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Louis
.375 member


Reged: 13/05/15
Posts: 977
Loc: France
My 2019-2020 Hunting Season
      #339581 - 31/03/20 12:32 AM

As hunting in France closed on 28 February (some areas extended boar hunting until 31 March but due to lockdown it is not anymore possible to hunt anywhere), it is time for me to share some feedback about my 2019-2020 hunting season; in a nutshell: same game i.e. roe deer and isard as the previous years, some hunting opportunities unfortunately missed due to work/family obligations and bad weather conditions, and hard lessons learnt!

I hunted roe buck in the Western Pyrénées Mountains foothills area where I usually get tags; this hilly area, which combines crops (wheat, sunflower and maize mostly), small woods and meadows provides good cover and feeding opportunities to deer. I used this year my Sauer & Sohn kipplauf (1957) in 6,5x57R, zeroed with 9,1 grams / 140 grains RWS DK ammunition.



I went out at several occasions in late July and in early August, at rutting season peak time, always in very early morning. I spotted several bucks that would have been worth being harvested but could not get adequate shooting opportunities or was winded while trying to get closer.

On 7 August in early morning I went back to an area where I had spotted a good buck in the previous week. It was still dark when I get into shooting position in a treeline, on top of a small hill overlooking the meadow where I expected the buck to feed.



Shortly after sunrise I could spot the buck, along with two does (probably the mating doe and her female offspring from the previous year, not yet old enough for breeding), feeding at c. 250 meters away; the shot was a bit long in this environment and, in addition, the deer was on another hunting territory the boundary of which was between me and them; I am not always shy about poaching when it is borderline poaching but in this case this would have been blatant and daylight poaching! I was therefore forced to wait in case the group of deer would move closer to my position while feeding. I waited for almost one hour and at one point, “my” buck started to walk quickly straight into my direction - I would have been slightly worried if it had been a buffalo bull, until I lost sight when it disappeared at the foot of the hill from the top of which I was stalking. Thirty seconds later I saw a nice buck running in front of my shooting position, chased by “my” buck; it was in fact the alfa buck of the area chasing a lesser buck that had come too close from its doe! “My” buck stopped three-quarter broadside at c. 75 meters from me, slightly downhill, looking at the lesser buck that had stopped running and had started to feed at c. 100 meters away. I shot from the prone position at “my” buck; it ran for c. 25 meters to the left, then stopped and ran back over a similar distance before falling down.

The lesser buck, a nice one also, was still there, unafraid by the shot and still feeding at c. 100 meters away; as I had reloaded my kipplauf just after the first shot, I also shot at the lesser buck; as the previous one it ran after having been hit for c. 25 meters in one direction, then stopped and ran back over a similar distance before falling down.

I had achieved a double of roe bucks with a single-shot rifle, over a 30-second maximum period of time!

I packed all my stuff and went to have a look at my bucks. They were nice mature bucks sporting decent trophies; both had been hit in the shoulder/heart area.

“Alpha” buck.


“Lesser” buck.


I gutted/processed them on location, packed the backstraps and hind quarters, as well as the heads, and left the remainder on site, concealed under brush, for carrion crows and foxes.


I was back to my car one-hour and half later.


As I still had one tag left, I went out again in late August; the rutting season was now over. It had been raining most of the previous days, it was still drizzling and there was a well set low westerly wind; this made for me perfect stalking conditions as wet ground allows moving without being too much noisy and as a well-set wind prevents from being winded because of constantly changing wind. I had already stalked from vantage points many tree-line bordered meadows over almost two hours after sunrise - without much luck, when I finally spotted at c. 500 meters away the reddish spot that materializes roe deer from mid-Spring to mid-Autumn (they are greyish the rest of the time). I managed to get closer and identified what was an average buck, not a huge one but one worth a try anyway. Then hide-and-seek game started, we were in low ground covered with tall grass, distant from c. 100 meters from each other; when I could see it, I could not shoot and when I was in good shooting position then I could not see it! In the end the buck sneaked back into the wood, apparently lost to me. I knew that there was a disused track entering the small old fir plantation the buck had gone into so I went there; as soon as I entered the wood I saw the buck feeding on the track side at c. 50 meters from me. It had not yet noticed my presence and it was now for me a matter of take it or leave it; I sat in the mud, resting my elbows on my knees, and shot. The buck looked in my direction, jumped into the dense brush and black thorn that bordered the track, and vanished. I went to the anschuss location, no blood at all; I may have missed however in these shooting circumstances it would have been like missing an elephant in a corridor! I did not enter the brush for tracking it in order to leave it time to die peacefully in case it would have been hit and went instead visiting hill pastures on the other side of the valley, but it was already mid-morning and all deer should have gone back to cover as I was not able to spot any. When I came back one hour later, I found the deer dead at 25/30 meters of the place I had shot it; it had been hit in the shoulder area. It sported a medium-size trophy with broken antlers but big roses.


