Feral cats in Australia

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

243 is just ok on small deer.
My view of the 243 (had 2) is that’s it too heavy for light use and too light for
heavy use.
Bit of a problem Child!

Dr Ray
Thanks for backing me up mate I've been telling CBH that for ages but for some reason unbeknownst to a mere mortal like me he likes that horrible little caliber.
Cheers mate Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Yeah , I’m just having a dig,
Its the Bears that get my Attention.
I saw a stuffed black bear in Bullets and Bits at Orange. Thats where I got some Outer Edge projectiles I .308,
Gonna get some Outer Edge for the .243, they might be the Silver Bullet we need to get the .243 sorted.
Anyway about the bear’s. I’m fascinated by Grizzly etc they would make the most amazing rug other than a Lion. I can’t afford to hunt either but they have always fascinated me. When I grow up I want to be a DG Hunter.

Apparently the Black bear are more common and reasonably priced to hunt and they use the term colour phase to describe the various colours that an be found. They can be in brownish and cinnamon shades like a Grizzly.

CBH
Chris
Check Dr Rays reply on the 243.
Cheers mate Bob

 

[Panther Shooter]

243 is just ok on small deer.
My view of the 243 (had 2) is that’s it too heavy for light use and too light for
heavy use.
Bit of a problem Child!

Dr. Ray
I see that both you and Bob Nelson dislike the .243 Winchester. Alright . Let us kick it up a notch.

How about a 7 millimeter Remington Magnum ?

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Dr. Ray
I see that both you and Bob Nelson dislike the .243 Winchester. Alright . Let us kick it up a notch.
View attachment 341170
How about a 7 millimeter Remington Magnum ?

Friend Panther Shooter
That would surely do the job especially if loaded with an explosive 120 grain soft point.
Cheers my friend Bob

 

[CBH Australia]

Bob, as in post #54 I just having a dig, being an Aussie.
You crack me up the way you describe your feelings toward that well established common chambering that is possibly ranks among the most common centrefires I Australia,

Th Dr found a way to write in a succinct manner using discretion to address the concern without making his statement sound personal or resentful in nature.

He was quickly backed by our Kiwi Knife-maker echoing his sentiment.

Panther Shooter I can’t say much about the 7mm RM except I sued it with Hornady SST reloads in South Africa as a hire rifle, al oneshot kills though a Blue Wildebeeste took a short sprint but the tracker Mike saw the hit and was confident in the shot, the animal was down and dead when we rounded the corner.

I believe the 7mm Rm are popular in Australia with people going into those entry level magnums but as always there is some new hotshot that is somewhat similar and people are trying other 7mm offerings.

Down a notch I am happy with 7mm-08 performance, 139 sp factory loads worked well straight off And I will test various projectiles with reloads .

Bob, if you are talking Bear I think you are getting into .35 territory and you have just the thing for that, you don’t even need buy another rifle.
I had considered a .338wm stainless/synthetic may be a great example of a Bear rifle but I’m sure my wife will want a rational reason that I need a Bear rifle in my collection.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Bob, as in post #54 I just having a dig, being an Aussie.
You crack me up the way you describe your feelings toward that well established common chambering that is possibly ranks among the most common centrefires I Australia,

Th Dr found a way to write in a succinct manner using discretion to address the concern without making his statement sound personal or resentful in nature.

He was quickly backed by our Kiwi Knife-maker echoing his sentiment.

Panther Shooter I can’t say much about the 7mm RM except I sued it with Hornady SST reloads in South Africa as a hire rifle, al oneshot kills though a Blue Wildebeeste took a short sprint but the tracker Mike saw the hit and was confident in the shot, the animal was down and dead when we rounded the corner.

I believe the 7mm Rm are popular in Australia with people going into those entry level magnums but as always there is some new hotshot that is somewhat similar and people are trying other 7mm offerings.

Down a notch I am happy with 7mm-08 performance, 139 sp factory loads worked well straight off And I will test various projectiles with reloads .

Bob, if you are talking Bear I think you are getting into .35 territory and you have just the thing for that, you don’t even need buy another rifle.
I had considered a .338wm stainless/synthetic may be a great example of a Bear rifle but I’m sure my wife will want a rational reason that I need a Bear rifle in my collection.

CBH
Chris
I know your just taking the piss out of me mate I enjoy it. I have to appear serious, I do openly hate the 243 tho. If I remember correctly I did say the same as the good Dr but who cares.
Mate if the 139 grain works so well I wouldn't change it just try different 139s like the SST or if nosler makes an accubond the weight you like. I know a lot of people like the 154 grain for all round use in the 7/08.
The Whelen would be moe than enough for bear of any size including Kodiak. Elmer Kieth shot his world record brown bear with a Whelen loaded with 275 grain projectiles.
Mate golfers can't play golf with a few clubs they need a full compliment. So do shooters we can't shoot everything with one rifle.
Just tell her you would like to take her after buffalo one day and the 338 would suit her better than the 375 and you don't want to see her hurt using it.
That might work.
Cheers mate Bob
Keep taking the piss out of me my man I enjoy the banter.

