A few photos from my Scotland trip

[Brown Dog]

This rather pales in comparison to 1894's awesome Alpine post, nevertheless, a few photos from my pre-Christmas hind culling trip in Scotland (please excuse the face blanking…I'm shy!).

A foul day, rain and wind gusting upto 60mph; my hunting partner having just pulled off one of the best shots I have seen. I had shot a hind at 210m, with about quarter wind. Its calf ran in a great loop to put itself full wind at around 250m. Instinctive timing and hold off for wind delivered a one-shot drop.
Rifle is one put together by Precision Rifle Services of Scotland and kindly loaned for the trip. 300WSM, Swarovski 8x50, Talley mounts, Nesika made action (branded as PRS) McMillan stock and (I believe) Krieger barrel. Great little rifle!

Another view of the rifle..

It doesn't always rain in Scotland! Your correspondent having a quick cup of tea. Given the positioning of the beast in this photo I think this view is suitable for a caption competition. 5,000,000 grains of granite at 1 metre?

After this photo was taken, took a few plinking shots at 540m rock at a 25 degree down angle. Had to take off 6 clicks to account for the slope. By locking 'slope' into my mind, this set me up well for my most pleasing shot of the trip;a long crawl followed by a 252m beast around 30 degrees downhill with a full value 15mph crosswind…..not desperately long, but pleasing to put all the pieces together to land the shot absolutely plum.

Did I say it doesn't always rain in Scotland? Actually it does /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif. Most of the time we couldn't have got wetter if we'd been for a swim! The beloved AW:


Happy New Year to all!

 

[Dave King]

Thanks for posting...

Took me a little while to hopefully understand the "5,000,000 grains of granite" comment. I was looking at the picture above what you apparently intended. All I could see were hooves just behind the PRS rifle, it cleared up quickly with the next picture.

Are 250 meter shots considered quite long for your area?? I know there are area across the pond that frown on "long" shots, how about Scotland??

 

[Len Backus]

Brown Dog

Welcome, you look exactly like my brother-in-law! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[Brown Dog]

Dave,

Yup, the weak 'granite' joke was based on the fact that the chance positioning of carcass relative to rock in the photo made me think that, rather than being shot, it looks like the beast was killed by the application of a large rock to its head /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

The perception of long range in UK? Obviously I can't speak for all, but I'd say very very few people in UK have the equipment, practice-honed skills or even the real estate to tackle what many on this board define as 'long'.

Obviously I can't speak for all, but at deer, shots at anything over 200m [excepting shots to drop an escaping wounded beast] are unusual, anything over 300m extremely unusual –less distance for the smaller species.

By way of illustration, on the trip shown above, we were on a new estate with a professional stalker previously unknown to us. I took the shots at the 540m rock partly because 'I could' and partly to plant the thought with the professional stalker that I am not the run of the mill 'fat-banker-up-from-London-for-the-weekend' quality of marksman. After I shot the 252m beast, he commented 'I wouldn't have let you take that shot if I hadn't seen you hit that rock'.

That's the mind set over here (I must say at this point that he was actually a bloody good bloke!). Personally –and bear in mind this is from someone with 16 years (and counting!) in the British Army sad enough to buy his own AW- I can't imagine that I will ever take a shot at an unwounded deer beyond 400m; that's my self imposed limit at deer –I'm obviously brainwashed too! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Dave King]

Thanks for the reply and info.

It's an uphill battle for long range hunting, hardly ever can a fella get by at a new place without a demonstration/test and rightfully so I guess but it's still a bit disheartening.

I'd imagine that many a rock has been used to illustrate marksmanship potential(s). My most memorable was on my caribou hunt in Quebec a number of years back, the outfitter was none too keen on "long range". I was throttled to short range for a bit until I could be trotted off to a <font color="red">"Let's see you hit that!!!" </font> rock. After two shots by me and two by my guide (he was the "control group") I was allowed to go about my business as I wished. (They affectionately tagged me with the "Doctor Death" moniker after that 900+ yard rock killing adventure.)

 

[nowler]

very nice brown dog

i am sitting here looking at the pics trying to figure out where you were.....

you are spot on about the perception of longrange shooting being frowned upon in the uk. however, i am sure it is ignorance on the part of the masses of uk shooters who never shoot past 100yards

d.

