep it clean and find a round your gun likes your golden.
Jay Sheridan

I have a 760 in .308 and my dad has a .30-06 and both of our guns are good to 400 yds. Semis are illegal in pa so i dont know what they are like.

I had a 7400 several years ago and it kept breaking the firing pin every 25-30 rounds. After replacing it for the third time I traded it off. I'm sure it was just that particular gun because I shoot a lot of remingtons and love them. Now everything I have is bolt action. Has anyone else had or heard of this problem or know what it might be? I've always wanted to know what the problem was.