Australian Shooter Letters 2006

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December 2006

A very rewarding experience
A few months ago I was asked by a local lad if I would take him hunting. He knew I hunted as he had often heard me talking about it at neighbourhood parties. I told him he had to get his mother’s permission first as I knew that she had feelings against both firearms and hunting. I knew that his mum had approved of his joining Air Cadets, but hunting was another matter. Mitchell gained the required permission so we arranged a trip during the September school holidays.
We finally headed off for three days and nights of camping and hunting. On the way, I stopped off to where I could test my firearms for accuracy. I also wanted to check Mitchell’s skills and firearms safety as I knew his experience was limited to brief basic military training. He mainly used the .22, but I also gave him a try with the .223. He watched me as I tested the .270 - it would have been too much for him now.
We continued on to the hunting area and set up camp. During the afternoon hunt he saw his first wild deer, three young stags, just on dark. That night he shot his first hares. The next morning we hunted the valley for pigs and dingoes, but no luck. We saw more deer and we stalked within 30m of five hinds to allow him to have the experience.
Over the days he took nine hares and a rabbit. He saw many deer and a large boar, but only dingo tracks. His shooting was very good from a rest. After I told him how much to hold over, a hare was taken with a head-shot at 85m using subsonic ammunition.
Apart from the hunting, he has a genuine interest and knowledge of birds. We saw and identified, by using my book, species that were new to both of us. We also spent about 15 minutes observing a tiny rock pool that contained a small water dragon hiding on the bottom, a large aquatic beetle swimming actively, small shrimps and other aquatic life. At no time did he show any signs of being bored or disinterested. Everything I told him was received with interest.
When I returned him to his family I was warmly thanked by both Mitchell and his parents. He was asked if he had a good time and he replied that he had a fabulous time.
Two days later, his mother came to our house to thank me again for taking him. She reported that she still couldn’t wash the smile off his face. Mitchell had been contacting relatives and mates to tell them every detail of our trip.
As a retired highschool teacher, spending time with a 14-year-old is usually not on the list of my priorities. However, Mitchell has helped restore my faith in today’s youth. The time spent together was a very rewarding experience.
Greg Kent, via email

Happy shotgunner
I am writing to give you some belated feedback and thanks for the article on shotgun fit in the December 2005 Australian Shooter.
I am left-handed and this can really limit the choice of rifles, so I was hesitant about getting a shotgun. I read the above article and after seeing so many left-handed shotguns, decided to try a hire gun at the Belmont Range. Luckily, the Winchester was a good fit and I was able to break a few clays - better still, it was fun. I now have my own shotgun.
I know you get many requests for advice, but an article on shotgun cleaning and maintenance would be helpful.
E Rhodes, Qld

SSAA swag
My wife purchased a swag from SSAA the other day. I thought I would let you know how impressed I was with it. I manufacture the Supportalight for spotlighters and know how important it is to make an outstanding product, and this swag falls into this category. Good on you, SSAA.
Gary Haley, via email

Reloading Special
Just wanted to let you know how much I and my club mates enjoyed the November Australian Shooter Reloading Special.
It really was a cracker. It had hints both for the beginner like my 16-year-old son who I have just managed to get into the sport and for myself who has been at it for 40 years.
Keep up the good work.
K Ridley, NSW

In touch with our heroes
It was wonderful to read about Glenn McGrath. Thank you for bringing us closer to a true Aussie straight shooter.
Throughout the months of April and May this year, I was riveted to every media broadcast on the wellbeing of one Todd Russell and Brant Webb - an avid shooter and an avid fisherman respectively.
This magazine’s attempt to keep us ordinary Australian’s in touch with ‘our heroes’ is compelling - they have the same interest in the sport we love.
Keep up the great work, and I personally can’t wait for an interview with the boys from the always interesting, always beautiful Apple Isle.
Phillip Gould, Qld

November 2006

A few suggestions
I have a suggestion for you for future article(s). From time to time, you do small articles on cartridges that are no longer used, which have made fascinating reading, but could you expand on this format and do a couple of articles on calibres that are derived from combined calibres, eg, .22, .250, etc?
I own a Winchester lever-action .30-30 and to this day I don’t know how this calibre got its name and why. I only just recently purchased my latest rifle (carbine) in .30-06 and I am not all that sure why this particular calibre was made either. I bought it for hunting pigs as it has really good ballistic figures and a range of different loads if wanting to handload. We have seen a number go by the same demise - .25, .303, .25-20, etc.
You should do a few articles on how the different multi-name calibres originated; yes, I know there is a list metres long, but I for one would like to read them.
Remember the article you did on the handgun cartridge - a .30-30 case cut down half an inch and loaded with a 150-grain and used in a handgun? It was fascinating, but mad, and I really loved that article.
Maybe you could give this some thought for future editions.
Garry Gibbons, via email
Editor’s note: Thanks for the idea, Garry. We will look into organising a few stories from your suggestions.

Review idea
I was wondering if you would consider doing a review on a rifle chambered in the new 6.8 Remington SPC round. I have been considering the purchase of a Remington 700 LTR in this calibre, but I’m finding it difficult to get good information about the round in a bolt-action rifle.
Tolyn, via email
Editor’s note: Thanks for your idea, Tolyn. Hopefully we will have a review on this rifle in the new year.

