Innehållsförteckning för April 2025 från Sporting Shooter

TESTING the Alcor PB223 for this issue was a lot of fun. Let’s ignore the legislative arguments about button-release and lever-release firearms for a minute and look at them as hunting and shooting enthusiasts. There’s a lot to like about them, for sure, but they are not going to change our world. I’ve used a number of these new shotguns and rifles that self-eject spent cases and require just the touch of a button or lever to chamber a new round, ready to shoot. I love the idea of them. I already own a button-release shotgun, an Over Lord. In mobs of pigs and goats at close range, it serves its purpose beautifully. So too would a PB223, but it would not do, for example, what my Tikka T3 .223 does.…

“HE’S COMING back” hissed my guide without lowering the binoculars from his eyes. He was focused on a stud pronghorn antelope buck that had reappeared over the crest of a distant ridgeline. Only five minutes ago I’d had an opportunity for a shot at this same buck. It had stopped briefly at a range of 300m, straight across the barren, windswept gully that separated him from us. SADLY, I just couldn’t get steady over the shooting sticks. Before long the buck had gathered his eight or so does and herded them over the hill and far away. Now we watched in disbelief as the buck made a beeline down the open slope towards us, seemingly to collect a recalcitrant doe and her yearling that had stayed put when he had…

BROUGHT TO YOU BY BROUGHT TO YOU BY TSA Australian distributor for Weatheby, ZeroTech and Fiocchi YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A WEATHERBY RIFLE & ZEROTECH SCOPE PACKAGE IN EVERY ISSUE IN 2025 *THE WEATHERBY VANGUARD WILL BE CHAMBERED IN .223 WITH BLUED METALWORK AND SYNTHETIC STOCK 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 –…

FERAL pigs are one of the most popular species of game in the nation, and for good reason. They are exciting to hunt, they occur in huntable populations in every state of mainland Australia, and they are one of our country’s most significant agricultural and environmental pests. You will normally be encouraged to shoot as many as you can! On some trips there are pigs seemingly everywhere and the action can be non-stop. Other times, though, pigs can be frustratingly hard to find without dogs. Happily, there are several ways for hunters to get the edge and swing the odds in their favour. Hunt the water One of the most important keys to successful pig hunting is to hunt the water. Unlike some other game, pigs must drink water at…

I POSSESS a nice 1970s vintage Parker Hale Deluxe Mauser 98, built on a Belgian-manufactured military action. It has proven itself on a couple of hunts shooting Hornady 139gn Interlocks and it won the military category of my rifle club’s 4x scoped category in a 400 metre sniper-styled match on its first outing. I have since placed a 3-9x38 Weaver Classic V scope on it to get with the in-crowd — at least in 1980s fashion. This rifle and the cartridge ignited in me an indescribable enthusiasm out of all proportion to anything really rational. So what did I do? I got another one, that’s what. A friend had standardised his big game hunting around several rifles in .308 Winchester. This guy is a highly rational person and did not want…

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…

Fate of the .17 WSM Q When it first appeared in 2013 the .17 WSM was called “the most revolutionary rimfire cartridge in Winchester’s history”. It was advertised as being the fastest rimfire in the world and a bright future was predicted for it. Yet it appears to have died at birth. These days we don’t see a printed word about it, or even hear it mentioned. Can you tell me what happened to it? It should have been a popular choice. Stan Manning A The .17 WSM, which was based on a .27-calibre construction cartridge, took three years to develop and achieved velocities 183m/s (600fps) faster than the .17 HMR with equal bullet weights. It has more than twice the downrange energy of the .17 HMR and .22 Magnum…

THE Akdas Alcor PB223 is one of the most anticipated rifles to reach the Australian market in years, and the hype over the self-ejecting button-release rifle has been justified. It’s not the first of its kind, but it is the first affordable centrefire version to go sale here, if only by a slim margin. The Alcor ejects spent cases all by itself, the instant after you fire a shot. The action stays locked open afterwards and all you have to do to chamber another round is press a button on the side of the action, which releases the spring-powered bolt carrier. You’re then ready to squeeze the trigger on the next shot. “My test rifle didn’t suffer a single stoppage in more than 200 rounds” We’ve seen a number of…

SINCE I’ve started contributing rifle reviews to the magazine, I’ve been enjoying my trigger time again. I’d burned myself out on rifles a few years ago and started occupying space in the archery world. I still love my bows, obviously, but being put in a position where I get to test many different firearms has reminded me that I used to shoot a lot, and it was always enjoyable. Recently, I had my hands on a beautiful Sako 90 Varmint, on loan from Beretta Australia, and while working with it I took my other Sakos to the range and considered how long the company has been building such fine rifles. I had quite the trio of rifles at the range with me. Besides the Sako 90 VLS in .308, I had…

