.223 Howa Varminter debut

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.223 Howa Varminter debut

Post by headspace » 10 Apr 2014, 8:44 pm

I took my Howa 223 Varminter out to the range yesterday for a debut sight in and general shoot.

Pretty happy with the results using Norma factory ammo with 52 gn pills.

The scope is a Leopold 4-12x40.

The stock is the "boat paddle" Hogue so I'm pretty happy so far.

JD :lol:
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Re: 223 debut

Post by Deco » 10 Apr 2014, 9:21 pm

Not bad, not bad :D
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Re: .223 Howa Varminter debut

Post by Hucka » 10 Apr 2014, 10:07 pm

Looking good.

Going to be hand loading for it or factory ammo only?
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Re: .223 Howa Varminter debut

Post by mahna » 11 Apr 2014, 7:14 am

V nice JD.
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Re: .223 Howa Varminter debut

Post by Herdsman » 11 Apr 2014, 7:15 am

The foxes are definitely in trouble ;)
Shepherding bullets down range.

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Re: .223 Howa Varminter debut

Post by headspace » 11 Apr 2014, 8:10 am

Definitely going to hand load, but I have to shoot up all this Norma factory first (glee).

I've got some 55gn Nosler Varminators and some 53gn Sierra match bullets handy but the Sierra's are probably a bit too light in construction.

The Nosler's are looking good at the moment with some AR2026H?
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Re: .223 Howa Varminter debut

Post by headspace » 11 Apr 2014, 8:12 am

Herdsman wrote:The foxes are definitely in trouble ;)


Yes indeed that's the plan along with feral dogs. The bounty in Queensland has been raised to $80 scalp.

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Re: .223 Howa Varminter debut

Post by Aster » 11 Apr 2014, 1:28 pm

Same down here in Victoria.

Doubled to $10 for foxes and $100 for dogs in January this year.

I think it's $30 for goats here from memory? Fuzzy on that one...
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Re: .223 Howa Varminter debut

Post by Tonit » 11 Apr 2014, 1:32 pm

I've got the Howa in .22-250 and it shoots great.

Wait till you get hand loading... You could knock those groups in half with a bit of luck.
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Re: .223 Howa Varminter debut

Post by whert » 11 Apr 2014, 1:42 pm

Aster wrote:Doubled to $10 for foxes and $100 for dogs in January this year.


It's about time they bumped them up.

The $5 for a fox is a joke IMO.

Way to much effort for anyone to be trekking for miles every day at $5 a head.
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Re: .223 Howa Varminter debut

Post by Tinked » 11 Apr 2014, 1:51 pm

headspace wrote:I've got some 55gn Nosler Varminators and some 53gn Sierra match bullets handy but the Sierra's are probably a bit too light in construction.


That's Match King you're talking about for the Sierra's obviously?

You could give the 55gr SPT Varminter's a shot. They're a flat base bullet the same as those Match Kings but with a soft-point tip and thicker jacket.

Or the the 55gr Game Kings instead of the Varminiters if you want a boat tail. Not an exact science but a few people have found swapping from Match Kings to Game Kings has been a pretty even swap in some rifles.
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Re: .223 Howa Varminter debut

Post by VICHunter » 11 Apr 2014, 1:52 pm

Aster wrote:Doubled to $10 for foxes and $100 for dogs in January this year.


More on that here for any fellow Vic shooters looking to collect.

Fox and wild dog bounty
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Re: .223 Howa Varminter debut

Post by headspace » 11 Apr 2014, 9:41 pm

Wild dogs have been carving up the wool producers for a while now.

Money or not it's helping out the cockies, they do it hard a lot of the time.

Definitely going to get some Game Kings, I use boat tail bullets where there's a bit of distance involved.

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Re: .223 Howa Varminter debut

Post by Streamline » 12 Apr 2014, 2:14 pm

And worse... I forget where it was, NSW or VIC I think, where someone had a few alpacas in with their sheep to stop wild dogs taking them.

Dogs took the alpacas instead :?
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Re: .223 Howa Varminter debut

Post by Goshawk » 20 Apr 2014, 1:44 pm

Any $$ for fox, dog, goat etc in nsw?
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Re: .223 Howa Varminter debut

Post by Baronvonrort » 20 Apr 2014, 2:43 pm

Goshawk wrote:Any $$ for fox, dog, goat etc in nsw?


No, shooting is considered inhumane by the government,much better to let them die a long slow painful death after being poisoned with 1080.
If anyone can find a vet that does not say shooting is more humane than poisoning they might also be able to find a turd under a rocking horse.

Check out the goats on this property, 20 years ago i was lucky to get half a dozen in a weekend,once upon a time it was considered a good thing to shoot feral pests.
http://www.realestate.com.au/property-m ... ar-7540319
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Re: .223 Howa Varminter debut

Post by headspace » 20 Apr 2014, 7:00 pm

That no longer applies in the Central west of NSW mate. I know there's quite a few places that have made more money from goats than sheep.

There's less work in the goats, no drenching or shearing. You just set up a few trap yards on the place with water and feed in them and the goats yard themselves. You back the truck up and off they go to the abattoir.

In fact I personally know of at least one place that got rid of the sheep and went all out on goats. They mostly get sold for Halal meat. So the cockies don't want them shot any more.
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Re: .223 Howa Varminter debut

Post by lole » 21 Apr 2014, 9:37 am

There was talk of a fox bounty in NSW mid last year I think.

Never progressed though? Someone at the DPI decided they "don't work" from memory.

Victoria would suggest otherwise, but...
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