What did you do today?

[bigrich]

Made arrows. Got kit ready for 4 days away pig and goat hunting. Got windows measured up to be replaced. Took the missus to the layers. Got blood taken.

good luck on your hunting trip pete

[bigpete]

Made arrows. Got kit ready for 4 days away pig and goat hunting. Got windows measured up to be replaced. Took the missus to the layers. Got blood taken.

good luck on your hunting trip pete

Cheers

[Wapiti]

I came back on the tractor this morning and just had to smile, these two old Red stags are staring at a young 12-point stag in this birthing paddock and his mate, Ghost, one of the new Wapiti bulls we just brought in.

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The older ones lose their antlers before the younger ones. They are fun to look for to hang in the workshop shed, it makes for a great man cave.
These troublemakers are both 6 years old this Christmas, one was 14 points, one 16, but very large antlers. That's why I'm bringing in better blood to get the points up, these are from the old Bris valley stock, not that great.

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They make me laugh. During the rut, they fight, but when the antlers drop, they are mates.

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They are looking for Ghost, who is three years old this Chrissy. As a full-blood Montana Rocky Bull, he's already over a foot taller than the old red boys are. He will end up nearly twice their weight. He's away from the others because I'm trying to quieten him down.

[bladeracer]

I came back on the tractor this morning and just had to smile, these two old Red stags are staring at a young 12-point stag in this birthing paddock and his mate, Ghost, one of the new Wapiti bulls we just brought in.

Boys1.jpg

The older ones lose their antlers before the younger ones. They are fun to look for to hang in the workshop shed, it makes for a great man cave.
These troublemakers are both 6 years old this Christmas, one was 14 points, one 16, but very large antlers. That's why I'm bringing in better blood to get the points up, these are from the old Bris valley stock, not that great.

Boys2.jpg

They make me laugh. During the rut, they fight, but when the antlers drop, they are mates.

Ghost.jpg

They are looking for Ghost, who is three years old this Chrissy. As a full-blood Montana Rocky Bull, he's already over a foot taller than the old red boys are. He will end up nearly twice their weight. He's away from the others because I'm trying to quieten him down.

Photos really don't do justice to the beauty of those beasts in the flesh.

[bladeracer]

Finally got an application into WA Firearms for a temporary permit to take my toys to Perth for the Cowboy WA state titles in a couple weeks. Also got the entry form in.

Tonight I'm helping with a Scout group come-and-try day at a pistol club.

[Wapiti]

Are there still scouts? That's unreal mate, you helping them get into shooting. I have no idea how you do all that much stuff.

[bladeracer]

Are there still scouts? That's unreal mate, you helping them get into shooting. I have no idea how you do all that much stuff.

Rose's mum was a Guide leader for more than fifty years, and Rose's brother's kids are still involved with Scouts, Rovers and Venturers. This one is for a pistol club an hour from me. I'd like to get the local Scout groups, Guides, Rovers, Venturers, Army and Air Force Cadets coming in to try shooting as well.

I have no idea how it all seems to happen either I'm having my grandson drive me to his TAFE this morning to put another half-hour on his log, then I'm into the club to shoot a Standard Pistol match at 1200 with a mate. From there back to TAFE to pick him up so he can drive us to Pakenham to have a driving lesson with a Cowboy shooter. While he does that I'll go to another club to pick up ammo and targets for our club, then go back to collect him. Then back to the other club for the Scout thing, which starts at 1830. If they play for only two hours I won't be home before 2130 at best.

[Wapiti]

Yeah I was in the scouts too, because as a kid my best mate was in, and his dad was "Wiraki", a scout leader.
Actually it was his dad that gave me a Stirling model 20 semi-auto 22 for looking after their place at Easter once. That kind of thing was legal once.
They had camps at some graziers places in the Fassifern Valley and Flinders Peak, and as our family was pretty busted money-wise, that was like gold to me, camping and learning to make stuff. Playing Bedlam and real rough rugby-league.

