Australian Shooter Letters 2007

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December 2007

Junior shooters corner
A very pleased grandson called the other day to show me his new SSAA junior membership card. To maintain such interest could you think of creating a junior corner in the Australian Shooter? Topics could include:
The .22 rifle: zeroing, trigger control, breathing, sight-picture, follow-through, target analysis and flinch
The .22 rifle on the first field trip
Shotgun shooting: check for dominant eye, patterns, cartridges for beginners and flinch
Is there a facility nearby where I can learn to shoot?
I feel sure among the regular contributors there would be someone who could converse with juniors in language they could understand and apply.
Eric Riley, Vic
Editor’s note: Since the introduction of our junior membership campaign, we have been featuring more and more stories for, from and about junior shooters and hunters in our magazines. We have also recently added a Junior Shooters section to our website, including membership forms, juniors-only competitions, profiles, stories, a photo gallery and more.

Thanks for a great read
I have been DTL Clay Target shooting for about 18 months now and have always looked forward to the next issue of Australian Shooter. DTL is the only shooting to date that I have been involved with. Naturally, one would think I would be turning straight to Russell Mark’s Clay Target Q&A, but it’s usually my second column to read. Surprisingly, to myself at least, every single issue I turn straight to John Dunn’s Jumbunna. I thoroughly enjoy reading the stories of his adventures. Thanks for sharing your experiences John.
Thanks team for a great mag.
Adrian Rosenzweig, SA

A few thoughts
I was about to order a couple of SSAA cloth badges from you, but found you do not appear to have had them listed for two years or more. You have a couple of stick-on ones, but I particularly wanted the cloth ones. I bought one several years ago and sewed it onto my jacket and wore it everywhere I could. I wanted to see the general public’s reaction to the fact that I was obviously a shooter. The reactions varied considerably from great interest to the person almost crossing the street to avoid me. I really think we should publicise ourselves more to let people see that although we are shooters, we are still normal people. That’s my opinion anyway, but I will have to put it on hold if no more cloth badges are available. I realise you have caps with the badges on, but not everyone wears a cap.
I also have another suggestion you may like to consider. I receive several monthly magazines and some of them incorporate an annual index. In the first issue for the year they have a complete index for the previous year. This makes referring to earlier articles, even going back some years, much easier and with much less loss of time.
I am not sure how much extra work this would entail for you, but surely it should not be too much in these days of computers and all the other aids available today. I’m sure other readers would appreciate the convenience too.
I hope you are not going to tell me to look things up on www etc as I do not own a computer. I used one during the latter years of my working life, but have not used one since I retired 10 years ago.
I must say I look forward to Australian Shooter each month and regularly enter the competitions; so far, alas, without any luck.
Is your postbox a coincidence or do you have a soft spot for the old .25-20? I used one for quite a time in the 1950s.
Norm Kirkegeard, Qld
Editor’s note: SSAA Merchandise still stocks the sew-on cloth badges. They are available in a variety of shooting and hunting disciplines from $7.50. Phone 02 9623 4900, fax 02 9623 5900 or email the Merchandise team on mem@ssaa.org.au
Thanks for your idea about the story index. We will be putting together a comprehensive index of articles from the past decade and featuring it in our February 2008 Shooter magazine.
By the way, you are quite right about our postbox number. It is no coincidence!

Around the Campfire response
Could you please pass on a sincere well done and very well put to Warren McKay on my behalf for his excellent article, ‘The Circle of Life’ in the September edition of the Australian Shooter? The essence of his article - how modern society has become so detached from nature and its realities - is absolutely spot-on and I congratulate him on the amount of effort he obviously put into this article’s construction. His logic is solid, the language he utilises is uncomplicated and easily understood and I enjoyed reading it immensely.
It also reminded me of the importance of bringing some balance into the lives and thinking of those young people for whom we have responsibility (our children, grandchildren, their friends, etc) by taking them camping, fishing, hunting and visiting friends with rural holdings, so that they too have the opportunity to experience and understand what a life closer to nature is really all about. It is not just schools that have a role as educators.
Chris Horwood, via email

