Roo shooting trip

[kombi1976]

Most holidays I try and make a break for the bush and do some shooting and when my mate's father asked me if I'd like to go up with him stay in "The Chalet" (as he calls it) on his small bush block about 4 hours north west of Sydney I jumped at the chance.
"The Chalet" is a double garage with a sliding glass door instead of a second roller door and despite the fact it's pack full of all sorts of paraphenalia it was alot of fun to stay in.
I took 3 rifles: my little Remington Mod 6 .22LR for plinking, my 25-20 Martini Cadet sporter for small game and the 303/25 Lee Enfield for stuff that was bigger or further away or both.
I turned out to have 2 decent shooting opportunities.
The first was at the neighbours place where I bagged a bunny in his horse yards just after dark with the 25-20.
His neighbour is a big Western action fan and had 2 gorgeous Martini Cadet sporters too.
One was in .218 Bee Improved and had been fitted into a cut down P14 stock that was modified to fit a lefthander (the neighbour was a south paw).
The second was remarkable: a .225 Win Mag with a lever that had a large square loop and astounding woodwork.
It was very light on the trigger and had been built for a guy with bad arthiritis so it handled amazingly.
Anyhow, next we headed out to a farm we'd been invited to shoot on.
My mate's dad asked if we could cull some roos for them expecting an answer of "No", but Tom, the owner's son who was spotlighting for us, said they had tags and it was fine.
I started out bad.
We sighted a fox about 200yds out and I scoped it.
It looked a long way away so I placed the crosshairs as best as I could and hoped.
As I heard the bullet whistle away into the distance I knew I'd missed and the fox made his escape good.
Then I got the scope into the light and it wasn't set on 9x......it was set on 3x! 
Then a roo popped up so I took aim....and missed! 
Finally, after chasing some roos that ran in the direction of houses and the main road we managed to stop 3 who were in a safe place to shoot at.
I took aim at the biggest, squeezed the trigger and thumped the thing....it didn't even kick.
Then I took the 2nd with similar wallop.
The 3rd little one had clearly taken to his heels as soon as the shooting started.
I might add that Tom and my mate's dad were seriously impressed.
The 303/25 loaded with 90gn GameKings poleaxes roos.
Anyhow, we headed over to check them, etc.
Tom got out and wandered over to the first one and then looked back at me.
"That second roo you nailed was over that way, wasn't it?" he said pointing 20yds to the right.
"Yeah, why?" I asked.
"There are 2 deads roos here."
I got out and went over to look.
The bullet has passed through the neck of the first animal, severed the spine, exited and hit the 2nd in the face.
Two with one shot! 
We headed over to where the other roo lay just to be sure and there was no doubt.
From that point, despite the fact it had been a fluke, my credibility rose.
I nailed another 4 roos, 2 on the run, including a huge buck about 150yds out moving away from us.
Then a thumped a hare @ about 100yds and was going to take a pic when it suddenly became clear that my digital camera was gone. 
It had obviously fallen out in a field when I was scrounging in the back for ammo on one of our earlier 9 or 10 stops.
It could've been anywhere and I didn't have a chance in the dark.
I was also low on fuel and we still had to get home so we called it a night and headed back.
The next day we spent lazing around and plinking with the Rem.
The rabbit BBQ'd made a nice breakfast.
There are some silly pics I took with a disposable camera kitted out with my pipe and pith helmet while shooting the Rem at a target tacked to a tree at 25yds.
When we ran out of ammo I got out the 25-20 and at 25yds prone shot the thumbtacks off the tree! 
Ok, it's close range, but not bad.
So, on the one hand I lost a camera that I'd paid $500 for nearly 5 years ago but was largely obsolete and on the other I nailed a bunny, a hare and 7 roos(2 with one shot!) and had a great break.
I think that breaks about even.

[TreyAzagthoth]

cool story man, definately watch out for what's behind your target, could of just gut shot the second one and never would of known that'd make me feel bad. I thought guns were outlawed in Aus? have to have some special license or something i'd assume?

[markc]

I'd heard that roos there were like coyotes over here.   In Texas it's like feral hogs, usually shot on sight.  How large are they?

[kombi1976]

Trey, the chance of a gutshot on another roo standing behind the roo you are aiming at is almost nil.
You're aiming at the neck or head of a standing animal and the animals behind it are either bent over, effectively removing them from the flight of the bullet on exit or also standing putting them on the same plane.
As such if I hit one roo in the neck or head and another was standing directly behind it the only place it could get hit was in these zones, making it, as it was the other night, an instant kill.
On a deer, however, it's clearly a different situation so I appreciate your advice.
Markc, roos are, well, a little like deer on cattle ranches.
In terms of size the grown females and average size males stand about 4.5 to 5 foot but big males can be 5 foot and over and when they stand right up on their back legs are well over 6 foot.
The males also can be quite aggressive and can leave you with internal injuries if you get kicked.
Roos basically eat feed taking it away from stock.
Worse still, when fields are not used in order to let them recover and grown grass again after long periods of grazing, the roos jump the fences or damage them and undo all the good done by not having stock grazing there.
Our foxes are more like your coyotes.
They take lambs, kill native animals and are general predators and carrion animals.
They're also cunning and sly and are, aside of felines, the most effective predators out there.
Foxes are incredibly destructive but you've got to admire them for their style.
They have wonderful fur and anyone who bags a fox has done their homework.
A professional shooter friend of mine says he loves shooting foxes because they're always a challenge and give him a run for his money.