Periscope rifle
In the May edition of Australian Shooter Ian Thompson wrote an article on the periscope rifle as used at Gallipoli and explained how it would kick back and knock the shooter about because it was not in line with the shooter’s shoulder. The subsequent replies to this article in the Australian Shooter interested me and I wish to have my say on the matter.
Firstly, Mr Thompson gives the impression of a doubting Thomas and clearly has never fired a periscope rifle, whereas I have. Let me assure him that they are a deadly device in the right hands and yes, it will kick if not held properly like any rifle or gun. All that a shooter must do is understand how to hold the frame properly.
At the SSAA range in Batemans Bay, local member Gary John Traynor organised a .303 shoot and talk on military history. This included a mock trench and homemade periscope rifle, which he researched from the Australian War Memorial. It was a successful day and we found the accuracy was excellent with the device - it was simply a matter of knowing how to hold it and manipulate the trigger. My only criticism was the trigger rope, which he had offset instead of a direct pull. No doubt, the Mark II version will be better.
As a point of interest, there is an all-metal periscope rifle frame at the Infantry museum in Singleton, which could fire, extract and reload a rifle without removing the rifle from the parapet.
Trooper Traynor, as shown in the accompanying photos, did a fine job and should be commended on his ability and enthusiasm.
Terry John Nixon, NSW

Black fox
Above is a print of a black fox taken some six months ago by a friend of mine at a location towards the Barrington Tops area.
The fox was first seen on some ‘road kill’ not far from my friend’s home. Consequent food placements resulted in the fox being enticed onto his property where it was photographed.
We have contacted the relevant authorities and reported the sightings so they can be archived and possibly acted upon if it is considered important enough.
We understand that black foxes have been reported before, but only rarely.
Have any other readers seen or heard of such animals?
The fox is apparently a color abnormality and not a separate species.
Readers’ responses to this letter could be informative and would be appreciated.
W Morgan, NSW

October 2006

Members set the media and public right
Congratulations on another great edition of Australian Shooter, which I received today. The article entitled ‘Letters Campaign’ on pages 40 to 41 of the August magazine offered some very interesting insight into the efforts of members to “set the media (and more importantly, the public) right”, and I enjoyed reading it. Keep up the good work.
Malcolm McKellar, Qld

Gordon Alford - a true gentleman
Thanks for your article in the July Aust-ralian Shooter on the great man Gordon Alford. He was loved this side of the border and to say he shaped many lives by example would be a gross understatement. We heard of Gordon even before I received the best book ever written on Australian hunting - The Australian Hunter - and I often thought how great it must be to be a taxidermist and hunter like Gordon. I only spoke to him recently to congratulate him regarding a big fallow he secured some time back, and he still had that wonderful enthusiasm emanating through the phone, and above all that air of a true gentleman. GA - Great Australian.
Rodney Best, Qld

Good on you, Canada
I would like to comment on Tim Bannister’s Editorial in the July issue of Australian Shooter. Good news for a change. It would seem that Canada is going to adopt a system the same as New Zealand’s firearm laws - a system that works well and has so for many years. New Zealand went down the path of registration, and a joint Parliamentary Committee found many years ago that it was a waste of taxpayers’ money and police resources. As a result, compulsory registration was scrapped.
Good on you, Canada. It would seem that we now have two countries in the Commonwealth that have politicians with some brains! Pity about Australia.
Ross Allanson, WA

Don’t hide away
Trev Sherry (Letters, August Australian Shooter) is rightly concerned about the irrational fears and adverse reactions of some members of the public when he used to take Australian Shooter into the bowling alley. Well, he is not alone. I’m sure that most active shooters have experienced that type of reaction. But what to do about it?
For what it is worth, I am absolutely certain that ‘hiding our light under a bushel’ is absolutely the wrong policy! Fear is very largely based on ignorance and unfamiliarity. I suggest that it is extremely desirable for every sport shooter everywhere to show, openly and honestly, that shooting is their sport and they are both proud of their involvement and delighted to talk about it.
I live in Jersey in the British Isles. Jersey is independent of the UK and has its own gun laws, but is very heavily influenced by the UK media and the destructive firearm policies of the UK government and police. So there is a never-ending need to educate our public, media and government about the fact that legislative gun control only disarms victims and destroys sport, without producing any countervailing social benefits of any kind.
One small way in which I try and help in this process is to continue to wear my shooting waistcoats (covered with shooting badges) as often as reasonably possible when I am off the range - when shopping and when eating in cafes, pubs and restaurants, during breaks in the shooting. And I continue to do this when shooting away from Jersey. It quite often opens the door to a discussion about shooting. Perhaps age and white hair help to reduce any concerns that might have arisen!
I commend the policy to all sports shooters.
Derek Bernard, Jersey, British Isles

Higher education?
I am currently performing in the three-ring circus that is now on the path of obtaining a pistol licence. On the Sunday just passed, I was attending the Pistol Club Induction at the Belmont SSAA Branch, which is part of the process. Because of this, my wife had to attend a corporate barbecue on her own and was constantly asked where I was. She replied that I was on a pistol course to get my pistol licence. Naturally, this started many a conversation on the subject and she was utterly dumbfounded by the number of people who didn’t realise that the firearms and ammunition, magazines, bolts, etc, had to be stored separately. The majority thought that if you have a firearms licence, you can keep a loaded firearm in your bedside table! It seems that the government needs to better educate the public to improve the public perception of the sport. As a result of the conversations, quite a number of people have changed their minds about firearm ownership and are no longer adamantly against it.
Ben Cox, Qld

The interesting argument featured below was forwarded to SSAA member Peter Duncan who in turn passed it on to us. We are unsure of its authenticity, but it is certainly something to think about.
A statistically interesting argument
If you consider that there has been an average of 160,000 troops in the Iraq theatre of operations during the past 22 months, and a total of 2112 deaths, that gives a firearm death rate of 60 per 100,000 soldiers.
The firearm death rate in Washington DC is 80.6 per 100,000 for the same period.
That means that you are about 25 per cent more likely to be shot and killed in the US capital, which has some of the strictest gun control laws in the US, than you are in Iraq.
Conclusion? The US should pull out of Washington.

