dave h

He sure is Kev ! I reckon there's going to be a couple of beaut Matrinis getting round the traps in the next 12mths or so ! I think I've convinced him to come over to my neck of the woods this year for some serious hunting ! (just got to convince him to bring that little 25-20 over for me ! It will go well with my Martini Hornet !) Dave

I'm in the proccess of importing a Martini action into Australia from Canada . Not to be out done a mate brought one localy (for 4x the amount ) & anounced his going to rebarrel it to .303brit imp ! So a unoifical race has begun ! Already daggers have been drawn ! WE both use the same barrel & stock maker ! I'd already ordered my barrel (chambered in 270-303 imp) Now the 270-303 was one of the fist wild cats formed by AUSSIE Gunsmiths ,But ! The improved verstion that I have obtained the reamer for is one of 2 that were built & then were thought to have been lost ,as only one was ever heard of ! My mate has found this out from our barrel maker & is wild ! So a race has begun to see who can beg /bribe our Barrel Maker & Stockmaker to finnish our rifle first ! Dave

It's a funny thing .I never took a likeing to the #4s (but that's a personal thing ) #1 MkIII's have gone through my ownership at a alarming rate ! The Jungle carbine. In both forms (don't worry the first form you will probarly see as it was a modified #1mkIII made in Lithgow ) The Normal form of Mk5 is a good solid unit ! The only thing I have ever said is the first thing you do is change the butt plate & get rid of that stupid Recoil pad ! (a piece of rubber adout 1x3 ) As when shooting heavy loads with a thin shirt on you really feel that you've fired something ! I reckon it was designed , by the Marquies de Sade on a really bad day ! I'm also very attached to Pat14s Dave

Strewth ! This is a hard position to be in! I don't have much use or time for people in general ,but I'm real soft when it comes to animals ! (On saying this my Blue heeler is courting a bullet as she keeps comming & nudging my arm telling me it's time for bed ! I threatern to shoot her the cat & outr birds at least once a day ) Somebody asked me once if Animals go to heaven & it has been writtern by a famous auther that he was sure that if he got to the gates of heaven & his dog was left outside ,he would not enter himself ! Well I like to think that any animal that provides us with the unconditional love that our pets do ! The least we can do is not to let them suffer needlessly! As hard as it may seem ,let Tawny go ! Speak to the vet & ask what are the long term consiquenses of keeping Tawney alive ? will there be the same quality of life or will the poor cat suffer ? Dave

Mate I know I'm the New Bloke in the camp but I reckon their a fine group of people on this site & you've done well forming this site ! It's nice to be on the other side of the Pond & keep incontact with other people Thanks Mate! Dave

The details of my life are quite inconsequential.... very well, where do i begin? My father was a relentlessly self-improving boulangerie owner from Belgium with low grade narcolepsy and a penchant for buggery. My mother was a fifteen year old French prostitute named Chloe with webbed feet. My father would womanize, he would drink. He would make outrageous claims like he invented the question mark. Sometimes he would accuse chestnuts of being lazy. The sort of general malaise that only the genius possess and the insane lament. My childhood was typical. Summers in Rangoon, luge lessons. In the spring we'd make meat helmets. When I was insolent I was placed in a burlap bag and beaten with reeds- pretty standard really. At the age of twelve I received my first scribe. At the age of fourteen a Zoroastrian named Vilma ritualistically shaved my testicles. There really is nothing like a shorn scrotum... it's breathtaking- I highly suggest you try it. Oh Bugger ! I really thought I'd found my long lost twin Brother !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dave

I can't see anything wrong with that ! There's nothing offensive But then again as you say some Clay target shooters (Not all but some) are as you say very uppity ! I was shooting over in Western Australia & I was in Kalgoorlie ,a Freind invited me to go to the Goldfeilds Gun clup for a couple of rounds of Down the line (trap ) On my arrival I was totaly ignored until my freind turned up(I was on the point of leaving) When I asked the Club President if they minded me if haveing a couple of rounds it was as if I'd admited having AIDS ! I was asked if I was a member of the Australian Clay Target assotiation ? YES!!!!! Oh well what's your handi cap ? 25yrds why ? Oh we only shoot compertion here ! We don't like non members just turning up off the street (we're talking about a club that would make a third world nations lay out look good if you know what I mean) Needless to say I left ! But on the Other hand I have met & shot against Michel Diamond & he takes any amount of joking & in fact incourages it ! I really think the Mod who banned your post should have a long look at himself ! Dave

GREENER converted a number of Martinis over to 12g & they were'nt a bad gun ! A mate in Town owns one & it handles quite nicley ! For a slug Barrel I'd tend to lean towards the 12 g over the 20 for stopping power & range Dave

