Just another day at the office for an EBURG

Hadn't been out for a few weeks, weather, stuff to be done and low energy been getting in the way, but a lowering chest freezer level is great motivation, (down to bloody half!) so it's look at the forecast and make a plan to stop the rot (and me from being quite so grumpy). Wind and rain forecast for the wee hrs meant I could plan for a hunt of specific wee gullies that would be off the wind and rain with good tucker in them, and the wind would be my friend for once. Alarm bleeps it's churlish ignorance 2.15am this morning, 5 minutes debating do I go or do I stay....... bugger it, saturday and sunday look rubbish, ok I'll go then. 3.00 am sees me jumping off the truck to trudge off into the dark, into the teeth of a blustery wind and I could smell the rain coming, 3 hrs of creeks, bogs, wind and occasional rain later I'm on climbing on approach to the area I wanted to hunt and was in stalk mode, rain buggers off as the light hardens up, then I see it, a shape that didn't fit, a shape that moved and became a red hinds bum, ranged it and had 180m, tussock was waist high so it was going to be offhand, naah, get closer thinks me, some of the fun is in how close you can get!

Full on sneak mode, wet vegetation and blustery wind helping me for scent and sound, but, there would be multiple sets of eyes in that matagouri filled gut that ran into the gully I was sneaking in from, light getting stronger by the minute, movement had to be really slow and controlled, trying to flow through the tussock hillside rather than walk, bumble, fall over and swear, the whole time trying to keep eyes on the target. Rounds been up the spout for the last 130m safety on, range her at 49m, (cause I wanted to know exactly!) gently ease the safety off and slowly rise to full height and discover about 8 or 9 deer, none paying me any attention, very slowly shifted my aim to a smaller animal that gave me a better angle, and the mighty .243 punched a 95gn sst straight through behind one shoulder and out through the other, bangflopkick and done. I love my .243, has never failed me as a cartridge across three different rifles on all sorts of animals at all sorts of ranges - just match the bullet to the game and range.

The youngsters are easier to carry out and taste better!
Attachment 183365

Got a brew on and got the knife work going, skinned, hocks off, rears off, one and a half shoulders off, back steaks, gutted and eye fillets out and in time for my brew to be ready, my reward for good planning :thumbsup: a hot brew and a solid lump of my homemade muesli bar.
Attachment 183366

Home in time for lunch!. Now I'm a happy camper again, at least for a few days anyhow!

EBRG

Ear burrowing rat gun
Now we are showing our age.

Good result , nice when you can select the animal you want. Do you find the 95 SST do a lot of damage , I have some loaded up as well as 95 BT for my 243. My grandson shot his first over here on a trip from Canada , it was 260 yards and my son said he hadn't seen a deer tip over so quick, it rolled over feet in air and never moved again. I like the 243 but don't use it that much.

Good effort.:thumbsup:

Is that a hex block in your stove?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mooseman

Good result , nice when you can select the animal you want. Do you find the 95 SST do a lot of damage , I have some loaded up as well as 95 BT for my 243. My grandson shot his first over here on a trip from Canada , it was 260 yards and my son said he hadn't seen a deer tip over so quick, it rolled over feet in air and never moved again. I like the 243 but don't use it that much.

---

The 95 SST has for me anyway, been a good killer of Tahr and deer, punches out the other side but leaves lots of damage behind, but poor bc means wind and range have to be accounted for, not a suitable Wallaby pill, too hard. Mine are doing 3k and I use out to around 250yds, longer and the 95 VLD is the golden ticket on anything out to 400. Would rather use the 95 SST than Partition.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Tahr

Is that a hex block in your stove?

---

Well spotted! yes it's hexi, my setup makes for a nearly windproof cooker for brews, I can use my little meths stoves the same way. I have a neat little life hack for getting hexi going no matter what: the little white bottle in that pick contains meths, a wee squirt on the bit of hexi with a dribble out to the entrance, give it a flick with the lighter and off it goes. Half a tab brings my brew to the boil while I do something else and needs no supervision. Much better than regular issue hexi stoves.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by 257weatherby

The 95 SST has for me anyway, been a good killer of Tahr and deer, punches out the other side but leaves lots of damage behind, but poor bc means wind and range have to be accounted for, not a suitable Wallaby pill, too hard. Mine are doing 3k and I use out to around 250yds, longer and the 95 VLD is the golden ticket on anything out to 400. Would rather use the 95 SST than Partition.