September 2006

My experience with the No. 5 Jungle Carbine
Having read Royce Wilson’s article on the No. 5 Jungle Carbine in the May 2006 edition of Australian Shooter, I was prompted to write a few comments on my experience with these rifles.
During the early 1960s, as a young officer in the District Branch of the British South Africa Police Regiment, serving in Mtentengwie, Southern Matabeleland, in the old Rhodesia, I owned one of these rifles.
Personal firearms were permitted to be taken on extended patrols into remote areas as it was known that they would also be required for subsistence hunting. Some patrols lasted for more than three weeks with one white officer, a native constable and a couple of natives to look after the pack donkeys. All travel was on foot as the terrain was unsuitable for any type of vehicle. There was no contact with other ‘whites’ and there were still natives who had never seen a European person. There was no suitable radio equipment available in those days, so there was no contact with the outside world. Water was very scarce in many places.
A tough, reliable rifle was needed and the No. 5 Jungle Carbine, using South African-made .303 SAAMI-brand 150-grain round-nose soft-points, was ideal.
There were two variants of the No. 5 Carbine. One had a metal fore-end cap, which was the main cause of the wandering zero problem - as mentioned in Royce Wilson’s article. The barrel would sometimes press on the fore-end cap with varying pressures due to slight warping of the timber in varying conditions of humidity.
The second version of the Carbine was the No. 5*. It is claimed by some in the British gun trade that Parker-Hale was responsible for this version. It had no fore-end cap and a larger gap between the barrel and the wood. These were more accurate, but barrel vibration and whip still resulted in contact with the wood, and a spilt would often form to one side of the fore-end.
These splits were generally repaired by the armourer by inserting a couple of hardwood dowels at either end of the split. This normally prevented it from becoming longer. Some of these Carbines had also been dyed black for camouflage purposes during service in Malaya.
My No. 5* was not particularly accurate when I first bought it, but on a trip up to Bulawayo, I took it to the Regimental Armourer who knew all the tricks with these firearms. He rasped out the barrel channel to a much wider clearance, and lightened the trigger pull using a rather crude method, that I will not divulge nor recommend. However, after about 10 minutes work the result was a rifle equal in performance to the average No. 4 SMLE, which was still on issue in those days.
Chris Proud, Qld

Gun laws
In reply to your comments about the new Canadian gun laws in the July Australian Shooter, one can only hope that the ‘economic rationalists’ in this country will see the sense in bringing our over-the-top gun laws back into line with the Canadian model. It has to be remembered that all states in Australia had very similar laws some 20 years ago, that is, before the politically correct debated everything into a sticky mess that only generates costs.
James H Winnall, Vic

SSAA credit card
I was just reading the latest Australian Shooter and came across the letter about a SSAA credit card. I think it’s a great idea that should be looked into as I use my credit card for all daily expenses, and all I seem to be doing is promoting AMEX.
Gaven Barrett, via email

Australian Shooter still exciting to read
I am now entering my 20th year as a SSAA member and I have looked forward with enthusiasm every month to receiving the latest edition of the magazine. I can honestly say that I still have the same level of excitement opening a new edition today, as I did 20 years ago, no doubt, due to the continuing variety and depth of content.
Many of the new features, like the recent centre lift-out feature on Metallic Silhouette events and rules - which I have never shot - I have found to be very informative and this has actually inspired me to start shooting this event. When I looked at the ‘SSAA Competition News’ section it got me thinking, just how many different competition events are there?
Would you please consider a centre page lift-out special with a brief, simple listing of all SSAA shooting and competition events and disciplines covering rifle, shotgun and pistol, rimfire and centrefire classes? My guess is there must be more than 40 or 50 different events. I can think of Service Rifle, Metallic Silhouette, Field Rifle, Lever Action, Trap, Skeet, Standard Pistol and Rapid Fire Pistol just to name a few.
This could be a great tool next time one of us is confronted with the age-old anti-gun cry of “Why do you need a gun?” or “Why do you need more than one gun?” It could also inspire other members to participate in more events that they may not have known about.
The magazine does a great job keeping us informed about legislative changes, statistics and important facts about firearms and crime; unfortunately, I often find that when these topics come up, say when in discussion at a social get-together, I don’t always have that info at hand. Would you please consider a tear-out section in each month’s edition of say four or five brief facts and statistics that could be placed in the bottom right-hand corner of a page in a business card size that we could pull out and keep in our wallets or purses. This would then be readily available so we can confidently quote appropriate facts when needed. To provide impartiality, much of this info could be obtained from the Government’s own Bureau of Statistics website.
Congratulations to you and your staff (past and present) on the magnificent results you produce for us each month. It is heartening to look at the circulation figure of the magazine - now close to 100,000 - and know that there is that number of people out there with the same love of the sport that I have.
Remember, no matter what discipline we shoot, we are all shooters first and foremost. It is up to all of us to help ‘create a better environment and community understanding’ in educating the public with the truth about our lawfully chosen sport and recreation.
Robert Brooks, via email

August 2006

Camping in SA
As a SSAA member in South Australia, I was wondering if you could possibly share some information about, or ask others to contribute, some good camping spots - somewhere we can camp out for just a day or two close to home without going to the outback for a month. We need to do some weekenders, four-wheel driving, maybe have a rabbit for tea in the camp oven and that sort of thing. Please, can you help?
Lachlan McCrea, via email
Editor’s note: Good story idea. Look out in following issues.

