Indholdsfortegnelse for April 2020 i Sporting Shooter

BEFORE I take off and summarise the competitions we run in Sporting Shooter magazine and sportingshooter.com.au, I must thank the people and companies who generously support those competitions. RIDGELINE AUSTRALIA has been sponsoring our web-based Ridgeline Hunting Photo Competition for many years, seemingly forever, with great, non-size specific gear like hunting knives and backpacks. For their continued support I must thank jim Harding and Jason Bryant and all the people who continue to send their great pictures in as well. TSA (TASCO SALES AUSTRALIA) OUTDOORS is a longstanding company that metamorphosed recently into a vibrant new phase catering to the new breed of hunter and target shooter. With experienced staff developing a new line of high quality, innovative ZeroTech riflescopes, they are are achieving fresh engagement with the young shooter…

YOU want to go solo but you wonder: Is it safe? Will I be lonely or bored? Am I brave enough? The short answers are yes, no and yes, respectively. Take it from me, if you do your research and prepare you can get after your dream adventure trip on your own and have the best chance of making it the greatest travel experience ever. My father traveled all over the globe on safari when I was a student, so I could only go with him once a year or so. When I got older, I couldn’t stand to wait a whole year between safari trips, so I started going alone. Today, traveling solo is trending (up by 7% in the last year) and makes up nearly 20% of global…

THE development of airgun ammunition is a complex topic that seldom receives attention by many airgun writers. This is probably because of the widespread conception that the airgun/ammunition relationship is heavily weighted in favour of the gun. Of the three basic types of airgun ammunition - darts, BBs and pellets - the latter is by far the most widely used nowadays especially in adult magnum-class air rifles. BBs and darts are still available, but mainly see use in Youth-oriented smooth-bored airguns and as such are hardly worth serious consideration. Qiang Yuan Sports, the new boy on the block, was established in 1994 with the objective of making the world’s best airgun pellets, with production of domed, pointed and match-grade wad-cutter designs. These are counterparts and obviously intended to compete the…

BACK in the 1950s when I started hunting goats in steep terrain along the Turon-Macquarie river system, buying a production bolt-action rifle weighing less than 7-1/2lbs was almost impossible. Most models hovered around the 8lb mark and a scope and mount added another 1-1/2 lb. Despite being young and fit I nevertheless felt the burden of an outfit with the all-up weight of 10lbs. It wasn't until 1957 that I was able to obtain a really light rifle - a BSA Featherweight model in the Royal line, which weighed 6-1/4lb. It was chambered for the then "new" .243 Winchester. This rifle represented a significant reduction in weight compared to what was available at that time. Today I'm an old shooter who is thankful this is no longer the case. The…

THE average shooter doesn't want to spend more money on a scope than he does for his rifle, so he is likely to settle for a budgetary model. It may be A second level optic carrying a well known brand name, but how can he be sure he is getting true value for money? The optics may appear sharp and clear, but are the adjustments going to be precise; and will the scope hold its zero and be reliable in the field? The simple truth is he can't be sure. The old saying you only get what you pay for "pretty much holds true when it comes to optics. Today, fixed power scopes are hard to find, the choices seem to be limited to variable-power models with various gimmicks. There’s…

THE CVA single-shot .410 is an inexpensive fundamental break-open type with a barrel hinged to expose the chamber for loading. It has a comparatively simple construction consisting of barrel, forearm, receiver and buttstock. The receiver contains an exterior hammer for manual operation, sear, firing pin, trigger guard, lock, together with appropriate springs and pins. Like most other conventional .410 single-shots I've seen the CVA is built stronger to withstand a lifetime of hard use and farm-type abuse. The barrel in particular is heavier than usual. It has a thickness of 72mm at the breech and 4mm at the muzzle. Them’s rifle dimensions mate, and the muzzle preponderance makes the gun smooth to swing. It’s a tad more sophisticated in other ways too. The hammer has a side extension that makes…

WINNER BROUGHT TO YOU BY TSA Australian distributors for Weatherby Firearms and Fiocchi Ammunition BROUGHT TO YOU BY YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A WEATHERBY RIFLE IN EVERY ISSUE OF SPORTING SHOOTER IN 2019 *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 marcusodean@yaffa.com.au…

IT is the word that describes unity of shooters, archers and piggers. While methods may vary, the result remains the same. For interest’s sake I googled the meaning of hunting and the Collins dictionary says, “The chasing and killing of wild animals by people… for food or for sport”. For me personally the first two words of this definition mean more to me then the rest. It is the chase that means the most. It isn’t all about getting a big 14-point trophy stag or a big-tusked boar. For me, hunting means a lot more. Hunting is the practice of training and perseverance. It is time spent practising at a range, the packing of gear and cars, it’s the anticipation during of travelling to your destination. It is the people…

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. Loads For A 6.5 Creedmoor Q I purchased a Lithgow rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor. Can you suggest some loads for hunting fallow deer, pigs, goats and dogs? I have Hornady 143gn ELD projectiles, and Starline and Lapua new brass. Rifle has a Vortex PST Gen. II 5-25x50 scope on board. – Wayne Fairweather A I haven't seen a Lithgow rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor, but I bet it has a heavy barrel and will be very accurate. You should have stuck with one brand of brass though. Are you aware that Lapua brass uses small rifle primers? Make sure the decapping…

A mate of mine who lived down in sambar country had a Sako A7 in .300WM. I always pestered him that I’d buy it off him whenever he decided to sell it; the extra horsepower was something I desired for chasing the big brown ghosts of the bush. When I finally got around to buying it off him, I was a month out from moving further north, but I still wanted it, ‘just because’. My hunting areas close to home hold a lot of what is typical to the New England area of NSW – goats, pigs, fallow deer, along with the usual smaller stuff. My main rifle for years has been my .308, and conventional wisdom suggests you don’t need much more than that where I’m from, but always…

AS we glassed our surrounds the unmistakeable movement of black shapes took our attention. A small mob of pigs feeding away in the middle, oblivious to our presence but never the less protected by the light cross wind sweeping across the mountain top. A plan was hatched, Jack & Ben would circle around to gain the wind in their favour & stalk in for a closer look. I would monitor the mobs movement and direct them by 2-way radio. As with most old boars though, they don’t get to be old without being wise. Leaving the safety of the tree-line I had to cover some open ground, a large tree earmarked in the centre of the clearing would provide my final vantage point. Hunched over I walked briskly, watching the…

ARB Stretcher Sometimes finding the right place to lay your swag out can be frustrating. The new ARB -Stretcher is the ideal way to guarantee a comfortable sleep when out bush and keeps you off the ground and away from dampness and any creepy crawly that might be lurking. The ARB Stretcher can be used on its own with simply a sleeping bag and pillow or underneath your swag, hence keeping it off the ground. Made of a strong steel design and capable of supporting up to 150kg the Stretcher features a quick-fold design that is very sturdy and steady. Being part of the ARB touring product range, the stretcher includes a strap with hooks that secures an ARB swag to the stretcher. The stretch-out Stretcher by ARB folds down…

IT may happen that a round may fail to feed, chamber or extract properly. If any of these functions prove troublesome, the firearm and ammunition is going to be useless in the field. While it is important that any handload be safe to fire in your hunting rifle, nothing less than absolute mechanical reliability is acceptable in your reloads. Perfect functioning - feeding from the magazine, chambering, firing, extraction and ejection are all major considerations in hunting handloads. Perfecting a load can involve many things besides accuracy, but the cause of some malfunctions is often difficult to pin down. These things must not be compromised for any other performance factor. If they are, it could result in your losing the trophy of a lifetime, or what is even worse, failure…