 

[Ridgewalker]

JME with the 243 Winny. I’ve taken maybe a dozen mule deer and probably 20+ antelope using it. The bullet is critical. I like the 95 Nosler Partition and the 85 Sierra HPBT for antelope and deer. Both have worked with one shot in the boiler room and down.
The 87 Hornady V-Max and SP are both very frangible and are good for coyotes, jackrabbits, marmots, foxes and bobcats IME. Both are just too soft for even antelope.

 

[Dr Ray]

Whoo I didn’t say I disliked the 243 at all.
I’ve had two. I said that it’s a sort of in between cartridge.
I used the 243 to hunt wild pigs extensively and found it quite ok.
I used the 90 grain Speer bullet with 44 grains of AR2209/4350.
I tried over the years an unbelievable combination of powders, primers, and Bullets.
243 is okay for small deer and I know if numerous hunters using it for deer.
I shot a rusa buck one day that just seemed a bit strange.
I actually posted the story here but the summary is that the deer had been shot with a 243 some days before I shot him with a 270.

 

[Dr Ray]

The 7 mm Rem is a great cartridge And I used mine with using heavy Bullets but as I had a specially built 300 Winchester I sold the 7.
Those two are very close in performance and honestly I couldn’t tell the difference.
My 300 is a Remington 709 stock and action and had a medium 24 inch stainless barrel and Timney trigger (set for 3/4 pound) that shit very, very nice groups.
But I hardly ever use the 300 and I hear the man who bought my 7 liked it so all round - great.
If I had the need I would have no hesitation in buying both the 243 and the 7!
Add the 257 Weatherby oh and the 695 Gibbs plus 17 plus ...

 

[Dr Ray]

I must correct my auto correction.
505 Gibbs.
The Remington stock is a model 700.
The 243 is a great rifle for the inexperienced as it has relatively little recoil. I think it’s a great cartridge for those who want to hunt relatively small game up to deer (some reservations here). It’s a great wild pig cartridge and small deer.
I personally found it finicky ti get good groups and any change of any component be it primers, Bullets, powder etc resulted in it shooting to different points if the compass. However after much perseverance I got good groups.
My 7 Remington performed best with 160 grain Bullets (it’s many many years ago).
In my 300 I can use 150 or 180 grain Bullets that shoot to the same east-west with only the 180s printing and inch higher.
Let’s start a discussion on the 270 v 308 v 30/06!

 

[CBH Australia]

Dr, it’s ok You are a Queenslander and they make Rum,
An auto correction in #69 has you Shit good groups. Ooooh, or yuck whatever it is.
My comment, unless you are referring to that of Panther Hunter, my post suggests that you found a nice way of saying it is in between.
I’ve gotta give Bob curry he is just so passionate about it.
My wife, somewhat inexperienced finds its is a suitable cartridge. Minimal recoil and drops game with well placed shots. And her Weatherby Girls Hunt 2 is pretty so she likes it.
Just a smear of Vegemite, take it with a grain of salt, shoot Sako’s and have a crack.
Bob, may ring me and set me straight yet but Im working on that renovations but I will call him know when i free.

 

[Ridgewalker]

Dr Ray, OK. I’ve never owned a 270, but Have used a couple of loaners both kicked substantially more than I expected! One a beautiful Parker Hale with a Monte Carlo stock. The other a Remington Mountain rifle. Something about the PH Monte Carlo stock made its recoil uncomfortable and the light weight of the Rem Mountain rifle I guess made it uncomfortable.
The only 308 was a very handsome a Kimber Classic I took an Alaska black bear and several Texas feral hogs with. It was a dream to carry around, but I always worried about scratching the handsome little rifle.
Besides I already owned 3 rifles in 30-06 that would all shoot fast handloads as flat as the 270 and would handle much heavier bullets than the 308.
I still have 3 different 30-06 rifles today which shoot very well. A Rem 78 with their synthetic stock which will almost cluster any of my handloads from 110 FMJ to 200 Nosler Partitions. A Rem 7600 which is my dark timber elk rifle which shoots quit well with 200 Nosler Partitions. Finally a newer Winchester Mdl 70 24” stainless barrel and laminated black stock. Just started playing with it. It is a lot heavier (almost 10 lbs!) than I like, so I may be getting rid of it after I work up some loads.
What I have used the 30-06 on:
Cottontail
Prairie dog
Grouse
Jackrabbit
Marmot
Turkey
Badger
Coyote
Bobcat
Antelope
Hogs
Whitetail deer
Mule deer
Elk

