Innehållsförteckning för October 2024 från Sporting Shooter

SOMEONE ticked me off about last month’s editorial, which in part talked about hunting using thermal imagers. “That’s not hunting,” my accuser said, adding that no ethical hunter would consider using a thermal scope. I bristled! “You reckon I’m not ethical?” I asked, insulted. “No, no,” he said, trying to backtrack. I didn’t give him the chance. I explained how I’d come to shoot the pig in the photo that ran with the editorial. I went out to where a pig might be, looked around, saw the pig, judged the wind, stalked to within sure hitting range, then shot it. Thermals or daylight, it would have played out exactly the same, only I didn’t have to worry as much about concealment. “What’s unethical about that?” I asked. “That’s a pig,”…

THE Meopta Optika6 1-6x24mm SFP RD 4C is a rugged scope designed for quick shooting in a variety of situations. Described in some circles as a low-power variable optic (LPVO) it has uses in tactical settings, but many Aussie shooters may find it right at home on their favourite pig or big-game rifle. At 578 grams it’s a relatively heavy scope for its size, and slightly heavier than similar offerings from Meopta in the past. Having said that, this scope isn’t designed for the ultralight hunter, and with a small objective it still balances perfectly, which is important for a rifle that needs to be handled fast. It definitely feels solid. The adjustment turrets have durable covers with substantial knurling that allows you to get a good purchase from a…

IT sounds obvious, but for shooters to make any political headway, we all need to be reading (and speaking) from the same page. There’s still work to be done on that in the shooting community. Speaking at the recent National Gun Conference, Senator Bridget McKenzie (among several others) made the observation that this was something lacking among us at present. “I’ve always been bedevilled about the fact that I will go into a country town and there’ll be an ACTA [Australian Clay Target Association] target range, there’ll be a Field & Game target range, there’ll be an SSAA target range, and old mate — who doesn’t get along with any of those other men — will have his own [range], off the record, out in the back paddock,” she said.…

huntingdepot.com.au The Hunting Depot Hunter’s Diary competition is open to your hunting story of 200-400 words with at least one high-resolution digital photo. Simply send it with your contact details to mickmatheson@yaffa.com.au. PRIZES Every published entry wins a Vanguard Scout B62 bipod worth $95! At the end of the year, the best three entries will be chosen by the editor to win first, second and third prizes of: 1 Vanguard Endeavor HD 82A spotting scope with case worth $750 2 Vanguard VEO HD 10x42 binoculars worth $699 3 Vanguard Endeavor RL 303CGM Carbon tripod with gun vice head worth $649 Find out more about the competition and the prizes at sportingshooter.com.au/win…

WHEN I think of beautiful timber, I think of many things. The smell and resonance of a stunning hand-made guitar; the crack of splitting a piece of hardwood for the wood stove; the handle scales on a trusted skinning knife; and the aesthetic quality and performance of a custom-made traditional bow. Modern technology enables us to build bows that perform to a higher level than the one-piece yew longbows of the medieval battlefields. New bows are laminated with modern glues and fibreglass, but the wonderful woods used to craft these bows still demand our admiration. WHEN my friend Colin — bowyer from Outlaw Custom Bows — approached me about building a fancy custom longbow, the first thing I pondered was which woods might be used to make it extra special.…

COMPETITION BROUGHT TO YOU BY WINNER Ben Hart, his brother and his nephew (pictured) cleaned up this mob of pigs on a recent weekend. “They were feeding on roo carcasses when we came across them while we were spotlighting,” he says. “Luckily, they weren’t disturbed and we had a mounted spotlight so all three of us were able to get involved. With a .223, 6.5x55 and a 6.5 Creedmoor, they didn’t stand a chance. None out of the 10 of them managed to escape!” David Barnes tells us this pig was taken deep into the boar paddock on a mate’s place out of Quambone. “Following the years of drought, cover was not as thick as it had been and pickings were slim,” he says. “Cats and foxes were the most spotted…

.270 Fail Safe Q I’ve just been given three boxes of Winchester .270 ammo loaded with a 140gn Fail Safe bullet. I’ve never heard of this bullet before and don’t know what sort of game it was intended for. What can you tell me about it? Jack Carson A I used Fail Safe bullets back in the early 1990s and reloaded some for my .270 and .30-06. The Fail Safe was a unique design, a flat-base spitzer with a solid copper alloy nose featuring a notched hollow-point cavity. The hollow base featured a steel insert to protect the bullet’s lead core. A black Lubalox coating was claimed to reduce barrel friction and chamber pressure. Like the Barnes X-Bullet, the point expanded, but Fail Safes gave virtually 100-percent weight retention and completely…

