Mike ... I was just wondering what are popular small bore calibers is AU? such as 270,30-06,25-06, or do most people go for 308 based cartridges? Is the 25-06 very popular, how about the 280 or 7X57? Rank them if you have to.
Thanks
smallfry

smallfry

The most common calibers would be 223, 22/250, 243, 270, 308 and 6.5 X 55 in the M96 Mauser.

308 would be more popular than the 270 overall. However I think the 270 would be more popular than the 308 in the dearer rifles like the M70 and Sako. 308 owners often own a 223 and 270 owners often own 22/250.

The 25/06 is not seen very often and the 280 Remington almost never. Ditto for 7 X 57.

30/06 is not very common in new sporting rifles. Just about every 30/06 I have seen has been some sort of military conversion.

Rifle ranges may not be a true guide....but I would say that at our main range just outside Sydney the calibers most often seen outside of the 223, 22/250, 243, 270, 308 and 6.5 X 55 group of calibres would be the 300 Winchester and 7mm Remington and 375 H&H. There are also a lot of M94s in 30/30 and Marlin 45/70s.

Australians in general use small calibers and the average gun owner sees the 308 and particularly the 270 as "big guns". Australians kill far more animals than most Americans so you find that cost and recoil is more of an issue. Also, we do alot of spotlight shooting and for this 223 and 22/250 almost rule the day.

Among shooters who have been shooting for many years and who like something a "bit nicer" I would say that the 270 is the number one choice.

Mike

[ 12-06-2002, 04:04: Message edited by: Mike375 ]

Pretty well what Mike said,

.222 still has a fair following were I am, and a 30/06 is seen as a cannon.

One bloke whom go's to the same gym as me and does a bit of shooting was proudly informing me of the new cannon he bought and telling me how much it recoils. The rifle was a Vanguard .243 "shooting really heavy 100 gr bullets".

I think the 45/70 has gathered a following don here with the pig shooters, and that round is considered a giant stomper.

A lot of shooters love there 22/250's here to, myself included.

PC,

I believe that nearly all new rifles in 30/06 like the Model 70 go to Victoria and that of course is due to the Sambar deer.

Mike

Your right Mike, but I personally see the 30/06 as marginal for sambar at best. A lot of hard core sambar shooters would be shooting bigger rifles .375's & such I reckon.

out of the .270 & 30/06 I personally prefer the 30/06. But we get biased to what we already own I realise that and in the field there is litlle between the two for use on pigs etc.

Mike have you fired 45/70's much ?? I never here you talk about this round.

Mike375, PC,

How many animals do you shoot yearly not including rabbits, birds, etc. Just the type 10 kilos or greater?

Thanks

Jim

PC,

I think about the only time I have fired a 45/70 is when I have been at the range with the chronograph set up and someone asked to chronograph their 45/70.

Mike

Jim,

all bullshit aside I probably shoot between 600-800 animals per year that weigh over 10 kg. My mate would also shoot this amount. The drough would want to break soon or I am in for a real lean year next year. I like to shoot with a lot of different calibres to. I get bored with the same calibres.

As Mike has probaly said we do some hunting but we do a bloody lot of shooting.

Mike I actually really like the 45/70 round and it's power far exceeds the paper ballistics credited to it IMHO.

Mike,PC,

I envy the shooting oppertunities you guys have.

Spotlighting is loads of fun too.(don't ask me how I know... it is illegal in Canada. It was a long time ago....)
Most of Our rodents and pests are protected here in the north.

Unfortunately, I can only take Canadian residents hunting here, otherwise I would be trying to do a little horse trading.

Shoot'n that much game, I could only imagine how the average guy can shoot!

Daryl

Smallfry,
Mike's spot on, I'll back him up on the 7x57, up my way a box goes for $45 for 20 . I'm a Mauser fan, I use a 6.5x55 mostly but also use a 8x57 Mauser verguerio a fair bit.

Yukoner,
A mate of mine has shot 100 pigs just in November alone!...but he goes out every weekend, I get out about 5 times a month, and in the dry season will get about 5 pigs per trip.