[TreyAzagthoth]

ahh i see i wasnt quite sure where the shot placement was on the roo. unless the other one was standing on a rock or hill i guess it'd be impossible to gut shoot them *puts foot in mouth*

[markc]

It sounds like your roos are more like our feral hogs.   Very destructive, but at least we can eat the hogs...

[kombi1976]

Oh, you can eat roo meat.
It's very lean and the back straps particularly are very nice.
It's a case of being bothered to gut it and skin it in the field.
Now, here are a few pics of me getting silly with the Model 6.
Here's my mate's dad outside The Chalet.


The next is of me holding the Model 6 complete with pipe and pith helmet!


This one is of me aiming at the paper target which is tacked about half way up the trunk of the tree in the centre of the pic.


And here I am prone with my 25-20 Martini Cadet in the process of shooting the thumbtacks off the target.


BTW, there's a silver lining to the whole lost camera thing.
Turns out that in about 4 weeks time 6 megapixel cameras with all the mod cons will drop to about $299.
Not bad, eh?

[markc]

Brother we got to get you a Stetson!   So what are the large silver culvert pipes used for?   Outhouse?   Shower room?    That rocky ground makes me feel like I am in Texas....  Got any pics of the roos?

[kombi1976]

Brother we got to get you a Stetson!   So what are the large silver culvert pipes used for?   Outhouse?   Shower room?    That rocky ground makes me feel like I am in Texas....  Got any pics of the roos?

Stetson! 
Nah, I love my pith helmet!
Although I will admit to liking unusual hats and decent black Stetson would be cool, although I reckon my wife would disown me.
She reckons I like like a twerp when I wear the pith helmet.
Problem with hats is that my head must be 64cm around........big in other words.....so it's often hard to find one that fits.
And before someone makes a wise crack it's all genetic, no self important swelling there!
Now, what you call culvert pipes are actually water tanks.
This property is 17kms out of town and has no dams, waterholes or bores so whatever comes off the roof is what works the toilet, shower, sink, etc.
Water pressure isn't all that astounding either.
Mind you, both tanks were completely full when we were up there so my mate's dad just had to open the tap on the bottom of the second one on the RHS of the pic and let a stack of water out of it.
Otherwise when it overflows during the next lot of rain they have it will flow down from the top and damage the foundations.
The shower and toilet are inside in a little booth although the only door is an ripped old shower curtain that doesn't hide anything and the close nature of the Chalet doesn't leave anything to the imagination in the sound department! 
Rocky ground is what Australia is all about.
The only native grasses are like spinnafex.......long and dry.
So you're never very far away from a rock to sit down on or shoot at or, less conveniently, one to stick in the middle of your back when you're trying to sleep at night!
I didn't take any pics of the roos I shot this time but here's a couple taken another night last year.
The one on the left is female and the right is male and the pickup is the same I used on the last trip.
If you look carefully you'll note I'm wearing another funky hat; the Sherlock Holmes style deer stalker my folks bought me when visiting Baker St in London.
And yes, that's my trusty 303/25 in hand......roos beware!!


All the roos I shoot are taken with tags because as a native animal they're protected and you need permission from the National Parkes & Wildlife Service to cull them.

[markc]

I am really enjoying reading your posts.   We use some water catchments systems out in W. Tx and some areas of the hill country also.   I remember a kid in school years ago who did a student transfer program and lived some where in Australia for a year.   I remember his stories of roo hunting and other interesting adventures with the local ladies.   LOL    Keep posting, I am enjoying the stories and thanks for the pics.

[kombi1976]

I am really enjoying reading your posts.   We use some water catchments systems out in W. Tx and some areas of the hill country also.   I remember a kid in school years ago who did a student transfer program and lived some where in Australia for a year.   I remember his stories of roo hunting and other interesting adventures with the local ladies.   LOL    Keep posting, I am enjoying the stories and thanks for the pics.

Well, I'll keep trying to come up with interesting stuff.
Most of the game I hunt is small i.e. bunnies and hares.
I am trying to assemble a gun collection that sort of reflects shooting in Australia.
What that adds up to is Martini Cadet sporters in a number of different small bores & 303 wildcat rounds.
Hopefully I'll be able to pick up a 303/270 next although I have a Martini Enfield action that really deserves to be made into a complete rifle.
I'm undecided on whether I should chamber it standard in 303 Brit or make it a 45/70, which is a fairly common rechambering for large frame Martinis.
Anyway, I'll try and keep the pics coming.
Keep your eye out in the Small Game over the next few weeks as I plan on go to a workmate's place where the rabbits are making a comeback.
My previous record there was 7 in an hour so who knows how it'll go next time.
 

[markc]

hen I last hunted in near West Texas, the rancher asked that any and all jack rabbits seen be shot on sight.  With that dry weather, the grass was often sparse in the pastures.  The rabbits were so numerous that they competed with live stock for the available grass in the dry season.  So, my TC contender handgun with .22LR barrell got quite the workout on long distance JR shooting...