Moving on from .17 Rem

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The rotten thing was on the edge of a steep washed out creek bank and "Murphy's Law" was right there, it rolled down into the creek and I had to hook the winch on my truck to it to drag it back to the top. Then when I tried to hoist it up to weigh it the tree branch broke and dang near came down on top of me. Talk about a comedy of errors. Finally got the big bugger up off the ground and then in my excitement forgot to take a pic standing beside it. So only have one of it that I took in the bottom of the creek bed. Thank goodness it was dry at the time.
View attachment 524095
Bullet placed just behind leg and he just rolled over dead. Range was only 140 yards. I had a look inside his chest later and the damage was incredible, the heart and lungs were literally minced, so not surprising he did not move other than to drop dead and roll down the bank. Such devastation from such a tiny projectile, but too much for foxes as it does not stay inside like the .17Rem. did.

Do you barbecue those pigs ?

 

[nehalemguy]

What do you do with the dogs and pigs after you take them? Over here I just leave coyotes for the birds to clean up and thankfully I don't have hogs to contend with.

E

 

[Aussie1]

No, I've never had a .20
When I was varmint hunting it was .222 and 6mm

Ok. My first professional hunting rifle was a .222Rem but I switched to a 22.250Rem to get that extra range. But back in the '70s when the European fox farms had to close because of the rabies I bought my Tikka in .17Rem because it was the supreme round for taking the very valuable red fox that had been sourced to supply the European fur trade. Head shots with no exit wound were the optimum for $$$ return and as I drove around culling kangaroos I would often shot a dozen or so foxes and skin them. The skins were fetching up to $60 AU each. And when the chiller was full of 'roo I would go out specifically to shoot foxes. My best night was 93 all head shot, and all prime winter skins. Sadly I never managed a second night with such a good tally.

 

[P7M13]

Buddy uses a 204 Ruger in the Nevada Desert, just north and east of Reno. Keeps his sanity by killing rats.

 

[Aussie1]

What do you do with the dogs and pigs after you take them? Over here I just leave coyotes for the birds to clean up and thankfully I don't have hogs to contend with.

E

I scalp the dogs and salt them so I can turn them in for the bounty later. The pigs are just left as baits for the dogs to come on. Dogs won't touch them for about 4 days when they start to smell a bit. Usually the pigs I shoot have been shot as they come in to feed on a carcass (mostly dead cattle) I then drag them off to another good ambush site and leave a trail camera on them so I can see when the dogs start feeding on them, when I have the feeding times sorted I then go back a set up my ambush.

 

[nehalemguy]

Keep your damn dog away from the livestock or expect it to one day catch a bullet. Petty simple concept if you ask me.

Alot of denial usually happened ("My dog would never do that.") when you took Fido home.

E

 

[Aussie1]

Buddy uses a 204 Ruger in the Nevada Desert, just north and east of Reno. Keeps his sanity by killing rats.

That would work. More fun than shooting paper or tin cans.

 

[Aussie1]

Alot of denial usually happened ("My dog would never do that.") when you took Fido home.

E

Amen to that. That's one of the reasons I started buying trail cameras and putting them around the places where there are problems. Amazing what a video of Fido ripping a calf throat out will do to a denying owner. Never presented them with a bill though as the livestock belongs to other people who call me in to shoot the dogs.

 

[nehalemguy]

Aussie is this your profession or a side hobby?
E

 

[Aussie1]

Do you barbecue those pigs ?

Not when they have been feeding on carrion. If I shoot them where they are feeding on grain I do cook up some of the nice little porkers. A hind leg in the camp oven with a heap of sweet potatoes goes down a treat.

 

[P7M13]

Aussie is this your profession or a side hobby?
E

I believe he said he's 72, and over here, wouldn't we say he is gainfully retired? That, thar, is a fun retirement.

 

[Aussie1]

Aussie is this your profession or a side hobby?
E

I used to be a professional hunter, but getting too old for that now so I just do this to pay back the graziers who gave me permission to carry out my professional shooting over the years. They provide me with diesel and plenty of prime beef. And the money from the scalps keeps me in beer and Scotch Whiskey so a good deal all round. The graziers are rid of pests, I fell that I am still doing something useful and I have to admit I still thrill to the hunt.