November 2007

Give blood
It is nearly one year since Alistair [a regular Hunter and Australian Shooter contributor], Thomas and I welcomed, although dramatically, our son, little Cooper Alan McGlashan, into the world. It is also time to honour a promise I made to myself while in hospital recovering from surgery.
I went into an emergency caesarean when the doctors detected foetal distress. I lost 4.5 litres of blood in five minutes and over the next six hours, I required 11.5 units of blood (I was told it is roughly one unit to one litre) to be pumped through me. The doctors later told me that if they hadn’t had that blood on hand, I would not have made it that long.
I had never donated blood, but now I understand why it is so important for us all to consider doing it. I know I would not be here now. Needless to say that every day I have with Alistair, Thomas and Cooper, and my family and friends, I cherish and I thank everyone who donated blood and helped save my life.
This letter is asking all of my friends, family, work colleagues and readers of Australian Shooter to please join me wherever you are and donate blood. You never know when either you or someone close to you is going to need your life-saving donation.
Go to www.donateblood.com.au to find your nearest donation centre.
Rachel McGlashan, via email

Arisaka rifle
I am writing in regard to the excellent article in the February 2007 edition titled ‘Rifles of the Rising Sun’. I totally enjoyed the article and hope there will be more of this type of thing in the future.
At the moment I am on deployment in the Solomon Islands with the Australian Army near the area that the Yanks first landed on, Guadalcanal. Relics can still be seen if you know where to look. This week marked the 65th anniversary of this significant event with US marines and veterans being present and memorials attended.
We also managed to tour some of the battle sites. Gifu was the Japanese’s last main stronghold. It was here that they had their 150mm guns used to shell Henderson airfield and the effort of taking this place can only be appreciated once you’re on the ground. Fighting pits and relics can still be seen. I have enclosed a picture or two of some of these, but the one I thought might interest you is a Type 38 Arisaka rifle action complete with dustcover and a clip of 6.5 Jap ammo held by my mate Ian Petty.
Keep up the good work.
Terry J Nixon, Solomon Island
Australian Army

October 2007

Rifle carriage with Virgin Airways
I wish to inform you of a trip I recently took over to the mainland via Virgin Airways for a hunting trip.
At the Launceston airport, the staff were friendly, polite and made the correct inquiries as to me being licensed. They were very professional, ensuring that there was no fuss or dramas with my ‘doing the right thing’ by taking firearms over to the mainland. My two rifles were looked after during the flight and when finally out in the field, I found that the zeros still held true before starting my hunting trip! Upon my return to the island, yet again the staff were friendly, polite and very professional, mirroring what had happened at the Launceston airport.
I cannot express the relief and gratitude to these people for doing a fantastic job that, more often than not, is under enormous stress and in the public’s eye.
On the other hand, a mate of mine who came over to the island for a hunt travelled with another airline. After much fuss, time wasting, questions and heaps of embarrassment, he finally made the flight just as the door was about to close. He has sworn to go with Virgin from here on in.
The trip was unfruitful after the elusive sambar deer, so there will be future trips to be taken in the very near future.
Peter Middlecoat, via email

Shooters index of articles
I have been doing research on scopes and recall some articles published in the Association’s magazine, but could not find them until I went to the index of articles (on the Australian Shooter website at www.australianshooter.com.au) and found what I was looking for in the May and September 2005 editions. What a great and useful asset this feature is for members to go back and dig up information. Keep up the good work.
Peter Tanner, via email

The night we shot a pig
I’ve shot a few foxes and ’roos in my time
And ducks. Mate, I’m a real corker.
But one shooting incident sticks in my mind;
It’s the night we got the big porker.

We were having some trouble with foxes, for sure
They were pinching the eggs and the fowls.
And you should have heard them the evening before
With the yaps and the squawks and the growls.

Next morning we missed a few chicks from the run
And the old broody leghorn was fretting.
We saw where a pig had been having some fun;
He’d pushed a great hole in the netting.

So we worked out a way to give him a pay
’Twas too cold to sit up all night.
We loaded the gun, ran a string around the run,
Hooked it up to the trigger…just right.

It was well after dark when we heard a dog bark
Then a squeal, with a high note of warning.
A grunt and a cough and both barrels went off;
We had fifteen dead chooks in the morning.

But all jokes aside, it worked and he died
In the lignum and didn’t Mum rouse;
Imagine the smell when we started to swell!
Nearly drove us all out of the house.

