gixer1 Posted April 19, 2010 Report Share Posted April 19, 2010 And anyway.... for all we know they could be having a 'how many of us can we fit in the back of the farmers Landy' contest...... they may not be dead at all!!! It was an enthusiastic game of musical landrovers....and the music had just stopped... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vipa Posted April 19, 2010 Report Share Posted April 19, 2010 You aren't by chance in the HSE dept. are you? have you never seen rabbit's piled into the back of a 4x4 or laid on top of each other? Absolutely not but assuming they've all been Gralloched, those feet should have come off and if they haven't then I bet the carcases at the bottom are being kept at just about the right temperature to make the wee beasties think it's a tropical paradise! They really shouldn't be transported like this HSE or otherwise... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gixer1 Posted April 19, 2010 Report Share Posted April 19, 2010 Tha depends on the time they were left to cool and the outside temp though Vipa... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddy Galore! Posted April 19, 2010 Report Share Posted April 19, 2010 I am considering selling my 6.5 once the .338 arrives. It will be about three months though as it's not a common calibre here. If anyone's interested in it it's in quite good condition with a low round count (400ish mild home loads). I have my combi gun now and the 6.5 just doesn't get out any more. So how much roughly? three months time might be good, it's taking a while for me to sell my S/G. I'm now putting in a variation and that cal is on there amongst a couple of others, How well do they handle un moderated? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njc110381 Posted April 20, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2010 but still! whats wrong with a well placed .243 bullet? You are getting warmer DF Hey, come on! I'm a good shot me! Leaving myself fully open to abuse, I bet you've muffed up more shots on Deer than I have! I'll take you on at the range any time if you fancy it but will have to back down and admit that I think you're almost certainly a far better stalker than I am. I don't have a problem with that, I've got nothing to prove I wouldn't say anything bigger than .243 is overkill. I'd also disagree that the bigger calibres damage more meat. Light and fast can make a terrible mess sometimes. I agree that the .338WM is probably a bit much but then it's not my main stalking gun. I have other reasons for wanting it and just chose to try to be able to use it here too. I think my 7x57 will remain my every day stalking rifle because it's better than the .338 and .243 put together! IMO the .243 is a very good long range Foxing round that can cope with Deer. It's no more the perfect Deer calibre than a .338. A little more weight and a little less speed is the team I follow for large game. Calibres like 6.5x55, 7x57 and .308 look to be the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted April 21, 2010 Report Share Posted April 21, 2010 you just want it because you've been reading about it and its the I want syndrome just don't start reading about .50's as you may struggle saying you need it for rhinocerous Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunkield Posted April 21, 2010 Report Share Posted April 21, 2010 Some buy rifles to shoot with, others buy them to talk about on shooting forums, but it's a free country so why not eh? And we still get to enjoy the 'justification' posts Looking forward to the next instalment already... At the complete opposite end of the scale, I was talking to an experienced stalker recently and asked the inevitable 'which calibre do you use' question. His answer "is 243 a calibre?" Me "yes" Him "OK I think it's one of those then" Next time I see him I will ask him how many deer he has shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gixer1 Posted April 21, 2010 Report Share Posted April 21, 2010 A .243win will go through a 3/4" Mild steel plate (maybe thicker) at 100 yards, so saying they won't kill a red is tripe..... As has been said - the amount of very experienced old stalkers who use solely 243 on reds is proof of that... Gixer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njc110381 Posted April 21, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2010 I don't think I've ever said a .243 wont do the job. Just that I think that something a little bigger is better. Those old folk who can just about remember what calibre their rifle is when they go to buy ammo make me smile! They're true outdoors types who have no interest in the gun as long as it works and have probably forgot more about stalking than I will ever learn. It's simply a tool and they take no more interest in it than they would their lawnmower. Unfortunately I'm more of a "toys" type and know far more about these things than is healthy! I guess it really doesn't matter what you shoot as long as it does the job and is legal, but each to their own. I've justified it to the two people who matter most, the police and the Mrs. I guess I don't have to make you guys believe that it's a good idea? In all truth it's probably not so I have little backing to my arguement anyway! I'd have a .50 if the police would pass it for Vermin, Fox and Deer! Why not? I'd pest shoot species that I didn't want to eat with it too, because again why not? I shoot for fun with fun stuff and do it safely which is what really matters. What's wrong with talking about it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted April 21, 2010 Report Share Posted April 21, 2010 so when are you going bear shooting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunkield Posted April 21, 2010 Report Share Posted April 21, 2010 What's wrong with talking about it? Nothing, and I didn't want that post to sound like a dig, it wasn't intended to be - I think we just like "Next, I really think I need a [insert weird calibre] posts" Out of interest does the .338 Win mag fall outside the MOD energy limits? I am guessing it does.