I actually thought the scouts has dissolved, what with the wierdos that prey on kids who the law protects instead of executes. I think that might be because the judges are that way as well. Great to hear that you take the time to do what you do, those scouts must absolutely love it.

[bigpete]

Drove 5 hours,set up camp,walked 3km looking for goats,had a mob walk almost into camp just before dusk....

[bladeracer]

Yeah I was in the scouts too, because as a kid my best mate was in, and his dad was "Wiraki", a scout leader.
Actually it was his dad that gave me a Stirling model 20 semi-auto 22 for looking after their place at Easter once. That kind of thing was legal once.
They had camps at some graziers places in the Fassifern Valley and Flinders Peak, and as our family was pretty busted money-wise, that was like gold to me, camping and learning to make stuff. Playing Bedlam and real rough rugby-league.

I actually thought the scouts has dissolved, what with the wierdos that prey on kids who the law protects instead of executes. I think that might be because the judges are that way as well. Great to hear that you take the time to do what you do, those scouts must absolutely love it.

It was a fun night, very enjoyable. Younger than I expected, apparently Scouts are eleven to fifteen, but you need to be twelve here to handle firearms. We had seventeen kids, and about half a dozen leaders that also had a shot. The range luckily has eighteen target frames so we pushed all the kids through in one squad, with a shooter supervising each one. We supplied our own pistols, the club supplied the ammo. I don't know if there was any cost to the Scouts. I felt that the young bloke I had might enjoy a combat pistol over a match pistol so I had him use the 1911A1 with .22 conversion and I reckon he enjoyed himself. Some of the kids were very good and I hope they eventually get into pistol shooting. I got home right on 2130.

I did three years of Army Cadets, and I wish I could get my grandkids into it as well. We were discussing it at the club yesterday. You can often tell in just a few minutes when a kid has been through some sort of training - Scouts, Cadets and such, just by how they stand and how they address people. We need a lot more of it I think. I contacted the local unit about six weeks ago and got no response.

[Wapiti]

That's great to know there are people who go to the trouble you go to mate to keep shooting interest up.

Imagine if we had a country like the US, with their Civilian Marksmanship Program?
Where they actually refurbish M1 Garands, and actually new ones too, and make them available to shooters? And about now, all these (prior considered machine-guns), real original M14's, are being made available too as permanently-converted semi-autos?
And then I am reminded of the parasites we have destroying every right we have in this country, while the "little people" are desperately trying to keep things bearable.

[Wapiti]

The wife wanted to do an afternoon run looking for cast antlers from the big boys. She wants a few for her work for patients to check out the sizes and the weight and imagine what it would be like to have so much outrigger weight sticking out each side of your head for half the year.
The older ones, and the larger Reds drop theirs before the younger ones, I believe it's to get more time to form their much larger, nutrient-demanding fighting impliments to be ready for the mating season.
I had found these two off the same stag where I'd been feeding out for the cattle, it's unusual for two to drop from the same animal in one spot.
But all the others escaped us, she was disappointed. But there's heaps still out there. We hope to find them before the sun bleaches them too much.
And, I need more hanging in the shed, the boy zone.

Bullys.jpg (688.82 KiB) Viewed 2316 times

[Wapiti]

I was hunting around for a cast antler that wasn't too special, to put in Tawney's cage for something extra to hop about on and came across this unusual Fallow antler.

The extra tines up the beam are quite unusual, one even splits to two in a fork.
The palm has been severely worn down to bugger all by constant fighting, it would've been nice to see it on a Buck that didn't have other males that like to fight as much as he obviously did.
Probably doesn't look all that unusual, but to me who's picked up hundreds and hundreds of them and mixed with many male deer and see them at their prime, it is quite unusual.

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[bladeracer]

Finally got an application into WA Firearms for a temporary permit to take my toys to Perth for the Cowboy WA state titles in a couple weeks. Also got the entry form in.