Well the Names Dave I'm the son of a Large property owner /Farmer/Pro shooter I never had the urge to Farm so started as a Rabbit shooter aged 14 (I was a off sider ) I then went onto Water Buff at 17 followed by 6yrs in the Army 3 in the infantry & 3 in the SASR1. Came out & back into Buff shooting ,I then took on Kangaroo shooting ,Fox & Camel ,or any other type of hunting that would pay my keep ! Although I've always called Quorn in the Flinders ranges of South Australia home .The job has taken me all over Australia ! I've 4 kids from my first marrage (I'm something of a embaressment to three of them,IE what's ya Dad do for a living ? Kills animals.......) I've got new wife (who I'm damned f I know how she puts up with me? ) & Three step kids who just love being in the scrub ! I'm in the process of changing jobs after all these years due to health problems (The vet reckons the Old body is wearing out ) But I still enjoy hunting, Reloading (ok I tolarate reloading ) & have found a new lease of life through teaching the kids bushcraft & how to shoot ect Dave

Roo's & rabbits are spot & shoot ,but Foxes are called it to range or the simpler methord is to drag a dead roo along during the day & then just drive & shoot along the trail of a night ! Foxes are driven mad by the smell off dead roo meat can't help emselves ! Pigs will do the same thing with any dead animal Dave

The British brought them over so the gentry could hunt with horses & hounds ! But of course there were a few servivers ! Durring the 1970's there was a Boom in the fox skin Trade ,with skins reaching up to $50.00 each (Funny I shot a lot of Foxes durring this time & never got a 50 dollar skin) ! The average price was around 30.00 & when you consider that on some nights you could if you were away from the week-end Pros shoot 20-30 foxes in a night it was good money ! The end came in 1985 when the market went bust over night ! A feral cat skin was worth more than a Fox skin ! I still laugh to this day as the majority of week-end warriers (as we full time shooters refered to the semi pros) all went out & brought .17 rems ,as all the Gun scribes in Auz said this was the weapon of choice ,of Pro shooters ! (we mostly used Hornets or .222s ) Now a normal 700 BDL rem in those days was round about 250.00 where as a .17 was about 500.00! Now I know it's not all that funny to the poor souls who were trying to make a buck but when the market collapsed ,most of us went back to other shooting (Rabbits ,Roos ect ) where as these poor souls were stuck with .17s that you could'nt give away ! I've promised a Skin buyer that I know & have delt with over the years 200 skins this winter as he just can't get them as the average price is only $14.00 ,but as he has always looked after me it will be a pleasure ! Also as nobody is shooting them these days it's easy work for your money !Plus the Fact I've just fitted a new stock to my Martini Hornet & a 4-12 bushnell banner scope & I'm dying to try it out on Old Reynard ! Dave

LMFAO dave

The Gov used to use choppers for the big culls of Goats camel & Buff back in the 80's but I have'nt heard of any one use them privately in years ! Your Rube Goldberg rig looks very much like our light force light's over here they market a similar set up that has a portable battery pack ,for use on moter bikes ,quads & on foot ! Dave

Friday afternoon the kids got home from school & informed me that we were going spotlighting ! (News to me but there you have it ) We modified the shooting wagon a little more (Ok! Ok! so I cut loose with the angle grinder ) & cut a hole in the roof so who ever holds the light can stand up in the back ! I did this as the kids have been eyeing off my remote controled spot light on the roof of my Old work bus ! Within 15mins we had 3 Roos for the night & My claim to fame ....1 Hare shot through the eye At about 60yrds ! Unsupported with a .22lr ! Now I don't know who got more of a supprise .... The Kids ,Me or the Hare !! I'll be honest I could barely see the bloody thing as the rifle was swinging round that much (I'm used to shooting off a rest none of this davey crocket stuff ) I aimed at it's nice shinny eye squeezed the trigger & prayed ! I was rewarded with a thunk & it went down ! I thought it was a gut shot (as it was crawling away from the light ) But it turned out to be the head shot (Big Karma with the kids ) I got the kids to drop the offal off up the dump after we'd cleaned & butcherd everything & on Sat morning thought that there was a fair chance of getting a fox that night as they love Roo offal . So out we went again ,Evin asked if he could use my Hornet ,but as we've had a heavy baiting program going I told him to just take the .22lr as we probarly would'nt get anything ! 5mins out ,4 foxes took off & Ev managed to bag one that made the mistake of stopping for a second look ! The others just sat out of range & waited for us to leave !I was going to just throw the fox back into the dump as the skins are only worth about $5.oo at this time of the year but the kids pounced on it as pocket money ! Dave