---

That's interesting you saying they are quite hard as a lot of what you read is the opposite and that they are very destructive , that's where experience using them in the field counts . I have mine doing 2950 fps so should be similar to your loads. Haven't ever tried the Berger bullets so will keep that in mind also.

Oh the .243 ....sighhhh ...one of those guns you should never.......oh well sold it anyway.
Great write up!!

Keen as with your wake up time, early bird gets the worm aye.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mooseman

That's interesting you saying they are quite hard as a lot of what you read is the opposite and that they are very destructive , that's where experience using them in the field counts . I have mine doing 2950 fps so should be similar to your loads. Haven't ever tried the Berger bullets so will keep that in mind also.

---

Have not tried the Nbt's in .243, but they sound good according to the net, I like the 95 Vld as the best big game bullet ever in .243, if I was forced to use one bullet only, that would be it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by RUMPY

Keen as with your wake up time, early bird gets the worm aye.

---

There is a rumor I will neither confirm nor deny that I might have had a large nana nap after lunch!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by 257weatherby

Have not tried the Nbt's in .243, but they sound good according to the net, I like the 95 Vld as the best big game bullet ever in .243, if I was forced to use one bullet only, that would be it.

---

My go-to load is the 90gr ELD-X doing 3140fps. The 103gr version wouldn't stabilise in my 1:10 twist barrel.

Just curious, I have 6mm Remington 1/9 twist that I would like to have 1 big game bullet load 'just in case' what would that be? you 243 expert guys.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by nor-west

Just curious, I have 6mm Remington 1/9 twist that I would like to have 1 big game bullet load 'just in case' what would that be? you 243 expert guys.

---

95 VLD. Bulls, Bucks and Stags, put it in the chest and it is dead. But lots of other pills work too. Quite fancy doing a 6mm Rem at some point.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mauser308

On a .243? Have you considered a muzzle launched rifle grenade?

---

Huh?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by 257weatherby

95 VLD. Bulls, Bucks and Stags, put it in the chest and it is dead. But lots of other pills work too. Quite fancy doing a 6mm Rem at some point.

---

A cheaper and available option made in NZ are the 95 grn Targex. Better BC than the VLD and uses Berger jackets. They perform well.

Ive tried many projectiles in .243 and the very best have been the Hornady 85 grain Interbond. Spendy though.

great stuff ol chum...enjoy your venison......starting that early,you sure as heck earned it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Tahr

A cheaper and available option made in NZ are the 95 grn Targex. Better BC than the VLD and uses Berger jackets. They perform well.

Ive tried many projectiles in .243 and the very best have been the Hornady 85 grain Interbond. Spendy though.

---

Got love the 243, great work, early bird gets the deer.
On projectiles thou concerning the 243 from someone that has shot quite a few animals now with one, esp big stags etc heres the deal.

The reloaders out there have their pet projectiles, and im sure theres many that work just fine.
But if you using it for 300 yards and under you dont have to get carried away. Straight factory soft nose work awesome. I use Fed Powershok 100gr, lost one animal ever.
Those are so good , esp bush ranges but have shot some further out nothing would convince me theres another projectile out there that is better .

Simply because dead is dead. If you hit the animals in the right place, esp the shoulder nothing will walk away.
Always find it amusing esp with reloaders that theres such a debate on whats great. Yes, ok, if you talking about range, it makes a difference (im sure theres better stuff than a soft nose factory for 400yards etc)

But for general field work, where you talking 300yards and under no need to get fancy or worry about it , basic will work very good .

@deer243 you’re right, but stop bringing logic into this ��
Besides….cough cough, Hornady 87 gr HPBT, cough :thumbsup:

a very good projectile and accurate .87 g HPBT

Another great early bird story thanks. Getting me champing at the bit, and my freezer is a lot worse off than yours is/was!

Great effort and for that early start you deserve the rewards.

Re 243 and bullets to suit, been done a few times now but hey we are aways happy to do it again.
The Sierra 85gr hpbt gameking or Hornady's 87gr mixed use varmint/deer are the old school option for those of us less concerned about exit holes, while the standard basic cup and core 100gr soft point will go through and through most deer in NZ.
I've been using the 87gr VLD hunting bullet in a 1:10 Sav and a 1:8 custom with great effect, generally exits but sometimes the base is found under the skin.
Obviously with the 1:8 twist I have heavier options as well but as a lot of my shooting is goats or small deer side on they all exit without the opportunity to demonstrate the full effects.
Z