Remington 750 jammed, lost a deer
- Thread starter the blur
- Start date
reynolds357
New member
The 750 is known to jam. You lost the deer due to poor placement of your first shot.
I will admit that due to the influx of hogs in my deer hunting area, I now use an ar-10 quite a bit. Having said that, follow up shots should not even be on your mind when deer hunting. One shot, one kill is the mentality that breeds clean and ethical kills. There has only been one time deer hunting when I wanted to shoot two deer at the same time. I got it done quite easily with the turn bolt.
I will admit that due to the influx of hogs in my deer hunting area, I now use an ar-10 quite a bit. Having said that, follow up shots should not even be on your mind when deer hunting. One shot, one kill is the mentality that breeds clean and ethical kills. There has only been one time deer hunting when I wanted to shoot two deer at the same time. I got it done quite easily with the turn bolt.reynolds357
New member
I agree with the reliability of the 760, but accuracy is nowhere in the ball park of quality bolt actions.
My personal preference to hunt is semi-auto. That's just me. I know most people like bolts, but to each his own.
From now on, I will hunt with my BAR, and the Rem 750 is shelved for good.
The 1st shot, yes, I hit low, just below the lungs in the brisket. The follow up shot would have been easy. The deer was in shell shock. I'm still bothered by the loss. Never lost a deer before.
That's why I don't bow hunt or MZ hunt. I just know the results wouldn't be pretty.
From now on, I will hunt with my BAR, and the Rem 750 is shelved for good.
The 1st shot, yes, I hit low, just below the lungs in the brisket. The follow up shot would have been easy. The deer was in shell shock. I'm still bothered by the loss. Never lost a deer before.
That's why I don't bow hunt or MZ hunt. I just know the results wouldn't be pretty.
silverhawk500
Inactive
OP- Rem 742/740's had a history of jamming- the few I have were magazine related issues, something to check. A rem 760 purchased in 1975 has had a jam at the bench secondary to a faulty mag. It has never failed in the field.
6 hrs seems like a minimal amount of time to search- but I do not know, the weather, time constraints, area that you are searching. I understand that you never want to lose an animal.
WISDOM OF THE DAY- I double lunged a huge buck @ 15 yds with the bow many years ago. Massive blood trail, snow on the ground, last day of archery in Mi. I went into the house, changed and began looking. Massive blood, it went 75-80 yds then stopped!! No tracks leading from the blood, NO BLOOD, luminol confirmed. This was Jan 1, I finally found the deer March 29 after the snow receded. I learned that when the blood STOPS, start backtracking. I found the headless carcass, about 3 yds off the trail behind a blowdown, 40 yds back from where the blood stopped. I had been angry a my self for losing it, for 3 months. The animal will be consumed by the woods, and I learned a valuable, albeit painful lesson.
Someone asked why a functioning pump instead of a bolt- 5 shots quickly when shooting 5 animals, you may be good with a bolt, but not as fast as a pump. Accuracy is 1 moa, better with a better operator, with factory 30-06 180 gr PSP core-loct.
Jmorrison: I have shot over 200 whitetails and one "required" a second shot because it was going to cross off my property. It was dead on it's feet, 1" cube of heart was a site of first shot. I am curious as to what caliber/bullet you are using? I have found that deer shot under 50 yds- run, not far but still run. When I did crop damage I would prefer all shots to be 200 + yds, they would just drop. Shot 6 with the pistol 44 mag at 33 yards- all ran, all were recovered, Ammo was rem, fed,pmc,win, imi 240 the farthest went 90 yards. All were double lung with varying cardiac damage. I have switched to 240 XTP, they no longer run, with same heart lung shot.
The first shot is the most important one. Good Luck. Be Safe,
6 hrs seems like a minimal amount of time to search- but I do not know, the weather, time constraints, area that you are searching. I understand that you never want to lose an animal.
WISDOM OF THE DAY- I double lunged a huge buck @ 15 yds with the bow many years ago. Massive blood trail, snow on the ground, last day of archery in Mi. I went into the house, changed and began looking. Massive blood, it went 75-80 yds then stopped!! No tracks leading from the blood, NO BLOOD, luminol confirmed. This was Jan 1, I finally found the deer March 29 after the snow receded. I learned that when the blood STOPS, start backtracking. I found the headless carcass, about 3 yds off the trail behind a blowdown, 40 yds back from where the blood stopped. I had been angry a my self for losing it, for 3 months. The animal will be consumed by the woods, and I learned a valuable, albeit painful lesson.