THIS is the most accurate rifle I have ever shot. The new Lithgow LA102 Varmint was always going to shoot well but in .204 Ruger, a cartridge renowned for pinpoint precision, it is a ridiculously sharp shooter. No pest, regardless of how small it is, is safe within hundreds of metres. Both the Varmint and the .204 cartridge are new to Lithgow Arms. The Varmint comes in all other current Lithgow calibres, and the .204 is being introduced to some of the other LA102 models. We could see the Varmint coming from the moment Lithgow announced it would create new LA102 models to expand the range beyond the Crossover. Now the line-up includes the all-rounder Crossover, the lighter Hunter, the aluminium-chassis Outback and this Varmint. But if the Varmint seems…

MINOX is based in Isny, Germany, part of the Blaser Group, with ties to Mauser, Sauer and others. It’s not the sort of company that does things by halves, and it shows in this scope. In the past decade or so, Minox’s design and engineering has risen to higher levels and this Allrounder is one of the results. It’s an immediately impressive scope. The Minox was supplied with the exclusive Sauer 505 I tested and should have taken a back seat during the testing, but it distracted me to the point where I was making as many notes about it as the rifle. A week later, another revelatory moment occurred in the pre-dawn gloom of a misty morning with a bright moon setting. Through my $300 Ridgeline binocular, I’d made…

Spika Gridfleece top The Spika Gridfleece shirt was designed as a mid-layer garment but is comfortable enough as a base layer. Gridfleece is a two-layer polyester fleece fabric that is extremely breathable yet regulates temperature with its grid of inner insulation panels. Body temperature is dispersed evenly while warmth is maintained. It’s also light enough to wear on its own in slightly warmer weather, especially as the fabric allows airflow. It has a pretty stylish look, too. The Gridfleece top has a high neck with one-third YKK zipper, zip-up chest pocket and thumb holes around the cuffs to keep the sleeves down. When it needs to be, it is very warm for its light weight. In extreme weather conditions, layer the Gridfleece top with a base layer like the Trail…

HUNTING in New Zealand as an Australian is very easy — more so than you probably realise. I thought I would put together a few tips and tricks to help you make the commitment and enjoy the beautiful experience that’s on offer. NZ has a lot of conservation land and in some cases a lot of game to pursue. It is as simple as going to the Department of Conservation (DOC) website and applying for a licence in the area you wish to hunt. It’s free and approved instantly. You must always carry it while in the field. If you plan to take a firearm with you, you will need to apply for an NZ visitor’s firearm licence at least four months before your arrival. This can be done online…

THE Model 1500 Carbon Elevate must be the flashest Howa ever made, a carbon-fibre marvel between butt pad and muzzle cap except for the neat little action in the middle. It has an impressively large barrel of varmint-hunting dimensions but the weight and balance of a trim stalking rifle. It’s an eye-catching combination of big barrel and small mass, resulting in a firearm that covers many bases. The Carbon Elevate is not the lightest Model 1500, however. That status belongs to the Super Lite, which has the same stock but a shorter, very thin steel barrel. Where the Super Lite is the kind of rifle that floats in your hands on the way up heartbreaking mountain climbs, where you might take one or two shots before claiming your trophy, the…

“I used to hate the .243 but now I’m a believer” I connected with a bloke over Instagram who had a passion for cooking big meals over fire. He was keen to get back into hunting and bring wild game to what he does when cooking for family and friends, and continue showcasing some of the products he brings to the market. What initially started as some friendly conversation and advice turned into a great mentoring opportunity and friendship. When Kevin arrived at the Northern Tablelands, we set about making dinner and had a conversation about what he might want to consider for his first rifle or two. He’d organised his licence and first couple of permits to acquire but wanted to shoot a few rifles in the field before…

I wanted to share an exciting hunt out at Flinton with my good mate Paul Ball, his mate John and my son Phoenix. There’s always something special about spending time with good mates and getting out in the bush. The weather was great, but on one particular afternoon the clouds rolled in and conditions became quite overcast and cold. John and Phoenix decided to relax at the hunters’ pad. Bally and I decided to do an afternoon run. Driving along, we talked about all things rifles. At the back of the property, we came up on a mob of five pigs rooting around in an open paddock about 500m away. We had to do a stalk. Problem was, the field was open with no cover at all apart from the…

THROUGHOUT my time with four .223s, I found some loads that work very well in both twist rates. They worked with safe pressure in my rifles but you should work up from a grain or two lower. In addition to the powders listed below, I have used AR2207 with 53- and 55-grain target projectiles with some success. One powder I have not yet used is BM8208, which the ADI manual lists as appropriate for bullets all the way from 40 to 90 grains. Caution! As with all reloading data, work up to these loads with lesser initial charges in your rifles, especially if your chamber is for standard .223 Remington. • 55gn Sierra SPBT GK: 25 to 25.1gn BM2, seat to OAL 57.15mm (2.250”) • 55gn Hornady V-Max: 24.9gn BM2,…