Finally got a response from WA Firearms about my temporary permit this morning...to tell me that I submitted the old form and that I need to resubmit it on the new form for him to process it

I called on August 24 to request an application, and they emailed me the form for it - dated June 29 this year, version 2.9. He has sent me the "current" form which is dated May 27 last year, version 3.0. Both ask for all the same information. The only difference is that the one I filled out includes an additional section for a "group" of shooters or "team". A club member told me last week that he was told that I should've applied as a group of one as apparently there is no fee for groups.

I've responded saying that if he can approve the permit for me today then I am happy to resubmit the application on the correct form with all the same information. If he can't approve it today then there is no point in continuing and I need to start preparing to go and shoot the Chisholm Trail at Millmerran, Qld the following week instead. The drive to Perth is 3500km, and I don't want to be shooting the day after I arrive, so I want be there by Wednesday evening at the latest to shoot Friday through Sunday. To do that comfortably, with a little room for contingencies, I want to leave Sunday morning - four nine-and-a-half-hour days of driving and Thursday in-hand for contingencies and to recover. I can leave midday Monday (if I give him a chance to approve the permit first thing Monday), but that does make it significantly tougher. I could do 1100km and be at Port Pirie by midnight Monday for a sleep. Madura is 1250km from Pirie, which is possible for Tuesday night. Perth is another 1150km so I could be at the club by Wednesday evening. Won't be much fun but it is doable, and I could back it off a bit to arrive midday Thursday if I feel I need to. But it doesn't leave much room for flat tyres or other issues en-route.

Without the permit, I'm left with going up to Millmerran, Qld again for the Chisholm Trail from September 27 to Oct 4, a terrific week of shooting. And only an 18 hour drive to get there.

[Fester]

Even as keen a shooter as you, bladeracer, I would just say GAGF to WA.
I always said I would shoot anywhere, but never take guns into WA.

I am so upset about us now going the same way, and I so hoped the next mass shooting would be in Perth.
As per usual, we had a few hints, authorities were warned, govts did nothing, apart from supporting and even attending those disgusting marches; then the climax happened in Sydney.
They are all now very quiet about those marches that they participated and supported.

How often do you shoot when at home, bladeracer?

I shot yesterday, but ranges have become less appealing now.
I shot weekly and at least once a fortnight for about 10 years.

I can still spread my disciplins and shoot something at least once a month or 3 weeks apart.
Luckily, never had an interest in comp shooting, just shooting.

[Wapiti]

For you blokes with a bit of interest in deer, here's a pic I took today from the tractor.
The red deer on the left has his 3rd head, his first was a spiker of course, then he was a 5/5, and his third is this small 6/6. Only a small thin 12-pointer, but he's young. Any day now he'll drop those antlers, judging by the older reds having dropped theirs already.
The wapiti bull on the right is the same age as the Red on the left, but he's already dropped his antlers and is punching out a new, much bigger set really fast.

RipAndGhostSept26.jpg (696.51 KiB) Viewed 780 times

This shows the difference in size between Reds and Wapiti (mistakenly called Elk) of the same age.

RipAndGhostSept26b.jpg (671.16 KiB) Viewed 780 times

You can also see why the American Indians called them wapiti, or "white deer" because of their winter coats being much lighter.
For you deer lovers.

[bladeracer]

Even as keen a shooter as you, bladeracer, I would just say GAGF to WA.
I always said I would shoot anywhere, but never take guns into WA.

I am so upset about us now going the same way, and I so hoped the next mass shooting would be in Perth.
As per usual, we had a few hints, authorities were warned, govts did nothing, apart from supporting and even attending those disgusting marches; then the climax happened in Sydney.
They are all now very quiet about those marches that they participated and supported.

How often do you shoot when at home, bladeracer?

I shot yesterday, but ranges have become less appealing now.
I shot weekly and at least once a fortnight for about 10 years.

I can still spread my disciplines and shoot something at least once a month or 3 weeks apart.
Luckily, never had an interest in comp shooting, just shooting.

