Stroll with New Gun...

Headed out Saturday morning (earlyish after doing my work rounds) to a local DOC block I haunt/frequent.

Wanted to blood my new Henry single shot in 45/70 and try out a new pack idea I had altered for me. I’d only fired a few rounds the evening before using the as issued iron sights...once I’d worked out that technical bit of equipment I was away.

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I wasn’t going for a explore this time I just wanted to head to where usually encounter animals to get one on board.

At this time of morning the goats are usually moving around feeding so was on alert ...sort of...
Had to buggerise around with this new pack as it was making quite a hollow ‘bop bop bop’ sound every time I took a step. It only had a set of binoculars in n some muesli bars. The handy dandy roll of electrical tape took out the flapping stopping the noise.

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(This is with the meat in it)

I hit the junction, stopped, had a swig of water then took the right hand turn which was going to take me up onto a ridge. I got onto the ridge track n within 60-80 metres spot something off to my left...goat, youngish one most probably a nanny...that’ll do... Rifle was resting on a tree. The only sight picture I had was a narrow gap between some saplings coming up in a ‘V’ ..was clear past that to the goat so I took the shot...goat reacted like it had being hit but certainly wasn’t a ‘bang, flop’ though. I moved down a bit so that I could keep a track of where it went to. As I did that another popped up that I hadn’t seen..... Opps broke a cardinal rule, didn’t have another bullet handy...too used to magazine rifles..[emoji51] said goat kindly stood there long for me to get my shit together, load up n take another shot....THAT was a bang,flop...

Took a couple of photos then took back legs n back straps off(front shoulders were munted)

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(Second goat)

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(Second goat again but looking towards where first goat ended up)

I left meat besides track as I wanted to see if I could get a bigger nanny or billy for pet food so I carried on. Approx 100 metres on l went around a corner spotted ...’something’ in front of me...I took a step forward to hide behind a tree but couldn’t see anything looking to left of tree so had to look to right... the sun was shining through a gap in the canopy so was sort of a halo effect going on...still couldn’t ID anything. Usually I look through a scope but....no scope only irons..that’s right I’ve got binoculars...frig around get pack off, delve in, get binos out , focus them...whatever was there wasn’t (or as it turned out I hadn’t stepped out far enough) no , nothing. Put pack back on step out to right then...shit...almost looks like a red hind with a fawn standing in front of her...hmm I need to ID this so step left again so I could use binos again, stepped back with binos...nothing.... Bugga. I hadn’t heard anything take off, certainly heard no bleating like goats would make as further on my walk I spotted several nanny/kid combos and I heard them as well as seeing where they went off to...

Long story short, saw nothing where I expected to see something so I mooched back to my vehicle, picking up the meat on the way back. Often have seen goats on the return trip but not meant to be this time.

Pretty happy with rifle but need to learn new habits with using a single shot firearm. Also buzzed that I’m , (pretty sure), possibly saw a deer. I know there are deer in this block as I’ve shot a stag myself and seen various prints over time.


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Phil_H

Good stuff @tiroahunta, and I look forward to your further exploits with the 'big gun'. The single shot Henry has always appealed to me, though would probably be looking more for a .308

Cheers
Phil

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Thanks Phil

I neglected to mention that it’ll be off to bubba smithing services for a rail, chuck a scope on, butt stock ammo holder and a weight loss/girth expansion courtesy of DPT at a later date...


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WOW, 45-70 on a goat, go big or go home:thumbsup:

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Originally Posted by canuck hunter

WOW, 45-70 on a goat, go big or go home:thumbsup:

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Yes it’s a overkill. It’s a itch I’ve always wanted to scratch so I’m scratching....


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Greetings All,
Nice to see someone hunting without a scope. Open sights become problematic to most of us with a lot of years on the clock. An aperture and blade is more forgiving as we just look through the aperture and focus on the blade. The target is often a little blurry but clear enough. I participated in some deer silhouette shoots a few years back using my No4 with the issue sights. Shot well (for me) sitting but not so well standing through no fault of the sights. Williams used to turn out adjustable rear aperture sights for round barreled break open rifles but a fixed one can be filed out of some angle and the rifle zeroed by drifting and filing the front sight. Can't dial up for range mind.
Regards Grandpamac.

The wood on that is pretty nice, not what I would have expected for a single shot break open

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Originally Posted by grandpamac

Greetings All,
Nice to see someone hunting without a scope. Open sights become problematic to most of us with a lot of years on the clock. An aperture and blade is more forgiving as we just look through the aperture and focus on the blade. The target is often a little blurry but clear enough. I participated in some deer silhouette shoots a few years back using my No4 with the issue sights. Shot well (for me) sitting but not so well standing through no fault of the sights. Williams used to turn out adjustable rear aperture sights for round barreled break open rifles but a fixed one can be filed out of some angle and the rifle zeroed by drifting and filing the front sight. Can't dial up for range mind.
Regards Grandpamac.

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To be fair @grandpamac this open sight fad thing won’t last long. Only wanted to shoot something with the rifle without a scope and was fairly confident I could do it. It did show me how much I rely on a scope for positive ID of animals..,,


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I like the look of it.

have you shot any groups with it using the opens

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Originally Posted by northdude

have you shot any groups with it using the opens

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Not really. Just to get it shooting in right place for a close range shot. Recoil is ...err ...stout whilst wearing a t-shirt[emoji51][emoji1787](especially when I’ve been using a .223 as max cal centre fire for a while..) Once scope goes on will do some groups at various ranges to get a idea of grouping and bullet ride/drop.


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get a shell holder on the butt stock. eject the spent case reach for the holder and it can be pretty quick

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Originally Posted by Russian 22.

get a shell holder on the butt stock. eject the spent case reach for the holder and it can be pretty quick

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Part of the plan....[emoji6]


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I always have spare round in left hand when I think game is at hand.....thats one neat looking rifle,reminds me VERY much of the single .410 winchester single I learnt to hunt and shoot with....right down to ejector lever shape....with spare rounds in left hand a reload can be done quickly...but with .45/70 you possibly wont be needing 2nd shot.....

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Originally Posted by Micky Duck

I always have spare round in left hand when I think game is at hand.....thats one neat looking rifle,reminds me VERY much of the single .410 winchester single I learnt to hunt and shoot with....right down to ejector lever shape....with spare rounds in left hand a reload can be done quickly...but with .45/70 you possibly wont be needing 2nd shot.....

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Yeah...haven’t formed the habit yet....second round is for another animal. Sometimes you get lucky..


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I tried to suppress a 44 magnum,for the extra weight and just looking weird I wouldn’t bother with doing a 45-70, load up some cast bullets from Robert in tokoroa with trail boss or AP70 ,will be pretty quiet especially in the bush where sound doesn’t travel as well,the massive hole in the barrel makes it hard to suppress I was told by DPT when I did the 44..

Have you hunted any of the doc blocks out waitomo ways?have heard there are plenty of goats but not had a chance to get out there yet,want to blood the 44 lever action one day.