Mike375, PC, Bakes... Interesting stuff. I wonder why the 7X57 is so far behind the 6.5X55, is it because there has always been more imported mausers in 6.5? What is behind these evolutions of choice in the past say...30 years?
take care
smallfry

smallfry

One of our largest importers of gun gear, Fuller Firearms, brought in heaps and heaps of M96s. Some were also stocked with plastic stocks. They also sold them as a package with scope.

In fact one could say the M96 in 6.5 X 55 was the counterpart of the days out here when the 303, 303/270 and 303/25 were the guns.

Most shooters in Australia would probaly lump together the 222 through to 243 in one pile and the 6.5 X 55 through to 308 in another pile. The popular chocie will then be very price driven.

So the lack of popularity of the 7 X 57 is simply a commercial situation as is the success of the 6.5 X 55. The 7 X 57 will be popular among a small group of shooters, just like the 6.5 X 68, 378 Wby, 7 X 65R etc.

Mike

There's a few of us with 25/06's, the Roberts is less common again.

Up here in Queensland I would say calibres are pretty much in line with Mike's, however I think 270 is more popular here. Probably because of the red deer foudn fairly close to Brisbane.

I'd shoot maybe 500-800 animals a year I'd guess.

With all the popularity of the 6.5x55 down here I am at a lost why Olin Winchester Australia did not include the 6.5x55 in the list of chamberings for the CZ rifles it imports to Australia !!

A CZ 6.5x55 will definitely be enetring my gun safe at some point in the near future !! But I will have to order it in.

Reading the posts from the land of OZ brings back good memories! If any of you know John Doots from Ballaret say Hi from Jim in Minnesota. We are looking forward in 03 for our next trip to Oz. Best wishes to all of you and have a great holiday season. Good shooting and hunting. jimjam

PC
I saw an add in a Aussie gun rag for a CZ in 6.5x55, they might be here already.

Bakes which one ?? which issue ??

I tell you what would be neat a matching pair of CZ full stocked rifles one in 6.5x55 & one in 9.3x62, now what couldnt be done with those two rifles ?? 120 gr Nosler BT's & Barnes X bullets in the 6.5x55 & 286 gr woodleighs for the 9.3

PC dont start talk'n about 6.5X55s' your gonna get me side tract from other projects
take care
smallfry

I think, as a wild 6.5x55 fan, I may be in the wrong country!!! It's good to hear that my favorite it doing well down under. Makes me look forward to shooting my own, when I get around to buying a new one.

Mikey,

as Mike 375 explained the 6.5x55 got popular here because of surplus 6.5x55's being imported. I doubt we will see much more "quantity gun importing" down here due to the dictatorship that currently exists.

PC
I'll have a look in my stack tomorrow.

Thanks Bakes !!

PC
Can't find it in my stack, it might be in the stack I've just given back to a mate of mine. I'm going to his house on Wednesday I'll have a look then.

I did come across a second hand rifle test report on the CZ ZKK 601 in the August edition of the Sporting Shooter. Here is a contact number of the bloke who supplied the rifle.

Patrik Mort
Baronia Firearms
03 97622677

Thanks Bakes,

I think it would have to be a special order from Olin Australia (winchester) thats whom handles CZ's. When I have finsished paying for & setting up the CZ .375 H&H I have just ordered I might think about the 6.5x55 then. It will not be until next year probably, so if any other Aussie shooters are interested in ordering in a CZ 6.5x55 then maybe that might be a goer. I would also like a cz .458 win mag to ream out into a .458 lott and.............

....ah to many toys not enough money or time.

I'm going to load up some 140gr Tiapan projectiles in my 6.5x55, I'll let you know how they go on pigs......for when you get yours

Bakes

Bakes,

I do have a 6.5x55 mate it's an all original m38 mauser carbine, it shoots bloody good too with the old military irons. I just want to leave this one as is and get a cz and wack a 3-9x40 or 2-7x40 leupold on it and shoot some 120 gr Nosler BT's for my windy night fox/hopper rig.

Bakes if you want some cheap 6.5 bullets the shooters warehouse in Canberra has there own generic brand 129 gr hollowpoints for $25 per 100 pretty good value really, they perfrom well on the thin skinned stuff to !!