So we dragged him away and we burnt him one day
And I’ve still got the tusks from his jowls.
But from then evermore we bought eggs from the store
’Cause the dogs ate the rest of the fowls.
William H, Qld

September 2007

NSW Firearms Registry
Although a licensed shooter for many years, I recently had occasion to apply for a number of permits to acquire a firearm, including for handguns. I approached this by talking to the secretaries of various clubs I belong to and made sure that the applications were properly filled out, together with my SSAA membership number, and posted to the registry.
After a couple of weeks I followed up on these by phone with the registry and the person answering the phone informed me that it would take at least six weeks for my application to be processed, rather than the statutory 28 days, plus postal delivery. I then decided to send a brief, politely worded fax requesting processing within the 28-day period for a number of reasons. I received an email the very next day from an officer of the registry, informing me that they would be able to process my applications immediately after the 28 days. The permits have since been received by me.
I feel it necessary to note here my positive experience with the registry, as many comments I read are critical of the registry. In this case I can only compliment the registry on their efficient and courteous handling of my requests.
NSW SSAA member (name withheld)

Bianchi Cup support
Allan Harriman of NSW recently sent us this newspaper clipping [right] from the June 8 edition of the Bankstown Torch. As Allan said, it’s good to see a little publicity for our sport and our shooters.

 

August 2007

World Police & Fire Games
Thanks for a great article on the World Police & Fire Games. I was lucky enough to attend and as one of five pistol shooters from Queensland, when only four were needed for a team, I joined up with three others from the US to make up ‘Tina’s Trouble-shooters’.
Once we got over the ‘This is not an equipment race’ rules and the import restrictions, etc, all competitors settled down to swapping, borrowing and sharing and got on with having a great shoot.
I spent most of my time with the 16-strong US squad who were all very impressed with Australia and in particular the club members who organised and ran the shoots. Big Steve and the IPSC crew at McLaren Vale were a big hit with their world-class 16-stage shoot over three days and some of those US shooters I was with have seen and done it all at that level.
We all had a great time overall and are keen to do it again. Canada will be interesting in 2009, as there will be yet another set of rules. However, the Australian experience and the general World Police & Fire Games atmosphere was so good that everyone wants to go to Canada just so they can shoot and share the experience with the same group.
The Games seems to have just the right spread of like-minded people who, despite being subject to ever-changing rules and in particular import restrictions - which did not seem to have any logic to our visitors - managed to get past that and onto the sport. Sportsmanship and friendship were the winners on the day.
Bob Pierce
Queensland Police Pistol Club, Qld

Robe Gun response
The article by Ian Thompson in the April issue of your magazine titled ‘The Robe Gun’ was indeed very interesting reading. I have my own opinions as to its origin and to the very strange surface treatment given to its exterior, which may be of interest to other readers.
I believe that the cannon is of English manufacture and had been mounted on an English warship, which had fallen victim of a Dutch vessel and towed into a Dutch port. I agree that it was no signal cannon and that the ball was of about 12lb weight. Although the Dutch were quite capable of making their own cannons, the chief cannon designer may have had ideas that could be tried out on a captured cannon without impairing his own foundry’s output. In order to achieve two aims, the strange grooves machined onto its exterior may have provided the following benefits:
1. It concealed the fact that it had been an English cannon by conveniently removing the maker’s symbol.
2. It provided a larger surface area of the breech end of the cannon to give a greater surface to radiate the heat of firing.
By giving the grooving a twist similar to rifling, it has increased the surface area of the barrel still further. The result would be to allow the barrel to cool more rapidly and permit more shots to be fired in a given time. Should the trial be successful, ways of increasing the firing rate may be proven. In a sea battle, this increased firepower could be a major factor in obtaining a victory. The fact that this grooving of cannon exteriors did not become a general production practice may be due to its failure to achieve a greater rate of fire. Who knows!
Ian M Clark, Vic

Licence change
Three years ago I took up hunting after moving to the bush from Sydney. Only fairly recently I joined the SSAA, but I was immediately taken with the number of disciplines that are on offer. So one Sunday I headed up to the local range to watch the Sporting Clays in action. It looked like a lot of fun, with the competitors being a great bunch, so I set about the task of purchasing an over-and-under to join in.
Because my licence is for ‘recreational hunting/vermin control’ I phoned the Firearms Registry to see about adding ‘target shooting’ as well. This wasn’t a problem, but it was going to cost me $200, with no extension to my licence expiry date. Now I don’t have a problem with paying a fee, but this was ridiculous.
Less than 12 months ago I transferred my car driver’s licence to a ‘heavy rigid vehicle’ licence for the grand total of $19. How is this justified? It seems to me to be just another hurdle we have to contend with to enjoy our chosen sport, with the hope that some of us will give up trying and fade away.
Craig Sinclair, NSW