DEEP in sambar country, the forests get so thick it is almost impossible to hunt effectively. You can’t be quiet. You can’t see far. Sometimes you can barely move. However, I have often found hidden wallows and small grassy clearings in the most impenetrable places, and on three occasions I’ve had success sitting over them. If it wasn’t for blood on the leaves, I might have recovered only one of those deer. That’s the other thing about this almost impenetrable bush, it makes dead deer disappear. If they don’t drop where you shoot them, but run into the bush, you can lose them completely. A blood trail can be your only clue as to their final resting place. That’s why I agree with the late Nick Harvey’s philosophy that it…

OUTBACK RADIO 2WEB buzzed warmly through the AM frequency and set the scene for reality beyond the Hilux’s bullbar: “Minor heatwave conditions are affecting NSW today and a total fire ban is in place across the state.” HEAT haze shimmered over a buddah bush horizon, the shade was roasting at 41°C, and every sensible creature was looking for a way to cool down. Then there was me. Trundling along with windows down and swatting flies, I was making the most of the afternoon by dam-jumping pigs. It’s something I look forward to every summer. Straight off the back of working freshly shorn stubble, the hot weather puts pigs on the water. Even where they get pestered, they’ll run the gauntlet for the sake of a good wallow. Stalking close with…

Michael Jadezak at Eminence Projectiles told me the Brinel hardness (BHN) of the bullets is 15-16, using 92-6-2 lead alloy (92% lead, 6% antimony, 2% tin). The coating is Australian-made Hi-Tek Supercoat, manufactured by Specialized Products. “A very common misconception is that leading is caused by the bullet being too soft and the lead gets stripped off or abraded away from the bullet’s bearing surface as it passes down the bore,” he said. That statement is easily corroborated. The Los Angeles Silhouette Club website (lasc.us), for example, has this to say: “This misguided belief [about bullets being too soft] leads many new bullet casters to turn to expensive alloys like linotype, and/or elaborate heat treating methods to harden their bullets, thinking that this is the only way to prevent leading.”…

ALWAYS when out hunting, I ignore my aches and pains, I eat the same food every day and always make good gains, Resist any complaining, and boring people with my hurts. My life is really going well, ahead in great big spurts. I understand when loved ones are too busy with their time, Doing just my own thing usually, as the pain is only mine. Hunting is my pastime, to get out in the bush, It doesn’t take much to get me going, not even a little push. The hunt was planned already; I was aching to get started, Being that happy to be going, my eyes even almost smarted. We set off for a great spot, where pigs were always abundant. The idea really was to make the buggers…

I RECENTLY had to renew my Queensland driver’s licence in person (due to needing a new licence photo) and was gritting my teeth at subjecting myself to what I expected would be a complicated, difficult, time consuming and expensive process. When I arrived at the Department of Transport and Main Roads office (DTMR), I took a number, sat down in the well-populated waiting area, and was surprised to hear my number called a few minutes later. The pleasant woman behind the counter asked if any of my details had changed; I said they had not. She asked if I was suffering from any medical conditions, such as epilepsy, which might affect my ability to drive safely, and if I needed glasses to drive. Since the answer to both questions was no,…

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…

MY GOOD mate Ira, who lives on a local indigenous community, invited Jamie and I over for a visit and to maybe roll a buffalo that was getting close to the houses. On arrival, he took us to a large, picturesque river behind the community. “A 15-16 foot salty has taken a liking to the local fishing and swimming spot and put the wind up the residents,” he said. The week before the big fella had bitten the head off a cow and dragged the rest underwater. We heard the loud splash as we approached the river, but it was long gone as I cautiously stood on the riverbank behind Jamie. Close to the houses was an understatement. Jamie dropped the buffalo 800m from Ira’s front veranda with his .338 Win…

Pro-Tactical Go Vice When it comes to gun maintenance, it’s not always practical to carry a bulky gun cradle around when out bush or at the range. Even at home, storage can be a problem. The Go Vice by Pro-Tactical is a very compact, portable gun vice that is collapsible and extendable. Extremely compact, it folds away to a small package just 29cm x 13.5cm x 6cm (11.5” x 5.5” x 2.5”). It’s small enough to fit in most range boxes and also very lightweight. It is also fully adjustable to suit most rifles or shotguns. Simply extend the base to any length from 28.5cm to 45cm, then lift the two holding-forks into place to securely house your firearm. Made of a hard plastic that is solvent resistant, the holding…