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Hunting >> Hunting in Australia, NZ & the South Pacific

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264
.375 member

Reged: 15/02/11
Posts: 596
Loc: NT Australia

Merkel 450-400 3" field test
#332931 - 03/10/19 12:01 PM

Still using factory Hornady DGX ammo , with some woodies loaded. Did the dry creeks hoping for some buff action.
Found a small mob and the dry season winds spooked them so a couple of long shots had two cows on the ground. Pretty happy with the projectile performance and power of the cartridge. Few pics and continued on hunting.
On the return thru the springs I found another mob and got in nice and close with two quick kills on another couple of cows. Heres a few pics.
fist cow 140m

Good country ,rub

old wallows

another good cow

Continued on hunting and going over ground I had already covered I put up a good bull of a wallow. All happened pretty quick with a instinctive running shot at 30m. Pole axed the bull but he regained his feet and required another finisher.
Wallow he broke from

First bull with the Merkel

Looking for my rino I lost 5 weeks earlier, I found a couple of pigs. Also found the rino.

recovered 400gr dgx from buff

Liking the 450-400. cheers Mick

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DarylS
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Re: Merkel 450-400 3" field test [Re: 264]
#332932 - 03/10/19 12:21 PM

Those bullets look like they worked perfectly.

--------------------
Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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NitroX
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Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...

Re: Merkel 450-400 3" field test [Re: DarylS]
#332939 - 03/10/19 04:32 PM

Well done Mick.

I am guessing this is your "usual country", the Darwin guys said you hit that country a lot. Looks to be productive too.

The Merkel .450/400 is sure a killer. What are your Woodleigh handloads, are you using hydros or weldcores? I know you are using factory ammo in the photos.

If this was a late season, September hunt, the photos look cooler than the weather probably is. October is hotter again. Especially inland where you probably are. Well done.

--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

Edited by NitroX (03/10/19 04:33 PM)

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264
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Reged: 15/02/11
Posts: 596
Loc: NT Australia

Re: Merkel 450-400 3" field test [Re: NitroX]
#332950 - 03/10/19 07:10 PM

Quote:

Well done Mick.

I am guessing this is your "usual country", the Darwin guys said you hit that country a lot. Looks to be productive too.

The Merkel .450/400 is sure a killer. What are your Woodleigh handloads, are you using hydros or weldcores? I know you are using factory ammo in the photos.

If this was a late season, September hunt, the photos look cooler than the weather probably is. October is hotter again. Especially inland where you probably are. Well done.

The rifle came with data and regulated loads that group well. So Ive stuck to them. Rear Sight needs to be filed down as the impact is about 100mm high
The loads are with woodleighs, 400g PPSN's

September hunt with weather being pretty good as we had a proper dry this year. Going to the same country on Saturday and its going to be horrible. The build up is well and truly here. Country requires big km's and a fair bit of effort for success.
Heres some more pics cheers Mick
450-400 Merkel , the day I picked it up. First and second shot

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Ripp
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Re: Merkel 450-400 3" field test [Re: DarylS]
#332956 - 03/10/19 11:48 PM

Quote:

Those bullets look like they worked perfectly.

Great hunt and yes, bullets appear to have worked well..congrats..

--------------------
ALL MEN DIE, BUT FEW MEN TRULY LIVE..

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DarylS
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Re: Merkel 450-400 3" field test [Re: Ripp]
#332967 - 04/10/19 04:00 AM

Looks like Green-up is there!
I should bring my hunting boots - except they are cold weather hunting boots - how are crocs?(the rubber ones)

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Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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93x64mm
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Reged: 07/12/11
Posts: 3975
Loc: Nth QLD Australia

Re: Merkel 450-400 3" field test [Re: DarylS]
#332973 - 04/10/19 05:44 AM

Your 400 Mick looks like it can more than do the job - the results speak for themselves!
Shame its shooting a bit high, can you change the front blade to a higher one?

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Homer
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Re: Merkel 450-400 3" field test [Re: 93x64mm]
#332979 - 04/10/19 07:10 AM

G'Day Fella's,

Good to see you getting amung them 264!
I imagine this Flat Country hunting, is pretty easy, after spending some time in NZ.

