SSAA NSW

22 Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (NSW) Inc. Andy's Hunting Guide This issue I'd like to discuss the selection of a hunting scope. Too many times I see new chums arrive at the range equipped with a 6-24 scope with dial up turrets, parallax adjustment and illuminated reticle – all things that take valuable time to adjust and can easily go wrong. If you're a long distance marksman and shoot your animals from afar and don't venture too far on Shank's pony, then this type of equipment, combined with your range fi nder and laptop, will assist in bagging your game. On the other hand, if you venture into the thick stuff, chasing up pigs in the lignum or sambar in the dogwood, you'll be best served with a very different optical sight. Firstly, a fi xed 4x power scope will suffi ce for 90% of scrub shooting. If you wish to use a variable, then a 1.5-5 or 2-7 is a great choice. The 3-9 power scopes are very popular and not a bad compromise between short and long range either. The lower powered scopes offer you a much larger fi eld of vision, quicker target selection and generally provide a faster shot. I've also noticed when training new chums to shoot off-hand that they do far better on low power because the perceived movement is far less and their brain is not continually trying to adjust. We're blessed these days with extremely affordable fi rearms of exceptional quality. Many will prove adequate as a hunting fi rearm. So, the money you save by purchasing a budget fi rearm should be directed towards the best quality scope you can afford. You'll change rifl es many times, but I guarantee you'll keep a good scope forever. On a trip to Africa hunting dangerous game, I had the opportunity to shoot a hyena in limited light over a carcass. When the time came, my highly-touted American- manufactured scope, with a bells and whistles radioactive aiming mark, allowed me to see only that – the radioactive aiming mark. The hyena, unfortunately, was lost in the haze of poor quality optics. I returned the following day, slightly over-gunned with my .470 Capstick but fortunately fi tted with a Kahles 1.5-5. As a result, I was able to take the shot 15 minutes earlier, and in less light than the previous day. Other advantages of the lower-powered scopes are compact size and reduced weight. This has two benefi ts; fi rstly, you have to carry it so weight is important while the compact size assists with balance of your fi rearm. Secondly, a big, heavy, bulky scope, when subjected to high recoil, can literally screw the mounts off the fi rearm and reliability goes out the window. These issues are unimportant if you're a truck shooter, such as a commercial kangaroo culler, but, frightfully important if you're going to backpack up to the Vulcan or pussyfoot around Snowy Bluffs. You may also fi nd yourself on the fl ood plains of the Northern Territory with a 20 km walk back to camp – every ounce counts. With practice, a deer-sized animal can be taken with a chest shot at 300 yards. Using a 4-power scope and a ¾ chest-height sighting point, this is achievable. When you're huffi ng and puffi ng and your pulse rate is through the roof, the perceived movement through a 20-power scope will make it impossible to achieve the same shot. Finally, animals don't always drop to the shot, even though they're fatally wounded. A heart-shot animal will take off like it's turbo-charged, and if you're on 20 power in thick scrub, you won't be able to track its departure and claim your prize. As they say, the old acronym KISS (Keep it Simple Stupid) is appropriate when choosing a hunting scope! See you at the range or out in the bush. Andy Mallen Selecting a Hunting Scope Long Range Gear: 6mm A.I., 6-24 Sightron & .204 Ruger, 6-18 Kahles

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