I have a 742(30-06) that i bought new in 1974. It was my only deer rifle until i purchased a browning a-bolt(30-06) in 1995. My 742 is nowmy back up riflebut during those 20 years it was my only rifle. It grouped about 1.5 inches at 100 yards and it never jammed on me. The reason i bought the a-bolt was because i went to saskatchewan in 1995 and everyone said I needed a bolt action for the frigid weather in canada. i will admit that my a-bolt groups around .75-1 inch at 100 yards and weighs about 1/2 lb less than my remington. If you feel confident with your 742 then you should use it as your primary weapon until you find a sufficient reason to replace it.