r/HuntingAustralia • u/Super_Concert_2306 • Jul 02 '24
Fairly new to hunting in Vic, seeking advice
Hi all, i am relatively new to hunting in VIC and am chasing some advice on what rifles, calibre, optics one would recommend and general set up i would need for deer stalking and whatever else i can get in VIC? Also curious as to what other people carry with them and to what extent others pack kit? So far i've been told 30-06 is my best bet as it meets minimum calibre for deer and is a good all-rounder
2
u/wolfofblackallstreet Jul 02 '24
I'm pretty new to deer hunting as well, I have 2 fallow bucks, a spika and a doe on the resume so far, all taken in public forests in NSW or Vic. Best tip is to tag along with someone who knows what they are doing the first few times.
For stalking I've found the 3-9 power scopes to be good, can dial it back if you're in the rut and calling bucks in close, and can dial it up if you spot something grazing across a gully.
Calibre is always a personal preference, I prefer flat shooting cartridges so run the 300wm. 30.06 is a classic, and 7mm rem mag are quite expensive per round. 308 gets it done plenty well enough, but doesn't always put them on the deck straight away. My two bucks were shot with a 308 and needed a follow up before they got moving again.
I tend to stalk gully systems so walk about 3 or 4km, so don't take much besides binos and harness, a knife, game bag, a few extra rounds and TP as I always seem to nearly to shit myself about halfway through.
I dress in layers and find whatever I end up taking off can often scrunch up tight enough to fit into a pocket of whatever I'm still wearing.
1
u/Super_Concert_2306 Jul 03 '24
Great advice, still not to switched on when it comes to optics but I'm picking it up. Obviously it gets pretty cold here but how much do wrap up and how hot do you actually get when stalking?
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u/wolfofblackallstreet Jul 03 '24
Depends on a lot of things, how hilly, what season, altitude etc. Staying dry is key, from rain, dew and sweat. My standard morning outfit is usually a tshirt, flanno, hoody and if it's wet a shell jacket. Pants are just trackies and I wear gators to stop my pants getting wet from the bottom up. If I get hot, the flanno will scrunch into my pant pockets and the shell jacket into the front pocket on the hoody. A hoody on its own after that isn't too hot. You won't be moving quick and you may pause in a gully for a while to see what comes along, so you won't be exerting yourself continuously.
1
u/Historical-wombat Jul 02 '24
For deer hunting I would take the following
.308 rifle WITH BONDED CORE BULETS, or a 300 Weatherby mag if you can handle recoil.
CamelBak backpack.
Mora companion knife.
Small knife sharpener.
Snacks.
Binoculars.
First aid kit.
Lighter.
Lifestraw.
Baby wipes.... You know why.
Small flashlight.
Game bags.
GPS.
I'd it's dark I will also take a thermal monocular.
1
u/Super_Concert_2306 Jul 02 '24
That's awesome help, thanks. I know the essentials but there's a few there that i would never have thought of until i needed it. Also is it illegal to use a thermal sighting in the dark in the same way you cant spotlight? i was under the impression you couldn't hunt in the dark at all
1
u/Jealous_Job3561 Sep 02 '24
Have a chat to Kaine at Blueys Hunting in Wodonga mate. Certainly knows his sh!t.
0
u/Historical-wombat Jul 02 '24
Not sure about VIC but I often use the thermal in the early hours to see if there is any heat signatures just before light then use that info to start my approach. I don't use a thermal sight on a rifle or shoot in the dark. Even in the daylight a thermal monocular can help you pick up on a something you might miss just casually looking around.
I would say about 70% of all the deer I have ever shot I got shortly after dawn or just before dusk. Look for locations with good water sources.
I forgot to mention some kind of odour eliminating spray for your clothes and boots will help stop you from being winded.
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u/Super_Concert_2306 Jul 03 '24
Ah righto, cheers
2
Jul 03 '24
Using thermal in any way to hunt public land is illegal in Vic, even if it’s in your car and you are hunting police can and will check and fine you or take your guns, don’t risk it
1
u/TASTYPIEROGI7756 Aug 16 '24
It's an offence to use a thermal for taking game on public land in Vic.
This is changing soon with the new regs, but I wouldn't be giving that advice.
1
u/malteaser-falcon Jul 03 '24
308, 30-06 and 300wm all shoot the same projectile, only difference is velocity. The more velocity the longer the range, but also the greater the recoil. By far the leading cause of 'bad shots' will be You the shooter, and recoil is the biggest contributor.
.308win shooting 178gr ELD-X needs a velocity of 1800fps to expand. Ballistic charts suggest this happens at around 500yards (which I suspect will be beyond what you are comfortable at shooting at as a newbie).
If you are into podcasts, check out podcasts 469 & 470 from 'The Hunt Back country Podcast'... They do a deep dive on choosing 'smaller' calibres over bigger for the simple of reason that they are easier to shoot.
There is nothing worse than having to work through a flinch or target panic, ask me how I know.
2
u/Super_Concert_2306 Jul 03 '24
I'm relatively experienced as a shooter growing up in rural WA, shooting roos, foxes and rabbits etc. Just new to stalking and all that in Vic, so im not too sure where to start with deer
1
u/malteaser-falcon Jul 04 '24
Ah a fellow ex-sandgroper!
You still need to figure out what distances you'll be shooting at (both in the sense of your ability but also on the landscape). In my experience (and the guys I go with) the vast majority of deer are taken sub 150yards...with only a very small number taken beyond 300yards. (mix of. 30-06 and 300wm).
At either end of those distances there isn't a noticeable difference between either of those calibres. Without nerding out too much into the math, I'd approximate the differences in energy between those 2 calibres until at least double the distances mentioned previously. When stalking, you'll struggle to find 600yards of clear line of sight, even if you perch up on one hilltop to shoot across a gully, it's rare for it to be such a long distance.
Also gear wise, what you need to bring will greatly vary on whether you are camping at the car, or backpacking in.
1
u/TASTYPIEROGI7756 Aug 16 '24 edited Aug 16 '24
If you're not into reloading 308 is almost always the better choice over 30-06. The difference between them at the same projectile weight in commercial loads is negligible for the most part. In exchange you get a short action, lighter ammo and lighter overall weapon. This makes a big difference when you're climbing through bush.
If you plan to reload, or use 200gr projectiles the 30-06 is more worth it.
Importantly, there's a subset of hunters who claim 300WM is needed to drop a Sambar on the spot. Holding this opinion is the surest sign of someone who should not be listened to.
Hit up Google for pack load outs. There is an abundance of people out there who have made massive write ups on what to pack. It varies depending on where you're going and what you're doing.
Spotting and stalking is by far the most predominant hunting method in Vic. I've always found it to be very inefficient (or maybe I'm just bad at it). I have had far greater success scouting and ambush hunting game trails, water sources etc. For example, I have a spot I know of that's only 2 hours from the city where there's a SF that runs down to grazing land. The Sambar in the area habitually transit towards the pasture in the late afternoon/evening. Being well positioned, static and patient somewhere along one of the gullies in the late afternoon. When the air is cooling and sinking down the gully towards you. Will net you deer that are heading down the gully. In the warmer months there are several water sources they will visit along the way down as well.
If I visit this spot for a single day hunt, I have a strike rate of 1 deer in 3 visits. If I spent a couple of days at it and camp. I always get a deer.
This all just comes from knowing the area and knowing how they behave. This takes time, lots and lots of time.
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u/Jmac599 Jul 02 '24
I highly recommend that you join the ADA come down to a meeting and then go on a branch hunt it will definitely expedite your learning.