Innehållsförteckning för May 2025 från Sporting Shooter

ONE of the hardest parts of my job is picking the winners of the various competitions in the magazine. The quality of the entries is so good that I often find it very difficult not to award first prize to everyone! But there can only be one winner. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t send more than one entry, so please do keep entering if you don’t win first time. A number of readers have won after scoring a runner-up place more than once. There have even been a small handful of readers who’ve won more than once, and some who’ve won the trifecta of Hunter’s Gallery, Hunter’s Diary and Bacon Busters after entering all of them. So hook in! Don’t just share your photos on social media and be…

BLOODY HELL! What just happened? My mind struggled to absorb the events that had just unfolded in front of my eyes. There I was, well hidden in the forest fringe and perched on a steep slope overlooking the favourite feeding grounds of the local deer. The light was ebbing quickly on day two as I watched a couple of nice-looking rusa stags about 250 metres away, across the deep erosion gully that separated us. ONE stag wandered closer across the open ground that was marked only by the occasional clump of coarse, reedy tussock. His antlers were looking better the closer he came; they were maybe a bit over 30 inches in length. Out of the corner of my right eye, movement caught my attention. From the depths of the…

BROUGHT TO YOU BY BROUGHT TO YOU BY TSA Australian distributor for Weatherby, 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 5 With the basis of a cold hammer-forged 24-inch barrel, 3-position safety and adjustable Match-Quality Twostage 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…

WELL-KNOWN American hunter Craig Boddington described the phenomenon by which hunters commonly return from their first trip to Africa as instant experts. First-time visitors are typically so enamoured by the experience that they are invariably convinced their particular safari location and outfitter are the best the Dark Continent has ever seen. Africa is like that but I’m not falling into the trap; I’m definitely no expert. I have, however, hunted Africa on three occasions in three countries. So, take my experience for what it is: limited but possibly more than that of many Aussie hunters. I hope this article will help other aspiring Aussies to optimise their first African hunting experience. Don’t forget the on-costs I know what it’s like planning your first safari. You hop online, scan the price…

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…

The best bullet weight for the .270 Q For years I’ve read conflicting reports about the best bullet to use in the .270 Winchester for various sized game. American gun writers usually recommend the 130gn for deer and the 150gn for elk and moose. But what I find puzzling is that one school of thought claims that the 140gn bullet is neither fish nor fowl, and more than what is needed for deer, but not enough for larger game. According to the opposing belief, the 140 grainer is the best thing that ever happened to Winchester’s .270. Despite the contradictory opinions, I still prefer the 130gn bullet for deer-sized game, not because it is the best choice but because it has served me so well for a lot of years, so…

THE Weatherby Mark V has a solid reputation for being a rugged and reliable action. It earned that reputation after being built in chamberings that pushed the limit for velocity in a variety of calibres and, as a result, has been a favourite of hunters in the American West for decades. One of Weatherby’s most recent Mk V models, the Live Wild edition, is the outcome of a collaboration with Remi Warren, a hunter and guide known for his outstanding dedication to his craft and desire to push the limits. The resulting rifle is designed to be punished on serious backcountry hunts and deliver the goods. The Weatherby Mark V Live Wild is offered in a large variety of chamberings that make it suitable for most hunting situations that call…

GOATS have been the bread and butter for many Australian bowhunters for a long time. Our ability to really get stuck in over the past decade or more has been heavily dependent on the price farmers can get from the export market, as well as how many goats are around and what the country is like. I’ve been lucky to have a few populations to chase in various places, and they can make for a welcome change of pace compared to other game. At some of my main blocks, the billies show up over the warmer months. This typically coincides with the highest number of nannies coming into season. At times, the amount of activity rivals an energetic fallow deer rut. Huge goats are still few and far between, but…

“WHAT’S today’s date, Dad?” Jackson asked me, sitting on the back seat of the ute. Quick glance at my watch. “Third of July, mate,” I replied. “You know, it’s 10 years ago today you took me out for my first time with Oma and Opa.” That’s Dutch for grandparents. “Oh wow, it is, too!” I said. “Would be nice if we both shot some pigs today to celebrate!” We had both watched the DVD my dad made of Jackson’s first trip, and when he’d learnt to shoot the old 1951 Brno Model 1 about two weeks prior. We were driving along a fence line and good friend Andy was behind the wheel. It was too cold to be on the back of the ute, as the temperature outside was -3!…

HUNTING IS never just about the kill. It’s the journey, the adventure and the bonds forged in the wild. Our latest deer hunt took us on a 12-hour drive from Queensland to New South Wales, where we experienced the rugged beauty and challenges of hunting public land for the first time. THE crisp late-autumn mornings, the fog rolling off the valleys and the intoxicating smells of the bush in the air — it all set the stage for an unforgettable adventure. We arrived in the remote forest in NSW feeling the weight of the long drive as we set up camp. There was palpable excitement in the air. The temperature was cool, and the quiet of the forest seemed to heighten every sound — the rustle of leaves, the occasional…

