Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2023 i Sporting Shooter

I JUST read a predictable diatribe questioning what technology hunters really need. It concluded that we should all be like the bushmen of old, relying on a trusty old rifle, our wits and our ruggedness. It was a long and sometimes painful whinge. There was truth in it, of course, but not the whole truth. A hunter needs the appropriate technology to kill whatever quarry they’re chasing — a rifle, bow and arrow, trap or whatever. The better that weapon’s technology, the more effectively and reliably it might kill, but a practised stalker with a simple longbow will kill a deer just as dead as a lazy bastard in the cab of a ute using a scoped centrefire rifle to shoot one under the light from 250 metres away. In…

THE pump-action rifle is extremely popular with American hunters. Its chief appeal seems to lie with pump-action shotgunners who find it easy to transfer their experience to their big-game rifles, even under the stress of intense excitement. But here in Australia, where very few of us have had access to pump-action shotguns since 1996, pump-action rifles have had limited success. The Remington Model 7600 appeared to be the last of its tribe, but now there’s a new boy on the block — the Turkish-made Arttech Prima XP whose weight distribution and slimline design provide shotgun-like pointability and fast repeat shots on running game. The Arttech is built like a battleship and does away with a major fault of early pump designs — the undesirable tendency of the forearm to twist and…

TESTING gun-care products is usually not that easy, not because it’s hard to clean firearms but because most of the products are not all that different from their competitors. I sort of dreaded going into this review because I knew it’d take time to complete but I didn’t know if I’d find out anything worth saying. Then I saw the PCB-soaked patches coming out of my old Mauser’s barrel. They were so blue and filthy I got really, really excited. The rifle was well used when I bought it, supremely accurate with the right handload but unimpressive with all the factory ammo I’ve tried. I looked inside with my bore scope and saw black-as-black lands with glittering golden grooves. The bore was caked with carbon and copper buildups. I’ve since tried…

MOST Australian state firearms legislation has a clause fairly clearly stating that anyone who wants a firearms licence must be a “fit and proper person” (or words to that effect). On the face of it, this seems pretty straightforward — basically that serious criminals and dangerous people shouldn’t be allowed gun licenses, right? If only it were that simple. While the intent behind that clause seems fair and reasonable, in reality it’s become a catch-all to deny or revoke firearms licences for almost any reason. Some of the cases we have encountered (and successfully won) include people being deemed “not fit and proper persons” because of minor drug offences in their late teenage years (more than a decade ago), speeding offences and, in one worrying case, someone the firearms registry believed…

THE 9.3mm calibre has enjoyed a solid reputation in game fields all the world over for 120 years. A number of 9.3mm cartridges introduced in the early 1900s, shooting heavy .366-inch diameter bullets, are still popular with hunters. The 9.3mm family started with the 9.3x57, based on the 8mm Mauser case. The 9.3x62 came along in 1905 and the 9.3x64 Brenneke around 1910. The 9.3x74R originated in the early 1900s and is still a favourite cartridge for double rifles and combination guns. The .366 calibre then lay dormant until 2002, when Sako developed the 9.3x66mm Sako for its new Sako 75 family of bolt-action rifles. A modern cartridge with a fat, rimless case, the 9.3x66 had a muzzle energy of over 4000ft-lb with bullets weighing 250 and 286gn, which had it…

Having done the hard yards in the bush to secure some wild game, a hunter’s work has not finished. Tossing field-dressed meat straight into the freezer after returning home definitely won’t pay the best dividends. Rather, eating quality at the table will depend on what has happened along the way in terms of hygiene, packaging and storage. THIS article provides an introduction to the key principles underpinning successful wet and dry ageing of meat. Wet ageing in sealed vacuum packs significantly extends shelf life and improves tenderness. Dry ageing is a more demanding technique that likewise improves tenderness but also enhances flavour. We’ll cover both approaches to ageing in some detail, including their pros and cons, and how they can be applied to game meat. In older times, all fresh…

Which rifle for tahr? Q I’ve booked a hunt in Q New Zealand for tahr and chamois and can’t decide which rifle to take, my Kimber Adirondack in 7mm-08 or my Browning X-Bolt Hells Canyon in 26 Nosler? By the way, I bought the X-Bolt in 26 Nosler after I read that you bought the rifle you tested. I know you have hunted in New Zealand and other mountainous areas around the world, so I would appreciate your advice. Martin Lindsay A There are a number of A decisions as to whether to use your 7mm-08 or 26 Nosler. The 7mm-08 is adequate as far as killing power goes, but lacks the flat trajectory of the 26 Nosler. This could make the difference between failure and success if the only…

THE name Meopta stands for quality optics at reasonable prices. I’ve been using Meopta riflescopes and spotting scopes for many years now and can recommend them without reservation. Although the company was founded in 1933 it wasn’t until the Russian occupation of Czechoslovakia ended that Meopta expanded its export business and gained an enviable reputation among hunters worldwide for its sports optics. The line includes riflescopes, spotting scopes and roof prism binoculars. Over the years I’ve reviewed various Meopta products and my spotting scope is a rugged H75 20-60x which has survived decades of hard field use. When I visited the Meopta factory I was amazed at the size of the plant and how it worked 24/7 all year round. The company doesn’t boast about it, but it is rumoured…

AS tech gets smaller it often gets harder to use but Garmin’s tiny eTrex 22x bucks the trend with its sensible and well-considered design. The biggest contributor to this is the mini joystick-style navigation knob, which is intuitive and quick in all the functions it provides. The 22x fits in your pocket and weighs only 147 grams with its quota of two AA batteries included. That’s my kind of GPS because you can keep it handy while trekking yet it doesn’t demand a special pouch to ride in nor add burdensome weight. The downside, of course, is the small screen, which provides either detail or a broad overview of the terrain but never both. Before doing this review I wondered if I’d put up with that compromise. The little Garmin does…

