MARCBO
Well-Known Member
Real respect is due the "Stalker" who can wrestle one to the ground and break it's neck!!!
M.
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Define "Stalking Rifle"
- Thread starter MARCBO
- Start date
Real respect is due the "Stalker" who can wrestle one to the ground and break it's neck!!!
M.
Offroad Gary
Well-Known Member
Nah, they're just harder to hit cuz they're little.
tackb
Well-Known Member
wrestled a a munti to the floor and did it in with a rock once (seriously)
berg
Well-Known Member
That's what makes them harder to see ,and they are cleaner ,not like roe got about 20 yards away from a roe doe last night They are so dum but I always feal a little sad when I shoot roe
Recon in Europe you'll almost get jail time for mishandling animals in such a way and rightly so.
Stalking is one way of hunting or culling animals, I think it our duty to control the numbers of deer in such a way that we upset the countryside the least, let the animals suffer the least. This should be our priority not some ego satisfying "stalk as close as you can". In those cases I think it would be better to leave animal culling to professionals, deer "stalkers" should then rather play with a playstation.....
The reason why I am saying this is that in all my years of hunting most wounding of animals were at either extreme long range by people who don't have the "know how" or at very short range with hastily taken snap shots. What I am criticising is not that animals are shot at short range but that some "stalkers" would not take a shot from a decent mid range rested position at a rested animal to make a clean kill....no rather try stalk in closer ...and closer just to get a kick out of it.....then the shot has to be taken for egos sake. I would not hunt with such a person.
We (including myself) make enough mistakes even with best intensions when out after deer, don't need an ego trip making it worse.
My take of an ideal "stalking" rifle: depends on the countryside that one shoots, maybe also animal behaviour.
Dense cover shooting will dictate a different rifle than open country.
I have put a lot of effort in building or putting together my own rifles to cover different situations.
For deer culling in dense plantations an old leveraction 30-30 with red dot sight and 160gr leverevolution handles nicely and stops deer quite well. I don't like this kind of shooting as it can get messy however it is often the only way of getting deer that are trapped inside fenced in dense cover areas. For heavy cover and mixed terrain I have a light barrelled 20" 308 with 3-12x50 S&B flash dot scope, I limit this rifle to 300m although it would be capable of further.
For general deer culling I have a 22" barrelled mid weight 308 with 6.5-20x50 Zeiss weighing 4.2 kg, with this rifle I have taken deer from 4m to slightly over 400m.
For hill stalking or open terrain I have an ultra light tactical style rifle, again 308, palma barrel 20" with a heavy 6-24 Kahles tactical scope. Rifle weighs around 10.5lbs including the Kahles. This rifle is ideal for precision shots at our smallish deer in high grass mostly meaning neck or head shots.
I have shot several deer off-hand with it too.
All my rifles apart from the leveraction have aftermarket hand lapped match grade barrels, stocks made to suit larger scopes and scopes have bdc turrets. The lightweight hunting rifle with 3-12x50 flash dot scope might be the best all-round hunting rifle.
edi
paul k
Well-Known Member
In my view a stalking rifle needs to have two qualities, it needs to be heavy enough for accurate shooting off sticks or off hand at suitable ranges and it needs to be light enough to carry around all day.
I have a friend who has an ASI metal stock rifle and of course it is very accurate but I wouldn't want to carry it around for very long and possibly too heavy too shoot off hand! Even my Steyr Mannlicher Pro Hunter (clearly a stalking rifle) with scope, moderator and bipod is at the limit of what I find acceptable weight.
I have a friend who has an ASI metal stock rifle and of course it is very accurate but I wouldn't want to carry it around for very long and possibly too heavy too shoot off hand! Even my Steyr Mannlicher Pro Hunter (clearly a stalking rifle) with scope, moderator and bipod is at the limit of what I find acceptable weight.