I agree with you, I never recommend any shooter bother with WA

But I'm from there and have mates that I'd like to catch up with, so a competition shoot is a great excuse to make a trip over. When I rang last month they emailed me the form and told me it takes seven to ten days to process. To ensure there were no issues that might hold it up I rang again while filling it in to clarify some things that don't make sense. As it is two weeks spent away from the farm this is not something I could book up months ahead of time, we had to know that it would be okay to be away for the period. I was figuring that this was likely to be the last trip I make across there so I was looking forward to it. Now we'll see if it might be possible to make it across next year. It would be awesome if I can manage to do all the state title shoots next year

My focus has been on pistols since mid-2024. I generally shoot an ISSF practice match and an air pistol match every Monday. Our air pistol matches are our club social nights where members catch up with each other, and our committee meetings are on Mondays. I shoot a practice match and either a rimfire or centrefire pistol match every Wednesday. I shoot two rimfire and/or centrefire pistol matches every Saturday as well as a practice match in between the scheduled matches. Last year and earlier this year I was also fitting in an air pistol match on Wednesdays and Saturdays but mostly stopped doing those in July - I need to find time to get back to them as they're great practice. I shoot a Cowboy match every month locally, as well as the away matches (we do also shoot two practice Cowboy matches each month but I haven't been able to get to many of those this year - checked the log and I've only done two local Cowboy practice matches this year. For Cowboy so far this year I've shot the Victorian state titles (Little River), South Australian state titles (Virginia), NSW state titles (Bathurst), plus smaller two- or three-day matches - The Last Posse (Nowra), The Barney Mother's Day Bash (Barnewatha), and The Battle of Walker's Creek (Little River - all blackpowder). I'm still expecting to do The Chisholm Trail (Millmerran, Qld - eight days of shooting), The OK Corral (Warragul-Drouin), the nationals (Virginia, SA - Oct 19-25), The Border Shootout (Mildura), Rawhide (Little River), and hopefully the Tasmanian state titles (Glenorchy). I also shot the ANZAC (Little River) which is a great shoot hosted by Military Rifle Club. Last year I was also shooting three IPSC matches per month at two other clubs but haven't shot any IPSC this year. I've been shooting Service Pistol and WA matches at another club but they clash with my local club's Saturday matches. I try to shoot one of our Saturday matches either before or after I shoot a Service/WA match at the other club, with just over an hour's dash to get to the other club in time for the next match. I'm really hoping to fit in a trip to Alice Springs this year to fit in a Cowboy match and a shotgun shoot but I don't know if I'll manage it. All last year and earlier this year a mate was coming out once or twice a week for some lever-action rifle practice with me, but since my kids moved down to the farm we haven't managed to find time for that, something else I need to get happening again.

I'm with you on that as well, I just enjoy shooting, I don't care about scores or competition results

Rifle competition I haven't done since Army Cadets in '83, other than a Lee Enfield shoot in NSW in 2023, and the '25 and '26 ANZAC shoots at Little River. Other than those three I haven't shot at any rifle ranges in 43 years.

[Wapiti]

And here's some old stags laying up in the shade at one of their shelter sheds dotted around the place, for them in cold rainy winter weather if they want.
They've already dropped their antlers for this year, and will soon start growing new sets.
They are pretty quiet at the moment because they have only their hooves to push one another around with for now.

StagsCamping.jpg (680.51 KiB) Viewed 779 times

[Wapiti]

Even as keen a shooter as you, bladeracer, I would just say GAGF to WA.
I always said I would shoot anywhere, but never take guns into WA.
Luckily, never had an interest in comp shooting, just shooting.

I agree with you, I never recommend any shooter bother with WA

Mate that's f**ked.
Why couldn't the lazy mongrel just do it for you and not be such a dudley-do-right.
The next time some ill-advised person calls police and government employees, set them straight - calling them "public servants" is an oxymoron.
"Self-serving", without performance and productivity measures is more truthful.
Imagine those oxygen thieves in a private business - no that's also silly, they'd be sacked pretty soon.

