Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2023 i Sporting Shooter

WESTERN Australia’s intention to limit the number of firearms you own is appalling and pointless. In case you haven’t heard, under the new gun laws being developed there, it looks like recreational hunters will be limited to just five firearms and target shooters to 10. It simply begs the question: Why? There is no logical, statistical or practical reason for it. The best the police and government seem to be able to come up with is that it might limit the number of guns being stolen, which is a furphy because gun theft is not a statistically relevant phenomenon. But those reprehensible cops and pollies keep shouting “public safety” — that tired old cliche that’s as good as screaming Laura Norda’s name when you want to shut down debate. When…

THE Bushmeister BA-X12 is a handful of a gun that’s capable of chambering any load that’s powerful enough for hunting pigs, goats and deer over the moderate distances encountered in thick bushland. This Turkish-made shotgun was designed to shoot the most powerful 76mm magnum shotshells as well as the most recent steel-shot loads, repeatedly and continuously. The Bushmeister is one of the new repeating shotguns with innovative features such as the Push & Shot system, designed specifically to ensure fast and safe functioning; a front-locking rotary bolt; and a trigger guard assembly which contains all of the trigger mechanism and carrier. The Bushmeister’s appearance is businesslike and its purpose versatile — made for hunting all kinds of game, feathered or furred, that’s suited to a scattergun. On this version, the…

SPIKA’S Terra puffer jacket is the last word in warmth. It’s windproof, water resistant and filled with good-quality duck down, so on some nasty sub-zero days I’ve been out in the weather with a smile on my face. The Terra is the warmer of two puffer jackets in Spika’s range. It’s a close-fitting cut with a fixed hood, designed for proper outdoor use. The non-reflective material it’s made from seems quite tough yet light. You can have it in olive like this one or Spika’s effective camouflage, Biarri. The down fill rating is reasonably high at 750 — basically, it means you need less down to achieve a certain level of warmth. Of course, if you use very little down you won’t get much warmth but Spika has used a…

WE all know how devastating feral animals are to the environment, and how frustrating it is that our governments makes it so hard for us to do something about it. There have been a few media reports lately calling for bounties to be introduced (or re-introduced) on feral animals in parts of the country, particularly feral pigs in northern Queensland. While we agree with bounties for feral animals, what would be even better — and more effective — would be greater public-land access for hunters and volunteer pest controllers. While some states — notably New South Wales and Victoria – have pretty good public land hunting systems in place, there is absolutely nothing in Queensland or WA, and it’s limited in the Northern Territory, too. The feral pig population in Queensland…

YOU’VE probably heard that tale about the old hunter who, just prior to opening day every deer season, hauls his trusty Old Betsy out of a corner in his shed, takes aim at a stump some unknown distance away, and fires a shot. He sees splinters fly and is satisfied that she still shoots straight. Then there’s the story about the hunter who really did, in fact, bother to sight-in his rifle — just not lately. Indeed, he shot a nice group with it. Landed all his shots on the bullseye, too. But even though that was nearly 10 years ago, he was confident that his musket could still get the job done. Which brings us to the subject of this treatise: you must know to a moral certainty exactly…

Harvesting wild game is satisfying. A freezer containing venison, ducks or bunnies provides welcome variety. One way to add additional interest to your wild game is to dry age the meat before it heads for the freezer. Dry ageing enriches the flavours in meat and concentrates them as moisture is gradually lost. The meat’s tenderness is enhanced due to gradual breakdown of connective tissues that give raw meat its structural resilience. PEOPLE extol the virtues of dry-aged steaks — and pay premium prices for marbled beef that was aged for 40 days or more. Although dry ageing works best with fatty meats, I was keen to experiment with venison, despite it being very lean. The company importing Dry Ager cabinets from Germany (see dryager.com.au) had done dry-ageing trials with pork,…

TROUBLESHOOTING is a word I often associate with Western movies; the good guy rides into town, cleans up the baddies and rides off into the sunset. According to my dictionary, a troubleshooter is “one who eliminates sources of trouble”. Nothing could be more apt when you are assembling handloads for hunting. In this context troubleshooting is a straightforward process since it is wholly concerned with recognising and correcting any problems or faults with your reloads. Firstly, I’d like to emphasise the importance of sorting brass. This should be the first step in any kind of metallic reloading, because the number of times a lot of cases have been fired is important. For this reason I like to load all cases in a lot, or identifiable sub-lot, each time I load any…

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 .25-06 Ackley Improved Q I have had my .25-06 rechambered to .25-06 Ackley Improved. I intend to use this rifle primarily for deer hunting with 115 to 120gn bullets, but am having difficulty finding any loading data for this cartridge other than in Ackley’s Handbook, which is 60 years old and uses powders which are no longer available. Is there any other source of data for this wildcat? If not, can you suggest some starting loads? John Waters A When a standard .25-06 is fire-formed to the Ackley version, two principal changes that take place are…

AS with any type of firearm, the range of .22 rimfire rifles varies enormously. At the low end of the spectrum, rifles begin at approximately $300. Upper-end models sell for many times as much. Shooters on a limited budget looking for an affordable sporting rifle for small-game hunting should take a look at Rock Island Armory’s Model 1400 bolt-action, a dependable low-cost model that gives performance beyond its price. Armscor, the company that makes the Model 1400, is based in the Phillipines and has been making inroads into the lower end of the rimfire market for over 60 years with the inexpensive Stirling brand of rimfires. A prospective buyer might logically ask, “How does the Model 1400 compare with the old Stirling M1400 .22? Is it just a tricked out…

