Here's a varierty of photos from recent hunting trips in NZ. A bit of everything, pretty much how it rolls here, never quite sure what you'll end up with on the day. The .243 is rapidly becoming my favourite calibre if there's only one rifle to hand, as it does pretty much everything bar red stags, which we go after in April with .308s only. Other calibres used regularly are .223 and .308. Faces of blokes are blurred cos I haven't asked them about posting.
Hunting hares up the Rakaia. Tikka T3 Supervarmint .223 shooting Sierra Blitzkings 55gn.
Hunting hares up the Ahuriri - they hang out on the scree near the bushline, giving great sport at 300m+. Tikka T3 Supervarmint .223 shooting Sierra Blitzkings 55gn.
Perfect East Cape Raukumara river country for reds. Find the fresh deer tracks coming down to the river, then select a pozzie with a wide field of view downwind at ~200m and wait for dusk.
Couple of Raukumara meat hinds taken at 200m when they come out of the bush right on dusk. Tikka T3 .308 shooting Nosler Ballistic Tips 150gn.
A Whanganui River pig taken when it turned on my mate's young vizsla which was still in training. Dog learnt a big lesson. Tikka T3 .308 shooting Nosler Ballistic Tips 150gn.
Some small Matemateaonga goats taken in one of the frequent goat culls we do down there. Trick is to find a high pozzie with wide field of view and shoot across the gulleys at about 200-300m with a suppressed rifle. Take the billy and largest doe first and the younger animals generally won't run away and you can clean up most or all of the mob. Tikka T3 Supervarmint .223 shooting Sierra Blitzkings 55gn (now replaced for this job by the Howa M1500 .243 shooting Hornady VMax 75gn).
We eat the peacocks we cull at our place - there's always enough every year as long as we leave at least one cock and half a dozen hens. Very good curried in the slow cooker after hanging for 5 days.
A very tasty Ruatiti fallow hind taken at 356m with the Howa M1500 .243 shooting Sierra Prohunter 100gn on 40gn AR2209. This rifle has taken over from the .308 for lighter meat deer due to its exceptional accuracy and proven terminal performance, with less forequarter damage. It's taken a dozen or so deer now and all have tumbled downhill to within ~20m of where they were shot. Red star indicates shooting position.
Another Ruatiti meat deer, this time a good hind taken with the T3 .308 shooting 150gn Nosler BT at 320m. The young fella's carrying technique isn't recommended but he's a strong lad and it was one hell of a long way to the top and then all the way round the spur to the vehicle.
More Ruatiti meat hind, this one shot from above and behind at 155m, quartering away, with the Howa M1500 .243 shooting Sierra Prohunter 100gn. In through the rear of the ribs and out through the opposite side chest, she dropped on the spot having been hammered through the liver, lungs and the top of the heart. This one was boned out in the bush, each of us carry out a backpack full of meat plus one hind quarter whole.
Butcher shop back at the cabin up the Ruatiti. Useful Hilux winch application.
Hunting hares up the Rakaia. Tikka T3 Supervarmint .223 shooting Sierra Blitzkings 55gn.
Hunting hares up the Ahuriri - they hang out on the scree near the bushline, giving great sport at 300m+. Tikka T3 Supervarmint .223 shooting Sierra Blitzkings 55gn.
Perfect East Cape Raukumara river country for reds. Find the fresh deer tracks coming down to the river, then select a pozzie with a wide field of view downwind at ~200m and wait for dusk.
Couple of Raukumara meat hinds taken at 200m when they come out of the bush right on dusk. Tikka T3 .308 shooting Nosler Ballistic Tips 150gn.
A Whanganui River pig taken when it turned on my mate's young vizsla which was still in training. Dog learnt a big lesson. Tikka T3 .308 shooting Nosler Ballistic Tips 150gn.
Some small Matemateaonga goats taken in one of the frequent goat culls we do down there. Trick is to find a high pozzie with wide field of view and shoot across the gulleys at about 200-300m with a suppressed rifle. Take the billy and largest doe first and the younger animals generally won't run away and you can clean up most or all of the mob. Tikka T3 Supervarmint .223 shooting Sierra Blitzkings 55gn (now replaced for this job by the Howa M1500 .243 shooting Hornady VMax 75gn).
We eat the peacocks we cull at our place - there's always enough every year as long as we leave at least one cock and half a dozen hens. Very good curried in the slow cooker after hanging for 5 days.
A very tasty Ruatiti fallow hind taken at 356m with the Howa M1500 .243 shooting Sierra Prohunter 100gn on 40gn AR2209. This rifle has taken over from the .308 for lighter meat deer due to its exceptional accuracy and proven terminal performance, with less forequarter damage. It's taken a dozen or so deer now and all have tumbled downhill to within ~20m of where they were shot. Red star indicates shooting position.
Another Ruatiti meat deer, this time a good hind taken with the T3 .308 shooting 150gn Nosler BT at 320m. The young fella's carrying technique isn't recommended but he's a strong lad and it was one hell of a long way to the top and then all the way round the spur to the vehicle.
More Ruatiti meat hind, this one shot from above and behind at 155m, quartering away, with the Howa M1500 .243 shooting Sierra Prohunter 100gn. In through the rear of the ribs and out through the opposite side chest, she dropped on the spot having been hammered through the liver, lungs and the top of the heart. This one was boned out in the bush, each of us carry out a backpack full of meat plus one hind quarter whole.
Butcher shop back at the cabin up the Ruatiti. Useful Hilux winch application.
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