June 2007

Secret paint
Browsing through some back numbers of your magazine (as you do), I read an informative article on refurbishing the woodwork on older firearms. This inspired me to have a look at the woodwork on my SMLE .303 1944 heavy barrel target rifle.
All the woodwork was about as black as your boot and heavily impregnated with oil. With a sharp knife I scraped off a small patch on the butt and was surprised to see the date appear on the quite light colored wood underneath. I sanded this lightly and swabbed it off with solvent to remove further traces of oil, then tried several coats of a comparatively new, but wonderful paint. This is a water-based clear plastic finish, knowledge of which seems to be a secret. Your members may be interested to know of it as a very simple to use and very convenient alternative to other clear finishes. It is almost foolproof to use: it can be applied with a brush or simply rubbed on with a folded rag. It dries absolutely clear, is quick drying and if several coats are used to build up a finish, it is very hard-wearing.
Two of the best water-based plastic paints I have used have been Wattyl water-based clear Estapol and Cabot’s water-based Crystal Clear, both of which are available in either gloss or satin. It made such an improvement to the old rifle that I suppose I will now have to do the whole thing and give it a brand-new lease of life.
Jeff Lewry, NSW

Australian Shooter in Timor
My father sent an email to the SSAA just after I departed for Timor for a six-month deployment with the army. He asked if you would be able to support the troops by sending over your monthly Australian Shooter so we would have something to read. I deployed in the middle of September 2006 and a few weeks into October 2006 your journal arrived and has continued to do so ever since. I wish to express my gratitude by thanking you personally not only for myself (a member for 13 years now), but also for the other soldiers who enjoyed reading your magazine.
John Devoy
LCPL, Anzac Battle Group, Timor Leste

Reloading problem
For a long time I have been reading various articles on reloading ammunition, but I have a problem with one part in all of them. It is in the use of a block of wood or other substance to hold the cartridge cases while filling them all up with powder.
Some 50 years ago, when I started to become interested in reloading ammo for my dad’s old .44-40, I was using a wooden block to do as the manual said and filled them all up with the required amount of powder, a simple operation in itself. Somewhere along the process I bumped the table and powder went everywhere. “Get a stronger table,” you say, “and be more careful.” Wise words, but I decided to prevent that sort of accident from ever happening again.
My method is to clean, inspect for defects, de-cap and re-size if necessary, clean primer pockets and re-prime the cases as a job lot. Now comes the powder from the measure into a case, a projectile pressed in and the case is done. One case at a time has powder in it and it doesn’t leave my hand until finished. No chance of a mishap, no need for a torch to shine over the bunch of cases to visually check if the correct amount of powder is in them, no chance of a bump to spill powder all over the place. And, possibly more importantly, this method eliminates the danger of an unexpected interruption of the process, whereby there are a number of cases full of powder sitting in the block and the person doing the reloading has to leave the room or is distracted in some way (telephone, screaming kids, “Dinner’s on the table, dear!” or the neighbour over for a chat, etc). We all know there are a host of things that Murphy throws at us at the most inopportune times.
Each case is visually checked on the way from the powder measure to the press for correct powder amount and for an added check. Every fifth throw is weighed on a balance scale to ensure the measure is constantly doing its job.
Keeping the process simple has meant not one mishap has occurred since the first and I have complete confidence that every case has the correct load in it every time.
Peter Holmes, NSW

Silverdale range is great
Just a short request for you to have a look at the fantastic amount of hard work and the positive outcome on the Silverdale rifle range. I would also like to congratulate the range officer on his utterly professional attitude towards a safe and enjoyable visit to the range. The Association is in good hands when we have staff like this.
Sean Burke, via email

May 2007

Trip down memory lane
I was in Australia last September for a month visiting my relatives in Melbourne when I came across your magazine. I subscribed to it and find that the Australian Shooter has better articles than most American magazines.
Your article on John Browning in the December issue was very informative. My first ever gun purchased way back in 1971 was an FN Browning Auto 5, Herstal 12-bore with two interchangeable barrels, one with rifle grooves. I shot all kinds of game with it. It now has a fibreglass stock and is topped with a 30mm tube Nickel Supra 1.5x6 scope. I scoped it after reading an article by Bill Weaver. It is still with me in my collection of guns.
Thanks for taking me down memory lane.
George Martin, via email

Starting young
Thanks for a great magazine - I always look forward to it arriving in the post.
The other day I left it outside on my chair and upon returning found my youngest daughter (aged two and a half) having a good read.
Noel Clarke, Vic