49ERIC
Well-Known Member
I agree with that. My most recent purchase is Steyr PH in 7x64 with iron sights. It will probably end up with a 3-9x40 or 4-12x42 scope, nothing too heavy. This rifle is a pure hunting machine, an updated version of the Model M Professional, with synthetic stock, corrosion-proof coating, accurate with a wide range of ammunition, powerful and flat shooting, without going to a magnum. It is a compromise which can do a wide variety of real hunting very well, just like the M Pro .30-06 which sits beside it.
For nicer days, I wood rather carry a light and beautiful rifle in walnut. If I know I will only be shooting in good light and no more than 250 yards, I will probably carry something with iron sights. If it is under 200 yards, I might carry a Winchester 1895 or Model 71 lever action. I might carry an old military Mauser, .303 Enfield, or 1903 Springfield..all too heavy, right?
Carrying a .30-30 in the woods for deer, or a .444 in the big swamps for boar, is not only practical, but takes me back to hunting with them years ago. That is why i kept them, even as I acquired rifles which were "better".
And others are right about needing enough weight in the barrel to have a steady hold for an offhand shot, or when you are a little winded. One of the best pure stalking rifles I ever saw was a laminated stock Remington Model 7 in 7mm SAUM, with 22 inch normal contour barrel, open sights, and a Swaro Nova 3-9x36 in QD Warne rings.
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tackb
Well-Known Member
THINK first, Then post
why ?
Jagare
Well-Known Member
Yep, I am struggling to find the words except to say...... If I had to have a factory standard Remington then I would dig my eyes out with a rusty spoon.
+1 One good thing after digging out my eyes i would not ever have to look at a Steyr Scout again. Steyr Scout, what a ugly plastic bit of kack
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berg
Well-Known Member
+1 One good thing after digging out my eyes i would not ever have to look at a Steyr Scout again. Steyr Scout, what a ugly plastic bit of kack
Each to there own ,if we all like the same thing the world would be a very dull place
Crosshair243
Well-Known Member
+1 One good thing after digging out my eyes i would not ever have to look at a Steyr Scout again. Steyr Scout, what a ugly plastic bit of kack
Beauty is as beauty does in my opinion. It's an awesome concept and very accurate. I'm glad not many people like them, it meant I got my as-new second hand .308 for £600
Stalking rifle = one used when stalking.
Therefore necessary to define stalking.
Stalking = killing wild deer with a rifle (exact approach entirely context and hunter dependent).
So - it's whatever you want it to be.
These discussions are about as informative as arguments about what flavour of ice cream is best.
As an aside, the OP seems hell bent on getting some attention. You particularly bored at the moment?
Therefore necessary to define stalking.
Stalking = killing wild deer with a rifle (exact approach entirely context and hunter dependent).
So - it's whatever you want it to be.
These discussions are about as informative as arguments about what flavour of ice cream is best.
As an aside, the OP seems hell bent on getting some attention. You particularly bored at the moment?
Jagare
Well-Known Member
Walnut and maple syrup is the best ice cream by far
.I'm bored at the moment but i must soon go and throw out a bit of food for the boar.
Jagare
Well-Known Member
Beauty is as beauty does in my opinion. It's an awesome concept and very accurate. I'm glad not many people like them, it meant I got my as-new second hand .308 for £600
Somebody got rid of it quick. Very strange for such an accurate work of art
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Crosshair243
Well-Known Member
Somebody got rid of it quick. Very strange for such an accurate work of art
Actually, he got posted abroad. I never said they were pretty- you wont make me love mine any less
berg
Well-Known Member
No work of art but a good work horses and a practical choice for all weather stalkingSomebody got rid of it quick. Very strange for such an accurate work of art
The OP didn't actually include deer in the original post, so if we define stalking as "to pursue or approach stealthily" then you'd have to admit that it would depend on what you were stalking. Perhaps calibre shouldn't have been suggested.
I think any definition should include:
Portable
Robust
Accurate
Weatherproof
Reliable
among the attributes required.
I think any definition should include:
Portable
Robust
Accurate
Weatherproof
Reliable
among the attributes required.
alberta boy
Well-Known Member
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