284 and the big 3

Took the Tikka 284 for a big walk last weekend and tried out the VX3 CDS. It’s worked out a good rig with dead on at 100yards with DPT suppressor and 2inch high without. I can carry unsupressed and shoot out to 250yrds which is handy in the scrub or steep climbing.

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We had access to some nice high country and planned to do a big traverse on Sunday. On Saturday evening we headed out in the 4WDs to drop a vehicle off where we planned to drop down. On the way a huge pig crossed over from a lambing paddock into the Matagouri and I jumped out to try and nail him. The trucks headed on while I doubled back downwind and stalked through the scrub. Eventually it got too tight so I crawled out into a riverbed near dark and saw movement above. Through the Binos I spotted 7 deer so I sneaked in to 250yards and dialed up the VX3. Leaning across a big rock steeply uphill I sent a 162ELDx on the way and heard the thump. Unfortunately it hung up in the scrub and I had a decent climb to retrieve a nice hind.

Next day we took a decent feed and water for a big climb. We saw a few deer in the scrub catching the morning sun but we were after Thar. It was blowing pretty hard on top but on the sheltered side it wasn’t too bad. We saw a small mob of pigs and the station was keen to remove any so I ranged them across the gully at 560 yards. Normally I wouldn’t shoot anywhere this distance but with the CDS scope I wound it up to 10x and worked out the Horizonal at 500yards. The biggest pig disappeared but a medium sized one was throwing dirt into the air so across my daypack I had a crack and rolled it down the hill. We weren’t going to loose 2 hours dropping down so we left it for it’s mates to clean up.

Up some more to the top and we got a free lesson in wind drift. We spotted a good bull about 350yards way through a saddle and it was sheltered from our shooting spot. My friend dailed up his fancy Swarovski 3-18 scope and had a nice bipod rest. He was about 50metres ahead of me and I watched 4 shots splash about 1 foot to the left of the bull. When we walked through the saddle it was blowing so hard you couldn’t stand up! Reading wind is pretty important eh.

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Later in the evening we looked way down and spotted 5 bulls in the scrub. There were some Thar up high but more down low and the big boys were handing out safe from the choppers low down. We dropped down fast and lost the bulls so waited it out. Eventually they appeared moving through the scrub about 360yards away and steeply up hill. Again I would normally not shoot this far but after working out horizonal at 300yards I dailed it up and got an average rest across a matagouri branch. Without the suppressor I would have been scoped I’m sure with the awkward angle. I waited until the biggest bull came onto the scree and stood side on - and missed the first shot but nailed him with the next. He didn’t roll so it was a decent climb up again to retrieve a nice 12inch head and some good meat just on dark

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I’ve been pretty tired and sore at work this week with bad sunburn and cramping muscles but very happy to have nailed 3 species in a weekend. The 284 is a great NZ calibre and the CDS scope makes things a lot easier. Thanks Rock for the load info and Woody for the scope and dail.

Well done @Forestry. Makes me wish my legs were young again :)

Great photo of that Thar lying down on the rock to keep warm.

Cool, the load is useable with can on and off...any of mine always had horizontal and vertical shift so I would be bound to forget and screw it up.

Epic trip mate cheers for the write up

Great trip in a great spot, well done, the 284 sure does the business.

awesome looking country with good animal numbers. Great to see the 284 doing the business. Well done

Great set up Mr Forestry. I’m having another .284 built at the moment a date putting a VX3 on it. The 4.5-14 model.
Nice bull, by the way.

Thanks. That South Island high country is pretty special

The 284 is a great balance of speed and power. With 20inch barrel and 162s at about 2700-2750fps you are in the good speed range for ELDX.....I’m amazed how much kick the suppressor takes off.

Nice write up and pics thanks.

I thought long and hard when living in the US about which cartridge to use when I moved to NZ and it seemed to me that .284 Win was a great all-rounder. Mine is a T3 too and I’m shooting 162 ELD-X at 2740 fps with 2213sc and I have shot pigs, goats, tahr, chamois and reds with it. It’s accurate, light, and hits hard. I’m in Aus for a while, but great to see some NZ game being dropped with a .284 like mine. Looking forward to getting home and putting mine into action once more.

Cheers.