Thread: First blood. (Photo heavy)

Got the chance to take the new rifle out for its first outing today, sighted it in last week and then fitted a MTN bipod yesterday. I like this system its quick and easy to attach and is very light.



The local NZDA here have a place where you can basically hunt what is in essence a private block, my first trip here a few weeks ago I spied a decent looking red as well as the usual goats but didn't get a chance at a shot.

Fast forward to this morning and I'm out the door at 6am and pull into the parking area 10 minutes before first light, I wait for it to get light then drive across the Ford and park about 1km up the hill just after the steepest bits (I will regret this later).

I set off walking up the gravel road knowing the goats like to hang out on it in the mornings and this is also where I had seen the red previously. I reach a pull in and do a quick recce for the gloves I lost last time but alas no luck, while standing in the road I here stones rattling above and 3 goats pop out. Unfortunately as soon as I move to bring up the rifle they give a snort and disappear they were only about 10 away. So I carry on up the hill and much later I see more goats up and almost around a bend, so I get down on my knees to lower my profile while I observe and they remain oblivious to me.

I quickly remove my pack and get prone and line up on the closest nanny thinking a nice nanny will be good for the pot, however just as I'm about to fire the nannies move up slightly and I no longer have a clear shot. The reason they moved becomes clear when a decent sized billy steps out, the first shot is a clean miss but due to me lying down and the suppressor they all mill about so I line up again and the 168Gr Nosler ballistic tip does its thing on the billy. I had to scramble down a steep bank for the photo though.





Analysing the shots afterwards I realise the miss was due to being sighted in an inch high at 100yards and so at 30 yards the shot went high. I made it home about 3.30pm after a decent day on the hill.

Not bad for an ageing man who has spent far too much time on the couch this winter.

At 30 yards you should be close to dead on.... Good work getting big billy.we don't have goats down here,very few n far between.

Looks like a neat place to cover some ground

Bullet should be a tag low of line of site at 30yds,more practice hunting needed HJ.Nice block of land there to hunt on.