I gutted/processed it on location, as I usually do.



Just before I left, while I was taking a short rest before going back to the car, a doe paid me an unannounced visit; I was standing motionless back to a tree, she came within 25 meters of me, ran back quickly over a short distance, and came back slightly closer before leaving for good, uninterested by me!

The roe buck staking season was now over for me until next year!


Foxes usually pay also their tribute during the buck stalking season!



Now that the deer season was over it was time to go mountain walking more frequently over the rest of Summer and over the start of Fall in order to get in good shape for isard mountain hunting in November!


Heavily sought mountain hunting this year was unfortunately an almost cock-up from start: I was forced to cancel at the last minute - due to conflicting family obligations, a hunting slot with friends in mid-November, I went hunting in late November but only with mixed result (see hereafter) and was - again, forced to cancel a hunt in late January due to extremely bad weather conditions in the Eastern Pyrénées Mountains.

I hunted for two days in late November the same French Forestry Commission area in the Central Pyrénées located on the border with the Andorra Principality I had already hunted the previous year.




We hunted an area comprised between 1800 and 2200 metres; it had snowed heavily in the weeks before, but only remained a cover varying from ankle-deep in wind swept areas to tight-deep in wind protected areas. The weather was fine. With me were the compulsory Forestry Commission Guide, now a friend after having hunted together for several years, as well as a non-hunting friend that had asked to join and – thanks to him, took a lot of photos, some of which are posted below.









On day one, after some tabbing, we were lucky to spot in the distance what looked to be a good buck and were able to navigate the terrain in order to reach unnoticed a good shooting position.



The buck had been standing almost motionless for almost one hour on a rocky spur, its body was partially hidden by a small bush of either dwarf juniper or dwarf rhododendron but it looked to be an easy target at c. 120 metres, slightly uphill! I aimed at the chest and shot through the brush; the buck was hit, reared twice, stayed for a while staggering before falling out of sight on the far side of the spur.


I was such confident about this easy shot that I even did not take the opportunity to double, which I would have had time to do. My friends congratulated me on this fine shot and we started moving uphill to the anschuss location, which we reached a quarter of an hour later. No buck, but large stains of blood on the snow and rock and the quarry spotted moving away, slightly limping from the front left leg but apparently sound, already distant from more than 300 metres!




As it’s never too late for learning:
• I should not have shot through the brush, which probably deflected the bullet’s trajectory from lung/heart in the chest area to flesh around the shoulder/upper leg, inflicting only a superficial wound to muscle (bright red blood, large stains initially, drops subsequently, and nothing after a short while).
• I should have reminded to always double when it’s possible to double.

We tracked the buck in the snow for more almost one hour, there were only small drop bloods from time to time initially and bleeding subsequently stopped, but it managed to constantly increase the distance between us and I never get a good shooting opportunity.


After a while, it entered a very steep area and we gave up chasing him!


The rest of the day we only saw young isard, or goats, or goats with youngsters.

Young adults:


Goat alone:


Two goats with youngsters from this year and from the previous year.


On the following day, I was lucky to harvest an average 5-year-old buck that was grazing on a small flat area.





It was another easy shot, almost on the flat at c. 150 metres; after being hit the buck ran downhill, leaving large marks of blood that we followed. I was for a while afraid to have lost it as the area he had gone into was very steep but fortunately not rocky and with no cliffs. We found it c. 100 metres downhill in an area covered with dwarf rhododendron; it was processed on the spot in order to avoid carrying back uphill the entire carcass.









