Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2021 i Sporting Shooter

VICTORIAN DEER HUNTING RELATIVE SUCCESS. Despite Covid, Victorian deer hunters still managed to kill an estimated 69,900 deer in 2020. These deer come at zero expense to the taxpayer; they fill freezers with free-range meat and inject much-needed funds into regional Victorian communities. The Game Management Authority released the report that quoted a 60 per cent decrease on the estimated 173,800 deer harvested in 2019. HUNTERS’ COVID TRAVEL SITUATION. As at 18th October my web search revealed much different information regarding travel one may undertake to hunt, particularly if intending to cross state borders. This is not comprehensive due to space restrictions. • NSW. Until 1 Nov vaccinated people (VP) in Sydney may not travel outside greater Sydney area. Same applies in reverse for rural NSW VP going inside greater…

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE 40%! NORMALLY $125 (PRINT + DIGITAL) Spoil yourself or a loved one this Christmas with a subscription to Sporting Shooter and never miss the latest hunting news, tips and reviews. WHY SUBSCRIBE? • Only $75 for 13 issues (print + digital) • Save 40% off the subscription price! • Free delivery to your door • Never miss an issue! ALREADY A SUBSCRIBE? Simply extend your subscription to take advantage of this offer. TO SUBSCRIBE OR RENEW visit www.greatmagazines.com.au/christmas or CALL 1800 807 760 & QUOTE ADV/XM21 Conditions: These offers are open to new and current subscribers with an Australian postal address. Offers expire 31st January, 2022. The publishing frequency of the magazines vary so you may wait up to 12 weeks for delivery of your first magazine. Customer…

WHILE having lunch with Glenn Giffen from Muckadilla Safaris, the conversation got around to a new hunting block about two and a half hours drive south of Darwin, as Glenn wanted to do an exploration trip. Young Jack asked, “Can we go?” and his mother Kirsty looked at me and said “Only if Jack behaves himself and does well at school”. Jack promised he would. Nine months later found us being picked up at the airport in Darwin by Glenn. The following day we were exploring new country, seeing a few animals, but not having an opportunity for a shot. The day after we were looking over a small mob of buffalo when Glenn said to Jack, “Grab the shooting sticks and lets go”. Kirsty was carrying a .30-06 with…

*AVAILABLE CHAMBERINGS TO WINNERS INCLUDE 223REM, 22-250REM, 243WIN, 270WIN, 308WIN, 30-06SPRG, 300WIN.MAG. SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY. With the basis of a cold hammer-forged 24-inch barrel, 3-position safety and adjustable Match-Quality Two-stage Trigger, the Weatherby Vanguard S2 Blued Synthetic guarantees sub-MoA accuracy and user safety. The Griptonite® stock and Weatherby recoil pad makes for comfortable shooting and the hinged floorplate allows instant unloading. To be eligible you need to include a box of any Fiocchi ammunition in the submitted photo. VALUED AT $995 ENTRIES: please send your high resolution .jpg or .png image as an attachment to your email addressed to marcusodean@yaffa.com.au – all images must be at least 1MB in size. For entry to be valid the following contact details must be included: First name, surname, full mail address, contact phone…

COMPETITION BROUGHT TO YOU BY WIN a GARMIN eTrex 10 EVERY MONTH! ENTRIES: Please email your high resolution .jpg or png pig hunting image as an attachment to the email addressed to marcusodean@yaffa.com.au – all images must be at least 1MB in size. For entry to be valid the following contact details must be included: First name, surname, full mail address, contact phone number and email address. A short explanatory sentence with the email is also needed. Garmin’s outdoor range features unparalleled innovation in hiking, camping and hunting tech in handheld or wearable configurations. Options span from navigation, communication, safety and tracking devices. Garmin also produce a range of bow sights with built in range finder enabling better shot placement. A Garmin eTrex 10 GPS Navigator will be sent to the best…