 

[Brown Dog]

Derek,

Glad you piped up –I was interested to hear your take on my LR at deer in UK comments /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif.
Locations? Given where you live, I'm sure you have access to OS Sheet 34; actually photos from 2 Estates are shown (we had 1 'away-day'!) Photo 1, -my pal with the PRS- Grid: NH413005 looking East [this was on the away day –remember the extreme weather warnings pre-Christmas? This was one of those days!].
The photo of me drinking tea Grid NH302152 looking W. We stayed at the Glenmoriston Arms where the food was just too good –we came away feeling like 'foie-gras' geese!
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Pete Lincoln]

Ahh thats lovely country..
Well i have specialised my self on long range shooting of roe and red in SCotland, most of my shots are over 300m, and i usualy shoot more than the "normal" hunters i take with me just because i have practiced the ability and have the required equipment. The problem in the UK is that the darn game dealers knock you so much bloody money of the carcas price if thebeast is shot even slightly wrong, and its easy at distances over 300m to be an inch or so out, and an inch will make the difference between getting next to nothing for a carcase or the going rate. More and more i see estate stalkers bieng pressured into taking head and kneck shots only due to this reason, and no way would i encourage shooting at the most movable part of a deers body at much over 250m, the head of a roe is a small small target, its kneck bones or vertabrae is even smaller.
I find that if you have the ability to stalk close (and ive shot deet at bajonet range too) and can pull the long range rabbit out the hat then you will do ok wherever you are, the key as in all things is practice practice practice..
nice looking rifles by the way, you wouldn't catch me carrying that AI up much of a hill though !! goo to see some one hase good taste in scopes..
Pete

 

[Nightforce]

Hi y'all!
Small comment from a woodenshoe lad.
I am a rookie when it comes to hunting, but i have also been to Scotland where i shot 4 roe deer with my sako TRG22. I have also been lucky enough to shoot a 91 kilo SWEIN in Germany, both hunts under the professional Guidance of MR Pete Lincoln, the ugly twat whos comment is above mine.
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

@Brown Dog, very nice Ferguson rifle indeed, been to Callums shop, and although bloody expensive, very nice rifles. I am very much interested in what the cost have been, in total, for your Hunting Trip in Scotland, and how many deer you shot.
And how did the Acuracy perform, under Hunting conditions? Problably a bit heavy, like the TRG22...great sniper rifle, but not the best piece for hunting?

@ Pete,
hey M8, how you doin?
Been awhile sine we chatted, time for a brew, dont ya think?
I no longer have the TRG, i am now the happy owner of a Parker-Hale with a 28 inch barrel, 1-12 twist, gonna shoot 155 scenars with it. Thing costed me 450 euro's and should do ok as a hunting rifle....so you got any hunting trip lined up?
Talk to you soon,
Marco.

ps; nightforce rulez over S&amp;B, anytime! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Pete Lincoln]

Marco you cloggy git, in which cheese hole you been hiding? about time your surfaced.. time for a Brew, yes !
Hunting October 2005, a week in the Scottish Borders if you are interested. Did Val tell you i'm getting my weapons manufacturing/dealers licence shortly? started a custom rifle business, gonna give Callum and the rest of em here in Europe some competition. What parker hale do you have?
We had some fun on our trip to Scotland didn't we, its a beautifull country.
and you can keep your nightforce, S&amp;B are better quality.
get in touch.
Pete

 

[nowler]

hi pete

where abouts are you setting up in business? can't imagine it's gonna be cheap to get all the tooling and measuring gear required?

cheers

derek

 

[Pete Lincoln]

I'm in Northern Germany.
Tooling and equipment i alread have, Plans for a slightly larger lathe are in store (due to some folks perversion for 30" barrels) but 26" i can manage already. otherwise all is present. Got some one working on a web site and just waiting for the authorities to get the paperwork processed.
Pete

 

[Brown Dog]

Marco,

Cost was around £100 per day - plus hotel etc.

The AW was no trouble on the hill at all, due entirely to the fact that I had biathlon straps on it -just like wearing a rucksac! (I didn't put it in a slip, just covered the scope and muzzle). I think we tend to get wrapped around the axle a little on gun weight - if you were wearing a 20kg / 44lb rucksac would you notice much if you stuck in an extra 2kgs / 4.4lbs? -thats all the extra weight that the AW represents over more conventional rifles. On the flip side, I certainly did appreciate the extra weight when shivering-****-wet-through and trying to hold steady!

Pete,
Looking forward to learning more of your new business. Presumably you'll be offering Forces discount?! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Derek,
Enjoying the weather up there? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[nowler]

pete

sounds good to be able to set up like that. you've now got what would be my second favourite career. a stalker would be my first, but the cash isn't good enough.

brown dog
the weather has been pretty awesome lately. had to bash the missus's micra through foot and a half drifts yesterday to get to work. wind has been wicked to. i built the house though, so i amn't worried about it blowing down....

derek