[bladeracer]

Mate that's f**ked.
Why couldn't the lazy mongrel just do it for you and not be such a dudley-do-right.
The next time some ill-advised person calls police and government employees, set them straight - calling them "public servants" is an oxymoron.
"Self-serving", without performance and productivity measures is more truthful.
Imagine those oxygen thieves in a private business - no that's also silly, they'd be sacked pretty soon.

He is the only guy doing permits apparently. When I called yesterday he was at a staff lunch according to the girl I was talking with. In four phone calls and two emails I never found anybody that could confirm they had actually received my application. One girl the other day asked me to email it to her while we spoke so she could confirm that she actually had it. Not that it would've helped as only the one bloke doing the permits needs it, and he needed it last week to have any hope of me seeing it in time. I was told tonight that they did the same trick to another interstate shooter who is also out now.

The form I submitted is for a temporary permit to bring firearms to WA to use them. The new form that he wants is for the same thing. The only difference is that one form includes an additional page to list a group of shooters rather than an individual - both forms allow an individual to apply. I can see no other differences. All of the information I provided in my application is exactly the same stuff he wants on the new application - nothing additional. The "old" form dated June this year is "LSF17 Permit Application V2-9.pdf", the "new" form dated May last year is "LSF17 Permit Application V3.pdf". I don't think they have a clue what they're doing.

I was looking forward to catching up with my mates. I wasn't much looking forward to the 76 hours of driving though, and it is only three days of shooting, so I can live with missing it. Perhaps next year will be possible. The Chisholm is eight days of shooting, and I may well be able to drop in on you and DJ again, possibly with a grandkid or two as well. One of the kids is already booked to fly up next week for a visit. I may be able to fit another in the car on the way up. Coming home with two of them will be tougher so I'll see if I can pack everything into the car and leave two seats free. I don't mind taking the risk of driving through the night, but I won't with the kids, so that will slow me down. I'll probably have to stop at least once each way and spend a night in a donger or motel rather than sleeping in the car as I prefer.

It may also be an opportunity for a Cleaver run to help some club members here stock up.

https://www.southerndrifters.net/docs/Match_forms/Chisholm%20%20Flyer%2026.pdf
The round count for Chisholm is hefty, a good 1000rds if you shoot everything. The following weekend is the OK, only a two-day shoot, then the nationals, seven days of shooting and another 1000rds. The following weekend is three days shooting in Mildura. I need to load an awful lot of ammo.

[bladeracer]

I think I should clarify some of this for those that might be interested in what Cowboy shooting is.