More benchrest stories
Before I put forward any suggestions I would like to congratulate you and your team for a world-class magazine. In the last three years that I have been a member of the SSAA, I wait every month for a good reading and I am never disappointed.
One subject which is very important in the sport, but does not receive enough attention, though, is bench shooting articles for the beginner and the experienced shooter. I would like to see articles about selection of rifles and components, reviews of gear and suggestions to which equipment the basic shooter will need to start in different disciplines or classes.
An invitation to experienced shooters and gunsmiths to write in the magazine will be a good addition to the excellent articles written by Brendan Atkinson. These articles can cover actions, barrels, stocks, optics and the recommended integration of these components to make a good competitive rifle.
Even if it is an occasional subject, it will be fantastic, and I am sure that gunsmiths will support the magazine with this extra ‘advertising’. If we can complement this with ongoing organised coaching in different branches, the SSAA is on a winner.
Arthur Plottier, via email

Scope comparison story
Having just bought a new Weatherby Fibreguard .22-250, I found it a confusing and difficult task to select an appropriate scope. It seems that at the more expensive end of the scale it is less of a concern as there are excellent quality items available from various manufacturers. However, I found that searching for a good, value-for-money scope in the sub-$500 range is more difficult. I say this because some brands seem a bit cheap, and of course, there are conflicting recommendations depending on the store I visit.
My suggestion is for Australian Shooter magazine to run a comparison of perhaps six or eight commonly available scopes in the sub-$500 category. I think this would be an interesting comparison and would certainly shed some light on what sort of quality is available and from whom.
Robert Cencic, via email

Not for bowling fans?
I look forward to receiving your magazine every month. It always seems to arrive on a Wednesday, just before I go to pick up my two girls from school and then take them to the local bowling alley where they play in a junior league, so I take your magazine with me so I can have a quick look through to see what articles interest me the most.
I used to take the Australian Shooter into the bowling alley, but I was very surprised at the response - people wouldn’t even sit beside me. And, some of the looks I received - they must think I’m a serial killer. The politicians seem to have brainwashed the Australian public into thinking all gun owners are criminals, so what chance have we got? Hey you pollies, have a look at the Commonwealth Games - shooting is a sport, and we are good at it.
Trev Sherry, NSW

Nirey electric knife sharpeners
Congratulations to Dick Eussen for his excellent review of the Nirey KE-198 and KE-280 knife sharpeners in the July 2006 issue of Australian Shooter.
I purchased a KE-280 a few months ago and, like most hunters and fishermen, realised the time would come when I would need to use the machine in a remote situation where 240-volt power was not readily available.
Discussions with Scott and Pauline Thornton from Total Knife Care revealed that the machine’s motor only required 180 watts at 240 volts and this could be provided by a 12/240-volt inverter rated at 300 watts. I subsequently purchased such an inverter from my local Dick Smiths for $58 and, to date, it has performed admirably.
At one property my friends and I regularly visit, we are often asked to assist with the slaughter and butchering of stock, mainly sheep, for the freezer. During a recent trip such a situation arose and I was able to sharpen the owner’s knives for which he was very grateful. I firmly believe that all hunters should make every effort to assist their hosts as often as possible to help ensure the future of our great sport as access to properties does not seem to be getting any easier.
Thanks once again for a great magazine.
David Vinson, Qld

Periscopic sights
Having read Ian Thompson’s May 2006 article on the periscopic sight used on the Lee-Enfield, I recalled the Battlefield Detective program about Gallipoli aired by the ABC a week or so before Anzac day. A copy of the device was made and tried out. It had to be loaded before being put into the firing position and the trigger was operated by a length of string. To everybody’s surprise it proved remarkably accurate.
Edward Roberts, via email

July 2006

Periscope rifles in the Great War
I would like to provide some information in response to the Basic Ballistics column written by Mr Ian Thompson in the May edition of the Australian Shooter.
You may be interested in reading the exploits of Mr Ion L Idriess who served with the Australian 5th Light Horse in Gallipoli and Palestine during the Great War. The narrative of his personal adventure was published at the time giving an accurate account of the war seen through the eyes of a private soldier.
In chapter eight, he gives a short but detailed account of using the periscope rifle mentioned by Mr Thompson and, as he surmised, the recoil was considerable. In the account he was sniping at two Turks who were leading a pack mule 500 yards from his position at Lone Pine during September of the Gallipoli campaign - “But the blasted periscope frame had kicked me on the jaw and nearly knocked me back down the trench” (Idriess , 1932, p. 40).
Of interest and something that I did not know was that the Turks also used a copy of the periscope rifle to fire on our troops in the same conflict.
In the book it also gives a small but detailed account of his morning spotting for the great North Queensland sniper Billy Sing on August 29, 1915. It also appears the Australians and Turks enjoyed paper target shooting to break the deadly monotony of trench warfare. He states, “We have just been chuckling over a bit of fun away up at Quinn’s post. The boys rigged up quite an inviting bull’s-eye and waved it above the trench. Each time the Turks got a bull, the boys would mark a bull. For an outer, the boys marked an outer, for a miss, they yelled derision. The Turks laughed loudly and blazed away like sports. After a while, an officer came along and, of course, had to spoil the fun” (Idriess, 1983, p. 14).
This is an excellent resource book for military historians and should be, in my opinion, compulsory reading for junior and senior school students.
My grandfather served with the 5th Light Horse Regiment, Second Light Horse Brigade. His name was T/Cpl Jim Tappenden.
Like most of my shooting friends, I also enjoy the magazine. Keep up the good work.
Reference details: Idriess, IL 1932, The Desert Column, Discovery Press, Penrith, p. 14 and 40.
Tom McGovern, Qld