That was all for this year, in addition to the usual pests (crows, magpies & nutria) that provide sport all year round and wood pigeon shot with rimfire calibres; I will not make any mention about feral cats as, although it is authorized in France to trap them alive, it is forbidden to shoot them!

Next hunting season will hopefully be good and game is for the time being left extremely quiet in all areas that we are not allowed to roam due to the lockdown situation that prevails, probably almost worldwide. Let’s only hope that in France the situation will be back to normal so that we can start the roe buck season on time, from 1st June 2020!

In the meantime, I wish you and your families good luck through the ordeal we are all going through.

Louis

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


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Waidmannsheil
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Re: My 2019-2020 Hunting Season [Re: Louis]
      #339607 - 31/03/20 06:46 PM

Great story once again Louis. Magnificent scenery particularly the spot with the lake in among all the vertical rock faces. Great looking trophies as well and that is a beautiful rifle to boot. I also very much like your hat with the Edelweiss on the side.

Interesting that you use plastic bags for the meat.

Really well done and thanks for taking the effort to compile the story and posting.

Matt.

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


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Louis
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Reged: 13/05/15
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Loc: France
Re: My 2019-2020 Hunting Season [Re: Waidmannsheil]
      #339631 - 01/04/20 04:01 AM

Thank you Matt.
Storing still warm venison into plastic bags is not ideal but the only option I know when field processing harvested animals without bringing carcasses back. In my case, as hunting areas in Western Europe of temperate climate are never too distant from the nearest fridge or freezer, roe deer venison goes to fridge 3 to 6 hours after having been field butchered and I never got sick or food poisoned (yet?). With mountain game it's slightly different as one can get out for several days in a remote hunting cabin, but as most mountain hunting occurs in either Fall or Winter, day and night temperature are usually low and allow keeping venison outside for a longer period of time; for example, the isard harvested this year went to freezer 36 hours after having been butchered. Anyway I would be pleased to learn in case of different techniques (apart from salting or smoking) from Down Under.
Louis

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


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DarylS
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Re: My 2019-2020 Hunting Season [Re: Waidmannsheil]
      #339632 - 01/04/20 04:01 AM

That was great, Louis. Thanks for the wonderful story and pictures.

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


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


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Waidmannsheil
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Re: My 2019-2020 Hunting Season [Re: Louis]
      #339637 - 01/04/20 07:54 AM

Louis, plastic bags are definitely unusable here in Australia for most places but even in Victoria where the temperatures can get very low in winter I still believe that plastic bags are not all that suitable as they do not allow the meat to breathe and cool down quick enough. I notice that there is condensation in your bags even though the weather is cold.

I and most hunters that I know use pillow cases which are cheap, light and breathe easily. They can be washed and reused and if to heavily stained just thrown out and replaced at minimal cost. Once back at the car I have a number of canvas bags I had made up out of tent canvas measuring 600mm x 900mm with a draw string at the top, which I then place the now cooled down meat which is still in the pillow case into the canvas bag. This way I don't make a mess in the back of the car, the meat doesn't get contaminated and you don't get idiots ringing the police because they saw blood stained bags in the back of your car. Once at home I transfer everything to the coolroom and wash the bags ready for next time.

At least that's what I do and it works for me.


Nice little Land Rover Defender by the way, what year is it.


Matt.

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


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NitroXAdministrator
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Re: My 2019-2020 Hunting Season [Re: Louis]
      #339656 - 01/04/20 08:29 PM

Quote:

Thank you Matt.
Storing still warm venison into plastic bags is not ideal but the only option I know when field processing harvested animals without bringing carcasses back. In my case, as hunting areas in Western Europe of temperate climate are never too distant from the nearest fridge or freezer, roe deer venison goes to fridge 3 to 6 hours after having been field butchered and I never got sick or food poisoned (yet?). With mountain game it's slightly different as one can get out for several days in a remote hunting cabin, but as most mountain hunting occurs in either Fall or Winter, day and night temperature are usually low and allow keeping venison outside for a longer period of time; for example, the isard harvested this year went to freezer 36 hours after having been butchered. Anyway I would be pleased to learn in case of different techniques (apart from salting or smoking) from Down Under.
Louis




While I like hanging my carcasses in a cooler or refridgeration, I find hanging them here in Winter for two or three days is not a problem. If the nights are cool, say 0 to 10 deg C, and the days not too farm, mid teens, the meat is OK. Similar for some of autumn and spring. Nights which are frosty are good. Summer is a real problem. Need to hang somewhere cooled and get in a fridge or freezer quickly.

