Table of contents for Edition 79 in Australian Hunter

I must state that I normally do not use a powder dispenser as such. And the reason is simple. Usually, when loading up cases in a particular calibre to test ammunition for velocity and groups there is a maximum of 10 cases. Therefore, it is not worth the effort to use a powder dispenser for such a small number with the requirement to then change powders, often several times, when reloading. However, coincidentally when asked to review the Hornady Auto Charge Pro I did need to load up some 6.5x55 cases for hunting as my new supply of 160gr projectiles had arrived. In addition, there were some .243 Winchester cases to load as I had recently finished load development, utilising a new barrel. Furthermore, my supply of .22-250 Remington ammunition…

The sound of the birds’ pre-dawn calls and the soft cool breeze over the hilltops offered a tempting reminder to be out on the hunting trail. I was on a mission to hunt deer with my daughter and going home empty handed was not a preferred option. Having just arrived at our destination, the decision was made to go to our usual patch in the hills. With the alarm sounding at 1am, I could have throttled the clock radio. However, with not much more than two hours slumber, the pain of sleep deprivation was overtaken by the excitement of a deer hunt with Rachel. She didn’t need much stirring and leapt from bed with overwhelming anticipation. It’s amazing what a cup of coffee can do to a tired man’s morale…

There’s an old phrase that Australia rides on the sheep’s back. It’s a saying that recalls the colonial era when Europeans began to clear land to generate the pastures on which sheep flourished, wool was shorn, mutton was eaten and money was made. Indeed, the sheep trade predominated the Australian economy all the way up to the ‘wool boom’ in the early 1950s due to the American demand for wool generated by the Korean War. Throughout this period, it’s safe to say that the Australian psyche was well attuned to our connection to, and reliance on, the land around us. But this situation has radically changed in more recent years. While in the early 1930s, nearly 37.5 per cent of the Australian population lived in rural areas, by 1976 less…

The world of drones just keeps getting better and better. Drone size is reducing, battery power lasts much longer, range is out to kilometres and the on-board smarts are outstanding. Now, you can pick up a feature packed drone for less than $1000. My wife Kathy and I do a lot of photography and we had been thinking about acquiring a drone for some time. When the price dropped below the $1000 mark, we bought a DJI Mini-2 from a local stockist. While Kathy was solely concerned in more outstanding landscape perspectives than can be had on foot, I was interested in using it for hunting. My hunting buddy had recently secured a drone and I was impressed by what it could do. But before we explore that, a brief…

Showing my age, when I think thermal technology, I think Predator. You know, the 1987 sci-fi action movie where Arnold Schwarzenegger battles against a predatory, trophy hunting alien. With its thermal vision, there was no hiding for Arnie and the crew. Moving on from the 80s and sci-fi action flicks, like so many things, thermal technology has continued to develop and improve. Possibly the most significant refinement has been the overall reduction in cost, to the point where thermal optics are becoming an everyday option for the recreational hunter. Burris, it seems, has gone all out and released a wide selection of thermal optic options including handheld, clip-on and fixed rifle mount units. In considering which one to test, I decided on a handheld unit as I usually hunt on…

After prolonged bouts of wet season weather and then the COVID-19 restrictions, any plans to replenish our stock of venison had been significantly delayed. So, at the earliest opportunity, my wife Kathy and I packed our car and set off for a couple of days camping and hunting at one of our favourite locations. It was a basic camp with only the essentials. We had cooked and frozen a few one-pot meals so that we could concentrate on the hunting. As we set up our camp in mid-afternoon, it was pleasing to see a lot of tracks left by chital deer, pigs and wild dogs. There were even a few weathered deer bones underfoot from one of our previous hunts. Over the years, we had shot a couple of dozen…

Combining leather accessories with blued steel and timber, as in a classic rifle, really rings my bell. I have for many years carried a few spare rounds on my belt in custommade leather pouches. Growing wear and tear on that gear, and the need for some other leather carry pouches, prompted me to look for an Aussie-based leather craftsman. I am happy to support local craftsmen and don’t mind a small premium for true quality and a personal connection. I grow frustrated with Chinese-made produce that has replaced so many, formerly reliable, everyday items. These days, my search took me straight to the computer and the internet. I had already seen some promising posts for Australian-made leather gear on Instagram. I searched on an array of appropriate #tags and followed…

Crocodiles are the world’s largest reptiles, some like the saltwater variety, having been recorded in modern times to 8m in length. The late Mrs Kris Pawlowski shot an 8.3m monster in the Norman River, below Karumba, in 1957. Our family were good friends with the Pawlowski clan. She once told me that she had shot more than 3000 crocodiles in the Gulf Country. Armed with a Winchester Model 70 rifle in .270 Winchester calibre, topped with a Pecar 4x12 scope and loaded with 130-grain Winchester Silvertip ammunition, she stalked the sleeping giant and killed it with one shot. Her husband Ron, a respected freelance outdoor writer and wildlife film producer, had three frames left on his 35mm Nikon camera and used them before an incoming tide forced the couple to…