Someone asked why a functioning pump instead of a bolt- 5 shots quickly when shooting 5 animals, you may be good with a bolt, but not as fast as a pump. Accuracy is 1 moa, better with a better operator, with factory 30-06 180 gr PSP core-loct.
Jmorrison: I have shot over 200 whitetails and one "required" a second shot because it was going to cross off my property. It was dead on it's feet, 1" cube of heart was a site of first shot. I am curious as to what caliber/bullet you are using? I have found that deer shot under 50 yds- run, not far but still run. When I did crop damage I would prefer all shots to be 200 + yds, they would just drop. Shot 6 with the pistol 44 mag at 33 yards- all ran, all were recovered, Ammo was rem, fed,pmc,win, imi 240 the farthest went 90 yards. All were double lung with varying cardiac damage. I have switched to 240 XTP, they no longer run, with same heart lung shot.
The first shot is the most important one. Good Luck. Be Safe,
603Country
New member
I used a BAR in 270 for years. It shot under an inch with hand loads. As to second shots on deer, I never really thought about it. The count on deer is close to 300, and going on memory the few second shots were up close to finish the animal. Like everyone else says, the first shot counts, but I'm quite sure the OP already knew that.
As for tracking wounded deer, I use a lot of toilet paper. Where I find blood, I'll hang a square of TP on a twig. It makes the blood trail much easier to see. In my experience, severely wounded deer generally wander (as terrain allows) in a somewhat straight line. If you lose the trail, look back to check that you haven't wandered offline. That perspective has many times helped me re-find the blood trail. Then, when you've hopefully found the deer, that trail of TP makes the trip back to where you started much easier in daylight or dark. The TP glows brightly in a flashlight beam. And, in case you didn't find the deer and want to try again later, the TP trail is easier to find than an old blood trail. Get the bright white TP.
As for tracking wounded deer, I use a lot of toilet paper. Where I find blood, I'll hang a square of TP on a twig. It makes the blood trail much easier to see. In my experience, severely wounded deer generally wander (as terrain allows) in a somewhat straight line. If you lose the trail, look back to check that you haven't wandered offline. That perspective has many times helped me re-find the blood trail. Then, when you've hopefully found the deer, that trail of TP makes the trip back to where you started much easier in daylight or dark. The TP glows brightly in a flashlight beam. And, in case you didn't find the deer and want to try again later, the TP trail is easier to find than an old blood trail. Get the bright white TP.
silverhawk500
Inactive
603Country: The TP does work very well, bio-degradable, gives you a line of reference, light to carry. Be Safe,
Sure Shot Mc Gee
New member
There are trackers and there are really good trackers. I've volunteered to track a few for others. Anxiousness to get started tracking won't help in deer recovery. To soon and you'll be unknowingly a participant in the deer's leap froging through-out the woods. Good hour needs to go by before you're tracking anything shot. And if the animal by the color of its blood splattering happens to have a liver wound. Best wait until the following morning before attempting its recovery.
Many times our deer seasoning opening will be a warm opener. When I was a kid my father would make me wait until there was some snow on the ground before I was allowed to deer hunt. (I thought that was totally unfair of him at the time) Oh I'm sure Pops he knew that there was a good chance of my making a nervous shot sitting in stand all by myself with that old long barreled 1894 family beater 25-35 cradled in my arms. Although he hunted through-out the entire deer season with the neighbors snow or not. One thing he would do when he heard me shoot. He'd walk in to my Stand and lightly question me. Never ever with the intentions of upsetting or ridiculing me like I've witnessed with other Fathers. Than he'd walk over and look around where the deer was last seen. And track it until he found some blood and then back off the tracking altogether. Sometimes blood was seen immediately other times blood was found as far as 50-100 yards away. No matter he just wouldn't follow it and back up and off a little on the animal. I'd be eager as all get out to keep going. But no. He had other plans. A couple times when it was really cold he'd make a little fire and cook himself & me a cup of tea. Or just stop and take a pinch of Copenhagen or fire up a roll-ur-own while watching up trail and quietly talk to me. Just his way of killing time before the chase. Good 45 min spent most times during that break period. Having to listen to some interesting often humorous story telling during the wait sure kept the boredom down. I never in those times ever seen or heard of the old guy loosing a deer. And in my 60 yrs of hunting have only lost one in the tracking of the many I've and others shot. But it does happen. "We just lose em."__ Just so long as it doesn't happen too often is the goal we hunters should all try for.