Duelling is in the blood
I am a pistol shooter with a passion for service matches, which, at my club, I am the only regular female service match shooter. While writing my family history I came upon information about my great-great-great-grand-uncle Alexander Busby who defended his father’s name in a duel. John Busby, my great-great-great-great-grandfather, was a civil engineer and mineral surveyor employed by the government of the day to provide the first constructed water supply in Sydney Town, called Busby’s Bore. Construction began in 1827 and was not completed until 1837 - although he was not paid for his work until 1852.
In 1836, when John Busby was 70, he was called upon to do jury duty. He asked to be excused due to deafness. The Australian, a newspaper of the day, reported the incident under ‘Domestic and Miscellaneous Intelligence’ as:
“The Great Bore”…Mr Busby Snr applied to be excused from service on the Special Jury upon the grounds of deafness…The most approved remedy for this defect is boring, to the art of which Mr Busby ought to be by this time perfectly au fait, having practised it with no little pecuniary success for some years...
Alexander, his son, was outraged and wrote to The Australian, which published the following:
Darlinghurst...Sir...In a paper of this day now before me of which John Richard Hardy is the Editor and Proprietor, I find an article styled “The Great Bore” in which my father - a man of 70 years of age - is endeavoured to be held up to ridicule in a strain of wit peculiar to the ‘Australian’. I have seen the ‘Australian’ occasionally of late and I had arrived some time ago at this conclusion from various of its very best written articles that the Editor is a mere tool or lickspittle to a despicable faction in this Colony - low in morals and equally so in politics; and I am happy to find this view not peculiarly my own, but so general as to prevent me or my family from suffering any annoyance from anything that can appear under such an Editor...
On March 22, 1836, Alexander received a note saying:
...You are posted this day by John Richard Hardy as a coward and a Blackguard...
On this same note is added a postscript by Alexander:
…Same day met and fought with Mr Hardy at 3pm.
Respectable Sydney had been so stirred by the action of Mr Hardy that no fewer than eight men offered to act as seconds to Alexander for the duel. As so many were not either allowable or desirable, Mr Miller and Mr Campbell managed the affair. There is no note available as to the names of Mr Hardy’s seconds.
Two boats were procured in Woolloomooloo Bay, and the separate parties were rowed out to Garden Island, where a small level spot at the south-eastern end was chosen, the paces taken and Alexander and Mr Hardy fired at each other on the drop of the handkerchief. Both balls scored ‘outers’ for while Mr Hardy’s plugged a hole in Alexander’s trousers near the knee, Alexander’s ball tore a three-cornered hole in Mr Hardy’s shirtsleeves. The parties then shook hands and returned to the town, where both, no doubt, had a tot of rum to recover their nerves.
On March 25, The Australian published the following:
...A paragraph appeared in a late number of this Journal headed “The Great Bore”...to be excused attendance on the pleas of deafness, to use Boring, to which he was so accustomed, as a remedy...Now this, turning a man as it did into ridicule for a natural infirmity, was certainly unjustifiable, and we are bound to express our regret at its insertion…
Would this be one of the earliest recorded duels in Australia?
Lesley Henry, NSW

The family that shoots together stays together
I started shooting 18 months ago and became a member of the SSAA and also the Woollhara Small Bore Rifle Club. Having grown up playing volleyball to a national level, I believe sport is a good way of keeping busy and out of trouble. I took up shooting as a sport I thought I could do and compete in to the highest level regardless of age and injuries. In my first year I have competed at the National Benchrest Championships with a ranking of 21 and a world ranking of 117. I have many guns, but my prized item is my Competition FWB Universal .22 target rifle.
My family have also now shown a keen interest in the sport, with both my wife Sharon and daughter Simone actively shooting at the Woollhara Club with me. Simone, 14, actually beat all the adults, including myself and shooters that have been doing it for many years, last week with a score of 198 out of 200. The girls shoot an Anschutz 1903 .22 target rifle.
My son Brady, 12, has also just applied for his licence and is eagerly awaiting approval to start shooting a restored Anschutz .22 target rifle that the club secretary Dal Larsen made for him.
Shooting gets much bad publicity, but I believe this is a good news story of ‘The family that shoots together stays together’.
Bill Coles (Collaros), via email

Todd Russell article response
Reading of Todd’s meeting with the Prime Minister following his ordeal brought to my mind a potential ending to the conversation regarding semi-autos. John Howard then slaps Todd on the back and says, “What’s the chances of getting your vote next election?” To which Todd replies, “Buckley’s, mate...”
Michael Greenland-Broadsmith, NSW