G'day Bob . The gov did try & stuff us around with our firearm laws It really was more of a inconveniance than a hinderance ,as no two States could really agree & so many loop holes were left . None of the laws effected me as I'm a Licensed PH . Down in the cities one would get the Book thrown at them for carring a unsecured firearm in a vehicle ,but out where we are it's quite common for people to carry a rifle were it is ready for use ! The only GameWardens we incounter over here are National Parks & Wild life Inspectors who do a mighty job in controling illegal shooters in the National Parks & Do spot checks on Pro Shooters .The Police are responsible for illegal shooters on properties. We live on a 20,000 acre property &have a constant problem with illegal shooters on long weekends & holiday periods ! Only last xmas My Brother ,who runs the farm found a group shooting the hell out of one of our tanks (water) on seeing him comming they fled leaving their car ! Now we reported this to the police & they were traced & prosicuted ! Thing is we can't work out why any one would shoot the hell out of their own car ! Cause by the time the cops turned up there was not only a Water tank shot to hell but also the car had more holes in it than a collender & those naughty people had the cheek to say that I'd done it ! The Majistrate did'nt agree & reckoned if they were fool hardy enough to Tresspass & Vadilize someone elses property they would be stupid enough to destroy their own! Yes we also have a lot of fun out here esp the kids !As they have the Freedm to be kids Dave

Jerry your child hood ! Must of been a great time indeed . I have nothing but good memories as a kid I must admit . Apart from the out side Shithouse (long drop ) which seemed to house most of South Australias Red Back spiders & was a long cold wet walk on a winters night ! THe thing I remember most vivardly as we still have it in the House was the Meters#2 wood stove on which my mother cooked summer & winter ! It was my job for many years to keep up a supply of cut wood for her as well as chips for our water heater in the bathroom & copper in the laundry ! I look at that stove these days & think what a small fire box it has but as a Kid it was like suppling fuel for the Boilers of the Titanic! My main argument was ....Why cut wood ? Mums only going to burn it !!!! We did'nt get power out our way on the main grid until the late 60's & before that it was wind generaters through to a bank of 12v Batteries & 32v lights .We had a Ice box I remember (As Dad would have to pick up Block Ice every couple of days .Then we got a Kerosine fridge (& were considered very high class in the district ) Most of the Meat we ate was Kangaroo,Rabbit & Goat ,as Dad considered it to be a crime to waste Mutton or even Chicken on us ,as sheep produced wool & the Chooks (Chickens ) produced eggs which could be sold !! If we were lucky enough to find a Emus nest with fresh eggs (& more importantly distract the Male who hatches & raises the young ) Mum would use the Egg ,as we only ever took one to bake with 1emu egg =6chook eggs & was a lot stronger !My mum was never far from her .410 due to the snake problem & more importantly Goannas (a Large lizard ) that were a constant threat to her Eggs !!! & young Chicks .Us kids would Trap rabbits & were paid 50cents a pair for them by a local Rabbit shooter ,this inturn brought .22 ammo which I seem to remember was about 80cents a box for solids & a $1.15 for hollow points ! It was IMI civic & we never thought of buying hollow points .WE'd get the solids & cut crosses in the nose to Dum-Dum them to spotlight for Foxes in winter & were paid the princely sum of $5.00 per skin (Fleshed & dried ) this in turn fed our .410s & eventuarly brought .310 cadets or .303's ! Then Roos became the sort after game as we could sell the skins or the butts for pet meat (to the local Pro shooters who in turn robbed us blind ) When I left school at 15 to become a shooters offsider (a kind of apprentice) My father near killed me ! That was over 35 years ago ! In those years I have lived excluivly off the profits of hunting & it saddens me to see it comming to a end ! I lived out of my swag (Bed roll) in all weather & cooked over a open fire with only my own company for most of the time ! Romantic I suppose it sounds ? But the reality of it was it was Bloody hard Yakka (work ) with few comforts! The Problem was that & still is to a degree that Rabbits that used to plauge the country have been all but wiped out with a virus! Water Buffalo ? Gov culls & the guided hunting game drove us out of that ! Roos? a combernation of over regulation & Too many licenses being issued has destroied the Trade as we new it ! Fox skins went bust ,Pigs? well ! We cut our own throuts there! Goats ,camel & dingos well theres still a market there though Goats & Camel have attracked a live export market & of course dare I say it there is the Sporting shooter ! The Gov finds it cheaper to let Clubs into National parks to cull feral animals now instead of hiring Pros ! Not that I begrudge these people as for most of them it is the only chance they have of hunting medium sized game ! Plus the fact I'm pretty much out of it now & have more fun just going out with the kids Dave

Amen to that Brother Amen ! Theres a Old saying How do you get 35 shooter's out of your house via windows & the back door ? ...... Tell em the Tax man is comming to the front door! Dave

Thank you Swamp thing for bringing back to our attention something from our childhoods that we can relive & enjoy Dave