Flies? I use meat bags, or sheets sewn into bags. Omce had flies get onto the hanging legs and maggots travel down the leg into the meat. Cut off the infect meat and bone. The maggots travelled down the bone into the meat from within.

--------------------
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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NitroXAdministrator
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Re: My 2019-2020 Hunting Season [Re: Louis]
      #339657 - 01/04/20 08:53 PM

Quote:

I am not always shy about poaching when it is borderline poaching but in this case this would have been blatant and daylight poaching!




You sound like a lot of Aussies I know.


Yes I use plastic bags for my meat in a day pack as well.

Quote:

Let’s only hope that in France the situation will be back to normal so that we can start the roe buck season on time, from 1st June 2020!




I hope as well.

Thanks for posting the story and photos. Enjoyed it a lot. Good to see stories from different places and peoples normal hunting activities. Lovely scenery, it must be magical hunting in those places. Refreshing one's soul.

--------------------
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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Louis
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Reged: 13/05/15
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Loc: France
Re: My 2019-2020 Hunting Season [Re: NitroX]
      #339662 - 02/04/20 12:05 AM

Matt, thank you for your kind comments and sound advice. I will try next season pillow cases/canvas bags for roe deer and hopefully red deer also if I manage to be available over the rutting season period; I will however have to buy a new washing machine as can't see my wife leaving me using hers for washing blood-stained hunting equipment . With regards to mountain hunting, I will stick to plastic bags only for a matter of weight as I am always chasing grams to get hold off when packing for mountain hunting! The Defender is not a vintage one but a 2015 issue; I ordered it in late 2014 when Land Rover informed that they would stop production (which they have since resumed) in the following year.

Nitrox and Daryl, thank you for your kind comments also. Hunting territories, as pastures do, look always greener on the other side of the fence !

Louis

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


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Waidmannsheil
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Re: My 2019-2020 Hunting Season [Re: Louis]
      #339688 - 02/04/20 08:56 PM

Louis, I only carry the pillow cases when hunting, they are actually very light, the canvas bags are used when in the car.

I wash all my bags in the normal washing machine after they have been used with a special washing detergent. It makes a nice red soup in the machine but it always cleans out by the time the washing has finished.

Matt.

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


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NitroXAdministrator
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Re: My 2019-2020 Hunting Season [Re: Waidmannsheil]
      #339694 - 03/04/20 12:21 AM

To get rid of a lot of the blood in cloth, soak it in salted water for a while. Blood either cold or hot water. The salt will remove a lot of blood.

Salt is good to remove blood and red wine stains. Spilled red wine on a carpet, while still wet, pour a pile of dry salt on it. The salt sucks the red wine out and often zero stain. Use cold water for washing red wine stains with salt.

Blood I think hot is fine.

Then re-rinse in hot water to get rid of the salt if you want.

Then wash in wife's washing machine.

Muslin and other cloth meat bags, sheets etc to hang a carcass in, gets bloody. Soak in salt water. Wash out in the washing machine.

--------------------
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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NitroXAdministrator
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Re: My 2019-2020 Hunting Season [Re: Louis]
      #339695 - 03/04/20 12:33 AM

Quote:

Nitrox and Daryl, thank you for your kind comments also. Hunting territories, as pastures do, look always greener on the other side of the fence !




One of the hunts I posted on NE about, where I was invited to hunt, the first year, I knew we were walking on land where we did not have permission, for a few hundred metres. The next year, I found out EVERY place we had hunted was the same ...

