sweet memories - Darling downs....

[bsrecurve]

Gday everyone - thought i'd put up some pics since i'm new here.
these pics are from various hunts i enjoyed mostly last year when living in Dalby:

some successful bunny hunts using my stoeger 12g shotty (usually with #4's) and my savage btvss 22lr:















a misty morning in inglewood:



goat country - tenterfield area:



some good goat hunts around tenterfield area using my RER vortex hybrid longbow, stoeger shotty with SSG's and baikal single shot rifle in 7.62x39mm:











the canetoad of the rivers.....



Bon-appetite.....

[Cheesehead]

Did ya cook any of them critters on the camp fire?

Cheese

[bsrecurve]

these days i'm only taking goats for meat.
i eat rabbits - but not if i've used the shotty....

[Jacko]

Welcome bsrecurve , great to see you posting on Greybeard , thanks for all those photo's , hope you will forgive me for posting a photo of one of your more productive walks  a little while ago mate . Please keep the photo's of your hunts coming lots of folks are interested . I notice a bit of Patersons Curse [ mauve flowers ] in the photo of your Stoeger 2 rabbits and the Hare , really pretty when it covers a hillside or lines the roads but a noxious weed .

On the Queens Birthday long weekend the Aussie Greybeard and I are off to the Hunter Bowmen for their Traditional shoot , counting the days until I start my 2 weeks leave . I'm off down to the Mingoola district in 3 weeks which as you know is not far from those photo's you posted from near Tenterfield . Finally getting the chance to blood the BL.22 and Rossi .357 . Also taking my .22 magnum for a bit of spotlighting and my Tradtech Pinnacle for a bowhunt or two , perhaps will go for a wander and nail a few Carp in the Mole River . Must look up a recipe for them , I know us Aussies regard them as vermin and not worth eating but the Europeons reckon there not bad chewin .

regards Jacko

[Chappers]

Welcome to the forum Bsrecurve, im new here too but it will not take you long to get to know all of us here.
I just picked up a Baikal single shot in .308 a few months back, i have not been hunting with it yet but im guessing that i will be happy with my purchase when i take it out.
Cheers for the pic and keep them coming.

[bsrecurve]

perry - have a good time with the new toys at mingoola mate - love that area!!!

chappers - i love the little thing. it's light and easy to carry, points like a shotgun and cost bugger-all!!!
i use it without the scope these days, as it just ballances and handles so much better, and it's only a sub-100 yard gun really anyway.
i did some bush shooting practive last weekend and now have full confidence of making standing offhand shots to be easilly in a pigs vitals out to 80 or 90 yards. an easy to use little gun. you will enjoy the rifle, although i would imagine it'll be fairly stout recoil with heavier 308 loads. how do you find it off the bench?

PS: are you thinking of mounting a scope?
 -  i have some mounts for sale.....

[Chappers]

Im going to the range this weekend (that’s if work cant find a way to stop me) so ill tell you after what’s it like but guess it will be the standard .308 nudge. Im thinking about putting a recoil pad on but i always find that you take a lot less notice of a boot of a rifle when out in the field compared to the bench.
 I got the hint but i already got my QR mounts also was your rifle brake action a bit stiff to begin with and has it loosen with time?

[bsrecurve]

yes mate the action was stiff and still is a bit.

i found that opening and closing smooths up nicely, and will not take long, BUT-

the  main thing to get used to is releasing the action in order to open it.
squeezing the action release, the action requires a bit of force to get it open for the first bit, and after that it's fine.
i have developed a technique now which really helps take the frustration out of this.

holding/squeezing the action release, while pulling down on the forestock with the other, i break the initial "seal" by wacking the butt down with my elbow. this makes opening it up much easier, and it's supprising the rate of fire you can achioeve with a bit of practice....

i bet you'll also be supprised how easy the barrel cleans, as it is chrome-lined and very smooth.
mine does funny things as the barrel heats up but thats to be expected with the forestock bedded the way it is.
they shoot quite well if you keep the barrel cool though....

[Chappers]

Well it looks like ill find out another time. (i jinx myself about work)

The action was very stiff to start off with but just taken it out of the safe and working the action i got it to the stage that it can be flicked (with a tad of force) open while squeezing the action release in my option it’s still not smooth enough (both action release and the brake) for my liking.

BTW in the single shot forum there is a topic about the Baikal  IHZ18MH A.K.A. SPR18 if you like to contribute.

[bsrecurve]

mate - i just keep reminding myself that it's a $320 gun, and don't stress about little quirks or problems, and since it shoots more than well enough i am very happy with it for what it is.

thanks for the heads-up on that topic - i will be going through it all with interest when i have time...

[kombi1976]

Wow, excellent pics, bsrecurve.
And there are some AMAZING pics of that many rabbits! 
I'm seriously thinking about picking up a Baikal break open in 308 Win.
Pity the prices have gone up! 

[bsrecurve]

yes mate - with the prices the way they are now i probably wouldn't buy one.
from memory i paid $320 for mine last year which was a good deal.
now that they are well over $400 (from what i've seen) i feel there are better options out there when you get into that price range.

[kombi1976]

Might be able to pick one up in good nick for under the $300 mark.
I already have TONS of 308 brass.
Just need dies and some 125gr pills.

[Jacko]

November just gone bsrecurve and I had a weekend hunt where I shot his Baikal 7.62 X 39 and quite frankly was really impressed . For the money they are incredible value , I liked the balance and handling , accuracy was better than I can hold in the field , the trigger was crisp and not too heavy as compared to my Lee Enfield and in my veiw the nearly new action opened smooth and shut solidly . We where pretty slack , I don't recall taking a single photo of any game taken but needless to say a small dent was put in the rabbit population thanks to the shotguns , only a few nothing like the pictures and 1 typical mountain boar lost mortally wounded in long grass .

I looked seroiusly at a Baikal myself but they don't offer them in a calibre that appeals to me . If Baikal would offer a version of these single shot rifle in calibres like 35 Remington and 45.70 budget minded shooters looking for big bores would beat the doors down buying them . I have decided I will be buying a NEF Handi Rifle in 45.70 next year , have the stash growing already . Yes Brian I have changed my mind on the virtue's of shoulder cannons

regards Jacko

[bsrecurve]

I have decided I will be buying a NEF Handi Rifle in 45.70 next year , have the stash growing already . Yes Brian I have changed my mind on the virtue's of shoulder cannons

regards Jacko

HA!

yeah - i'd love one of those little handi rifles, but 45 long colt or 454 casull would do it well enough i reckon.