Chisholm Round Count 2026.jpg (122.19 KiB) Viewed 555 times

Buffalo Hunter is a single-shot rifle, most often a .45-70 Sharps Rifle with a 32" barrel and tang aperture sight, shot off sticks, but there are other rifles and chamberings used. We shoot at steel buffalo silhouettes on trailers. Last year we shot it from 600m out to 1000m.
Quigley Qualifier is generally the same rifle used for Buffalo but only at one distance - 800m without sighters.
Bodine Challenge is the same as above but at 1000m.
Lever-Action Rifle (Rifle Calibre) is a lever-action mostly in .45-70, but .30-30 is also common, shot offhand. Last year we shot this from 100m to 400m at plates and smaller buff silhouettes.
Lever-Action Rifle (Pistol Calibre) is the same as above but in .38 Special, .357, .44-40, .45Colt and such and I think we shot it from 50m to 200m. There is also a .22LR lever-action long-range match which I think we shot from 50m out to about 175m last year.
Cowboy Clays is a 5-Stand clay pigeon shoot. Most use their coachguns but some do bring longer barrels for this. Generally you can shoot this as many times as you like but if there's a big turn out they like to limit it at first to ensure everybody gets a chance before they run out of birds.
The Challenge is a shotgun-heavy almost IPSC style. Last year it was rifle and shotgun only. We started with the rifle and shot a number of plates, then grabbed the shotgun, dropped a couple of poppers, ran to the poppers, dropped another couple of poppers, ran to those, and so on. Good fun.
The Frank Buck James Age Challenge I didn't do this last year but I think it was a team of two, one youngster and one "senior" cowboy.
Posse Team Wood Chop The main matches are shot in squads or "posses" that we stay in for the entire shoot. At some point during the week the posse will go to the range set up for the wood chop. Everybody loads 10rds in their rifles and we shoot one after the other trying to cut a board in two - 75x50 treated pine last year. Commonly the board is cut fairly early so not everybody gets to shoot this one.
Derringer Match Derringers, and ammo, are provided. I wanted to shoot this one last year but got held up with a rifle problem and missed it. Very close-range.
.22 Events this includes the .22 long-range rifle match but as I don't have .22 revolvers I've never shot the other events. I assume it's similar to other Cowboy stages
Speed Events A Cowboy stage that is split up into pistols, rifle and shotgun. Shoot each part on its own for an individual time, then shoot the combined stage for a final time. Can shoot as often as you like but only your first times count.
Warm-Up Stages Four standard Cowboy stages to get us tuned in for the main match.
Main Match This is what most people come for, last year I think we had 183 shooters. Twelve Cowboy stages shot over three days, followed by the shoot-offs between the top placings on the last day. Two revolvers, a lever-action rifle and a side-by-side shotgun.
Pat Garrett Match PG is the same as Cowboy stages but adding a second rifle in .45-70 or .30-30, or you can use a single-shot rifle instead and fire half as many rounds. Only four stages shot.
Plainsman Match is similar to a Cowboy match but with cap and ball revolvers and a single-shot rifle. Four stages.
1911 Match Also Wild Bunch or Roosevelt in different states. Cowboy that is shot with the 1911 pistol, lever-action rifle and lever- or double-shotgun. This match only allows .45ACP pistols but Qld didn't allow .45ACP on pistol ranges so was restricted to 9mm or .22LR 1911's - until this year as they can now shoot .45ACP. Four stages. Wild Bunch used to require a rifle of .40-cal or more, but last year SASS relaxed it to allow .38's to get more shooters involved.

Last year we also had a long-range pistol match, shooting steel gongs from 10m to 50m I think, one shot on each from each pistol.

[Wapiti]

Man, you are dedicated. You oust have maga callouses from all that handloading mate. If there's someone shooting more than you do and getting into your events, I'd be buggered.
Might be a blessing you can't do that long trip to WA, with the fuel jumping so high overnight with all the Houthi buggering around in camel yards.

[bladeracer]

Man, you are dedicated. You must have maga callouses from all that handloading mate. If there's someone shooting more than you do and getting into your events, I'd be buggered.
Might be a blessing you can't do that long trip to WA, with the fuel jumping so high overnight with all the Houthi buggering around in camel yards.

It is a lot of time reloading ammo. I haven't met anybody else shooting over 30,000rds per year but I'm sure they must be around, some of the IPSC shooters, and top-tier ISSF shooters must be doing lots of practicing, though they might be sponsored free ammo. So far this year I've loaded 5907rds.

I was figuring on $1000 in fuel for Perth, it'll be half that for Brisbane. With 60L in jerry cans I'm good for 1600km range if fuel does become a problem again. According to Google Maps, from home to Millmerran is 1605km.

[Wapiti]

Mate if you get stuck, or up for something to break up the trip, you're welcome to stay here at our modest little farmhouse for a night. You know where I live.

[Wapiti]

Had a bit of time as the sun went down after a visiting neighbour left. He geed me all up as he's a gun nut and has his 300's, 308's etc and is right into the pigs.
So I dragged out a rifle after he left and took about 20 shots at some far targets I have set up on a ridgeline past the bulls paddock.
I have a few targets there up to 500m, the furtherest is a boar I cut out of 12mm plate, 400 wide x 300 deep.
It's the target I always offer the fellas who come out with their latest manbuns and offer them a chance to show me their awesome 1st shot centre hit, you know, the far superior calibre and all.
Hey, it's only 500m, and it's basically 4.5MOA wide and 3MOA deep... easy right? Yeah, on paper.