In the outback sometimes the fences are not internal fences. Big place. A lot of locals never have permission. Can be repercussions. One property I hunted on with permission, they told me about some good places across the fence. The buffalo don't adhere to property line fences after all. Certain types of landowners do next to nothing to manage their properties and next to zero feral control.

In some parts of the world, people get very worked up about it. Other parts it is pretty common. Part of the cultural differences in life.

I do like to have proper permission. Makes life a lot easier. And also as a landowner I expect people to get permission from me as well. Unless serious or for some reason I just tell people to get off, politely, and never involve the police. We have never actually refused permission to anyone who politely asks, and who makes them known to us. With a lot of the new generation of landowners, padlocks and no trespassing signs are pretty much standard and no one gets permission. Greedy selfish pricks. And I can tell you, they still expect the earth in return. Entitlement arseholes.

Paying for hunting used to be non existent in Australia, it was always free, or a gift. Most hunting is still the same. The outfitters in areas such as the Top End have ffffed it up by paying for exclusive access. Unless one's skin is black, only a few people get free hunts nowadays. BTW I don't mind paying a reasonable fee for good hunting, self hunting access. If the hunting is good. We don't have the often European model of hunting leases, paying big money for exclusive hunting and management of wildlife.

Enough ranting, love your hunting stories.

--------------------
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: My 2019-2020 Hunting Season [Re: NitroX]
      #339714 - 03/04/20 03:39 AM

Mom always taught us to wash out blood with cold water as red will "set" it. I've used cold water for cotton bags - worked a treat.

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


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


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Louis
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Re: My 2019-2020 Hunting Season [Re: DarylS]
      #339731 - 03/04/20 05:25 PM

Thank you Waidmannsheil, Nitrox and Daryl; I will make best use of the advice and tips!
Louis

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


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NitroXAdministrator
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Re: My 2019-2020 Hunting Season [Re: DarylS]
      #339740 - 03/04/20 10:18 PM

Quote:

Mom always taught us to wash out blood with cold water as red will "set" it. I've used cold water for cotton bags - worked a treat.




Daryl, you are probably right. I usually use cold water anyway. Maybe dissolve salt in hot water first, then add to the cold water. Pour dry salt onto blood stains if somewhere needed, like on a white shirt.

if the blood has dried, it may create a permanent stain. Same with red wine. Salt is wonderful if it is still damp.

For cloth for carrying meat, some stains are not a big deal. If the cloth is clean and hygienic for the next use of it.

--------------------
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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NitroXAdministrator
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Re: My 2019-2020 Hunting Season [Re: Louis]
      #339741 - 03/04/20 10:25 PM

Quote:

Thank you Waidmannsheil, Nitrox and Daryl; I will make best use of the advice and tips!
Louis




Not a problem. Enjoy your stories. Would be great to meet up one day for a roe deer venison meal in France and a bottle of red wine or two. Or here in Australia for similar.

I want to visit "larcher"/JB in France one day, have met up here in Adelaide, Norway and the Top End, one day it should be France! Also want to visit Joel one day, would be good to win lotto first so I can order a rifle. One or two gunmakers new or again such as Verney-Carron and Geoffrey Couderc (splg?), maybe others. And any good members nearby or possible.

Hope your hunting season soon is possible. And all this BS is something in the past.

--------------------
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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Louis
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Reged: 13/05/15
Posts: 977
Loc: France
Re: My 2019-2020 Hunting Season [Re: NitroX]
      #339766 - 04/04/20 05:44 PM

Nitrox, it would be good to meet the day you will come to France; just let me know with some notice - if possible, as I am often away on business. For the sake of clarity, could you please before we meet let us know if you are a teatotaller so that we may take appropriate pre-emptive actions; you mentioned in your above post that while meeting over lunch we may share "one or two bottles of red wine" however as this won't be much for a gang of grown-up boys, I assume you don't drink alcohol?
Louis

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


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264
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Re: My 2019-2020 Hunting Season [Re: Louis]
      #339879 - 07/04/20 01:58 PM

Louis, great post and pics.
Chamois country looks very similar to NZ.
Any more info on the rifle and pics would be appreciated.
Like the others I run pillow slips or sheets sown to make larger bags, for meat bags.
Cheers Mick


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Louis
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Reged: 13/05/15
Posts: 977
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Re: My 2019-2020 Hunting Season [Re: 264]
      #340012 - 12/04/20 12:54 AM

Mick

Thank you for your comment and pillow bags advice, which I will put into practice, as already mentioned to Matt, John and Daryl.