Many times our deer seasoning opening will be a warm opener. When I was a kid my father would make me wait until there was some snow on the ground before I was allowed to deer hunt. (I thought that was totally unfair of him at the time) Oh I'm sure Pops he knew that there was a good chance of my making a nervous shot sitting in stand all by myself with that old long barreled 1894 family beater 25-35 cradled in my arms. Although he hunted through-out the entire deer season with the neighbors snow or not. One thing he would do when he heard me shoot. He'd walk in to my Stand and lightly question me. Never ever with the intentions of upsetting or ridiculing me like I've witnessed with other Fathers. Than he'd walk over and look around where the deer was last seen. And track it until he found some blood and then back off the tracking altogether. Sometimes blood was seen immediately other times blood was found as far as 50-100 yards away. No matter he just wouldn't follow it and back up and off a little on the animal. I'd be eager as all get out to keep going. But no. He had other plans. A couple times when it was really cold he'd make a little fire and cook himself & me a cup of tea. Or just stop and take a pinch of Copenhagen or fire up a roll-ur-own while watching up trail and quietly talk to me. Just his way of killing time before the chase. Good 45 min spent most times during that break period. Having to listen to some interesting often humorous story telling during the wait sure kept the boredom down. I never in those times ever seen or heard of the old guy loosing a deer. And in my 60 yrs of hunting have only lost one in the tracking of the many I've and others shot. But it does happen. "We just lose em."__ Just so long as it doesn't happen too often is the goal we hunters should all try for.
You did not lose the deer because the rifle jammed, you lost the deer because the blew the first shot. Those of us who have hunted extensively with a single-shot (Browning B78, 6mm Rem.), have learned restraint. Of all the deer (many, did not keep count), I shot with my B78, none needed a "follow-up shot". As a matter of fact, of all the deer I have shot in my lifetime, none ever need a follow-up shot. For those who insist on rifles with the capability of follow-up shots, I pose the question: If you missed a shot at a deer when it was still and not alerted, how do you expect to hit one when it is high-tailing out of there running away? Free advice: Get the gun fixed, sell it and buy a single shot, and learn to hunt.
reynolds357
New member
Well TNTNTN, the last deer I shot and did not find was over 20 years ago. I have never shot a deer twice. I kill 7 to 10 a year, depending on how many tags we get in the season. We only got three tags for a while and then five for a couple of years. It would be safe to say 110 deer with no follow up shot and none lost.
I actually did shoot one deer twice, it was about 25 years ago. I shot him in the shoulder with a 7Rem Mag shooting the original ballistic tips that had the paper thin jacket. He ran off. I killed him with a Speer Hot Cor, and recovered my failed Nosler bullet, a week later.
I actually did shoot one deer twice, it was about 25 years ago. I shot him in the shoulder with a 7Rem Mag shooting the original ballistic tips that had the paper thin jacket. He ran off. I killed him with a Speer Hot Cor, and recovered my failed Nosler bullet, a week later.
QUOTE: You did not lose the deer because the rifle jammed, you lost the deer because the blew the first shot. Those of us who have hunted extensively with a single-shot (Browning B78, 6mm Rem.), have learned restraint...
You don't need to use a single-shot to "learn restraint". And just because you use a single-shot doesn't mean that a second (follow-up shot) will never happen-stuff happens. How many of us go into the woods with just one round, no matter the type of action the rifle has? My guess is, no one.
QUOTE: Free advice: Get the gun fixed, sell it and buy a single shot, and learn to hunt.
No one needs your condescending "advice", no matter how cheap it comes; least of all, the op.
You don't need to use a single-shot to "learn restraint". And just because you use a single-shot doesn't mean that a second (follow-up shot) will never happen-stuff happens. How many of us go into the woods with just one round, no matter the type of action the rifle has? My guess is, no one.
QUOTE: Free advice: Get the gun fixed, sell it and buy a single shot, and learn to hunt.
No one needs your condescending "advice", no matter how cheap it comes; least of all, the op.
603Country
New member
This all reminds me that when my oldest grandson was finally trusted enough to hunt by himself, I'd send him out with one bullet. The idea was for him to learn that it's the first bullet that counts, so make it count. And one day he came back with one empty case and one nice 9 point.
My cousin brought his young son up with a single shot custom 223. The kid was a great shot and killed a lot of deer (says he never missed, but don't they all say that?).
Anyway, wasn't this all about the rifle jamming? So get a new rifle. Don't hunt with something you don't trust.
My cousin brought his young son up with a single shot custom 223. The kid was a great shot and killed a lot of deer (says he never missed, but don't they all say that?).
Anyway, wasn't this all about the rifle jamming? So get a new rifle. Don't hunt with something you don't trust.