Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2023 i Sporting Shooter

THE undemocratic workings of Victoria’s parliamentary inquiry into native bird hunting were laid bare in the final report handed down by the committee of nine politicians. Of those nine, five disagreed with the report’s recommendations and filed their own minority reports, yet the main report is what will be considered by the state’s government. Labor MP Sheena Watts, who is also a First Nations Australian, went against party lines by supporting the hunting of ducks and other native birds. She highlighted the importance it has on mental health and the fact that it is part of so many people’s cultures — not just First Nations people. Jeff Bourman of the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party also filed a minority report disagreeing with the main report. The Liberals and Nationals (Melina…

THE Italian firm of Beretta is the great-grandfather of the firearms industry with documented lineage and family ownership dating back almost 500 years. Clearly then, Beretta is the oldest arms manufacturer in the world and over the centuries it has become well known for producing a tremendous variety of military and sporting arms. In recent years, however, it has become famous for its shotguns and semi-automatic pistols. Not so well known, though, is the fact that Beretta produces a line of very fine double rifles. During the late 1980s Beretta also marketed rifles with European styling based on the Sako bolt action, but they didn’t arouse much enthusiasm from the American market and enjoyed a very brief tenure. At the 1997 SHOT show in the US, Beretta announced the new…

BROUGHT TO YOU BY Powered by YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A WEATHERBY RIFLE & ZEROTECH SCOPE PACKAGE IN EVERY ISSUE IN 2023 *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. ENTRIES: please send your high resolution. jpg or. png image as an attachment to your email addressed to mickmatheson@yaffa.com.au – all images must be at least 1MB in size.…

The Remington 700 Long Range HS is ideal for big game hunting where accuracy is a must at extended ranges. Continually finding ways to maximise its legendary 700 action, Remington now offers the all new HS Precision stock with enhanced vertical grip, receiver-length aluminium bedding block and dual swivel studs. The Model 700 Long Range combines the added stability of a 26” heavy barrel that’s perfectly matched to the rifle’s hard-hitting calibres, including the new 7mm PRC. Other features include concave target-style barrel crown, a receiver that’s drilled and tapped for scope mounts, magazine capacity of four in standard calibres and three in magnum calibres, hinged floorplate and a receiver machined from solid-steel bar stock for unrivalled uniformity and strength. It’s available in 7mm PRC, 7mm Rem Mag, .30-06, .300…

The popular MDT Oryx chassis system is now available to suit the Lithgow LA102. The Oryx chassis was designed to be the best all-round aftermarket stock replacement for people wanting to enhance their accuracy. It’s also designed for people who want to get into precision rifle shooting with factory rifles. The metal chassis was engineered to improve accuracy and ergonomics through adjustability. The action is bedded on an aluminium block and the barrel is free floated. When you get behind this chassis and take up a sight picture you will feel a more solid connection between you and your rifle. The adjustable butt stock allows you to tailor a much better fit for accuracy and speed when getting behind your scope. It takes AR15 grips, ARCA rails, M-LOK accessories and…

Like most who hunt, my freezer is always stocked with a good supply of venison and other wild game for personal consumption. I must admit though, in the early days, we’d simply remove a few easy cuts in the field, bring it home and then throw it straight in the freezer until needed. This resulted in a tough piece of meat with a very strong gamey taste to it. Experience has taught me a few tricks to help make that piece of back strap, leg or shoulder a lot more tender and tastier to eat. I like to wrap my meat in cloth or a tea towel, then store it on the bottom shelf of the fridge for several days to allow it to set. The cloth also helps draw…

Belted case headspace Q I read your reply to another reader about how to maintain minimum headspace with belted cases. You recommended that he buy a neck-only sizing die to prolong case life. Could you elaborate a little on this? Michael White A I think I have already dealt with this subject, but here goes. Chambers for belted cases usually have generous dimensions up front because the belt is intended to stop any forward movement of the case, but alas, the shoulder isn’t always a close fit in the chamber. Standard minimum headspace for H&H belted rounds is .220” (5.59mm), with the no-go gauge measuring .224” (5.69mm). Repeated firing and sizing of belted cases in long chambers usually produces a white ring just ahead of the belt. This ring indicates…

THE latest generation of America’s fast-shooting pump-action rifles have been under-valued by Aussie pig shooters and deer hunters, and the reason for this is that too many modern nimrods have never bothered to find out how well these rifles work, and how accurate they are. The last Remington 7600 I tested was totally reliable and averaged groups of 1½ inches, which is adequate for most game-hunting situations. The Verney-Carron Impact LA Fusion, though, is a horse of an entirely different colour — literally and practically. Its European heritage is readily apparent from its appearance. The operating mechanism under its forearm has been updated and modernised, too. “Verney-Carron’s beautifully made Fusion was designed for fast target acquisition” Verney-Carron is the oldest fabricator of fine French firearms — shotguns and rifles. The…

