Tabla de contenidos para Edition 96 en Australian Hunter

Have you heard the phrase, “You can take the cowboy out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the cowboy”? Australia’s population was predominantly rural until the early 20th century. By 1911, however, about 58 per cent of the population were living in urban areas, marking a significant shift toward city life. By 2006, more than two-thirds of Australia’s 21 million residents lived in major cities. This trend accelerated rapidly over the following 15 years and by 2021, approximately 90 per cent of the 25 million Australians resided in urban areas. Conventional wisdom says cultural change takes time. But Australia’s experience of urbanisation points to the opposite. People living in cities can rapidly lose touch with what rural communities regard as commonsense: practical knowledge, tools of…

The latest addition to the Garmin line of recreational navigation is their GPSMAP H1 GPS Handheld Navigator, released September 2025. The ‘H’ indicates hybrid functionality, combining both touchscreen operation and physical buttons. The H1 is available in two models. The standard H1 includes Garmin’s most current navigational functionality, while the H1i Plus adds satellite communication and emergency messaging on top of that. Garmin Australia provided Australian Hunter with a GPSMAP H1 GPS Handheld Navigator for review. The H1 GPS can be paired to your smartphone via the Garmin Explore app. This is a simple and quick procedure. Once paired, the H1 will automatically connect to your phone as soon as it is in range, adding to the versatility of planning and navigation. Rather than simply repeating user-guide information here, I…

Simply write your full name, address and contact number on a piece of paper and place it inside an envelope and send to: …or enter online at ssaa.org.au/win (Name of competition) Australian Hunter 96 PO Box 2520, Unley, SA 5061 Competitions close May 31, 2026. Check out ssaa.org.au/win for competition winners. *T&Cs ssaa.org.au/terms-and-conditions Martins Ridge Farm smallgoods course RRP $780 Kindly donated by Martins Ridge Farm martinsridgefarm.com.au GME MT620GR Personal Locator Beacon RRP $569 Kindly donated by GME gme.net.au RMK Leather Works Includes: Leather Butt Stock Wrap 5.0 * Made to suit the rifle or shotgun stock of winner RMK Standard Adjustable Ammo Pouch RRP $303 Kindly donated by RMK Leather Works rmkleatherworks.com…

SSAA NT Conservation & Pest Management SSAA NT Conservation & Pest Management operates in the north of NT as part of the SSAA Conservation and Wildlife Management group, providing a free community service to government, pastoral properties and traditional landowners to assist with eradication of feral pest animals. Membership is open to NT residents who successfully complete a theory and practical assessment. All field activities comply with NT Parks guidelines for the destruction of pest animals, the Model Code of Practice for the Welfare of Animals and the Model Code of Practice for the Destruction of Feral Animals. Each year there are six to nine one-week field operations on remote pastoral properties and National Parks, involving four to five members. Meetings to plan and coordinate activities are held as required…

The .222 Remington Magnum was a calibre I always wanted. Ballistically, it packs a decent punch for its size but the main attraction for me is that it’s not popular and many people haven’t heard of it, which makes it feel a little unique. Over the years, other calibres took precedence as they better suited my hunting needs. Most of my rifles have a functional purpose. The .222 Magnum became a ‘want’ that, in the end, was purchased simply because I could. The cartridge was originally developed in 1958 by Remington for the US military to test in their AR 15 rifle. It was not adopted, as they chose the 5.56x45 (.223 Remington) instead. It was, however, picked up and chambered in sporting rifles. The cartridge was based on the…

I’ve long believed that the neck of a rifle cartridge case plays a far greater role in accuracy than is commonly acknowledged. Whether printing tight groups on paper or delivering a single projectile to a live target at distance, the final consistency of the cartridge neck seems central to repeatable performance. It’s a subject rich with opportunity for experimentation and one that challenges several assumptions often regarded as settled fact. Two fundamental questions arise early. Is there an ideal neck thickness for a given cartridge and projectile combination? And is there an optimal clearance between the cartridge neck and the rifle chamber that assists accuracy? Benchrest shooters have long worked with extremely tight neck clearances, suggesting that this variable may be more influential than many accept. Another frequently discussed topic…

Irarely take offhand shots at game. The few I do take are at close range where the margin for error is minimal. Longer ranges and small target zones negate most offhand shots for me. Trees, fence posts and other bumps in the terrain can be used as convenient rifle rests. However, many times when a brief opportunity presents itself, closeby natural rests are often lacking. This is the reason hunters opt for shooting sticks and bipods. I have used both these options to good effect. It has been an interesting journey and a constantly evolving one. Like so many things in life, what seems an obvious solution from the comfort of your lounge room often encounters unexpected difficulties in the field. And vice versa. Recently, I had the opportunity to…

