Thread: Guns and Optics

Originally Posted by kukuwai

Cripes, your gunna need more than a fixed power scope then

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Just have to hear or smell the animal, and then be able to get close enough to feel it, before it hears or smells anything untoward.

Originally Posted by KERR

Apology accepted. The connection between Fyfeshire Rock and the Kerr family name is explained in my Introduction post. I can't be more specific about location at the moment because I'm still job hunting and could end up anywhere. Right now I'm like a rolling stone....
Judging from your very impressive photo gallery you are clearly not a TROLL, but perhaps a BUSH TROLL! Bush Trolls spend a lot of time hiding under bridges and whacking unsuspecting deer as they cruise by. Being a Bush Troll is a good thing.
However, you using and naming almost every calibre known to God, whilst still reporting (mostly) "dead on the spot," is clearly designed to cause confusion and "Designed to create argument."
For me at the moment I'm shopping for the obligator 12 gauge pump & Ruger 10/22.
For bigger, smal game, I'm torn between 22 Hornet (an oldie, but a goodie). or 222 or 223.
For big, big game, the debate is still wide open from 243, a range of 6.5mm or 30 cal, but probably, almost certainly, on a short action with a fast twist barrel. The fixed 8x Shmidt and Bender will go on that.
I enjoyed your photo gallery, insperational, thanks.

No worries,

There should be no confusion with my posts, I At least think Im usually quite clear and direct. In the case of that thread and maybe relevant to this one, the point is Dont get caught up in hype. Either about distance or cartridge. You dont need the latest wunderkind. Just get too a sensible range, be proficient, use a shot suitable for the projectile, cartridge and situation. Dont shoot too far back, and your life will be easy. That I believe is what most hunters are after.
Hopefully it promotes discussion rather than argument. There's an important difference.

Im all for making life easy, so to answer your questions. .223. It's common and ammo easy to get and reload for.

Short action with fast twist, I can't help. Not my field of expertise. However with this comment,

[QUOTE]Range: Most of the deer I have shot are under 200 metre. Many, in the bush or edges, have been between 25 - 100 metres. I am not a confident 300+ shooter.
Reloading: Used too, but sold all that gear two, but hope to get back into that when I get settled./QUOTE] You dont really need fast twist and super heavy projectiles, which are all designed for long range. I suspect a standard weight projectile going as fast and flat the cartridge you choose will deliver is the best option at the distances you quote. Which is part of my point. 7/08 or 308 would then be my advice.

8 x fixed power- It will be an awesome scope and most people tend to leave their 3-9 on 9 anyway so yeah it will work.

12G you know the tried and true - Mossberg/Remmy/Winchester - would recommend 2nd hand as they don't die
10/22 is a good choice - I got a drop-in Timney trigger and recommend it - most people I know with one do something with the trigger or replace it
varmint I'd recommend 223 for cheap and plentiful ammo - the Howa lite builds that guys have on here on the FSS setups look nice and light to carry if you are going for goats/wallabies - some guys like a heavy long barrel varmint setup and don't take it far from the quad or truck but that is up to how you want to hunt
Deer/pigs for the ranges you are describing I'd recommend a 2nd hand 270/308/7mm/30-06 because the ammo is easy to get, there are plenty of them around so getting a bargain one isn't hard and if you picked up, say, a Parker Hale 308 for $450 which isn't impossible then you can just head out and hunt it with your S&B on top and if it doesn't work out you can probably sell it for 400 no problem
One thing in your favour is that plenty of idiots are chasing the newest and flashest thing and sell their tried and true old rifles that didn't have anything wrong with them - I see 6.5s and 270s often come up cheap

well my 2 cents, I use .243 on everything, (except possums, they get the .22) out to 300m...and I'm working on loads to stretch that out to 350m
If you want to be shooting much past that then a bigger caliber such as a .270 might be the go (grain for grain it shoots flatter and delivers more smack down than a 308 but the 308 can throw heavier bullets further)
If you're going to be hunting bush and open country then to my mind a variable power scope accommodates both those, dialled back in the bush and still able to zoom in on the longer shots.
Thermal handheld with a clip on night vision would be my choice, thermal finds it, night vision gives you a positive ID. Looking for game through a thermal scope gets VERY tiring VERY quickly....and creates the environment for a ballsup imo

Note: I've been hunting for 2 years and claim no expertise, the above is what has worked for me, individual results may vary

You're going to put a fixed 8x scope on a big game rifle?

I found 6x the max I could stand & shoot, but a 4x is better now I'm older. Too much magification is hard to keep steady & find the animal in the scope quicky. Lots of folk, have forgotten to wind scopes back & screwed up an easy close animal.