THE late Larry Fischer must have been an interesting and pragmatic person if this knife, which he designed, is any indication. It is the closest thing to the perfect hunting knife I’ve ever used. From its short drop-point blade to its inherent prettiness, Columbia River Knife & Tool’s Hunt’N Fisch does its job brilliantly. I know many of you think the 76mm blade looks too short to be taken seriously but this is one of the most useful blades you’re likely to ever wield. Its short length makes it an extension of your fingers so it flows naturally with you as you slice through meat or work around bones. A long series of serrations on the top edge provides excellent purchase for your thumb or forefinger. With your forefinger pressing down…

My son, Mick, and I have enjoyed hunting together since he was merely a boy. We’ve also enjoyed many fallow ruts together. Mick carries on that legacy with his son and hunts with him at every opportunity, teaching him the safety of the bush and firearms, as I did with him. NOW, quite capable with a firearm under the guidance of dad, young Anthony continues to demonstrate safety, accuracy and a keen eye for wildlife. He has now taken pigs, foxes and even a few deer for meat. Yes, he has his minor’s permit, but he learned the basics of safety over many years prior. With the fallow rut just around the corner, Mick and I were planning our annual trip and this time we would have Anthony with us in…

Burris Signature Handheld LRF 2000 The new Burris Signature LRF 2000 redefines speed in a rangefinder. The perfect companion for your Burris riflescope, the LRF 2000 quickly ranges targets from 5 to 2200 metres using sport, hunting or auto-range modes or you can scan the field with instant ranging using scan mode. As well as this, the Signature LRF 2000 has 7x magnification, HD glass and an adjustable eye-piece to ensure a clear view. Simply range with the LRF 2000, dial your scope to the target distance and you are set to shoot. Accurate to within 1m at under 1000m, it also features a wide range of angle displays from line of sight (LOS), horizontal (HOR), LOS+HOR and lots more. Other features include 25mm objective diameter, diopter adjustment +/-6, a…

TO say life’s been pretty hectic lately is an understatement. Between two jobs and the hunting club, I haven't had much time to get out bush and hunt. For the first time in a few years I missed the rut! In a way, it was nice to sit back and watch as my little brother, Nathan, bagged his first buck on the same block as I did last season with Uncle Craig. Then Old Pop showed us both up by nailing a beautiful buck we had been watching grow on our trail cameras over the past few years. It’s safe to say my guns are collecting dust in the gun safe. But after much planning and a few postponements, on the way home from a sales trip one afternoon I finally…

Big country, big cartridges, big bulls. That’s what we’re chasing. The wet season’s over, the tracks and the grass are drying up. Time to chase the big critters the Territory is known for, the Asiatic water buffalo. THE Back Country badlands of Litchfield National Park hold a multitude of these lead-absorbing machines. Half the trouble is finding them, the other half is getting them on the ground. Buffalo have got to be the hardest and toughest animal in Australia. Thick hides, heavy bones and an attitude geared towards survival. The equipment you choose is vitally important. In particular, use enough gun! A .308 just won’t cut it, boys. I’m sure many buff have been taken with this humble cartridge, but even the nitros have a hard time stopping these critters.…

ONE of the most important considerations when shooting with thermal technology is clear target identification, and that is what Zeiss has prioritised in its DTC 3/38 thermal clip-on. A thermal that doesn’t let you know for sure what you’re shooting at is not worth the entry price. The Zeiss is on the money for its clarity, so in my book it is off to a very good start in this review. Before we go there, though, let’s acknowledge that a clip-on is a great option for thermal hunting. It attaches to your daytime scope, so you can remove it and use your rifle as you usually would in daylight and then whack on the DTC at night. You can also transfer the DTC from one rifle to another, so your single…

NO matter your age, preference in hunting style, or interest in gear, there is much more hunting media to consume from North America or Europe than there is in Australia. We’re starting to catch up, for sure, and people are starting to realise that we have it better than most places in our country. Despite this, except for a few brands here and there, much of the gear we use is made and/or designed in other parts of the world. This is overwhelmingly the case in the world of traditional archery, as there are some big heritage brands in America. However, we have some incredible craftsmen in Australia who are making equipment we can be proud to own. Australian-made equipment has a reputation for being built tough, and this is absolutely…

THIS is a story about one of those rare days when things just work out well and you have success that you probably weren't really entitled to. I arrived at my hunting block just before sunrise on Anzac Day, where exactly two years prior I had taken my first antlered fallow buck with the bow. I felt like it was a lucky day for me and I hoped for a repeat performance. It was well after the peak of the rut so I was surprised to hear a persistent distant croaking! With the sun just rising, I quickly covered the ground to find a mature buck with a single doe bailed up among the limbs of a massive fallen tree. They were on a hillside and despite it being heavily timbered,…

Oreo’s first hunt. At eight months old, this border collie cross certainly has the breeding, build and smarts to be a handy little bailer and I must admit I had high hopes for her. She had given everything on our rural block, bailing our pet cow, friendly donkey and the four goats. Even the unsuspecting chickens have had their feathers ruffled by a focussed stare and an animated bark. RUNNING along the river corridor with the other bailers — Ace, Mate and Rusty — Oreo was in her element. She loved it. With the hairy-legged team setting the pace, my good mate Neil and I just tagged along behind, enjoying the fresh air, quick walk and picturesque scenery. Oreo’s first pig was an absolute cracker, close to a 100kg of…

COMPETITION BROUGHT TO YOU BY WIN a GARMIN eTrex 22x EVERY MONTH! ENTRIES: Please email your high resolution. jpg or. png pig hunting image as an attachment to the email addressed to mickmatheson@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 produces a range of bow sights with built-in rangefinder enabling better shot placement. A Garmin eTrex 22x GPS Navigator will be sent to the best entry every…