Crispy, is the best way to describe it; Walking around out here is like walking on corn chips, every step making a crackling sound that could have awoken the dead...But there was no dead to awaken out here, just me.
It's not beautiful when it's like this I think, but that's Australia, land of contrast and I love it. Summers can be brutal and even after several days of downpours only a week ago it still resembles a sea of crispy knee-length grass.
Following instructions
I shoot on this working cattle farm often, my job being the control of feral animals; I've written about the reasons why in the past. Deer, kangaroos, foxes, rabbits and hares are on the pest list.
It was kangaroos last night and the farmer had asked that I target a particular spot on the property where they seem to be congregating in numbers...I'm here to do a job and I do it effectively, so roger that cobber I'm a trusted shooter, registered on the culling license for this farm, and I do as the farmer bids; Doing otherwise would make me an unfit person to shoot here.
This panoramic photo shows a 180° field of fire - I found this spot in some shade and managed to dispatch some targets.
Out of the hide
I was free-styling, moving about rather than sitting in the one spot. It's more work of course, more effort, but it was rewarded.
I've had to be careful because I saw a snake early on, a deadly Eastern Brown, and for some idiotic reason I put shorts on so...Dumbass huh? I'm trying to find a balance between moving quietly and making enough noise to scare the snakes away. Moving isn't ideal I guess though, move little, look a lot is usually the order of the day as kangaroos can be flighty.
I have a few snipers hides I prefer to shoot from, spots with great views and nice breezes most often. They're up high and my slope-angle of fire is only slightly downwards; A comfortable shooting position when prone.
Not last night though. I was shooting mostly at an upward slope-angle meaning an horrific arch in my back when laying prone and back pain to follow.
A screen capture off my ballistics calculator, StrelokPro. This is how one works out the angle. As I move the crosshairs up and down the angle is measured and pressing OK sets it in the centre, currently reading zero. You can see the slope-angle in the top left, 7°.
I chose this shady spot as it was very warm in the sun this afternoon; I was concerned about falling limbs from the gum trees overhead, but I didn't get crushed so it's all good. As I waited a kookaburra started singing away overhead, not unusual around here...A nice counterpoint to the breeze in the trees...And the creaking, squeaking tree limbs.
There's those gum trees I mentioned; Welcome shade but they're prone to drop limbs occasionally - Never camp under gum trees folks.
Time to work
Four hoppers came over the fence one by one not long after I took that photo...I was laying back on my backpack writing this text when I heard them cross the fence about 150m away; The fence sort of twangs as they push through it's taut wires. I watched them hop away up the hill about 400 metres and then stop to crop some grass. I moved into position and did my job.
Below is data I relied on to make those shots above. It changes as it cools and the sun dips below the horizon, the density altitude will drop and one has to make adjustments to the elevation dialled in - More elevation as the density altitude drops. I get new readings periodically because as light fades it's more difficult to make accurate shots so the DOPE is even more vital to the shot.
Above the first page of StrelokPro shows the rifle and ammunition profile, information I've inserted when I set up that rifle profile, and some of the inputs required to calculate the shot: Distance, slop- angle, wind speed, wind direction and coriolis which was not really a factor at the ranges I was shooting yesterday though.
The actual DOPE chart calculated from the details of the initial page as above. I was only shooting between 325-550m today so between 1.3 to 3.6MRAD of elevation. That elevation input is dialled into the elevation turret on the scope. I used hold-over for the windage, as I mostly do.
As I wandered about I came by some of the locals...I mean the cattle. They're pretty friendly really, some will follow me around like a lost puppy's and others shy away when I come close. Of course, they're way bigger than little lost puppies and some stare me down as if they want to kill me. These cows will be on people's plates eventually.
I ended up finding another spot and laid back to write some of this text whilst waiting for the sun to dip below the horizon...Things tend to get fairly lively around then, but I had an hour to wait so got most of this post written, and what a lovely location to write a post in!
Here's me kicking back waiting for sunset with tools of the trade nearby. My .243 culling platform, binoculars and range finder. From here I was able to shoot all the way around to my left, and I did so.
I had a fairly productive afternoon/evening and left around 2100. On the way out I sent a message to the farmer and gave him the tally; He has to keep count as he only has permission to take so many kangaroos a year; It's regulated. I've never shot up to the annual tally yet though, a few hundred...But last night the barrel got hot, meaning a lot of shots, and I put a sizable dent in the tally.
Thanks for reading and if you have any questions about my equipment, the process or anything else you know what to do. 👇
Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default - Tomorrow isn't promised.
Be well
Discord: galenkp#9209