Gun safe installation response
You are to be commended for publishing Craig Richards’ valuable article on gun safe installation (AS February, 2007). I note that Craig uses sachets of silica gel to absorb moisture from the air and to mitigate the danger of rust. On the Gold Coast we experience the combination of heat, plus high humidity, which is particularly damaging to one’s valuable items.
The application of cork tiles to the entire safe interior reduces the risk of condensation, plus the use of either a ‘Camel’ or a ‘Hippo’ to absorb moisture. I find it expedient to replace a Camel every five weeks, at which time the liquid contents average one half-litre.
Jack Doherty, Qld

A letter from American Handgunner
A loyal reader of yours sent me your fourth and fifth issues of Handgun and I wanted to compliment you on your efforts. Well done, indeed!
I’d like to offer a hand-across-the-water to you. If there’s something I can do for you at my end, speak up.
I lived in Canberra for two or three years in the early 1960s (I was 12 or 13 years old) and got my first .22 rifle there. My dad and I hunted the stations around us and must have taken a trainload of rabbits and ’roos (with a few foxes thrown in for good measure). What a time to be a kid and what a place. I’ve always liked Australia and the people, and count a few Aussies as friends here even now.
Keep up the fight. Lord knows you’ve got your hands full dealing with the idiot politicians.
Roy Huntington
Editor, American Handgunner www.americanhandgunner.com

Illegal knives
I am a member of the SSSA and reader of your wonderful magazine. I am referring to your article from last year when you discuss the efforts for the Greens Party making kitchen knifes illegal.
Well, I am afraid that this time has come sooner than anyone could have anticipated. I have recently attempted to sell a normal kitchen knife (well, not exactly normal - a ceramic one) on a well-known electronic auction site (not going to mention any names at this point) only to be told that this was illegal. My listing was removed and reference was made to www.justice.vic.gov.au
I would like to point out one fact that has been missed by most people: I do not have a problem with ceramic material not being detected with X-rays and are therefore banned, but the fact that the Government under this Act can classify a normal shaped and sized kitchen knife as a “dangerous and prohibited weapon”. This is all comes down to an old argument: “Guns do not kill people, if they do then the spoon will make you fat”. This is a plain kitchen knife and until someone attempts to hide it and use it illegally, not for its intended purpose, then this is just like a tool for everyday use. Make cars that kill and injure a lot more people, illegal. Just imagine how many animals get run over by a car then die a most agonising death on the side of the road.
Vladimir M, via email

Handgun legislation
I have recently moved with my family to Tasmania. We are all keen shooters and I was until I retired in October 2005. I was a police officer in the UK for 26 years. I have read the recent talk regarding the further restrictions on handguns in Australia, in the hope that it will alter the use of guns by criminals in the commission of crimes.
After the Dunblane Massacre in the UK, I think some 10 years ago, handguns were totally banned in the entire UK. This resulted in (and I am sure that it is documented somewhere in the UK) a dramatic increase in gun crime and handguns are readily available on the black market, so if the Federal Government thinks that outlawing handguns is going to stop gun crime then they should think again! When the handgun ban came in the only people who suffered as a result of it were the people who held handguns legally, as criminals obviously do not abide by the laws of the land no matter where it is.
As a recent migrant here some of the main reasons for our migration are the Australian attitude and way of life. Please, please, do not go down the same path as the UK and the rest of Europe and allow the nation and state to be dictated to by the minority of people who want to dictate their attitudes to the majority of Australians who have managed quite well without the influence of a nanny state!
Colin Rogers, via email

April 2007

Black fox response
While reading the November 2006 edition of the Australian Shooter magazine I found a letter about a black fox in the Barrington Tops area of New South Wales written by a W Morgan. In relation to the article I can advise the following.
From the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s, I was privileged enough to be allowed to shoot on a number of properties in the area of Moonan Flats (at the foot of the Barrington Tops) and on one property in particular (now part of the Packer estate). In the company of other reliable witnesses, we saw on a number of occasions over the years what we believed to be at least three or four different black foxes (the size and sex was different on them). As they were not shot at they were fairly tame, allowing us a good long look both in natural light and under spotlights with powerful optics - 6-18 Redfield in my case.
They were usually found in the area of the shearing sheds, which were located midway between the shearers’ quarters and the main house and in the paddock about 50 to 80 yards away, as there were at the time an abundance of rabbits and a rubbish dump.
The animals in question were seen over a number of years and although the opportunity for a clean shot was available many times, it was never taken, as we all agreed that as they were rare they should be left alone as no gain was to be had from killing them and leaving them may, in fact, cause this color mutation to become more common in the area.
We also contacted the CSIRO, but never heard more from them and never really talked much about it as we were concerned that someone might want a small fox skin jacket, and thought it better to leave them in peace. The station manager at the time is still alive and known to me and he saw the animals more frequently than us, as he lived in the main homestead and would have to pass the shearing sheds a number of times a day and on entering and leaving the property.
Kevin Bowling, NSW