A little over twenty years ago, my growing hunting ambitions led me in the direction of deer. As a teenager I had chased rabbits and foxes over hill and dale, but it took a few decades before I became enthused (the wife would say obsessed) about hunting bigger game. MY initial pursuit of fallow deer led me to the Clare Valley in South Australia, an area renowned for excellent wines but also a place where the fallow hunting is great. My love affair with these deer hasn’t waned ever since. I have lost track of how many days I have spent in the field chasing them, yet the memory of taking my first proper buck, on my first fallow expedition, still leaps to mind in graphic detail. The stiff southerly breeze…

Nitehog Viper 35 and 50 thermal clip-on Nitehog is a well-known player in the thermal imaging device market. It originated in Bulgaria and is now based in Germany, where its products are assembled. The Viper range is the smallest, lightest and most compact thermal imaging device in its class. Designed as a clip-on, it easily attaches to any riflescope, allowing for both day and night shooting without having to remove your day scope. When not on a riflescope, the Viper can be used as a night observation device on its own. Weighing a mere 295 grams without the battery, it offers military-grade ruggedness. Both 35mm and 50mm models offer a 1 MOA guarantee to hit your daytime optic’s zero at 100 metres without sighting in. I’m told it is the…

THE best part of my job is meeting and talking to new hunters and getting to see first hand so many great products developed for hunters as they hit the shelves. There are so many products it can be overwhelming for anyone, especially if you are unsure of what you might need. The list of gear I use is always the same: water, snacks, ammo, firearms, binoculars and harness, backpack, first aid kit, fox whistle, game bags, shooting sticks, knife, knife sharpener and PLB (which I am yet to purchase, but it is on my list before my sambar hunt in July; at the moment I have just settled for my phone). However, each trip means taking a different amount of it. Rabbit hunting Chasing rabbits doesn’t take me too far…

To us southerners, the mournful sounds of wild dogs howling somewhere out in the darkness was decidedly spooky. To make matters worse, it sounded like they were getting closer and closer to camp, almost as though they were stalking us. MAYBE they were, at least in so far as wanting to get a closer look at whoever had recently invaded their territory. When one howl sounded particularly close, curiosity got the better of my good mate Russ and he flicked on his handheld spotlight. We caught a glimpse of three sets of bright green eyes watching us from the other side of the remote waterhole. Then their pale canine forms faded back into the blackness. Sitting there beside our swags, Russ and I needed no further reminding that we were,…

THE majority of high-range variable-power scopes are big and heavy but Leupold made its VX-5HD 3-15x44 more compact without an obscene increase in weight or bulk. It weighs 560 grams, measures 34cm and includes a number of worthwhile features. It has a 30mm tube, the new standard, which allows significantly more elevation adjustment. The VX-5HD has 75 MOA of both elevation and windage adjustment range, which is ample for a hunting scope. A large adjustment range is not such a big deal until it is actually needed, and then it can make the difference between a hit or a miss. In the adjustment mechanism, Leupold’s Twin Bias Spring Erector system utilises leaf-type springs and is claimed to increase erector holding force by 30 percent over single-spring systems. Another key feature, of…

I’M not one to get caught up in the idea of believing an animal may have human-like traits when it comes to personality, emotions or feelings. Animals are often labelled by us as being smart or dumb, but we use these terms as they apply to our own assumptions about what they mean. We often hear people talk about big mountain boars as being very smart, but are they just cautious and less predictable with their habits than younger pigs? Similarly, fallow bucks in the rut may appear stupid and blinded by lust, but they are merely acting on their impulses and behaving in a manner driven by instinct. It’s worked for millions of years! Over the past few years, I’ve noticed the same individual animals in different areas at different…

ON a mild, sunny afternoon in mid-May I decided to take the dog for a run on a mate’s property as I had done a hundred times before. We were only 10 minutes from town and although I had my rifle with me, I didn’t expect to see anything to shoot. As I exited a tight bend on a steep part of the track, suddenly, there he was! I stood on the brake. It took a couple of seconds to register but I realised I was looking at a majestic red stag, the first I had seen in the wild! He stood side-on staring intently in my direction. My eyes were drawn to long, heavy antlers. I quickly reversed up around the bend and out of sight and parked behind…

A property manager approached me, complaining of a few invasive species that had moved onto the farm and had been causing havoc for several months. He told me of a plague of hares, chicken-thieving foxes and more deer than he knew what to do with, all conveniently located less than one hour from my home with no hunter to assist. IT sounded way too good to be true and, at first, I had my doubts. I decided to take a trip down the coast to the property to have a look at the situation and see if I could lend a hand. I loaded up my gear, just in case. Arriving at the property, I spoke with the caretaker, who let me know he had seen deer in the olive…

DATING back to 1873, and initially loaded with black powder, the .45-70 was a US military service cartridge till 1892. Then and later it was a popular sporting round, widely used as a buffalo cartridge in the old West. It was considered obsolete after 1930 and relegated to the scrap heap. Then, almost 100 years after its initial release, it staged a sudden and miraculous comeback. First it was chambered in the Ruger No 1 and No 3 single-shots, followed by the Marlin 1895; Navy Arms brought out a Martini and a Model 1885 Hi-Wall, a Remington rolling block and Sharps, and also rebarrelled ex-military Siamese Mausers for it. Harrington & Richardson chambered a break-action single-shot and Browning made a modern version of the Winchester Hi-Wall for it. Italian companies like…