Back on the farm and off up the back for a hunt. We’ve had a run of hard, heavy frosts, been deadly cold at night. But then the rain came, and the wind changed and I worked out an approach into one of the back blocks that was in my favour. On the way up on the bike, I spotted a mob of goats on the move, and dropped seven of them with the 6mm Creedmoor at between 200-300m, perfect start.
Once I reached the trailhead at lunchtime, I walked from point to point up into the valley, and glassed from cover while I looked for a good shooting position with a wide field of view. There’s a big old dense and sheltering tree, where deer and goats have eroded out a stand from the steep face. It provides good cover from the rain and a very handy shooting position that gives me room to set up perfectly for an uphill shot.
The rain was getting worse. I decide nothing much will happen in this, so I go out for a walk to look for goat control opportunities. After a 10 minute stroll, the rain suddenly ceases, and goats appear from under scrub almost immediately. Ta da! Three goats on the face opposite, only a couple of hundred metres. Lots of time to film it too. The sharp lips on the new MDT steel mag need a touch up but other than that, the Howa 6mm Creedmoor is a deadly lethal hill rifle.
Dealt to the goats, and pondered the next move. Properly crap weather on the way, that’s all I knew. Drizzly rain wasn’t really bad enough to go home for, so I toughed it out back under the tree. It started raining properly now, and the light started to fade early, but I could still see red deer hinds peering over the boundary fence about 400m upslope, but they weren’t jumping over. This carried on until I was getting a bit irritated, then as is the way with these animals, one magically appeared on the edge of the face, about 300m away. I had chosen not to stalk up the face and through the short cover, good decision too because I would have been winded now, as it was gusting. So I spent a minute setting up the rifle, wanting at all costs to hold the deer in the sight picture after the shot. Ranged, dialled, got comfortable, and waited for my preferred quartering shot. Animal obliged, aimed, bang. The deer lurched forward and staggered a few paces, then tipped over and was gone, out of sight. Was pretty well sure it had gone down hard.
Made myself a base camp and left a bunch of stuff under the tree, then took off up the slope with the empty backpack. Found the deer pretty much exactly where I thought it would be, so no drama. Never sure how far they’re going to tumble downhill in this country. Entry wound was spot on, and the gralloch resulted in one set of well shot lungs. The 108gr ELD-M penetrated the leading edge of the shoulder, blew a 2” entry hole through the ribs, shot out the lungs and ended up (I think) in the side of the liver. No exit wound. Didn’t bother looking for the bullet as I normally do, due to horizontal rain. I have gralloch photos here if you’re interested in seeing the damage a fast 6mm will inflict.
It’s a matter of preference, bullet types and so on. I’m confident that certain bullets will almost or fully stop in the vitals, so I know it will heavily shock the animal. That energy transfer is important for smaller, faster bullets to work effectively. These ELD-Ms have been the business so far. The improved ballistics over my .243 Winchester load is really obvious. At that range my 100gr ProHunter is doing 2,130fps and hits with about 1,000ft-lbs. The 108gr ELD-M however is doing 2,470fps and hitting with 1,500ft-lbs. Quite a jump.
Whilst I cut up the deer, I pondered what I’d seen, and observed at very close range the deterioration of the weather, which was properly rank by now. I hadn't seen much, but then I knew this property had been hammered recently. On the adjoining property last week, which hadn’t been touched during the Roar and Lockdown, we shot 17 deer in three sessions in one day, between two of us, plus several helpers for the recovery. The hour after first light, then the hour before the last of the light, then under lights on the way home. It was really noticeable how at ease they were having had no pressure for a couple of months. Fatal mistake.
It’s the perfect time of the year to pick off inexperienced meat hinds and spikers. Young deer are cast out during the Roar and must learn to fend for themselves, and join their own groups. We knew a likely valley with good shooting positions, so made a plan.
Mate #1 walked a low, long contour with one good dog, while mate #2 covered the top of the face from the other side of the gully. Animals grazing in the open are surprisingly easy to get close to from downwind, because most of the time you’re just out of sight, using the contour to your best advantage. When they realise what’s up, they move up into the the kill zone, and if they escape that, onto me in the woods.
I was set up on the legal boundary, an old overgrown scrubby clear cut about 80m back from the paddock boundary in the regenerating native timber. It’s only about 5m wide and there’s no warning of their approach, just a flash of brown high speed deer. I knew to expect action the minute I heard the first shots. Three dozen or so deer bolted across the old fence, but I was able to clean up six animals that paused on their way back into the forest... It’s tactical culling, nothing more, nothing less, I use .223 Rem and the Tikka T3 Super Varmints, and a 50gr bullet at high speed. A very productive way to spend a day, with time for a nana nap at lunchtime.
But right now as I packed away bags of venison, I had brown ale and a warm fire on my mind. The new Game Gear jacket was still performing perfectly and I was warm and dry throughout the cut up and pack up, the short walk out and the 30 minute ride off the hill. This was the first decent rain for a fair while, and the mud transformed into that thick and sticky consistency that turns the tyres into slicks. Bloody lethal. It’s much better when it’s really wet, much better than that half way wet crud. Lots of first gear descents as couldn’t so much as breathe on the brakes.