DTAa.jpg (685.26 KiB) Viewed 375 times

Only a humble 308 today, with the 168gn Matchys, but just great fun to see those dots appear smack bang in the kill zone of what's basically a medium piglet in size.

DTAb.jpg (691.27 KiB) Viewed 375 times

I sometimes forget how this impromptu shooting can be such fun.
Also is just using a bipod, on strange different objects around the place, as you would in real life. Like haybales which aren't exactly stable like a bench, nor are those awful tilt bipods. Great practice.

[Fester]

Even as keen a shooter as you, bladeracer, I would just say GAGF to WA.
I always said I would shoot anywhere, but never take guns into WA.

I am so upset about us now going the same way, and I so hoped the next mass shooting would be in Perth.
As per usual, we had a few hints, authorities were warned, govts did nothing, apart from supporting and even attending those disgusting marches; then the climax happened in Sydney.
They are all now very quiet about those marches that they participated and supported.

How often do you shoot when at home, bladeracer?

I shot yesterday, but ranges have become less appealing now.
I shot weekly and at least once a fortnight for about 10 years.

I can still spread my disciplines and shoot something at least once a month or 3 weeks apart.
Luckily, never had an interest in comp shooting, just shooting.

I agree with you, I never recommend any shooter bother with WA

But I'm from there and have mates that I'd like to catch up with, so a competition shoot is a great excuse to make a trip over. When I rang last month they emailed me the form and told me it takes seven to ten days to process. To ensure there were no issues that might hold it up I rang again while filling it in to clarify some things that don't make sense. As it is two weeks spent away from the farm this is not something I could book up months ahead of time, we had to know that it would be okay to be away for the period. I was figuring that this was likely to be the last trip I make across there so I was looking forward to it. Now we'll see if it might be possible to make it across next year. It would be awesome if I can manage to do all the state title shoots next year

My focus has been on pistols since mid-2024. I generally shoot an ISSF practice match and an air pistol match every Monday. Our air pistol matches are our club social nights where members catch up with each other, and our committee meetings are on Mondays. I shoot a practice match and either a rimfire or centrefire pistol match every Wednesday. I shoot two rimfire and/or centrefire pistol matches every Saturday as well as a practice match in between the scheduled matches. Last year and earlier this year I was also fitting in an air pistol match on Wednesdays and Saturdays but mostly stopped doing those in July - I need to find time to get back to them as they're great practice. I shoot a Cowboy match every month locally, as well as the away matches (we do also shoot two practice Cowboy matches each month but I haven't been able to get to many of those this year - checked the log and I've only done two local Cowboy practice matches this year. For Cowboy so far this year I've shot the Victorian state titles (Little River), South Australian state titles (Virginia), NSW state titles (Bathurst), plus smaller two- or three-day matches - The Last Posse (Nowra), The Barney Mother's Day Bash (Barnewatha), and The Battle of Walker's Creek (Little River - all blackpowder). I'm still expecting to do The Chisholm Trail (Millmerran, Qld - eight days of shooting), The OK Corral (Warragul-Drouin), the nationals (Virginia, SA - Oct 19-25), The Border Shootout (Mildura), Rawhide (Little River), and hopefully the Tasmanian state titles (Glenorchy). I also shot the ANZAC (Little River) which is a great shoot hosted by Military Rifle Club. Last year I was also shooting three IPSC matches per month at two other clubs but haven't shot any IPSC this year. I've been shooting Service Pistol and WA matches at another club but they clash with my local club's Saturday matches. I try to shoot one of our Saturday matches either before or after I shoot a Service/WA match at the other club, with just over an hour's dash to get to the other club in time for the next match. I'm really hoping to fit in a trip to Alice Springs this year to fit in a Cowboy match and a shotgun shoot but I don't know if I'll manage it. All last year and earlier this year a mate was coming out once or twice a week for some lever-action rifle practice with me, but since my kids moved down to the farm we haven't managed to find time for that, something else I need to get happening again.

