Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2019 i Sporting Shooter

THING 1. Two elections loom this year, both NSW and Federal and in one case, the choices offered could not be more stark. Federally, it is very confusing, with the two major parties offering little for the working stiff in rural or urban Australia. In the Senate, a vote for an independent needs to be very carefully considered, due to where their preferences will end up, but in the House of Reps', it may be wise to vote out sitting members, unless they specifically look after outdoor pursuits and the bush. In NSW, however, the Shooters Fishers and Farmers Party (SFF) are standing 23 Lower House contenders and if they are anything like the quality and effectiveness of SFF Member for Orange, Phil Donato, then your vote is safe with…

SHOOTING has always been a big part of growing up on the family farm north of Adelaide, for brother’s Russell (26) and Lewis (24). From a young age they would go out with their father Bevan but would often fall asleep in the ute, only when the gun went off would they wake to find they had missed out on the hunt. As the years went on it finally became their turn to shoot and spotlight. It all started when Russell’s mate Marty mentioned seeing a black fox a couple of years ago but of course at the time they all thought he was dreaming. However it wasn’t too long after this that Bevan mentioned he’d seen the black fox and then sure enough, Russell happened to see it for…

ZEISS’S American Conquest riflescopes have always represented a bargain for hunters and target shooters alike ever since their inception several years ago. The latest V4 keeps up that tradition. Costing almost half as much as the company’s European models, and based on 30mm main tubes with 1/4-minute instead of 1cm clicks, the V4 has most of the features found in the more expensive Victory series. Although the new V4 Conquest series is being made in Japan The design is similar and the glass is top drawer. For many years technology limited scopes to 3x zoom, typified by the long popular 3-9x variable. Times have changed. Four times zoom is nothing new, and today six and eight times zoom has become common. Zeiss riflescopes have become more diversified with the top-of-the-range…

INTRODUCED in 2002 American gunwriters predicted a bright future for it, but the reality is thatit never went on to achieve its full potential. Although it treads close on the heels of the larger 7mm magnums, in a shorter, lighter, handier, faster and more efficient action, it was eclipsed by the .270 WSM and .300 WSM right from the start. Why this happened mystifies me since the 7mm WSM gives optimum performance from .284 calibre bullets and is a great choice for big-game from deer to elk and moose. With a wide range of bullets available in different weights and types the 7mm has a large enough diameter to allow even traditionally styled bullets to expand and penetrate well on game. But it’s not large enough to generate an uncomfortable…

THE Lynx 94 straight-pull rifle is without a doubt the most unique and unusual hunting rifle I've ever come across. It is a straight-pull takedown without the interchangeable barrel option, hence it has little in common with either the Blaser or the Merkel RX Helix. Well made and innovative, the Lynx’s action is totally different, operating straight back it features a rear locking Crossbolt system instead of a rotating bolt head which makes cycling even faster. The bolt is fully contained within the receiver, so the rifle cannot be modified from righthand to left. In recent years as competition between various bolt-action designs increased, there has been unending flurry of activity not only toward developing stronger, safer and more accurate mechanisms but also toward rifles that are simpler and less…

Caldwell Rests When sighting in a firearm or simply at the range target shooting a steady rest is of upmost importance for a precise shot. Caldwell offer a large selection of range equipment from the handy little NXT, an extremely versatile front rest with loads of features and ideal for pistol or rifle shooters to the well know Lead Sled now available in several configurations. Other models include the Steady Rest NXT, Matrix and the Fire Control front rest or full-length rest. Recently, however, Caldwell released the Stable Table Lite that offers a fully collapsible, all-in-one bench,,seat and rest. Weighing around 13kg this all weather table and seat will support up to 250lbs and features a rotating seat and table depth adjustment for maximum shooting comfort. Set up is fast…

AFTER reviewing the Steyr SM 12 with a composite stock and numerous other stainless steel and synthetic stocked guns the walnut stocked Steyr SM12 was like a breath of fresh air. This is not to denigrate the concept of a stainless-synthetic rifle which has taken the hunting world by storm, as these rifles are a practical solution to solving the problems of a hard working hunting rifle. Their weatherproof componentry means the stock will never shift or move after being exposed to inclement weather. To a hunter like myself, who is a closet traditionalist, however, there’s nothing more appealing than a rifle stocked with a fine piece of walnut and metalwork with deep lustre bluing. The Steyr SM12 under review is the lefthand version belonging to a friend of mine,…

