Thread: Thar Bergers

So, moved here from Welly a year or so ago , living in the big CHCH helping with the rebuild, thought I best start getting into the hills.Anyways, we had been to this spot a couple weeks back so I had a pretty good idea of where to look. None of my usual buddies were available today, they were busy with family shizzle, which was me the previous weekend when Upland smoked a stag.

Got to the hut, after 1 beer at xmas work do, unloaded, and watched the sunset at 10 pm.
After a delayed start, cos the cell phone didn't tell me to wake up, I was up at 5 am.
Porridge and coffee down the hole.
Off up the hill for an hour to a cool looking clearing.
Super ninja mode for half an hour didn't reveal much except the odd bit of fresh sign.
Carried on and dropped about 500-600m into one of the creeks and low an behold there's a doc track. That's bloody handy! Isnt marked on map so is a bonus as im not looking forward to having to climb back up where I came from with anything I shoot.and usually when I take a different escape route, it ends up being gorgy, or super thick , or unexpectedly steep.
Sat in the creek on a boulder glassing for a red skin. What a sunny day and its only 1030.
I spied a red turning around which was a third ish outta rangefinder distance so prolly 1500-1800 ish yards... I hatched a plan to get up the creek until I was below the red and then either climb opposite for a shot and climb up around/beside it.
I got 500m up the creek to a real gorgy bit, thinking ferk how am I gonna climb up those rocks, and a coupla animals appear walking along the creek towards me!
The creek sound disguised me cranking the bolt, rifle up, whoa that's a funny lookin Chamois, pew pew goes the 270 WSM. a bit of panicked running from the animals, one stops, pew , it jumps the creen outta sight, the other one stops broadside for me, pew shot that one too, all at about 20m with me new X Bolt 270 wsm.
so then I have the dilemma of how to get to these hairy things. the gorgy part wasn't climbable so I had to go around the creek and up and over the little hill.
Got around and above the creek, and looked down,,, no animals!
geezus I cant have missed? can I?
It was too steep down into the creek so I had to box around again, back down, around further up a bit, and down a shingle slip intot he creek.
Had a look around and found the two I had shot were flat out dead floatin in the pool before a small waterfall. and they weren't Chamois they were Thar!
Ended up a nanny and younger female.
I did ponder carrying them up around and back down to where I had shot them, but decided that was far too much effort, and kicked them on the waterfall, where they eventually floated the 20-30 down stream to where I wanted them.
The 150g Berger had smashed the nannys shoulder to a million bits. The younger one had an in and an out hole, and they must have both died mid flight as they jumped the creek, and fell in.

Back legs n back steaks removed. Loaded into my new J34 pack, and headed back down the creek.
At this point im thinking about the red up the hill. I decided I had enough to carry and continued the coupla kms back to the car along the Doc track.
Loaded up and off for a pie.
Home by 4pm.
I haven't done a lot of hunting down here, and the hunts so far have been all recon, so was a day full of firsts. Blooded new rifle, broke my sth island virginity(so to speak), an easier unexpected escape route was found , which usually isn't the case .
I've met some cool people from this forum who have shown me spots, given advice and tips etc, thank you v much to them!

Time to make some Thar Bergers !

btw, the red is out of sight behind the pyramid mound in the centre of the top left pic thru the swaros and scope, around 1500 yards min

Did well to shoot those Thar, Bloody long and hot walk up the hill to the Red!

Well done.

Cheers

Dino

nice work

Nice work and we'll get that red yet!

Yeah, I use the 150 Berger in my .270win, animals don't like them.

Here's one on a stag at 380 yards.

Kaikoura 2013 - the public version - YouTube

Nice one ANTSMAN

Cheers guys. Yeh Craig hope to give something a crack at longer distance with the Berger tmrw

Well done Ants

Nice. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks for posting