I purchased this Sauer & Sohn model IX kipplauf in Germany three years ago. The rifle was manufactured in 1957 at Eckernförde (Northern Germany), where Sauer & Sohn had resumed production from 1951/1952. Kipplaufs model IX were available from 1955 but I was never able to find out when production stopped.

She is a sweet little rifle (1,06m-long with a 65cm barrel), light (3,5kg scoped) and with very limited recoil; when mountain hunting, I break it before reaching /after leaving the hunting grounds and carry it in my rucksack, which I find extremely practical.

This kipplauf was already presented on the Forum, see http://forums.nitroexpress.com/showflat....true#Post317033










There are on the Forum people more qualified than me for deciphering such hieroglyphs, however indications given by the rifle’s various markings and proof marks are apparently quite straightforward:
- German proof marks: “Eagle with N” (German nitro proof from 1951 until 1971); “Oak Leaf” (Kiel & Eckenförde proof houses’ mark, from 1951/52 until 1968 or maybe later); “57” for 1957; “175021” (serial number).
- Austrian proof marks: “NPF” (Ferlach proof house); “1875.73” (rifle number 1875 to be proofed in 1973); “35” may refer to rifle maker Walter Outschar.
- I have no clue about what markings “Stlf.2” and “JO”, both under the barrel, mean?
- Reference to calibre, 6,5x57R was obviously re-stamped and some blurred numbers can be noticed underneath the new marking. I assume, but this is only an assumption, that this rifle was manufactured in 1957 in a different calibre, possibly 5,6x52R, and re-rifled in 6,5x57R at Ferlach in 1973.




The rifle was fitted when I acquired it with an excellent Zeiss Diatal 4x32 single turret, which I saved for a future restauration project, and had replaced by a modern Khales KX 2-7x36, which I find more convenient for stalking. These little and light Khales KX 2-7x36 (28 cm-long & 420 grams) were to me perfect for matching with classic rifles (I have another one mounted on a take-down Mannlicher Schoenauer 1908), unfortunately Khales stopped their production two or three years ago, in the same way Swarovski stopped last year selling in Europe their Z3 range (now only available in North America), that was also matching well with classic rifles. Now only remain for the European market big to very big rifle scopes, most of them fitted with too much technology (but unfortunately not yet brewing coffee!) for standard stalking conditions!



As already mentioned I use RWS KS ammunition in 9,1 grams/140 grains; there are lighter bullets with flatter trajectory available from RWS but this one is the best match with the rifle’s barrel.



I wish you and all the Forum members a Happy Easter.

Louis

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


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264
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Re: My 2019-2020 Hunting Season [Re: Louis]
      #340017 - 12/04/20 09:06 AM

Louis, thanks for the reply. Very nice rife and good pics. I run kahles on a coupe of my rifles as well. Ive been on the look out for a single shot stalking rifle for a while. Not very common over here. Ill probably end up going with a Merkel.
Cheers Mick


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DarylS
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Re: My 2019-2020 Hunting Season [Re: 264]
      #340019 - 12/04/20 10:15 AM

A #1 in .303 or .300 H&H would be nice, Mic.

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


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


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264
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Re: My 2019-2020 Hunting Season [Re: DarylS]
      #340020 - 12/04/20 10:29 AM

Pretty much set on a merkel K3 stutzen. Looking at availability and leed time when the kung flu stuff is over. Thinking 7x57 or 7x65. Legal for sambar, over here.
300 H&H in a pre 64 would be very nice .
Used to have a ruger #1 in 45/70, one I regret selling.
Cheers Mick


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Louis
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Re: My 2019-2020 Hunting Season [Re: 264]
      #340026 - 12/04/20 04:15 PM

Thanks Mick and good luck with your search!
Louis

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


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