 

[Aussie1]

@ Aussie1....What line of work are you in?

Also, just so you know...we have this view over here that pretty much all wildlife in Australia is deadly.

View attachment 524096



E

Not all Aussie wildlife is deadly, crocodiles, snakes, buffalo, bantang, spiders would be the main worries then of course the imported bees, feral pigs, wild dogs can be a hassle. Wild boar would certainly kill and eat you if you were injured and out in the bush, so would wild dogs, but the dogs are usually pretty shy of humans (for good reason).
We have the usual problems with things like sharks and stonefish but as with crocodiles, if you stay out of their world they won't come into yours.
There are several species of scorpions and ants that can give a nasty time if you let them.
And of course the lovely cuddly furry kangaroo is not such a lovely critter when it has hold of you in its massively powerful arms and is ripping your intestines out with the sharp big toe nails of its back legs.
Platypus have a venomous spine on their back legs, but don't grab them and they won't hook you with it.
I am retired now, just enjoying my hunting and fishing. Spend a lot of time at my local range busting clay pigeons. Shoot skeet and low field and I am the shoot capt. for the low field shoot. All this keeps me busy while I sit out the hot summer months, then after the wet season I head out bush for a three month hunt when the wild dogs are howling at mating season. I am a mechanical engineer (retired) who got sick of being in a workshop and took to professional shooting during the 70's, eventually had my fill of that, got married and settled back into the engineering. But never went far away from my main love of hunting.
Oh, I forgot about the "drop bears" they are really deadly and you never stand under a tree here.

 

[nehalemguy]

You forgot about the jellyfish and koala.

I have a certain fly reel case made of elk skin that is particularly notable. When I am in Alaska with guests I often have someone ask me what its made of. I tell them "Koala".

E

 

[RicInOR]

@Aussie1 glad you are here. NWFA now spans the globe - @tac is near the Greenwich Meridian and Aussie is near the International Date Line - 12 hours off.

 

[Goosebrown]

204 is inherently a good accuracy round. I love mine. Awesome rifle

 

[Geardo]

Pretty much what the wild dogs do to the livestock over here. They can cause real problems in sheep areas often killing 50 or 60 sheep in a night with just a few nibbles on some. Seems like they just kill for the fun of it. Is that picture of what is a coyote? I think the wild dogs over here get a bit bigger.
They will attack and kill humans, a woman was lucky to survive an attack near where I hunt. We get bounty on the scalps of these dogs, from $50 to $200 depending on the damage they are doing in the area.
I was using a 6.5x55se alongside my .17Rem, but to be honest the .204 Ruger is so accurate and deadly I do not need the extra power. Bearing in mind of course that the critical factor is always putting the projectile in the right spot to begin with.

Oh man that 2nd picture! I love dogs but that is darkly humerous.

I can understand how damaging they are, and I sincerely respect you giving them a quick death with your good shooting

That is some good shots on some Damn big hogs too.

 

[Stomper]

Ok I see that. I'll give it a go.View attachment 524058 View attachment 524059 View attachment 524062 View attachment 524065 View attachment 524066

Ok I have tried to put some pics in. Don't know if I have done it right.
Have some of the boars as well but my old laptop has died and most pics on it.

OH MY GAWD!!! A baby shot my dingo!!

 

[Certaindeaf]

Awesome, welcome!
I follow huntingwithstu on YouTube for my down under fix.

 

[erslll]

Good stuff Aussie1! You are a lucky man to be able to hunt as much as you do.

I love my 204's. I have a pair of them currently and considering a third. I have a Ruger MK II Varmint/Target model that is a 1:12 twist that likes 35 grain Berger bullets but shoots 39 grain Sierra Blitz Kings pretty well also. My other is an AR-15 with a 1:10 twist barrel that really shoots the 39 gr SBK well. I use Benchmark powder for my 204 loads.

I mostly use them for punching paper lately but have killed more than a few coyotes with them. Really need to find some ground squirrel hunting opportunities one of these days.