About 30 years ago, I bought a Leupold VX-III 1.5-5x20 scope and fitted it to my .458 Winchester Magnum. After an initial sighting-in at the SSAA range, I never had to tweak that scope again. I fired more than 1000 full-powered rounds while I owned it, hunting buffaloes, scrub cattle and pigs. Plus, it was regularly bounced about in 4WD vehicles, ATVs and boats along the way when it was not being dragged through thick scrub, swamps and across harsh rocky ridges. To say I was impressed and had a soft spot for that scope is no exaggeration. So, when Australian Hunter was given the opportunity to review a Leupold VX-5HD 1-5x24 CDS-ZL2 I waved my hand vigorously. This scope is the pedigreed descendent of my original VX-III from all…

These days we’re spoilt for choice when it comes to technology. But there are several issues that should give you pause for thought. Over-reliance on technology makes us forget the ‘old ways’. For instance, electricity and water are not good bedfellows. And batteries go flat. Now think of your torch, handheld CB, GPS, phone etc. How do you plan to cope if they fail? Do you have the skills and resilience to be out of trouble when your fancy bits of technology are drowned, lost, broken or out of juice? And when you’re planning to carry equipment needing power, consider how you can extract the best performance from them. For example, where possible, try to ensure that all of your gadgets use the same type of batteries. That way you…

Ajvar is a capsicum-based condiment originating in the Balkan Peninsula region that’s traditionally partnered with cevapi, which are like skinless sausages or skinny rissoles. Ingredients for ajvar • 2 large red capsicums• 1 small eggplant• 1 clove garlic, crushed• 1 tablespoon olive oil• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)• 1 teaspoon freshly ground salt• generous amount freshly ground black pepper Method for making ajvar Heat your grill to a medium high or preheat your oven to 220C. Cook the capsicums and eggplant until the capsicums are charred and softened and the eggplant is blistered and soft. The timings may be different for the capsicum and eggplants so remove accordingly. Once grilled, put the charred capsicum into a bowl and cover with either a lid or some plastic…

The ability to compromise helps a relationship to survive long term. It’s also a useful quality for the hunter. Things don’t always pan out the way we expect. Planning, preparation and effort may yield nothing until the unexpected happens. When the right moment arrives, a snap decision must be made – take the opportunity or let it slip. During a previous trip, three wild dogs were hunted down over three weeks with three shots. Perseverance, luck and swift resolve resulted in them being despatched so goats could return for harvesting. Three months later it was a different story. Vegetation growth promoted by bursts of summer rain was still green along the river and channels. It was September and no rain had fallen since March. Pigs were scarce but birdlife were…

The days were mild and very pleasant even though it was the middle of winter in the Chihuahuan Desert. I had a cardboard target in one hand, a sandbag in the other and my rifle on my shoulder, looking for a suitable place to check the zero on my scope early in the morning of the first day of my five-day hunt. The desert vegetation came up close to the cabin that I was staying in. The cook had emptied the kitchen scraps about 30 paces from the rear corner of the cabin and there, eating those morsels, was the first javelina that I had even seen. This was a good sign. Just as I laid eyes on him, he was off. The hunt was in the arid Trans-Pecos region…

As we rounded a tight bend in the narrow track, a large dark shape caught our attention as it moved slowly through the light scrub that hugged the recently graded firebreak. The big bovine flattened a track in the head-high perennial grass, while I gently eased off the Honda’s pedal, killed the motor and rolled to a stop. In the passenger seat my good mate, Neil, had shouldered his mighty .300, worked the action and was patiently waiting for a clear shot. A couple of tense seconds and a few steps later saw the solid creature standing motionless at the edge of the track, contemplating its next move. Those seconds of indecision worked in our favour and presented Neil with a perfect side-on shot. Boom… for a few seconds the…

Simply write your full name, address and contact number on a piece of paper and place it inside an envelope and send to: (Name of competition) Australian Hunter 79 PO Box 2520, Unley, SA 5061 Competitions close February 28, 2022. Check out ssaa.org.au/win for competition winners. …or enter online at ssaa.org.au/win Winchester Prize Pack 1x Winchester Gun Sling 1x Winchester Double Barrel Bowie Knife 1x Winchester Drink Holder 1x Winchester Air Freshener 1x Winchester Sticker 1x CZ Camo Cap 1x CZ Rifle Keyring 1x CZ Decal Sticker RRP $185 Kindly donated by Winchester Australia winchesteraustralia.com.au GlowShot 200mm (8") AR500 Gong and Self Healing Plate Hanger Combo RRP $135 Kindly donated by GlowShot Targets glowshottargets.com.au Kizlyar Supreme Legion Aus-8 Knife RRP $150 Kindly donated by Granbergs granbergs.com.au…

Of all the animals we hunt, there is a sliding scale of those we detest the most. This probably comes from how the individual beast affects our senses; how we judge the consequences an animal has on our lives and obviously livelihoods. To many, wild dogs are top of the heap. Cats do enormous damage to native species, but dogs always seem more obvious as far as the results of their depredations. We don’t always see the tiny marsupial mouse or eastern rosella that a cat has chewed the life from, but anyone who has witnessed sheep literally torn apart and partly eaten while still alive can only feel anger and revulsion at the dogs. Recently, one of my neighbours told me about a newly-born calf he found. Little had…