Thread: .222 .223 .222mag .5.56.. THE CALIBRE OF CHOICE FOR MANY HUNTERS

Originally Posted by SiB

Leupold warranty? I have a basic VX1 3-9 x40 I bought s/h on my .223. No paperwork. If this scope craps out might Leupold honour the warranty or am I out of luck without orig receipts etc? It's an oldie that's for sure.

Most likely. The newer "cheaper" models I think only have a 10 year warranty now, but the gold ring versions still offer lifetime warranty. As far as I know. you don't need paperwork, I've had a couple of scopes sent back to the US and have never had an issue. One was a scope I bought there and brought home. The NZ distributors arranged all warranty stuff through Leupold in US.

Originally Posted by Nick-D

Sigh now I want a .223. Another thing to try get past the missus

You missed the point - you can get rid of your other rifles the 222/223 replaces everything!

Originally Posted by Shamus

You missed the point - you can get rid of your other rifles the 222/223 replaces everything!

Not during the Roar.......

Originally Posted by Scouser

Not during the Roar.......

Its magical killing powers are seasonally affected?

Originally Posted by Shamus

You missed the point - you can get rid of your other rifles the 222/223 replaces everything!

I think you missed the point. More guns = better than less guns. This whole firearms mallarky gets addictive rather quickly. Just one more, honest, oh but wait, I dont have anything in 30 cal either....

Originally Posted by Shamus

Its magical killing powers are seasonally affected?

Testosterone....its a bitch....not saying a 222/223 wont kill a Roaring stag if delivered in the right place, but in the bush up close Shamus, you would have to be as 'cool' as your 'gun totin' avatar to drop the bastard!!!!!!!

I see a few guys that like to wear dive boots or bare feet in the bush.... what did the old school guys wear?

Originally Posted by madjon_

Attachment 27835

whoooo, old school racing slippers.....with cleats......nice, are they the 'bullers'?...ive got Ashleys...

Originally Posted by bully

I see a few guys that like to wear dive boots or bare feet in the bush.... what did the old school guys wear?

Both my grandfather and my father thought double or triple layers of work socks was good stalking footwear

I happen to have a Sako Vixen L461 .222 for sale if anyone wants one :-)
Check the Buy & Sell page.

Originally Posted by Scribe

Attachment 27482

In the professional field of hunting.
Bullet placement is of course the essence with these calibres as IS TRUE with every other calibre. An animal can only be so dead and a gut shot or leg shot is the same by any other calibre. Place any of these bullets above, forward of the last rib into the engine room of a deer and its yours. Remember one thing though, its not where the bullet hits an animal it is the path through the animal that counts.

Bush bucking capabilities of these rounds is not great but neither is the bush bucking capabilities of any high powered rifle. If you don't believe this then try firing a magazine of tracer 308 3006 303 on automatic into a forest at night you end up with a Catherine Wheel Effect of spinning bullet fragments that will come half way back to meet you.

In the NZFS in the sixty and seventies you could use whatever calibre you wanted but you were only supplied with 2 .270 and 3 .222 rounds per kill. Among the hunters I worked with and knew, the vast majority used the deadly little Sako Vixen .222. Second most popular calibre was the 243, the boys using this calibre, would trade the 270 rounds at the local sports store for powder and projectiles.

I can only ever remember losing about one deer a month using the .222 and I wouldnt mind a dollar for every hour I have spent on my hands and knees blood trailing deer shot with other calibres 303's, 308's, 3006's and in particular 270's. The NZFS at this time had CAC producing a 270 rounds stamped on the base NZFS, using a 130 gr bullet that was spectacularly ineffective. When I started as a shooter I replaced a guy who had an accident and he was on 35th one shot kill so far that month using a .222.

My current and preferred deer rifle to this day is a Sako Vixen that began its life as a .222 and was re-barreled for .222 mag. This is a great cartridge and I used it until I started aerial shooting using an ar15 that I eventually brought. I then had the vixen re barrelled in .223 to use the same ammo. I have used a lot of 5.56x45 FMJ on deer with outstanding success. In the aerial shooting game many firms started there shooter of with the sig 308's but most gravitated quickly to the .223 an ar15, Ruger, HnK.

Big deer, little deer, Red, Sambar, sika, fallow, wapiti, thar and chammy, never mind, they have all fallen in their thousands to the deadly family of cartridges above. So if you are sharing a hut with another bunch of hunters and there is an old bugger there with a well used Sako .222 keep your eye on him because he is probably a big tallyman in a previous life and he will clean out the valley.

The Contract shooters of this day that I am in touch with all use .223. for goat control and deer control.
As professionals shooters like us, they pride themselve's on having the best tools for the job.

On the subject of range. I shoot with people who have found the lure of the long range calibre irresistible. They say we can shoot deer at 800 metres. I say I cant see the point in that as I have still got to wander over and carry the meat back or take its tail, so I would rather wander within 300 metres and put a neat hole through its ribs. A neat little hole that spoils no meat and I can block with a plug of moss dipped in pepper or flyspray to stop the flies from blowing the bullet wound.

Originally Posted by Scouser

are they the 'bullers'?

Indonesian "bullers" with drains.
Years ago I bought 3 pair of real Skellerup bullers.When the last pair blew out I bought thesepieces of shit.
after 3 days wetwear(Otane/Otapakawa) I was looking for the dogshit I had sat in,then the eyelet pulled out.Also very dangerous on wet rock(greasey as a butchers "nornor")so back to "Bullers"

Originally Posted by madjon_

Indonesian "bullers" with drains.
Years ago I bought 3 pair of real Skellerup bullers.When the last pair blew out I bought theseAttachment 27837pieces of shit.
after 3 days wetwear(Otane/Otapakawa) I was looking for the dogshit I had sat in,then the eyelet pulled out.Also very dangerous on wet rock(greasey as a butchers "nornor")so back to "Bullers"

Mate, I feel your pain! I bought some Vasque last year and wore them in the bush twice. No other boots have ever hurt my feet like the Vasques. Not bloody cheap either

Originally Posted by madjon_

Attachment 27835

Hello madjon, That's a pair of high country or rock hunters set of boots if ever I saw a set. Many of the South Islanders used to do up their boots just like that. It was not so common in the north more bush hunting I suppose.

I see the horseshoes on the heels and nails on the side. Are they just nails or do you run a set of tricounis either side.

We used to go through a set of bullers in 5/6 months and set of good leather boots in 3 months. The shingle slides cut the leather out on the toes and the sides.

I and wife still wear bullers but I have to say they are not as good since they start making them in Malaysia.

The Bullers were the flavour of the day for sure.Like Scribe said some of us tried the leather boots, John Bulls,greeny coloured they were with metal loops (eyelets).
They were ok but didn't last as long as the Bullers. Horse nails like in the above pic shows but with added nails,,one in the instep plus a couple each side of the front of the boot. We also had a small hole in the instep to get rid of water,some guys put a metal eyelet there to stop any tearing.Two pairs of socks and all wrapped up with Horse bandage type putties and it was all go.Bloody hot at times during Summer but the Bullers proved effective.
Just to add,,,,,, As the rubber grip wore down it was out with the knife for a quick retread job' replace the torn out or worn nails and they were ready to go again.That's if you were a tight arse lol.