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njc110381 Posted April 21, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2010 (edited) Range use isn't really my strong point. Was the maximum range energy decided to be 4500 Joules? Factory ammo seems to run at +/- 4000ft-lbs which is about 5500 Joules. So it wouldn't be hard to cut that by 20% to get down to 4500J if necessary. I don't range shoot much so it really makes little difference. Factory ammo is going to be running at about the best power they can offer with safe pressures in any gun I'd have thought, so to drop 20% off of that by home loading isn't too much to ask. I may well do that anyway because I don't need all the power this rifle will offer to shoot Deer. EDIT... I didn't think you were having a dig, rather just light heartedly taking the p*** a bit! I can't say as I blame you! Edited April 21, 2010 by njc110381 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njc110381 Posted April 21, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2010 (edited) so when are you going bear shooting I don't plan to go Bear shooting any time soon. I could be heading out to Canada again at some point though and if a Bear gets too close to me I want to be able to shoot it with something that will work if I have to! I'm undecided on whether I'd actually want to shoot a Bear. I don't know enough about them really. If they can be eaten or are pests then I'd happily have a go. If they're just shot for their skins and for sport then I'm not likely to ever shoot one unless I feel I have no choice. Edited April 21, 2010 by njc110381 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted April 21, 2010 Report Share Posted April 21, 2010 I don't plan to go Bear shooting any time soon. I could be heading out to Canada again at some point though and if a Bear gets too close to me I want to be able to shoot it if I have to! I'm undecided on whether I'd actually want to shoot a Bear. I don't know enough about them really. If they can be eaten or are pests then I'd happily have a go. If they're just shot for their skins and for sport then I'm not likely to ever shoot one unless I feel I have no choice. I'm guessing you sounded slightly more like you would go during your discussion with your FEO I gather you can eat them, that they can taste terrible but make good rugs. Some areas do have a lot but those areas are remote so aren't really of pest proportions. But of course as they can kill you its definitely a case of being useful to have something to stop them doing so, though I'd guess a .243 at close range would do the job Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunkield Posted April 21, 2010 Report Share Posted April 21, 2010 So, you probably can't use on a range, it isn't an ideal deer calibre, and you probably aren't going to use it to shoot a Bear anyway - do you see where this might be going Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njc110381 Posted April 21, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2010 You're enjoying this aren't you! It's just the same as someone buying any other big rifle to use abroad. I could go to Canada with my 6.5x55, shoot a couple of Whitetails and then fly home and 99% of the time everything will be fine. My problem is that when I was there last time I saw a very big Bear! I want to know that if a Bear gets grumpy with me I have a good chance of beating it before it gets to me. Whether a 6.5 would stop an animal like that I don't know, but I do know I feel much more confident with something bigger! I'd rather go over the top than find out the hard way that my gun isn't big enough! The .338 isn't that huge. Plenty of people hunt Deer with a .300 Win Mag here and that has a similar muzzle energy. The .338 just makes a bigger hole which increases the bleed out speed on large game with thick fat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieT Posted April 21, 2010 Report Share Posted April 21, 2010 So, you probably can't use on a range, it isn't an ideal deer calibre, and you probably aren't going to use it to shoot a Bear anyway - do you see where this might be going I heard he's putting in a variation to swap it for one of those very powerful HMR thingies cause he may need it for elephant at his new shooting rights at Whipsnade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new to the flock Posted April 21, 2010 Report Share Posted April 21, 2010 Ssssshhhh! Where's the fun in that??? Would you seriously do a Bear with a 6.5x55? I mean really? Have you ever been near to a Bear outside of a zoo? I'll tell you, for someone who isn't used to it it's enough to make you lose bowel control! Picture a smart car with fur and teeth/claws bigger than your fingers. I'm not a big bloke (maybe a big girl though?) so the biggest gun I can get my hands on is nearly good enough! I've heard that your 6.5x55 does a fine job on the Boar. Can't question that as I've never been there, and I can't see why it wouldn't really. Just being able to hit the right bit of a moving target is probably the deciding factor of whether it falls down or keeps running? I am considering selling my 6.5 once the .338 arrives. It will be about three months though as it's not a common calibre here. If anyone's interested in it it's in quite good condition with a low round count (400ish mild home loads). I have my combi gun now and the 6.5 just doesn't get out any more. Actually ....Yes My 6.5 x 55 is my favourite gun for bears. Oh and I use it on moose aswell. NTTF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted April 21, 2010 Report Share Posted April 21, 2010 (edited) Edited April 21, 2010 by al4x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gixer1 Posted April 21, 2010 Report Share Posted April 21, 2010 I have to say if there were no restrictions i'd have a big ****** of a caliber just for the hell of it and paper punching....we don't even have a good range within 100 miles! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njc110381 Posted April 21, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2010 Actually ....Yes My 6.5 x 55 is my favourite gun for bears. Oh and I use it on moose aswell. NTTF Oh great, thanks for that NTTF! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njc110381 Posted April 21, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2010 I heard he's putting in a variation to swap it for one of those very powerful HMR thingies cause he may need it for elephant at his new shooting rights at Whipsnade. I had a HMR but I just couldn't handle the power! I had to sell it because it was hurting my shoulder when I fired it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted April 21, 2010 Report Share Posted April 21, 2010 so what we're saying is the 6.5 will work well on Moose and you need something bigger for Roe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new to the flock Posted April 21, 2010 Report Share Posted April 21, 2010 Your welcome. And yes bears are shot for food. They taste very similar to pork, and are very tender. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njc110381 Posted April 21, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2010 On a serious note, thanks for the info NTTF. It's nice to hear from someone who has experience of these things (even if it does make me look even more daft than I did before)! Ok, so I bought it because I'm a big girl and because I wanted one. Are you all happy now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.