HDW, I would agree with you almost wholeheartedly, although in my own experience if I missed the first shot, I also missed the second and third because the critter was running and I was agitated. These days I am too afraid of wounding an animal and losing it, so if I miss clean, I usually don't follow up. This is more a reflection of my confidence in my own shooting skills than the relative advantages of a given rifle action; a guy can't miss fast enpugh to put meat on the table.

I have had a 742 for years because I felt the need for a quick second shot when hunting wounded hogs in the shrubbery. My 742 is not all that accurate compared to my 700 BDL, but is plenty good enough for short range (~100 yards or less.) The idea of fumbling around with a bolt action, especially one like a Remington which trades reliable extraction for superb accuracy, has never appealed to me, and the 742 is very reliable in my experience.