I'm with you on that as well, I just enjoy shooting, I don't care about scores or competition results

Rifle competition I haven't done since Army Cadets in '83, other than a Lee Enfield shoot in NSW in 2023, and the '25 and '26 ANZAC shoots at Little River. Other than those three I haven't shot at any rifle ranges in 43 years.

I couldn't even keep up, just reading; lucky it's pistols and you aren't going through barrels.
I found I had to put in a session of reloading 2 or 3 times a week when I shot a lot more, as I won't do boring work like that for hours on end.

I can now keep well ahead and just do a session of case prep or seating about once a fortnight, mostly to run the electronic machines, so they have less chance of dying.
Will need some case prep sessions, as one cal has only 1 box of prepped and primed cases ready to load.
Also opened my last 1/2KG bottle of 2213sc, so got to do a shopping run, and pay the new 1KG price.
I don't need 4KG containers of 2213, like 08, and 09. Just a spare small bottle.
I don't miss all the reloading one bit.

I can see now, coming from WA, sad, but at least you chose Vic, lets hope no mass shooting happens there, and your new leader doesn't jump in with Albosleasy for a reach-around; he looks like a weird fkr.

[Fester]

Good deer pics Wapiti, I had to scroll back to see the others.
I have never seen a Fallow antler quite like that one.

Do you also get wild deer on the farm?

Looks dry, but you must be used to that in those drought-prone areas.

[Wapiti]

Antlers can be strange, there's some spectacular ones popping up. They call them "non-typical", I spose that's a good description. I waste a bit of time looking around between jobs, I get sidetracked. Maybe it's a reminder of easter egg hunts as kids when we went camping at easter. And it's the evolution thing too, watching them change each season, it certainly is very unpredictable.
Does make me quite critical of what I keep reading in shooting books, example was an article in last months SSAA Qld magazine about judging deer age from antler growth, the article was completely wrong and I wonder why this stuff gets published, I guess nobody knows any better.
But when you see an animal over it's lifetime as I do, rather than as a casual hunter who writes for magazines who very rarely sees the same animal because it gets shot by them or someone else - then it's hard not to get a bit disappointed with these articles.

People drop in and take a few home, the last bloke the other day was a farming rep who's 12 y.o. son was in his workshed making knives as a hobby, so I gave him ones with good beams for knife handles. No, this isn't some pretend refugee who's going to go on a shopping centre rampage, but a country kid making stuff to use in the bush.
Probably illegal in Qld because of the behaviour of imported trash and the dick-dribbling pollies, not a real good Aussie kid making something with his own hands. A real true-blue kid.

The rest I hang in the shed in the man cave. No TV in the man cave though, just machines to work the imagination.

[Wapiti]

A pic to brighten up the somewhat dark subjects on other threads.
The pair of antlers in the centre is from a Red stag, he grew these when he was 5 and turns 6 this Christmas.
He's only a 14-pointer, his last two years he was 14, so this year I expect 16. What's impressive is that they are always so uniform.
On each side is a pair of wapiti antlers from a bull Elk, he was 2 years old when he grew these. This Christmas he will be 3. This is his first head.
I am hanging out to see what he punches out this year and into next.

Elk vs Red antlers.jpg (680.04 KiB) Viewed 282 times

I have 5 bulls now, and 15 purebred cows (wapiti) and 6 hybrids (Elk/Red mix) about to drop. thank goodness there's more successes than tragedies.
There's so many things you can do if you really want to. Some people like jet skis, or fixing old cars.

[Wapiti]

This bull has started eating cattle nuts out of a bucket I hold now, so a bonus. With a little help from the young red stag I'm using as a Judas deer, to show him I'm a good guy.

GhostandRip.jpg (698.96 KiB) Viewed 241 times

You can't round up deer, they herd like cats or donkeys. They respond to trickery and bribery.
Hopefully these pics break up all the doom and gloom lately.