Trust me when the Young bloke gets up in the Top paddocks & sees a Kangaroo! Mad Max would be like me!! Thinking Tuck & roll ,Tuck & roll !!!! Between the kids yelling, The engine screaming & the dog barking & growling whilst, trying to get out of the car (ignoring the fact that it's moving ) It's bedlam ! The kids wonder why I try to get out of going out with them? It's taken me years to realise why our dads used to send us out on our own ! Dave

The only problem I could for see is that the 7x57 is .471 at the base of the case & the .280 is .470 at the base of the case ! But then again is .1 thou splitting hairs ? But then again why not just stick with the 7x57? It's a fine round ,that is saddly over looked by many shooters these days . Dave

Now it's said that William Tell shot a apple of his sons head ? I wonder if I could get the mother in law to hold a Cookie in her mouth & then I could get the shot gun &........................................................ Oh do'nt worry about it ! Dave

Back in the 1970's there was a cheap & Nasty brand of .22lr Ammo on the market called Stirling (Now still cheap & just as nasty but called Highlander or PMX !.... I know I buy it for the kids ) Now you had more chance of giving away a dose of lepersy than giving away a box of Stirling ammo ! So it was found out the biggest Buyers of this crap were Rabbit Processors (cause they got it dirt cheap ) So the Importers went on the prowl for a Rabbit shooter who would pose with the night's takings ! They came apon one DICK MAYNE who shot on a good Patch & got him blind drunk & payed hm a couple of cartons of Beer to pose by his Landrover Loaded with Rabbits ! Now the add read to the effect of ........Dick Mayne ....Pro Rabbit shooter ...with 666 rabbits all shot through the head with clean ecinomical ....Stirling ammo ! Now whether it was the number that went against him or somebody in the taxation dept read shooting mags we do'nt know for sure but it turned out that Dick had'nt done a tax return for 7 yrs ! He was Taxed on a average of 333pair of rabbits pernight 6 nights a week for 7 yrs & was sent Bankrupt ! Hence most Pros never allowed themselves to be photographed near their Vehicle ,when it was loaded (Not that any of us had anything to fear from the Tax dept you understand????)

We live just out of a town in the Flinders Ranges in South Auz called Quorn the best way to look it up is to look for the Pitchie Ritchie Railway . We hunt all year round (unless it's too wet or hot )Most of the kids of Evs age are more into Video games ,I'm afraid (& most of their parents are terrified that a young fella is alowed .....Dare I say it ???? ......To drive & shoot !!!!) When his Mom moved out here she was ###### scared of anyform of fire arm ,but soon realised that (A) they earned us a living & ( their just a Tool ! Yes as dangerous as a power tool or a electric knife but a tool never the less ! I've seen her storm in from out the clothes line return with the .410 followed by the shot & then return muttering about a snake ! When I first letthe kids shot she was hessitant but then would come out the back door (were my proving range is ) & have a shot .Then she claimed one of my .22 single shots as her own! Then came the car for the Kids ! Now like you when I was a kid we all had old cars on our properties & Fri & Sat nights were spent Spotlighting for Rabbits & Foxes ! These cars were real heaps ! We'd cut the back out of the roofs so we could stand in em ! Brakes were a optional extra most of the time ! Most of us owned single shot .22lrs .With the occassional scoped bolt action repeater or semi auto (Capitalists ) There were a abundant supply of .410's as in those days you had a choice of 12g or .410 in Australia . Sometimes we would pool our pocket money (which came from trapping rabbits Or shooting Foxes ) & get a box of 12g & borrow a Dbl barrel from somebodies dad (after much begging & crawling ) One night out with it would cure us for the next few months ! Big Game rifles were .310 cadets followed by Milsup .303's ! Now when I got the car for the kids it was like having a third childhood (I'd been there with my kids ) Every time Tracey (My wife) turned her back we'd have something off the car! Mind you the number of times I've had to walk back home to get a tin of fuel !!!!!!!!! Yes those are mountains behind us in fact we're surrounded by em ! It's funny what you call Flip flops are Known as Thongs over here & it took me a long time to work out why when I mentioned Thongs to people overseas they'd start laughing !!!!! I (as many others do prefer to call them Jappaniese Riding Boots & Sandles become Jappaniese Saftey Boots ) Our Kiwi Brothers refer to them as Flip flops though ! Do'nt ever worry about asking questions ! Hell! You Texans are very much like us you can think of nothing better than laying by a fire out Bush looking at the stars & telling Yarns & swapping Bullshit ! Ain't nothing wrong with that ! I think that's the main problem with the world these days ! Everybody is going too Fast ! I can't recall ever running into any Doughtys ? But you neva know ! Have a Bonza day Mate Dave

What a great idea it shows somebody cares ! Dave