Conclusion: all three are fine cartridges IMO. It’s just that the old 30-06 covers a broader range of bullet weights and I have vastly more experience, thus confidence in it.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Dr, it’s ok You are a Queenslander and they make Rum,
An auto correction in #69 has you Shit good groups. Ooooh, or yuck whatever it is.
My comment, unless you are referring to that of Panther Hunter, my post suggests that you found a nice way of saying it is in between.
I’ve gotta give Bob curry he is just so passionate about it.
My wife, somewhat inexperienced finds its is a suitable cartridge. Minimal recoil and drops game with well placed shots. And her Weatherby Girls Hunt 2 is pretty so she likes it.
Just a smear of Vegemite, take it with a grain of salt, shoot Sako’s and have a crack.
Bob, may ring me and set me straight yet but Im working on that renovations but I will call him know when i free.

CBH
Chris
I might just have to suck it up, put on my big girl pants and admit there are people out there that actually like the 243.
You'll find me at home crying in my Bundy and eating lashings of vegemite on toast. This is in sympathy for all the 243 users.
Cheers mate.
Had to take the big girl pants off the didn't suit me, so I put on the tradie undies and 4he Jackie Howe.

 

[Nkawu]

I’ve shot the odd feral cat with a 20ga at a rubbish dump, as well as with a compound bow. Used to shoot rabbits and Egyptian geese with the bow in order to not disturb guests at a trout fishing lodge.

 

[CBH Australia]

Morning Bob,

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Morning Bob,

CBH
Morning Chris I'm glad you liked my post. I'm on my second bottle of Bundy and almost finished my jar of vegemite. Ha ha ha
Cheers mate Bob

 

[Dr Ray]

Dr, it’s ok You are a Queenslander and they make Rum,
An auto correction in #69 has you Shit good groups. Ooooh, or yuck whatever it is.
My comment, unless you are referring to that of Panther Hunter, my post suggests that you found a nice way of saying it is in between.
I’ve gotta give Bob curry he is just so passionate about it.
My wife, somewhat inexperienced finds its is a suitable cartridge. Minimal recoil and drops game with well placed shots. And her Weatherby Girls Hunt 2 is pretty so she likes it.
Just a smear of Vegemite, take it with a grain of salt, shoot Sako’s and have a crack.
Bob, may ring me and set me straight yet but Im working on that renovations but I will call him know when i free.

Ok so I’m ok with the 243 in its range. The issue is probably that hunters tend to use it on game that’s really too big or too heavy bone for a high velocity cartridge.
So! Keep the 243 to its capabilities and it’s great.
I also used 105 and 100 grain Bullets but did not use the 80 grain Bullets after a very short while.
Friend Rod (unfortunately succumbed to cancer) used the 80 grain Bullets in the 243 on red deer but at very short ranges.
One late afternoon I shot a red doe way out on a pasture and his comment to me was that he wouldn’t even think about it using the 243.
I had a one shot instant kill using 130 grain bullet (cannot remember what I loaded back then) in my 270.
In case you don’t know I’m a true 270 fan!

 

[nztimb]

My disparagment of the 243 was formulated back in the 60's when the NZ govt paid deer cullers to cull the massive numbers of deer ravaging the country. After the war the 303 was used and in the 60's my uncle was one of the cullers when the more modern rifles became more affordable and the cullers were using their own personal rifles and to start with they used the 222 which was fine in the summer months when the animals had dry hides and the shots were placed right and generally from a much closer range but in the winter the wet hides were inclied to cause bullet failure so many changed to the 243 and with a similar result so it wasn't till they went to the 7x57, 270 and in some cases the 30-06 that all these problems dissapared so for me the 222 and by inclusion the 223 are just fine for the small game up goats while the larger deer and beyond is the realm of the 7mm + ( and today I include the 6.5 in that category) while the 243 is too big for the small stuff and too small for the larger animals under those circumstances that sometimes/often occur in the hunting fields that make the exception to the rule. Yes sometime you can but there are many times you simply cant.

 

[ve7poi]

Beginning to think we have a problem here sitting at my desk looking out window I have spotted 9 different cats roaming through my back yard. ps I don't have a cat.
Can't shoot in town so will call SPCA to come look after them.

 

[nztimb]

The neighbours cat has "adopted' me so while I am a dog rather than a cat person this feller is ok and so I dont mind him being arround but ferrel cats are another story altogether and I do pull the trigger if I see one when out hunting.