‘Big bores are here to stay’ response
I would like to comment on the article by Thomas Tabor, ‘Big bores are here to stay’, in the April Australian Shooter. Tabor stated that prior to the advent of the .458 Winchester Magnum “all bolt-action big bores intended for use on dangerous game, required a magnum-length action”. Permit me to set the record straight.
The first big-bore cartridge - applying the definition of a big bore as .40 and larger - designed to fit into a standard action was the .425 Westley Richards Magnum, which came out 1908. This had a rebated rim so as to enable it fit a standard bolt face and its ballistics were identical to those of the later .416 Rigby.
Because of its ability to fit an unmodified standard action by virtue of the rebated rim feature, the idea is floated from time to time of reviving the .425 Westley Richards as a poor man’s big bore, for the man who would rather spend his money on the safari than on the rifle. Unfortunately, this apparent advantage is largely cancelled out by the extensive and expensive work required on the magazine to ensure the rebated rim shells feed reliably. One hundred per cent reliable feeding is an absolute must on dangerous game rifles. Converting, say, a .30-06 whose barrel has reached its use-by date is unfortunately not just a simple matter of fitting a new .425 barrel and reinforcing the stock. Unhappily, big-bore rifles generally involve big money.
Paul Higgins, NSW

Thanks from Ireland
I have recently returned back to Ireland after working for four and a half years in Adelaide hospitals. During this time I became involved in the Hunting and Conservation branch of the SSAA. I wish to thank the wonderful members of the organisation who made me feel so welcome and have given me my fondest memories of my stay in South Australia.
I also wish to thank Ian Anderson and Rob Paradis of the Adelaide Gun Shop who, despite Australia Post’s best efforts, managed to ship my rifle to Ireland.
T Paul Kelly, Ireland
Consultant in Emergency Medicine

Power problem resolved
On May 20, I was a volunteer at the SHOT Expo, run by the SSAA and held at the Sydney International Shooting Centre, located at Cecil Park (the home of the 2000 Olympic Games). We were just about to open the ‘Try Shooting’ events to the general public when the power went out. We later found out it was caused by a car hitting a power pole.
Without power we could not run the target systems, which are electronic, and we had to turn people away and hope that the power would come back soon - that was until Mr Stephen Rutherford from The Generator Place, who was at the Expo as one of the exhibitors, stepped up and offered a number of his wonderful Honda inverter generators, which are electronically safe to provide power to the targets. We ran on those generators for about two hours, and in that time, a lot of people were able to do what they had come to the show to do. Generator Place even refuelled them when they needed it.
At the end of the day, I asked him for his card, which states that this company has offices in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, so if you need a generator please support the people who support our sport. Contact them on 1800 755 055 or www.generatorplace.com.au
I would like to offer a personal thanks to Mr Rutherford and Generator Place.
Nicholas Askwith, NSW

Thanks to Warren McKay
I have just finished reading the article ‘Exposing the hunter within’ by Warren McKay in the ASJ, volume 8, issue 1, 2006.
Please pass on my appreciation for the article to Warren. It was informative, to the point, interesting and most of all, so true.
With the urban sprawl well and truly the norm of our time people have forgotten what being a human at the top of the food chain is all about.
Away from the plethora of ‘how to’ articles that seem to flood our magazines today it was a simple reminder of who we are.
As a writer myself, I understand how gratifying it is to have some feedback - the money helps but we all like to be appreciated verbally too - so I wanted to make sure Warren got the feedback he deserved for a well researched and refreshing article.
Shane Baker, WA

SSAA Visa or Mastercard
I was recently reading a copy of American Rifleman, which is, as I’m sure you are aware, the official magazine of the NRA-ILA. An advertisement for the NRA-ILA VISA card caught my eye.
I think this is a great idea and I believe a similar SSAA Visa or Mastercard would add greatly to our SSAA fighting fund coffers.
I would be only too proud to obtain any such card endorsed by the SSAA, and it would, I’m sure, be supported by a large number of SSAA members.
Bren C Helson, via email
Editor’s note: We may soon put a poll on our website to see how many SSAA members would be interested in a SSAA credit card.

May 2006

Milne Bay Military Museum response
I read with delight the article in the March issue of Australia Shooter on the Milne Bay Military Museum.
On display at the museum are some items that I donated. One item is a mug made by prisoners. The handle is made from bakelite, which was borrowed from the telephone exchange in the prison. Other items are a pannikin with a design punched into it by a nail, and a hat badge that I was given in 1997 - believe it or not by my aunt who lives in California. She went there after the war as a war bride. I visited her and she gave it to me. She had kept it for 52 years.
These items belonged to my late father Ray Donald. Dad was in the 2/30th Battalion serving in Malaya, and subsequently imprisoned in Changi. He was also in the ‘F’ Force - the first of the Australians to go out on the Burma Railway.
It was Dad who taught me hunting. I was born at Glen Innes in NSW and we later moved to Sydney - but we could not stand the waiting to get back to the New England Ranges for our Christmas holidays. Travel by steam train in those days was a 14-hour trip. We would hunt rabbit, duck and foxes. In the latter years, feral pigs were added.
In the 50s and 60s, we hunted for the evening meal and took skins for their value. Rabbits fetched one shilling per head shot and were sold to the stationmaster where a refrigerated van was kept on a railway siding. Other shots were taken for dog’s meat and skins - nothing was wasted.
Dad, Uncle Roy, Uncle Bob, my cousin Terry and I would go out hunting all day. Not having retrievers, it was mine and Terry’s job to retrieve the ducks from the water. We also had the job of skinning the rabbits and plucking the ducks.
In the 50s before myxo hit, a shot would be fired and - I am not exaggerating - the whole countryside would move en masse with rabbits.
Dad was an avid shooter - rifle and shotgun especially. He was a bren gunner during his time in the 2/30th and took part in the ambush at Gemas, firing his bren from the shoulder one shot at a time.
I could never beat him at trap shooting, even when he was in his 80s, and to watch him hunt snipe in the 50s and 60s without missing one was something to behold. They were also great eating, cooked in the old fuel stove by my Aunt Rita.
I have not yet been to the museum at Toowoomba and had no idea of how his items were being displayed. I must congratulate Darren on what appears to be a very professional display.
Darren, I have a bit more gear that I have found to get across to you.
Tom Donald, Qld