Leon William Storer 1933 - 2006
The shooting fraternity in Hamilton, western Victoria, lost one of its hardest working promoters of the shooting sports in Leon Storer.
Over several decades, Leon would have coached thousands of Monivae College students in Trap shooting and frequently organised the Hamilton SSAA Range for coaching students in other disciplines. His patient encouragement and ability to help students hit targets offered a successful and enjoyable shooting experience to many. His belief in the discipline, self-awareness and responsibility engendered by the shooting sports was something he was able to both instil in countless teenagers and convince quite a few sceptical teachers. Leon never suffered fools very gladly and was often blunt enough to tell people if they were being fools. When we were told, we usually deserved it!
In addition to his coaching, he was a keen and highly successful shot with a cagey, competitive and focused attitude on the range.
In his younger years he was a trooper in the Royal Australian Armoured Corps and a keen boxer; so keen and so good that he trialled for the 1956 Olympics.
As a devoted husband and father he worked hard as a mechanic to raise and provide for his family. Quite a few of them have inherited Leon’s keen interest in shooting and will ensure that his guns remain well cared for and used.
Even through declining health in recent years Leon was still a superb shot and made the effort to shoot at the Hamilton rifle range and get out to quite a few local properties in search of rabbits, hares and foxes. He appreciated the friendships he had there and will be missed by several generations of shooters and landholders.
Leon is survived by wife Jeanette, his five children and several grandchildren.
Obituary by Robert Geddes. Robert was Assistant Shooting Coach to Leon at Monivae College for several years and maintained a close friendship beyond that time.

March 2007

.425 Westley Richards
The letter from Paul Higgins (July Australian Shooter) concerning the .425 Westley Richards raises an interesting topic. That cartridge has rightly been described as the first of the short high-intensity Magnums. It was, however, more a commercial expedient than an engineering innovation. At that time, Rigby was the sole British distributor of the Magnum Mauser action and other gunmakers couldn’t get them. The .425 was designed to get around that little problem.
Westley Richards used the same basic case as Jeffery used for its .404, which was essentially a shortened, rimless .450 Nitro case. Jeffery’s .404 was, in fact, introduced as the rimless version of its .450-400. While the .425 was shorter than the .404, the body of the case was almost straight-sided with virtually no taper. Loaded with five grains more cordite than the .404, it, of course, operated at a higher pressure level. Jeffery also shortened and necked-down that .404 case to create their .333 and .280. Those cartridges, along with the .425WR, might be regarded as the forerunners of the modern ‘short Magnums’. The modern cartridges are a little shorter again and develop much higher pressures, but are really just a new development of an old idea.
As to the feed problems of the .425WR, it appears they were largely due to the extreme rebate of the rim. The bolt would sometimes ride over the rim and strike the forward face of the extractor groove, still pushing the cartridge forward, but with the rim trapped beneath the bolt head. It jammed the action, which was, of course, a disaster for a dangerous-game rifle. Why Westley Richards didn’t just use a standard-size rim as Jeffery did is difficult to understand.
Although commercial ammo is apparently being made again, if anyone did want to build a .425WR they might do better to form cases from .404 brass and leave the rims as they are. It’s easier to just open up the bolt face than to mess around with turned down rims and extensive magazine alterations, with potential feed problems the result. That, however, could create another problem if the rifle was to be used overseas, where some countries insist that the calibre on the ammunition headstamp match the calibre of the rifle being brought in.
Today, there are easier options for a heavy calibre rifle on a standard length action than the Westley Richards .425.
R Lewis, NSW

Thanks to John Dunn
I am sitting in central China teaching English and was just reading your column from April 2005. Being unable to do any shooting for the last two years that I have been here, I really am missing ‘the sport’. I was very blessed and encouraged to read your words and to know that despite some poor decisions from the powers that be, when I return to Australia soon, I will again be able to choose to ‘take the shot or not’.
Having grown up in Rhodesia, guns have always been a part of my life and your column always brings back the feeling of melancholy that goes with a wander with a rifle.
You have a wonderful way with words. Keep up the good work! If you live in the Brisbane area I would love to meet you sometime.
Mike Southey, China