AFTER talking to the farmer at the start of sowing and he told me he was putting in mostly wheat this year, I thought this might be a good year for the pigs. Finally harvest time came so I waited a couple of days for things to quieten down then went for a just on daylight look. I stood back in the scrub in the next paddock peering into the gloom trying to make out any pig shapes and listening for their usual grunting to each other. Finally I saw a black shape moving along slowly and then a couple more. I quietly chambered a handloaded Sierra GameKing into my 30.06 and crept down through a gully and up to the edge of the stubble paddock. By now I could…

.240 Weatherby Versus 6mm-06 Q I’ve been thinking about getting a hot 6mm for the last couple of years. My mate had .243 WSSM up for sale and I was interested until I shot it and found it gave feeding and extraction problems. Recently I’d just about decided to rebarrel my old .270 Model 70 to 6mm-06, and then I read what you’d written about the .240 Weatherby Magnum in a back issue. Now I’m undecided which is the best way to go. What is your opinion on these two hot 6mms? – Kenneth Hayes A I like the .240 Weatherby and prefer it over the wildcat 6mm-06, but if you are economy minded, 6mm-06 brass would be cheaper; all you need to do is run .25-06 cases through a…

The Lynx straight-pull rifle was created by Mr. Taksi Laaksonen, a master gunsmith with a lifelong passion for hunting and gun technology. He studied weapons technology at the Finnish Military School of Weapons during 1954-55, but his professional career began when he became employed as a worker at the Tampereen Asepaja Oy (Tampere Weapons Factory Ltd) where he rapidly progressed to become a gunsmith in 1964. After the death of the owner of the factory he became a partner and was appointed Director of Technology in 1968. The first production rifle designed by Mr. Laaksonen was a .222 Rem. calibre pump-action rifle for running target shooting, which was followed by his first straight-pull rifle, the .22 calibre Wild Boar. In 1975, the world famous Lakelander TAP-375 appeared and a year…

I’D come to know the NSW State Rep for Winchester Australia, Matt Cirson, in recent years as he had supported rimfire shooting at my home range at Malabar and when we were talking he told me about some new .22 LR ammo Winchester was now marketing to Australian shooters. One is an economical target round that comes only in 900-round bulk boxes with the label “Super Target Rimfire” AKA ST-R. It is a 40gn lead lubricated round nose solid similar in appearance and aimed at the market currently occupied by CCI Standard – a difficult act to follow. One reason I was really keen to try it is that this is made in Winchester’s own factory in Geelong and is produced solely for the Australian market. Second off the rank…

THE temperatures are soaring, the flies are thick, and the days are long. I have always struggled with the heat, and even more since I was unlucky enough to get Ross River Virus (RRV) in December of 2016. Every December since, I seem to get hit by the heat in a way that saps the energy out of me. I find now that if I get out in the bush, even though it’s a struggle, it’s more enjoyable than sitting at home with the fan on. Summer presents us all with challenges, but the hunting can be great if you make the effort to push through. When we consider ‘traditional’ hunting, we usually think of autumn. Besides the weather being cooler, many hunting seasons around the world generally open at…

EUROPEAN ammomakers differ, they seldom introduce any new cartridges and their hunters are content using traditional old reliable calibres. We all have our favourite cartridges and not all of them are the latest and greatest, some are oldtimers that our fathers and grandfathers swore by, but alas, they seldom get a mention these days. I have sworn that I won't let these former reliable cartridges be forgotten or denigrated when compared with new offerings, many of which are capable of little better performance. The 6.5 Creedmoor, the short magnums and super magnums are all the rage, but I feel nostalgic for the good old cartridges of yesteryear - those obscure and supposedly obsolete cartridges that still have what it takes to take game. 1 .220 Swift No other cartridge has…

WHEN I’M ASKED what was the most exciting hunt I’ve ever had, it would have to be my original trek almost 40 years ago to Zimbabwe chasing rogue elephant tuskers on foot. They’re such dangerous animals. Twice the height of a man, plus some, with a wonderfully dexterous tusk that serves many purposes, including swishing annoying pests – like hunters. Despite weighing six tonnes, they travel far and surprisingly fast in a day. They often have smaller askari bulls on alert while they snooze at midday, tusks resting in a tree trunk. They’re not easy to approach unseen and running into angry cows by mistake can be fatal. Cows are always quick to anger. You must be fit enough to travel up to 50km a day in blistering heat and…