Milne Bay memories
I saw your article on preserving Australia’s military history. Attached are some photos I thought you might like.
Pictured is a Japanese Type 95 HA-GO Light Tank sitting on the side of the main road through Kokoppo village in Rabaul, Papua New Guinea.
I took the photos in 2004.
Rick, via email

Sambar sojourn response
Reading our February Australian Shooter, I came across Alistair McGlashan’s article titled ‘Sambar sojourn’ - a subject close to my heart.
I basically agree with Alistair, since I have used the advantages of a bat for a long time in hunting game other than ducks. I herewith congratulate him for getting the point across really well.
Alistair concentrates on sambar but as most hunters know, there are not many types of game that do not like the proximity of water. So stalking from the side in difficult terrain makes a lot of sense. No cracking twigs to start with. But boating has other problems as far as successful stalking is concerned.
After trying it, I found that ‘tinnys’ can make a clanking metal sound, no matter how hard you try to avoid it. The sounds travels enormous distances over water.
Also, it takes great muscle power to get it on and off the car roof. If you trailer it, the trip gets more difficult too, and you’d better find a launching ramp as well.
I call my boat Bubbles. It is inflatable. It travels in the back of my car, inside. No onlooker knows I have a 3.2m boat. I can launch it from anywhere because even tossed into the water, it won’t drown like a tinny can. And, it does not know what a capsize is. Bubbles never learnt how to do that!
I use a 2.5hp Mercury outboard motor to get to the selected hunting area then switch to my 12v electric thruster and begin the stalk. There is almost no noise - like a stalk should be. No metal clanking, no scraping noises over rocks and no thumps from boots on metal.
So people say “What about a puncture?” Don’t worry, the boat’s fabric is very, very tough. The Armed Forces and Rescue Services use inflatable boats under extreme conditions too, and I haven’t heard any problems from them. Even metal body armour has been replaced by flak vests make from flexible fabric.
Now to the sad part. Due to my failing health, my hunting days are over and my partner has passed away. Now I have to let my old friend Bubbles go too. I am misty-eyed just thinking about it, but you don’t let an old friend rot in a corner, do you? Bubbles should make some other hunter successful.
Helm Gipperich, Vic
Editor’s note: Check with your state’s authorities on the legalities and requirements of carrying a firearm in a boat.

Australia Port concerns
So Australia Post has apparently jumped on the ‘kick a shooter in the guts’ campaign by refusing to carry firearms or parts by post [international carriage import/export]. The reasons put forward are spurious in this voter’s viewpoint. It is really going to unfairly affect shooters who, contrary to the claim by Australia Post, respect the law.
A lot of business is carried by Australia Post, including the payment of our subs and other accounts. I for one will be responding to Australia Post’s decision by exercising the ultimate free choice we have in commercial decisions in carefully considering what business I will put through them. The convenience of paying most accounts through newsagents is one that will influence me.
Joel Barnett, via email

Game Trails response
I would like to respond to Col Allison’s column in the February Australian Shooter titled ‘The test’.
Contrary to what many believe, not all teachers are anti-hunting and, for that matter, biased in what they present to the students they teach. There are some of us who endeavour to provide the children we teach (in my case, upper primary) with a balanced view and, more importantly, the skills to find out both sides of an issue and then make up their own mind and be able to justify their decision.
So Col, before you lump all teachers in the same ‘anti’ basket, remember generalisations are a very dangerous label - as we ‘redneck gun-toting rambos’ should know.
Leo Jones, via email

Thanks from Baghdad
We are from 2/14th Lighthorse Regiment at Gallipoli Barracks Enoggera and are currently based out of Baghdad. We are not too far from finishing our tour and we are all looking to getting back to our loved ones. I myself have three gorgeous daughters and a beautiful wife. Even our dog is female. Just me and the car against the world. Seriously though, we are enjoying our time here and have many reminders of home, and now the SSAA hats and the bottle openers you sent us help a lot.
We had ‘Tour de Force’ come through her at Christmas and they put on two cracking shows with Beccy Cole (a country and western singer), Hayley Jensen (fourth on Aussie Idol), Angry Anderson (all-round cool bloke), Lehmo (an Adelaide comedian) and Bessie Bardot (a stunner) as MC - all supported by the Australian Navy Band. The boys thoroughly enjoyed the show, as did the 200 Yanks that came as well.
Many of us are avid shooters and many have their own rifles at home, although they don’t really compare with the military weapons that we work with and enjoy here. Our vehicles firstly are an excellent vehicle for the Baghdad environment; it is fast with speeds up to 110km/h, four-wheel or eight-wheel drive, very good armour protection for the crew and personnel we carry, and excellent firepower and sighting systems. The ASLAV Type 1 (gun car) has a 25mm chain gun firing up to 200 rounds per minute (rpm) out to long range, 2- or 3-Mag .58 machine-guns that just don’t stop, and a 76mm grenade launching system that fires smoke or air bust HE grenades. It has an excellent day, thermal and image intensifying sights  all supported in a full-stabilised turret and fire control system that allows us accurate firing on the move or when stationary.
The other vehicle that we use is an ASLAV Type 2 (personnel carrier). It carries a removeable weapon station that can hold a .50-calibre machine-gun or a 40mm automatic grenade launcher and also has thermal and day sights. Plus, both cars have bucket loads more firepower with other fire weapon systems stored in the vehicles ready to do.
Our role here is to provide security and support Australia’s diplomatic mission for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Iraq. Baghdad was once a beautiful city and I’m sure in a few years it will be once again. Some of the architecture is amazing.
The boys are doing a great job here and sometimes under very stressful conditions. However, they are very professional and very aggressive if the bad guys show up. Yet, they still maintain the Aussie sense of humour and the friendly attitude of ‘G’day mate’ to the Iraqi people. They carry the fine Anzac spirit and traditions as well in the Middle East, as Australians have done for the last 91 years.
Thank you so much for your support and especially the great hats, bottle openers and wall clocks that you sent us [courtesy of SSAA Merchandise].
Corporal Jason Hatcher, Baghdad, via email