Really pleased to get back, still dry and not cold, a bit later than normal so got a growl from the lady of the homestead for making her worry she’d have to go looking for me...
Once I reached the trailhead at lunchtime, I walked from point to point up into the valley, and glassed from cover while I looked for a good shooting position with a wide field of view. There’s a big old dense and sheltering tree, where deer and goats have eroded out a stand from the steep face. It provides good cover from the rain and a very handy shooting position that gives me room to set up perfectly for an uphill shot.
The rain was getting worse. I decide nothing much will happen in this, so I go out for a walk to look for goat control opportunities. After a 10 minute stroll, the rain suddenly ceases, and goats appear from under scrub almost immediately. Ta da! Three goats on the face opposite, only a couple of hundred metres. Lots of time to film it too. The sharp lips on the new MDT steel mag need a touch up but other than that, the Howa 6mm Creedmoor is a deadly lethal hill rifle.
Dealt to the goats, and pondered the next move. Properly crap weather on the way, that’s all I knew. Drizzly rain wasn’t really bad enough to go home for, so I toughed it out back under the tree. It started raining properly now, and the light started to fade early, but I could still see red deer hinds peering over the boundary fence about 400m upslope, but they weren’t jumping over. This carried on until I was getting a bit irritated, then as is the way with these animals, one magically appeared on the edge of the face, about 300m away. I had chosen not to stalk up the face and through the short cover, good decision too because I would have been winded now, as it was gusting. So I spent a minute setting up the rifle, wanting at all costs to hold the deer in the sight picture after the shot. Ranged, dialled, got comfortable, and waited for my preferred quartering shot. Animal obliged, aimed, bang. The deer lurched forward and staggered a few paces, then tipped over and was gone, out of sight. Was pretty well sure it had gone down hard.
Made myself a base camp and left a bunch of stuff under the tree, then took off up the slope with the empty backpack. Found the deer pretty much exactly where I thought it would be, so no drama. Never sure how far they’re going to tumble downhill in this country. Entry wound was spot on, and the gralloch resulted in one set of well shot lungs. The 108gr ELD-M penetrated the leading edge of the shoulder, blew a 2” entry hole through the ribs, shot out the lungs and ended up (I think) in the side of the liver. No exit wound. Didn’t bother looking for the bullet as I normally do, due to horizontal rain. I have gralloch photos here if you’re interested in seeing the damage a fast 6mm will inflict.
It’s a matter of preference, bullet types and so on. I’m confident that certain bullets will almost or fully stop in the vitals, so I know it will heavily shock the animal. That energy transfer is important for smaller, faster bullets to work effectively. These ELD-Ms have been the business so far. The improved ballistics over my .243 Winchester load is really obvious. At that range my 100gr ProHunter is doing 2,130fps and hits with about 1,000ft-lbs. The 108gr ELD-M however is doing 2,470fps and hitting with 1,500ft-lbs. Quite a jump.
Whilst I cut up the deer, I pondered what I’d seen, and observed at very close range the deterioration of the weather, which was properly rank by now. I hadn't seen much, but then I knew this property had been hammered recently. On the adjoining property last week, which hadn’t been touched during the Roar and Lockdown, we shot 17 deer in three sessions in one day, between two of us, plus several helpers for the recovery. The hour after first light, then the hour before the last of the light, then under lights on the way home. It was really noticeable how at ease they were having had no pressure for a couple of months. Fatal mistake.
It’s the perfect time of the year to pick off inexperienced meat hinds and spikers. Young deer are cast out during the Roar and must learn to fend for themselves, and join their own groups. We knew a likely valley with good shooting positions, so made a plan.
Mate #1 walked a low, long contour with one good dog, while mate #2 covered the top of the face from the other side of the gully. Animals grazing in the open are surprisingly easy to get close to from downwind, because most of the time you’re just out of sight, using the contour to your best advantage. When they realise what’s up, they move up into the the kill zone, and if they escape that, onto me in the woods.
I was set up on the legal boundary, an old overgrown scrubby clear cut about 80m back from the paddock boundary in the regenerating native timber. It’s only about 5m wide and there’s no warning of their approach, just a flash of brown high speed deer. I knew to expect action the minute I heard the first shots. Three dozen or so deer bolted across the old fence, but I was able to clean up six animals that paused on their way back into the forest... It’s tactical culling, nothing more, nothing less, I use .223 Rem and the Tikka T3 Super Varmints, and a 50gr bullet at high speed. A very productive way to spend a day, with time for a nana nap at lunchtime.
But right now as I packed away bags of venison, I had brown ale and a warm fire on my mind. The new Game Gear jacket was still performing perfectly and I was warm and dry throughout the cut up and pack up, the short walk out and the 30 minute ride off the hill. This was the first decent rain for a fair while, and the mud transformed into that thick and sticky consistency that turns the tyres into slicks. Bloody lethal. It’s much better when it’s really wet, much better than that half way wet crud. Lots of first gear descents as couldn’t so much as breathe on the brakes.
Really pleased to get back, still dry and not cold, a bit later than normal so got a growl from the lady of the homestead for making her worry she’d have to go looking for me...
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