February 2007

Interesting brick
Recently, I was travelling through a place called Campbelltown in the Tasmanian Midlands. In the main street there are various bricks set in the footpath commemorating the early convict settlers in the area. The bricks have the name of the convict, the ship they came out on, their crime and their punishment. One of these bricks caught my eye and I just had to photograph it. I think the readers will recognise the irony of it all. It is far too coincidental to not be a distant relative of our PM. Maybe this explains where he got his gun hatred from?
Andrew Zimmermann, via email

Recruit more female shooters
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on your Hunter magazine. As I indicated on the survey form I think you have the mix of stories about right and I don’t see the need for radical change.
However, there is one point I will pick you up on. It may sound nitpicking, but it is a serious issue and I am not trying to be ‘politically correct’. In a recent issue there was an article titled ‘SSAA NSW father and son camp’. The text makes no suggestion that the camp is only open to males, but the title certainly suggests that is the case. I feel that as women comprise 50 per cent of the population, it is absolutely essential that we make every effort to recruit women to the ranks of hunters, sporting shooters and gun owners. I don’t know what the current percentage of women is in our sport, but it is certainly a long way from 50 per cent. The old atavistic notion of man the hunter with woman tending the campfire and children has little relevance in modern society. Nowadays, women expect to have equal access to all opportunities and have much higher expectations than previous generations.
It makes so much sense to increase our membership to a point where the gender balance is equivalent to that of the general population. While I don’t have the figures to support the statement, I reckon the vast majority of women, particularly urban dwellers, are neutral to guns and hunting at best, but are more likely to be antagonistic. I suspect the majority of the members of anti-hunting and anti-gun groups are women, so doesn’t it make sense to recruit more to ‘our’ side?
I seem to recall reading somewhere that a previous SSAA camp was attended by a number of girls, which is encouraging. The suggestion of ‘Take ’em both’ on page 67 the Hunter 17 magazine is a great start, but perhaps we need to look further into the specific needs of women.
In December 2005, the Darwin Clay Target Club ran a ‘Come and try’ day specifically for women and we brought Suzy Balogh to run it for us. With respect to publicity for our sport, the day was very successful. We attracted more than 100 people to the club and the vast majority all had a few shots. This was pretty good for a small club. We recruited 12 new members, but have had problems retaining those since. During the past 18 months our club has also recruited about 14 juniors (no girls though), but most of those have dropped by the wayside. I do not know why we can’t keep new shooters of either gender, but I suspect it has a lot to do with entrenched attitudes of some of the older (and not so older) male shooters.
Perhaps someone could undertake some serious market research to ascertain the best ways to firstly attract women into our ranks and secondly to keep them there and then publish the results in future editions of Hunter magazine. As part of that research, women, both shooters and non-shooters, should be surveyed to determine what constraints they perceive to their becoming hunters and/or sports shooters. As a separate but related suggestion, perhaps some articles in the magazine could be written by women for women.
Just for the record, I am a 62-year-old experienced, male, sports shooter and hunter.
Robert Fox, NT

Carcano carbines debunked
I read with great pleasure the article by Ben Gregory on the Carcano in the December issue of the Australian Shooter. As the owner of five fine examples of the Carcano, I was pleased that someone has debunked some of the myths surrounding the rifle. Loaded with modern projectiles, the rifle is quite good, provided you use it within its capabilities as a scrub carbine.
I eagerly await your magazine each month. Keep up the good work.
Fred Maestrelli, NSW

Inspired
I read a letter titled ‘A very rewarding experience’ in your December issue of Australian Shooter and felt instantly inspired to write in and tell you of my story.
I am a 36-year-old hospitality worker in Sydney, NSW, and in 2005 overheard two of my colleagues talking away one day about their hunting exploits on a property out of Hilston in NSW. I was able to join in on their conversation and promptly began asking questions of them both. It was here that I was to drum up a new pair of dear friends, as a few months later, I was invited to join them on their next trip out. This trip took place in September 2005. There, I learnt about firearms safety, animal skinning and the like. I already had a good feel for a lot of other skills used on our trip due to the fact that I went through all levels of the scouting movement in my younger years. It is safe to say that I found myself a new pastime in shooting while I was out there.
I have since gone on to gain my firearms licence, have purchased my own rifles, have joined the SSAA and also have my R Licence for State Forest Hunts under my belt. We also returned to the Hilston property in June 2006 for another sojourn. Then, in September 2006, I and one of the abovementioned mates made a trip into the Sunny Corner State Forest for a hunt. It was on this day that it snowed up there, so our hunt ended up like something out of an Arctic wilderness rather than in NSW. Needless to say, I am absolutely gobsmacked with my newfound hobby and the camaraderie that goes along with it.
Marcus Woods, NSW