Calibre story idea
Firstly, let me say how much I am enjoying my first two of your monthly magazines.
I have recently been introduced to the world of rifles and hunting and have just put the paperwork through to obtain my shooting licence. When this is issued, I will be looking to buy a rifle. The choices available seem endless - not so much in the make or model but the calibres. Calibres like .30-06, .222, .243, .30-30, .44-40, .38-55 and the list goes on.
Can you do an article in you magazine on the ammunition, not the rifles? I would like to see photos of a full range of shells starting from the smallest to the largest of rimfires and what animal they would generally be used on. I’m talking only of the calibres available for general use in Australia.
Mike Hampson, via email
Editor’s note: Thanks for this idea, Mike. We will be contacting our ballistics expert asap to organise the story.

Queensland SSAA member Greg Kent recently wrote to the Courier Mail newspaper to express his opinion about a sport shooting article they had published on February 23.
While Greg’s letter was naturally edited (Greg says a whole paragraph was removed), we are pleased to see our members getting their voice out into the wider community.
The SSAA is now starting a campaign to promote the positive aspects of shooting sports, hunting and conservation and we need your help. If you, like Greg, have ever written to a newspaper, journal or other magazine about our sport and your work was published, we’d like to know about it.
Send us a photocopy or scan of your published letter, the details of when and where it was published, along with your name, address and member number to:
‘SSAA letter campaign’
PO Box 2520
Unley, SA, 5061 or
recept@ssaa.org.au
We will be publishing the best letters in  the Australian Shooter.

April 2006

Muzzle damage or muzzle wear equals poor accuracy?
Reading the short article by Thomas Tabor on page 44 of October 2005’s Australian Shooter brought back memories of some 60 years ago. I was 14 and had been permitted to shoot rabbits and certain species of birds that damaged crops on my father’s farm, using a Browning .22 self-loader that had come into my father’s hands via his brother-in-law.
My uncle had originally purchased the rifle in 1924 from a friend who had already fired an unknown number of rounds of ammo through it. I wouldn’t know how many more rounds my uncle fired with it but he visited Dad’s farm regularly until he was called up for active service in 1939. I put many thousands of rounds through it while I used it and, by the age of 14, I had mastered the skill of shooting rabbits on the run, which did not involve using the sights as such. But when it came to shooting the Crimson Rosellas (commonly called Mountain Lorries) that came in the hundreds to devour corncobs before they were ripe on Dad’s corn crop and tore at the husks to allow moisture in to cause the grain to rot, well, that was a different story.
At that age, I became frustrated when taking a sight on a sure shot and missing. I complained to my dad. He went to the trouble of setting up a vice on a length of 15cm x 5cm timber, then carting it and two hefty timber stools down the paddock to where three blue gums grew. I had made a bullseye target on a piece of cardboard carton and fastened it with a nail to one of the gums while Dad set the stools with the vice on the heavy slab, so there was no risk of movement. We then set the rifle up and fixed it in the vice with a bead sighted on the bullseye at about 30m. The first shot was fired. It hit 15cm to the right of the bull. An adjustment of the sight to rectify the discrepancy and the second shot was squeezed off; it struck 15cm above the bull. Another adjustment and the next shot squeezed off. It hit well below the bull. So the process went on until it was decided it was not possible to make the rifle shoot accurately - though it did get the bullseye a few times, it would then miss by inches with the next shot without any adjustment.
Dad took a bullet to demonstrate how worn the rifle barrel was. He placed it into the end of the muzzle and it slipped in with ease. Dad concluded that the barrel was worn to such an extent it could never be made to shoot straight.
For the next few years, I suffered using that Browning but with the war over, my uncle wanted to sell the rifle to me for £10 ($20). I was serving my apprenticeship at the time and priced a new Browning semiautomatic at £25 ($50), so I saved up and purchased one and there was no way you could shove a bullet into the muzzle of the new rifle. Dad handed the old Browning back to my uncle.
I still wonder how many rounds of ammo were actually fired through that old Browning self-loader to wear the barrel (if possible) so as a bullet could be pushed into the muzzle. And how the automatic mechanism ever stayed together was also a mystery, as it was so loose in all its operations.
Gordon Browne, NSW

The twilight factor
I refer to the excellent article ‘How to choose the ideal binoculars’ by Anthony Tammett in February’s Australian Shooter.
With regard to the ‘twilight factor’, when choosing binoculars for astronomical viewing, the basic rule of thumb is that the exit pupil should not be smaller than 5mm and the larger than 5mm the better.
I would suggest that if this rule is used when choosing binoculars for hunting, you will not be disappointed with the twilight performance of your purchase.
Ray Denton, NSW

