Cheers from Australia!

WebleyOperator

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May 6, 2019
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Hunted
Australia
G’day all. New to this forum as a member but have been sourcing info from here for a while! Always interesting to find what people are up to in this great uniting sphere. Looking forward to taking a deeper look into the masses of knowledge here. Hoping to maybe contribute when topics dear to me bob up.
Cheers for having me aboard!
Kind regards from Australia.
 
Welcome aboard!
 
Welcome aboard WebleyOperator. Please tell us a little more about yourself as it relates to hunting. Things like what have you hunted previously, what kind and caliber firearms do you own. Do you have any thoughts or plans for hunting Africa?
 
Welcome WebleyOperator to AH! I hope to make it to Australia some day for water buffalo. I just have to convince my hunting partner (granddaughter) to go:ROFLMAO:! Since her first hunt last November, she has decided she needs to go with me on all my trips!
 
Welcome to AH!
 
Glad you joined the posting side.

Welcome to AH.
 
Welcome to AH WebleyOperator! Nice to have you as part of our community.
 
Welcome aboard WebleyOperator. Please tell us a little more about yourself as it relates to hunting. Things like what have you hunted previously, what kind and caliber firearms do you own. Do you have any thoughts or plans for hunting Africa?
The African hunting scene is so far removed from my own. Here in South Australia, particularly the Southeast, we are limited to smaller pest animals. There are growing numbers of deer here (Fallow and Red predominately) but getting permission to hunt them on farm property can be problematic.
A keen pig shooter in my youth I have often dreamed of bagging a decent Warthog.....getting to that time in my life where I can make that a reality.
Before that happens Water Buffalo up in the territory are definitely on my list.
A few years ago I purchased a T3 in 9.3x62, fitted with a VX3i 2.5-8x33 for this job.....but....my real love is for 45-70! I really want to take a decent bull with my 1873 Carbine. It points like a shotgun and consistently shoots 2.5” 100 yard groups. Loaded with 420gr wide meplat (custom CBE mold) flat points at a sniff over 1600fps I’m hoping the ‘stars align’ and my NT trip falls into place later this year.
Fingers crossed.
Calibres I own.....22Lr, .223Rem, 6.5x55SE, .310Cadet, .303Brit, .308Win, 9.3x62, 45-70Govt, 20G and 12G along with BP rifles in 50 and 54 cal. (9mm, .357Mag, .45ACP, .455Webley also).
There’s always room for more though!!

Thanks to you all for the welcome.

Kind Regs,
Simon.
 
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Welcome aboard.
 
Welcome to AH!
 
Welcome to AH, Simon!
 
WebleyOperator, I absolutely love the 6.5 x 55 Swedish Mauser. I was curious as to what a 6.5 x 55 SE is and found out that it is the old Mauser loaded up to a higher pressure for quote, Modern Rifles. Have you ever read any of Nathan Foster's writings regarding the 1896 Swedish Mauser and the loads for it? As it turns out the Swedish steel at the time was significantly stronger than others. Because of that it can be used safely with modern high pressure loads. I push a 140 Gr. bullet at 2775 FPS with my Swedes. Have a look at this:
https://www.ballisticstudies.com/Knowledgebase/6.5x55.html

Nathan Foster is a very respected long range "Kiwi" hunter that has written what he calls his "Practical Series." I have and read all of his books. I took one of my Swedes to Africa in 2016 and harvested a very nice Wart Hog with it. I also use mine to hunt Deer, Boar and or Wild Hogs in the States.
 
WebleyOperator, I absolutely love the 6.5 x 55 Swedish Mauser. I was curious as to what a 6.5 x 55 SE is and found out that it is the old Mauser loaded up to a higher pressure for quote, Modern Rifles. Have you ever read any of Nathan Foster's writings regarding the 1896 Swedish Mauser and the loads for it? As it turns out the Swedish steel at the time was significantly stronger than others. Because of that it can be used safely with modern high pressure loads. I push a 140 Gr. bullet at 2775 FPS with my Swedes. Have a look at this:
https://www.ballisticstudies.com/Knowledgebase/6.5x55.html

Nathan Foster is a very respected long range "Kiwi" hunter that has written what he calls his "Practical Series." I have and read all of his books. I took one of my Swedes to Africa in 2016 and harvested a very nice Wart Hog with it. I also use mine to hunt Deer, Boar and or Wild Hogs in the States.

Shootist it was ironically this very caliber that brought me here. I purchased my first 6.5 Swede, a M96, when I was 17 with 200 rounds of M41 ball ammo for $119.00....after reading a great article in ‘Australian Shooters Journal’. This started my love affair with the caliber and those exceptional Carl Gustavs. Sweet shooting, phenomenal accuracy and wonderful quality arms. This rifle seemed to be equally accurate with projectile weights from 85gn through to 160’s.....it didn’t care about how far that proje had to jump to the rifling. It was phenomenal!
I shot goats with it using 120gr Nosler BT’s that seemed to drop like they’d been electrocuted. I used it for....just about everything!
I still have that rifle. It wears an old Weaver Steelite K8 in Weaver rings. Bolt turned down, and a Timney trigger fitted (sometime in the early ‘90’s). It still shoots real well.
I haven’t read Nathan’s books but sounds like I’d best.
I had been replicating that old M41 load that gave me 2625fps in my Tikka T3 Varmint....mild shooting and one hole accuracy (I’d bought bulk Hornady ‘Match’ BTHP 140grainers) but always thought it had more in it. I’m sure it was one of your posts that lead me to working up to 46.5gr of 2209! I use a COAL of 3.15” and can confirm 2805fps from 24” barrel. I’m gonna have to give this a run through my M96.....something I’d previously avoided deliberately.
Cheers again!
We’ll talk more on this soon!!
Kind Regs,
Simon.
 
It was from Nathan Foster's writings that I got my load. In the States, AR 2209 is called H 4350. It is in fact simply rebranded. I have just over a dozen Swedes in my safe. I bought one for each of my 6 grandkids. Most of them have Timney triggers and sport vintage Weaver K 4 scopes. I also have 3 Swedes in their original 1896 configuration and one Husqvarna with a 24" barrel.
 
Simon, if you really want to shoot a Water Buffalo get in touch with BenKK another Aussie AH member. I'll bet he can offer you some tips and or advice on buffalo hunting.
 
Nice! They really are quite a passion for you then.
They’ve become quite expensive here in Australia.....is this the case in the States too?
Cheers for the tip on Buff too!
I’ll look him up.
 
Welcome to AH !
 
Welcome aboard Simon. Good to see another South Aussie on here, I'm in Mt Gambier myself. Also a big fan of the M96 as I've had one since I was 16 as my first centrefire, which is still going strong today!
 

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