Avagreatweekendeh!
Homer

--------------------
"Beware the Lolly Pop of Mediocrity,
Lick it Once and You Will Suck Forever"

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264
.375 member

Reged: 15/02/11
Posts: 596
Loc: NT Australia

Re: Merkel 450-400 3" field test [Re: Homer]
#332981 - 04/10/19 08:34 AM

Both have their challenges. Staying hydrated is the issue up here. Plenty of hills and little valleys in this country, real ball beakers at the end of the day. Pretty hot crossing the hills or travelling out in the open in the burnt country.
Tend to hunt , stay in the shady creeks.
Willis afte a climb up and out of a small valley, end of the day. 500m to go

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Waidmannsheil
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Loc: Melbourne Australia

Re: Merkel 450-400 3" field test [Re: 264]
#332986 - 04/10/19 11:07 AM

Well done Mick, the Merkel certainly looks good and obviously shoots well. The 450-400 is a bloody good cartridge, very popular down here at the BGRC. Very nice buffs as well.

Matt.

--------------------
There is nothing wrong with vegetarian food, so long as there is meat with it.

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NitroX
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Reged: 25/12/02
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Re: Merkel 450-400 3" field test [Re: Waidmannsheil]
#333011 - 04/10/19 11:38 PM

And all these NT guys wear long sleeves and probably long trousers in the heat as well. :O

Like Kiwis who wear shorts on the tops of mountains ...

--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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264
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Reged: 15/02/11
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Loc: NT Australia

Re: Merkel 450-400 3" field test [Re: NitroX]
#333013 - 05/10/19 12:01 AM

Sunburn and scuffed up legs from grass etc Longs not necessary but easier.
pic of earlier in the year before its burnt, grass is a bit high. Take turns to push grass or follow game trails.

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NitroX
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Re: Merkel 450-400 3" field test [Re: 264]
#333015 - 05/10/19 12:20 AM

Some protection against snakes I think too.

That grass there, yikes for snakes!

--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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DarylS
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Re: Merkel 450-400 3" field test [Re: NitroX]
#333024 - 05/10/19 02:54 AM

Yes, YIKES.
I know my old knees wouldn't take THAT. Snow is bad enough, but at least there have been no snow snakes

around here for many years.

--------------------
Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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Rod4861
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Reged: 12/06/07
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Re: Merkel 450-400 3" field test [Re: DarylS]
#333038 - 05/10/19 10:17 AM

Great post.

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NitroX
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Re: Merkel 450-400 3" field test [Re: Rod4861]
#333051 - 05/10/19 02:16 PM

Now I know why so much of the country gets a burn off. Never seen it like that. A lot of that dry brown grass has fallen over, so when green must have been higher as well.

Even down here about 3000 kms due South of there, we used to have high grass. Colonel William Light the explorer and surveyor before settlement in the 1830's passed by my home area, "Light Pass", and also named our "Duck Ponds Creek". The area was rich in game, ducks and roos, there the creek's name. He also recorded for "Light Pass" that the grass was so high that it reached to his waist while riding his horse. We don't have grass like that nowadays, settled lands, less flooding and flooding sediments on the now river banked flood plains. Probably a dryer climate since then as well due to deafforestation, and also possibly other climate changes. Was only talking about that recently.

High grass in snake country. Yes I think the guys would take turns walking in front. Doing that recently in far shorter grass, i get the dog to walk first when possible. Risk? One of my pruner workers stood on a Eastern Brown Snake a couple of weeks or so ago ... one of the four most deadly snakes in the world, and very common here. It was probably sluggish with the cold/cooler weather, but out to try to warm up in the sun.

--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

Edited by NitroX (05/10/19 02:18 PM)

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Louis
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Re: Merkel 450-400 3" field test [Re: NitroX]
#333059 - 05/10/19 08:08 PM

Great report, thank you for sharing, Mick.
A complete hunter, from the NT swamps to the NZ peaks!
Louis

--------------------
"Everything that doesn't kill me makes me stronger"

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DarylS
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Re: Merkel 450-400 3" field test [Re: Louis]
#333066 - 06/10/19 04:01 AM

Is it possible with so much noise walking through the dead grass that the snakes have plenty of time to move off?

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Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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