It wasn't the first or second shot, but it was the last

DIBBS

Old Mountain Man-Tired occasionally Grumpy SOB
Supporter
Full Member
Minuteman
  • Aug 21, 2008
    3,418
    3,722
    WARSHington State
    My son had an interesting adventure over the weekend mule deer hunting. He broke the trigger guard and trigger while shooting at a mule deer (recoil slammed trigger guard into a rock he was laying over). What was fortunate for him , is that the gun still functioned after the damage shown, and he was able to put the finishing shot on a mule deer at 700 yards with the rifle. (Buddy was not hunting nor did he have a rifle).

    It's not huge, but it will eat good, and any more, any deer in this State is a good deer (communist mismanaged state of WA). Department of No Fish and Wildlife, but I digress.

    7mm Remington Magnum factory VSSF 162 Amax 71.4 grains Retumbo Fed 215.

    It is the most tender liver I've ever eaten, and I've eaten a few in 50 + yrs of hunting.

    Surprisingly, there was quite a bit of hydraulic damage, even at distance. I'll have to look at the ballistic program and see what the impact velocity was.

    1729613267995.jpeg



    1729613351594.jpeg

    1729613845273.jpeg



    Recovered under the hide on the off side while skinning

    1729614462205.jpeg



    1729626585329.jpeg
     
    Last edited:
    I can understand the factory trigger guard breaking, but it was quite amazing or amusing that the trigger broke too! At least now he has an excuse to invest in some sort of upgrade! Nice photos.
     
    • Like
    Reactions: DIBBS
    Those 162 Amaxes were help on deer and elk. The ELDM's I think are basically the same thing right?

    Basically, yes. I would be willing to bet that they are structurally within 5% of each other, if not much closer.

    I dumped a decent buck this year with the 150gr ABLR out of my 7RM. Not nearly as far as the OP, but my shots are going to be 400 and in.

    This is the entrance of the second shot, which was taken as he was laying down with his chest facing me. The first round did its job, but he was flopping a lot and I was not wanting to have to look for him in the thick brush nearby in the fading light.
    20241123-184556_Gallery.jpg
     
    Those 162 Amaxes were help on deer and elk. The ELDM's I think are basically the same thing right?

    They changed the plastic tips, and may have modified the bullet profile slightly to raise the BC. I probably have another barrels worth left. The factory 700 VSSF is still stacking them though, even though the round count has to be north of 1500.
     
    They changed the plastic tips, and may have modified the bullet profile slightly to raise the BC. I probably have another barrels worth left. The factory 700 VSSF is still stacking them though, even though the round count has to be north of 1500.
    I've still got a few too. But I switched to the ELDM's for the most part, they seem to work just as well.
    8433b210-2a05-49bd-8ebe-ac419967ea4e.jpeg
     
    From the pic, to me anyways, the trigger guard assembly where its broken off looks like it's made out of pot metal. Am I correct? If so, no wonder Remington has went downhill.
    Congratulations to your son for getting the buck with equipment that was failing.
     
    • Like
    Reactions: Ezana4CE and DIBBS
    Man mule deer make our local whitetails tiny. Saw my first mule deer in utah this year. The yearling was as big as our bucks lol. Grats on the kill and sucks on the damage
     
    It is/was crappy pot metal of some sort. Trigger had been honed by a smith and broke cleanly. I purchased a new floorplate and trigger and it's back like it should be, ready to be zeroed, and maybe raise some whoopass on coyotes this winter.
     
    From the pic, to me anyways, the trigger guard assembly where its broken off looks like it's made out of pot metal. Am I correct? If so, no wonder Remington has went downhill.
    Congratulations to your son for getting the buck with equipment that was failing.
    It's a casting, as they've been from day one.