March 2006

In response to Peter Bindon’s ‘Gummed up’
I have a story in response to Peter Bindon’s Bushcraft and Survival column in the November edition of Australian Shooter.
Back in 1985, I was visiting family in Brisbane on holidays at the time, and staying at my sister’s place for a couple of weeks. My younger brother, who also lived nearby, invited me to go out motorcross bike riding with him out the back of Redbank Plains, which was not far from his mate Steve’s place. It had been some years since I had done any kind of motorbike riding but I accepted his offer for the chance of some excitement and practice of riding motorbikes again.
After arriving out at Steve’s place, who was at work at the time, my brother had a CR500 Honda, which he was using and another CR250, which I was to use on our excursion out the back of Redbank Plains. We took off at around 10 that morning and headed into the Redbank Plains hills area within the forest just down the road from his friend’s place.
We climbed many hills and crossed a couple of creeks. In some areas, I found it a little difficult to ride through because the motorbike I was riding was a little underpowered, so after some time riding around, my brother agreed to change motorbikes so I could enjoy a more powerful motorbike for a while.
It wasn’t long after we swapped bikes that we found ourselves in an unusual predicament; my brother had ridden ahead of me and I lost sight of him for a while. I then came around a corner to find him squatting beside his motorbike having a good look at it. I soon ascertained that he had come around the corner too quickly and tried to lay the bike down in order to avoid a large fallen branch, which was poking out onto the road. He, however, had punctured a hole in the radiator on the front of the motorbike. His bike was going nowhere for the time being as all of the remaining water evaporated from the radiator.
Though the hole wasn’t very big, my brother had lost all the water in the accident. I said to him that he should go back to the house, grab two of the camelback water holders and bring back a piece of rope for towing purposes and I would wait for him to arrive back. On that note, my brother took off leaving me to think about his little accident.
By this time, it was around midday and the sun was hot and beating upon me. There was very little shade in the area and, being a bushman most of my life, I sat and pondered the problem that lay in front of me. I didn’t really like the idea of being towed out of the place, considering that there were several big hills and a couple of creeks still to cross before getting back home and I didn’t like the thought of negotiating them while being towed. While I sat there, I thought about how could I block the hole on the radiator so when my brother got back, I could simply fill up the radiator with the water, leave the radiator cap half cracked so that it wouldn’t pressurise and I would be able to ride the motorbike back home without too much trouble.
As I looked up through the trees, gum trees at that, it dawned on me. I went walking and looking for any hardened blobs of gum protruding from the sides of the trees that were not too hard but hard enough to push and press over the hole in the radiator. Sure enough, it worked and when my brother arrived, he was surprised by the fact that he didn’t have to go about towing me back home - which was a relief to me as well.
It wasn’t for at least two hours before my brother showed up and it felt nice to get a cool drink. I showed my brother what I had done by patching the hole with gum from a gum tree. I filled the radiator with water from the camelback and, leaving the radiator cap half cracked, we headed on our way. Every couple of kilometres I stopped to check the water in the radiator but, in the end, I didn’t have to refill it at all and we made it home safely without further incidents.
The only thing I found was that when we arrived home that afternoon, the gum that plugged the radiator hole had gone a little soft from the heat of the water, but because there was no pressure in the radiator, the gum held its place from being blown out.
All in all, it still had been an enjoyable day but we could have been a lot worse off - luckily, everything turned out for the best.
I hope you find this story informative because this could happen to any bushie or adventurer. It probably has happened to a lot of people over the years in some form or another but this is one story where the Australian bush gum tree came to our rescue on that hot sunny day back in 1985.
Dan Paton, Qld

SSAA online
I was surfing the net and entered ‘hunting knives’ into my search engine. Lo and behold up pops the SSAA site on the first page at number 14 of the ‘Top 15 web results out of about 6,520,000’ with a very interesting article on making your own knife. It is good to see the SSAA is making use of the technology and delivering interesting content.
Bill Gabriel, Qld

Uniform gun laws?
After all the propaganda the Government has been force-feeding us about ‘uniform gun laws’, I was surprised when reading the latest Handgun magazine to find that, according to the article ‘Beginning pistol shooting’, NSW shooters have the option of renewing their H licence every two or five years. If this is so, why is SA being penalised with having to renew every year?
Jack Pettigrew, SA

February 2006

Bureaucratic madness
Firstly, let me congratulate you on your fine publication. Each month I look forward to receiving and reading the Australian Shooter.
Recently, an elderly friend of mine was boarding a plane at Sydney Airport to travel to Melbourne. At the security barrier he was told that he could not board unless he removed a pair of cufflinks he was wearing. The problem was that they were in the shape of a Colt Revolver and that “other passengers could take offence”. Of course, by this time his baggage was already checked in and he, therefore, had to forfeit the item. Surely, this is bureaucratic madness. What’s next?
Fred Maestrelli, Qld

Calling good Australian stockmakers
I found Paul Miller’s ‘Understanding shotgun fit’ story in the December Australian Shooter to be an excellent article. All the essentials clearly explained.
The last paragraph says that there are many competent stockmakers in Australia. Would you please be able to send me some contact details for these stockmakers as I think my stock needs adjusting or renewing - probably renewing because the timber is so old.
I proudly use my father’s gun on which the stock has 5mm cast-on - he was left-handed and I am right-handed. My clay target shooting is not consistent. Can you please help with some contact details - NSW stockmakers would be good.
Russell Williams, via email
Editor’s Note: If you know of any great gunsmiths in Australia, particularly in NSW, please let us know within a fortnight and we will publish their details in the next Australian Shooter and on our website.

Contender barrels
A short note to commend John Harding on a fine exposé on the Handgun Metallic Silhouette in November’s edition of Australian Shooter. By way of clarification for the silhouette enthusiasts in relation to Thompson Center, the original Contender barrels will fit the G2. The stocks and grips, however, are not interchangeable. Features of the G2 Contender:
• are easier to open
• have more clearance between the grip and the triggerguard
• incorporate a patented automatic hammer block safety with built-in interlock
• allows shooters to cock the hammer, lower it and re-cock it without the need to break the action open again
For further information, readers can contact us as the sole Australian factory representatives or look at our website at www.frontierarms.com.au which has a link to Thompson Center.
Damian Papps
Frontier Arms Co Pty Limited, SA