PC
I love those old guns!
I have a full wood M96 with soderin peep sights, It has a belled muzzel (was there when I bought it,I'll fix it one day)but will still shoot 2 MOA with PMC ammo. My favorite is my M96 sporter, It wears a cheap wooden stock but will have a custom job one day (lots of "one days" hey )
I have a Brazilian 7x57 (havn't shot it yet)and
a Mauser Verguerio 8x57 fantastic in the swamps for pigs!

I've tried 120 Serria's and 129 Hornady's and while they work well on pigs there a bit light for donkeys. I've decided to go 140gr and stick with that for everything. Plus I might need the weight if I come across a pissed off buff or scrub bull

The Tiapans I got from Rebel Gun Works in QLD, $28 per 100. Tiapan also do 76,80,110,115,120,130 in 6.5. They do most weights up to .458, all fairly cheap.

Bakes

PS
Do you use your M38 in those military rifle shoots run by the SSAA?

Bakes,

your dead right there are so many "one days".

How sweet are those CZ 9.3x62 full stock carbines

I do not shoot in the SSAA I usually just shoot on the old mans farm.

Those mausers sounds like there just the ticket for the grunters.

Bakes me an my mate would love to do some Donkey shooting down here in Victoria for us hoppers is about as big as it gets

Question for the Australian hunters shooting several hundred animals a year. What do you do with all these animals? I understand kangaroo shooting at night is done to provide meat and skins for various exporters, and I'm sure you eat some of it. I've also read fox are hunted for bounties and the fur as well. But 500+ animals a year? Are we talking mainly feral pigs, goats, etc? If so, do you do anything with them, or just leave them for the dingos? I had a friend who lived on an Australian ranch for a year doing a youth ministering program with his church. He brought back photos and stories of killing 25+ feral pigs in a day, but I forgot to ask him then what they did with them. Thanks.

I know i dont shoot as many animals as most but generally when i get foxes if the skins are good i keep them if not they are then left behind or piled up someplace to catch the eye of some crows so i can shoot at them.....When we get tags for roos these are generally shot and we remove the hind legs for dog meat and meat for ourself....When i have shot goats these have been left where they drop except when i finally get a good one then ill remove the horns....For the two fallow deer i shot in the past year i removed the skins and butchered the animal and ate that and kept the antlers from the one that had them.

I imagine with most of the people who shoot pigs and the such most are left where they drop.

Im also a fan of the 6.5 x 55 and shoot 120 grain Taipans from it. My other rifles are a .22 Hornet a .22-250 and a .22LR....As you can see most of these are pritty small but this also is a refelction of what i shoot mainly foxes and rabbits with goats thrown in if im lucky.

Bakes me an my mate would love to do some Donkey shooting down here in Victoria for us hoppers is about as big as it gets

Aww come on PC what about all those Sambar behind every tree I keep hearing about?

Geo
When I was living down south, I'd skin the foxes and tan them myself (if it was a good one)
The rabbits went to the dog, or I'd eat a few. I've made rugs out of goat skins and I'm a bit fond of a feed of goat myself.

Up here in the NT, I use the donkeys for dog food and crab/cherribin bait. There is no chiller in the NT anymore so the pigs are left where they fall. I'll take the jaws if its a keeper. There is a risk of a parasite up here called Spargana, it forms lumps under the skin and can infect humans. I don't take the risk, plus sometimes you might about 5 km from your vehicle in 35` heat, I'm not carrying a pig back to the ute that far in that heat for anything

Bakes

the ole .303 has seen heaps of action down here, still plenty of blokes using them on pig, roo, wild dog, lots of SMLE ex mil stuff, the .22 must have been used on almost billions of rabbits, crows etc. 7.62X39 also saw lots of action over time here with lots of farmers buying cheap ex mil stuff to keep down pests...

sorry felt obliged to add, that our country is almost as varied as the US, from Deer slaking mountains, tropical rainforest, mangroves, desert slat bush to just plain jane crapppy grazing country, so depends where you are often dictates what is popular....i take the best cuts for my eating and the rest for my dog

Bakes,

never have gotton into the sambar shooting, i'd rather head to N.S.W and let a few rounds off