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Hi all,
Recently purchased a bit of an alternative calibre and thought I'd put it to the test on a tramp in the Tangihuas, being based in Northland. Lovely lever action Winchester Model 94AE. Managed to stumble upon these two (very lean) goats just by the Tangihua hut. Met a guy there who'd also just taken a Billy nearby.
Just wondering if anyone else has experience with this calibre or has hunted the Tangihuas? Tangis get a lot of bad rep but I love it in there! Must be mad!
Good one. I was told the access was gone at that end. Geeze it gets nasty steep over the west ridge.
Thanks. The farmer is actually really reasonable at allowing access to the Northern end. Sure does, it's pretty sketchy out by Tangihua itself!
I was born and breed looking at the Tangihuas. Lived at Tangiteroria until I was 21. Hunted up there only once. Chose to hunt easier country after that.
I like the calibre. Maybe I should grab the next one that comes along
.307 is basically a rimmed .308.....have head of single break opena that would fire both...have heard,not seen myself.
loaded to slightly lower pressures and flat nose projectiles only...ASSUME the flexitips are made for them now???
great rifle and be worth quite some coin too.
Yup. Your absolutely right. Had a 30-30 Model 94AE in the past. Loved it to bits - the 307 seems to be a upgrade on the 3030.
Hi Rory, I've been up to the hut there a few times and across the grass face behind the hut down to the creek bed plus continued on up from the hut. Probably my easiest hunt in there was to go straight west when I got into the park, down to the river and cross over and up to the next ridge. The whole area was eaten out. Lots of goats, From that spur i went up it and could look across to goats on some very steep slip faces. Only chance of recovery was if they fell all the way to the bottom. I never did it but I would assume you could head back down the spur until you could drop down to the creek bed and head upstream to recover them.
Now I hunt private land on the West side of the Tangihuas. Less walking required and I can bring out the whole lot for dog food.
Z
Nice looking lever, like the little scope as well.
Winchester introduced the Big Bore Model 94 AE in the early 80’s which was a strengthened Model 94 to shoot a rimmed 308… called the 307. Good for lefty’s that couldn’t get a left hand bolt gun but wanted more knock down than the thutty thutty.
Tangihuas, grew up close by but departed while still at primary school. Researched hunting there a couple of years back but didn't seem attractive enough to warrant the journey although it may be worth it one day just for the experience. Lovely country on the eye.
I had not heard of the 307 so having a fascination with lever guns, I went looking. Excellent article, as usual from Ballistic Studies, our very own Kiwi experts https://www.ballisticstudies.com/Kno...inchester.html
I'm not sure I would race out to buy one, yet, but fascinating to have and good on you for taking it out and putting it to work. I'm guessing you will be reloading for it with only one factory ammo load available.
I bet ammo will be rare as rocking horse shit,do you reload?
@grandpamac Am I remembering right? I have a feeling you talked about this cartridge before on here? ;)
Greetings Bumblefoot,Quote:
Originally Posted by bumblefoot
I may have talked about it in the past, memory is not quite what it was. The .307 Winchester, together with the .356 Winchester were attempts to breath new life into the M94. They are good cartridges and a friend had one and quite liked it. They had a beefed up action were easily scoped and were supposedly loaded to similar pressures. Basically rimmed versions of the .308 and .358 Winchesters with thicker cases? they followed the 375 Winchester and 7-30 Waters into obscurity. The latter two are still chambered in break open rifles but the .307W and .356W are likely gone for good. Stock up on brass if you can find any.
Meanwhile the 30-30 chugs along and will hopefully still be chambered in the Marlin when it emerges from Ruger. Hopefully they will chamber the .35 Remington again. I have Pet Loads Data for all of them.
Regards Grandpamac.
Yeah Micky, I shoot 160gr Hornady Leverevolution with the Flextips. Thanks. Not got in to reloading yet, my local hunting and fishing stocks .307, luckily.
keep all your empty cases,and when finances are good buy more ammunition....plenty of good folk around who do reload and IM GUESSING with correct shellholder .308 dies will do the trick....every man and his dog has set of .308 dies. it would be simple matter to make up good loads cheaply for you with the right bits on hand. less than $1 a shot sure beats over $3
Had one of these 307’s not long after they came out to scratch an itch. Used my model 88 in 308 more so got rid of the ‘94, nice rifle but not really into straight grips. Still got the 88, can’t see myself parting with it.
I recently took the daughter for a quick overnighter up the Tangihuas recently. the goat numbers seemed a bit thinned out. does anyone know if theres been any culling done recently?
the spot i shoot on over on the western side has been cleaned out. was last there in early June and saw none, prior to that every time i would see 10-20 plus more up high on the slip faces in the DOC part. block I shoot is separated from the doc land by a couple of hundred meters under someone else's ownership who's not friendly with the guy that gives me access.