THE bullet is the terminal link between the hunter and the game. But when selecting one, how do you know you’ll have a chance of success and ensure humane kills? Accuracy can be tested easily enough, but assessing the performance of your projectiles can be a little more difficult. Ballistic gel approximates the density of flesh but is expensive, must be moulded to a useable size, is frequently unavailable, is fragile to transport and difficult to work with at the range. Wet newspapers and phone books are going the way of the dinosaur and have their own difficulties. A timber bullet trap enables you to compare relative penetration, expansion and retained weight, the three most useful indicators of performance. It provides a method of comparative testing of projectiles in repeatable…

A few people will be very surprised I have started hound hunting. I’ve given some of them a hard time over the years with my thoughts on this style of hunting but I will be the first to admit I should have tried it before I knocked it. A friend, Alex, is a very passionate hound hunter. Through lots of banter and slinging between a stalker and a hound hunter on what is the superior art, we became really good mates. A deal was tabled: I’d go hound hunting for a weekend and he’d come on a backpack hunt. Not long after, I joined him on a hunt. We got to camp on the Friday night, set up a tarp and got the fire going. Yarns were spun over a…

Q I’m having problems with my .308, which has the primers backing out of my reloads. My load is 43gn of AR2206H behind a Hornady 150gn Interlock bullet. Can you tell me why this is happening? What can I do to fix the problem? Hal Beeson A In my experience, there are basically two factors interacting that cause primers to back out of the case. The usual cause is excessive headspace. In this instance I’m not talking about nominal headspace of the rifle’s chamber/bolt fit; I’m referring to the relationship of the unfired case to chamber and bolt. Excessive headspace is commonly caused by the handloader when the case is sized too much and the shoulder is set back. When the firing pin falls, the case is driven forward as…

LEUPOLD’S new BX-4 Range 10x42mm HD TBR/W binocular is a high-quality optic that builds on the successful and popular Pro Guide models, with added rangefinding capabilities and features. It combines fantastic optical clarity, legendary reliability, and the durability that Leupold is known for. Its DNA laser engine and ballistic software allow you to confidently range a variety of targets with angle compensation included for both rifle and bowhunting applications. “With 10x magnification, the view is long enough to spot game at extended distances” Nick Harvey covered the Pro Guide model nicely in the May 2023 issue, and this article will build further on it by outlining the features in the newer model. The rubber coating on the outside helps to protect the binoculars from any knocks that may happen while…

IF you’ve got a friend who is a mad keen football player, chances are they talk about football a lot — not just games they’ve played, but upcoming matches, players in the major leagues and how other clubs are performing. Have you ever met someone into cars who doesn’t talk about them a lot? Video games? BBQ? Fashion? People who like these things tend to be very open about it and more than happy to discuss it at length to anyone in earshot. Shooters, unfortunately, are not like this. Most of us rarely, if ever, talk about shooting outside close friends or people at the range. Historically, there have been good reasons for this, but it might be time for a re-think. One of the big challenges we face as…

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…

Leupold VX-5HD Leupold offers a fine selection of riflescopes in the VX-5HD range including the 1-5x24, 2-10x42, 3-15x44, 3-15x56 and 4-20x52mm. All are available in a 30mm tube except the 4-20x52 that features a 34mm tube. Each offers a selection of reticle options. The 3-15x44 is an excellent choice with loads of magnification, a sleek low-profile look, side-focus parallax adjustment and a host of reticles: Duplex, Firedot Duplex, Mil-Dial HTMR and Wind Plex. All are illuminated with one-button intensity adjustment. The scope’s high definition optical system has sharp clarity and Twilight Max Light Management System for great low-light performance. Like others, this model offers you the CDS-ZL2 (Custom Dial ZeroLock 2) elevation dial that locks the setting in place so it can’t be accidentally rotated off zero. And a mere…

MY newer Parker-Hale 7x57 threw up a few problems while attempting to bed it in prior to and during a competition shoot. Buying an older rifle from a friend or acquaintance can require tolerance, consideration and help from a friendly gunsmith. This is the story of a miniature perfect storm of sub-optimal results with rifle and ammunition. With the benefit of hindsight, I realised that the good mate who sold me this rifle, which was in outwardly very nice condition, had probably never fired it. He disclosed that the scope mounts had an issue which could be rectified, so I was going in alerted. The other issues that came to light became grist to the gunsmith’s mill in an effort to get the rifle field and competition ready. The scope…