LIKE the .450 Bushmaster, the .350 Legend was developed to be conform to regulations which originated in Michigan and soon spread to other eastern states of the U.S, including Ohio, Indiana and Pennsylvania. It all started in 2014 when Michigan’s Natural Resources Commission (NRC) brought in a law which would allow the limited use of certain rifles capable of using .35-calibre or larger ammunition with straight-walled cartridges that have a minimum length of 1.16-inches and a maximum case length of 1.8-inches to take deer in the limited firearms deer zone. In March 2017, however, the NRC recommended the law’s sunset provision be removed entirely. All this may appear strange to Aussie shooters, but most hunting in America’s eastern states is carried out in wooded country near small farms in relatively…

IT’S easy to become comfortable with what is familiar. Some might call it getting stuck in a rut, but I wouldn’t go that far as in the hunting world. Doing what is comfortable, for me, is still incredibly rewarding and exciting. Going to the same spots to hunt the same game would take a very long time to get old as success is reinforcement of behaviour. As a result of travel restrictions over the last couple of months, I was forced to look at areas much closer to home and I found some amazing places that are worthy in their own right. Humans can be creatures of habit, just like the animals we chase. If we figure out something that works, it’s hard to convince ourselves to try something new.…

THE rules are the same as for any other cartridge that headspaces off the case mouth: with these, the depth to which the cartridge can enter the chamber is controlled by a recess in the chamber which contacts the mouth of the case, and the headspace measurement is the full length of the case itself. Such cartridges cannot be crimped into their bullets, since this would change the headspace. It is, therefore, vitally important not only for accuracy but trouble-free chambering that all of the Legend cases are the same length. Also, when handloading for hunting, be sure to choose bullets with the proper construction for the size of game and the correct bullet diameter of 0.355-inch. The only exception I made was to try the Hornady 158gn HAP (Action…

Letters containing questions for answering by Nick Harvey must be accompanied by a stamped self-addressed envelope. Mail your letters to: The Technical Editor, 3 Reef Street, Hill End, NSW 2850. LETTER OF THE MONTH .270 Bullets For Deer Q I have a couple of questions about my .270 Weatherby I hope you can help me with. The rifle shoots very well with the Hornady 145gn ELD-X - but unfortunately they are difficult to obtain just now. I do have Barnes 130gn TTSX and Hornady 130gn GMX. Could you suggest some loads to use on Tahr and deer? I have tried to find a recent reloading manual of yours without success. If you have other suggestions I’d like to hear them. Thanks for your help. Gavin Ray A Barnes 130gn TTSX…

RIDGELINE Australian Made Collection For some time now, Ridgeline Australia made the decision to support local business and as such, has been working on producing an Australian made range of clothing that incorporates locally sourced materials that are locally made. Good news is that a dream has now become reality; Ridgeline has recently released another winner for the Aussie outdoorsman, made in Australia, yet still offering value for money. Working with an Australian manufacturing company based in Melbourne, Victoria, General Manager for Ridgeline Australia, Jason Bryant assures me this company has been in the clothing manufacture business for more than 40 years and has worked closely with Ridgeline to produce a range of apparel incorporating the best in fabric, manufacture and quality control. This new range of Aussie made clothing…

FOR my part, I did not buy my first scope until 1954. At that time, only two Aussie-made scopes, the Raven, the Field and the German-made Pecar were readily available, but soon cheap Japanese scopes started showing up in ever increasing numbers. And it wasn't long before we had a wide choice of American scopes to choose from as well. My introduction to scope sighted rifles came after hearing of a local dental mechanic who was moonlighting as a gunsmith. I got him to drill and tap my trusty .303-25 and attach a Raven 2-1/2x scope in a Hillver mount. This outfit was not so bad! The rifle itself was a M-17 Enfield that had been remodeled and fitted with a fancy maple stock. The Raven scope was made by…

WHETHER or not you get an opportunity to bag a deer for yourself, every trip is magical. Mentored by two of the best deer hunters I know, Old Pop and Clark McGhie, I have been lucky enough to be halfway through my Australian Grand Slam. I have also been fortunate to have passed up many opportunities to take a deer, instead just to sit, watch and let them go. Some of my fondest memories include sitting with Clark on a hillside watching two young rusa stags feed and fight as they made their way up the opposite hill, crouching in the long grass with Dad watching a red stag feed along a tree line and a rusa drink from the creek only metres away, or passing up a white hind…