BEING an effective and ethical hunter will always involve a huge variety of factors. Most of these can be split into two categories: choosing the best gear for the job and making sure our skills are as good as they can be. While working on ourselves is a constant journey, some of the gear we use might be exclusive if we have weighed up all options. I like to constantly experiment with different gear in order to feel as though I’m doing my due diligence to make up my mind about what works the best for me. This is as much the case with bowhunting as it is for anything else. I work on my form relentlessly as I never want to feel that my personal limitations are going to cost…

RECENTLY, I combined a work trip with some hunting on two properties in north-western Queensland. I arrived on Tuesday afternoon, settled in and caught up with the owner, who remarked there were pigs around. After a good meal and a few drinks I retired for the night. Next morning we drove around the 25,000 acres and checked out all the dams and turkey nests. Nothing in sight. Over the next few days we combined work with some hunting on both properties. No luck. Then on the Friday the owner took off to help a mate on another property and I went out on my own. I drove out to the back paddock and climbed a turkey nest. From the top, I saw movement out of the corner of my left eye…

BREATHE in, breathe out. Focus on your heartbeat, slow it down. Squeeze the trigger, don’t pull. Is the wind right? It’s easier said than done, especially in the field when the dream stag you’ve been chasing all season is finally lined up perfectly in the cross hairs. Even after the shot goes off, the impulse to jump up and chase your target needs to be replaced with steadying your heart rate to watch where your game falls. Thoughts of doubt creep in. Was the shot perfect? Did you hit the vital zone? The plague of doubt doesn’t leave even if it’s a clean miss. What if? Shot placement, heart rate, breathing and technique; all more important than the ability to stalk game. Practice makes perfect. With a range day and quality…

MANY serious Aussie hunters choose Leupold scopes to go on their hunting rifles because of their reputation for high-quality optics and rugged construction. They are also extremely popular among competition shooters and recreational shooters. Over the years I have used Leupold scopes on my rifles for a number of overseas hunts and not once have they let me down. This was in my mind recently when I received a test rifle with one of Leupold’s more interesting top-of-the-range rifle scopes attached — the Mark 5HD 3.6-18x44 with M5C3 FFP H59 reticle. Most long-range scopes seem to be oversized, but the Leupold Mark 5HD is more compact. It weighs less than 740 grams (26 ounces), has a 35mm main tube, a width of 73mm (2⅞”) at the turrets, and the reasonable length…

AUSTRALIA is a huge, beautiful country and unfortunately most of its residents live in a few major cities along the coastline. Hunters, campers and 4WDers know there is so much more of the country to experience, however, and that their lives are enriched for it — whether it’s enjoying the hunt on private property or, where legally possible, on public land. Besides being able to get out there and enjoy the natural heritage of our country (and do some shooting), you are providing significant benefits to rural Australia when you go hunting. Have you ever stopped to think about the economic benefit you, personally, bring to a rural community when you go out there? For starters, after your drive to town (or before you head home again) you’re going to need…

KILLING power is a topic that concerns the vast majority of hunters. Whenever a group of hunters get together, tempt them into discussing the subject and you’ll find that they all hold conflicting opinions. One will swear by long, heavy bullets of some large calibre. Another will pin his faith on relatively light bullets at ultra-high velocity. A third will swear that placement of a bullet is so important that nothing else is worth worrying about. Then one guy will pipe up and say that kinetic energy figures are a reliable indicator of killing power, only to be rebuffed by a man on the other side of the fire who snorts that energy figures are worthless. A hunter of considerable experience claims he can handle any big game with a .270…

BEFORE Remington’s 7mm magnum, the 7mm Weatherby Magnum on a standard length H&H belted case appeared in 1944. It is an excellent and well-balanced cartridge, but it never gained much of a following among hunters. I believe there were two reasons for this: One, it had a slow 1:12 twist that wouldn’t handle 160gn bullets accurately, and two, Weatherby rifles were rather expensive. Since the mid-1960s 7mm Weatherby rifles have had the faster 1:10 twist, but by that time it was too late and sales didn’t improve. The next 7mm magnum to surface was the 7x61 Sharpe and Hart developed in the US by Philip B Sharpe and Richard F Hart, who had the ammunition loaded by Norma. Based on a belted case shortened to 61.01mm (2.402”) it had a…