Okay, so you’re out hunting, bushwalking, camping, fishing, 4WDing, birdwatching… then BOOM! You realise you’re lost. Maybe it’s dense vegetation, unfamiliar country or simply getting caught up in the chase. Whatever the reason, you’re now ‘geographically embarrassed’. If this happens, there’s just one thing you must do: stop. Keep moving and you’ll burn precious calories, chew through your water supply and likely end up shivering in the cold dark of night… possibly in the rain. Most importantly, you’ll make it harder for anyone to find you. Attention seeker Instead of blundering on, now’s the time to shine like a Hollywood star. Quite literally, you need to do everything you can to attract attention and encourage someone - anyone - to come looking for you. Ideally, you’re carrying a sat phone…

As a hunter, there are moments that subtly reshape how you see your craft. For me, one of those moments came after watching a YouTube episode that explored the potential impacts of lead-based bullets in game animals. This article follows my journey comparing monolithic copper lead-based projectiles, looking at the science, ingestion risks and practical considerations that hunters may want to weigh up themselves. Drawing on another hunter’s research, I’ll outline what is known about lead contamination in game meat and how I’ve chosen to approach the issue in my own hunting. My shift in perspective began while watching ‘Deer Hunt! - How Much Lead Gets Left Behind?’ on the YouTube channel Brobee223. The X-ray images of deer shot with bonded lead bullets were eyeopening. Seeing fragments beyond the entry…

In Australia, the vast majority of our hunting is done on private land. The only exception to that is in New South Wales and Victoria, where you can hunt in state forests. However, to do that, there are a few hoops to jump through. In Victoria it’s not that difficult, just a licence for the most part and you can wander off and chase sambar. In NSW, hunting is controlled by the state forestry. For a while, the national parks allowed hunting under a controlled program, but it was beset by all sorts of conditions. No handloaded ammo, and you could only use .223 or .308. You also had to pass a marksmanship test, and then and only then you had to be accompanied by a NPWS Ranger. Most people…

The 1880s were a golden period for the gunmakers of Great Britain. Driven shooting in Scotland and elsewhere was immensely popular and many prominent figures of the time competed to see who could bag the largest number of birds during a shoot. Shooting parties were often lavish, lasting several days and attended by the cream of British society. As a result, gunmakers competed fiercely to be recognised as the maker of choice for the rich and famous. During the 1880s, the hammergun remained king of the heap. Makers such as Purdey and Stephen Grant produced exquisite hammerguns, legendary for their aesthetics, handling and absolute reliability. However, by the early 1880s, many makers were experimenting with hammerless action designs. Purdey, for example, purchased the rights to manufacture a hammerless self-opening sidelock…

Sako shouldn’t need an introduction to Australian shooters and hunters - it would be fair to say they’ve enjoyed an enviable record across the world for a very long time as a premier-class rifle. As a testament to the Finnish brand’s quality, all my Tikka barrels are made by Sako and none of them have ever given me grief with accuracy. From fond experiences using an L461 Vixen in .222 and a .22-250 L579 model for shooting ferals in the early 1990s, Sako rifles impressed me with their appearance and feel. In fact, the popular ‘L’ series, dual-lug design, fuelled inspiration for many actions still produced today. Later that decade, they released the new-look Sako 75 based on a triple-lug bolt design, which kicked off their short bolt throws, still…

The term ‘eagle-eyed’ is a common expression used to describe someone extremely observant and adept at spotting small details. The phrase clearly derives from the remarkable vision of birds of prey. An eagle, for example, has both monocular and binocular vision 4-8 times stronger than a human, allowing it to locate and focus on prey from up to 4.8km away. With a visual acuity of 20/5, an eagle can see at 20m what a human can at 5m. The third eyelid, or nictitating membrane, keeps their eyes clean, clear and focused, even during high-speed hunting dives - vital when considering that peregrine falcons can reach speeds up to 290km/h. These apex predators exploit their environment with precision and their extraordinary vision is one of the defining advantages of their hunting…

Outdoor activity is hard on clothing, yet many hunters underestimate the elements and the gear required to stay comfortable. In temperate conditions, staying warm and dry is essential, while in the tropics, the challenge is staying cool in breathable gear that allows airflow, including a wide-brimmed hat rather than a baseball-style cap. Although I now live in the tropics, west of Cairns, I am no stranger to cold weather. I spent the first 12 years of my life on the Netherlands-German border, surviving bitter winters, snow blizzards and freezing conditions. At eight, I was caught out in a raging blizzard on our farm, less than 2km from home. I became so cold that I could not walk and had to take shelter in some bushes, where my dad found me.…

Recently, I have been asked to shoot some problem pigs, but aside from that I continue to mostly chase a variety of game birds. After years of hardly touching my shotgun, it’s great to be back out with the dog and actively hunting large properties. On occasion, I bring a backpack with a hammock and some basic camping kit, so weight is a serious consideration. Unless I expect to be working on larger animals, I prefer to pack a folding knife along with a compact fixed blade ‘just in case’. For birds such as partridges, I particularly prefer slender blades. While considering alternatives, I picked up a QSP Parrot, which appealed for its compact size and handle material. QSP Knife is a Chinese company operating out of Guangdong province. Established…