Z
Went this weekend and a couple times I was glassing mobs of about 3-8 goats from ridge to ridge, they're still there.
I'm more of a close range hunter and ended up walking out with one tiny kid and one 25kg ish hog, from this general area : Attachment 205084
308 dies and 30/30 shellholder to reload.Quote:
Originally Posted by Micky Duck
Slightly under 308 max loads
might try the eastern end of the range next time i head up. I glassed a few piggys up there too back in the winter.
The tangihuas have quickly become my favorite hunting spot, no idea why it gets a bad rap but I'm happy because it means more for me haha.
Reason number 1 is I am currently sending this from my hammock halfway up the mountain with a good view of the tower, very good signal pretty much everywhere.
Reason number 2 is I have had a 100% success rate with this place, I even got a piggie without dogs. I've just grabbed a decent sized Billy in time for dinner.
Reason number 3 is there's nobody here. There were no cars in the northern parking lot, haven't seen any boot tracks except for some dog prints that looked a few days old, and I popped into the hut a couple hours ago and no sign of anyone there since a few days ago atleast. Pretty sure I have the entire 3000 acres to myself right now :) .
It's a cool place guys.
Also this 1918 No.1 mk3 cost me $70 and is the most accurate .303 I've ever owned!
dennis deeming sold up I think. I have the landline for the farm. but never went back as it is not worth the drive for me. iirc the farmer just wants to know the rego numbers and how many people are crossing his place.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cowboy
I think I should go for a drive and knock on the farmers door. Have not been up there for a long time.
It's close to home and makes for a nice day hunt.
Z
You can get his number from whangarei doc office, bloke called Mark, he has never said no to me just wants to know who you are and what your in/out times are.
Shot my first goat up there, this place holds some great memories for me as a young guy trying to figure out hunting, the numbers really dropped off late 2000's. I believe allot of culling went on and I have never really been back. Some of the creeks are amazing but steep and scrubby country for sure. My son just spent a couple of nights up there fly camping and he mentioned the possums were thick.
Has anyone been up recently? Just wondering what goat numbers are like?
Got a 16” .44 Mag I want to try out!
Last I went was to the eastern side by horokaka track past the Pa site, heaps of pig sign hardly any goats.
Time before that was to the western side by the hut had many more goats. Almost always hear them bleating on the north facing hillside if you walk in via the private property track. Hit the hut then either follow the stream to the west or to the east and you'll see some goat tracks to follow through the supplejack. This was in March.
Would be a good place to test what .44 mag does to a possum...
I was up there late 2023, went walking from the lodge, goat cullers had taken alot of goats out from around the lodge, I got within 10m of a pig but couldn't get a shot off.
Save all your cases and use 160 ftxs infront of 40grns 2208 had a mate with a 308 no4 which would extract but not eject till we used 307 rimmed brass used the flextips in case some one tryed in a 94 mag , they were devastating on reds out to 300m .
I did a few missions into the hut when I lived up north. Not sure if it's still the same landowner now, but I used to give them a call when I was going in there and they were always very friendly. Shot my first game animal in there, a young nanny in good condition on the main track about half way between the hut and the 532m ridge. Made some nice curries! Some tight bush in there but always enjoyed it. The hut was always empty when I was in there.
hey mate, sorry to dredge up and old post but just wondering if youve been up the tangihuas recently?
This is a great old thread to dredge up lol. Love seeing the updates from.afar. keep it up.
Steve. It's been hammered. They did a few contracts on it. Chopper worked the southern side.
Still some goats around but not as it was.
I bumped into some aucklanders back in mid to late summer who were camped in there. They were sniping a bunch of buffs but had only seen a few over the last couple days.
My dog took me to some but just a nanny and kid. I decided to leave them.
Still doable though so always worth the effort. I bumped into plenty of pigs in there if ya can't find a goat.
Went in fo 3 days last week of school hols with great grandson stayed at hut, never heard or saw a goat,plenty of pig sign didnt get anything on the ground but grandy had a good time first time for him in the bush. Plan is pueora next hols get him on to something.
awesome cheers mate, just waiting on my licence renewal to come through then ill be taking the kids up there to get them amongst it while they are sounding keen.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cowboy
sounds good mate, im just in the process of renewing my licence so wanting to get the kids onto something while they are keen on it. definetly harder for decent hunting living in the north. i used to have access to a private block that backed onto the northern part of pureora and always did well out of it. be nice to get back down there.Quote:
Originally Posted by Huk
I shoot on a private block on the west side 3 times a year, have not seen any goats for 2 years now. Can look up to some steep slip faces in the park and used to see goats on them.
My block has now only got turkey and peacocks. Owner wanted to keep a small mob of goats to keep blackberry, gorse etc down on the steeper country that the cattle won't eat.
Z
