Just not my day.
Weather foorcast of a high of 3 degrees and rain was forecast...pretty hard to rush out of bed with that to look forward to....but by 09:30 I had terrano parked and was strapping in the racing ashleys..... changed clothing a couple of times before leaving wagon,decided to put the heavy butchers coat on just in case.
watched the low cloud/mist up on the hill....definately a southerly flow so Meg n I headed towards the north end of block before climbing up into the scrub.....things were definately on the damp side,but not too cold,wasnt long before stopped and took the long sleaved polar fleece off,leaving polyprop T under the butchers coat.....everytime Ive tried stalking wearing it I have got too hot....might just have found the ticket today...my body temp stayed just about right.
up a leading spur till just below the base of the hill then started my sidle around to the south,the ferns are shocking at end of summer autumn and in places were up to my chest....got down into a bit of a gut,few small clearish bits on other side and heard some crashing/rustling ahead...Meg heard it too and proceded to whinge...we had quiet words about that and she semi settled...I moved around a bit to try and spot animals ahead...BINGO red hind up in top edge of clear spot...up with the hefalumpgun...faaark the sights are huge,front bead/blade covers half animal,sight as best I can and squeaze off....no big thump,no tumbling deer,while Im fumbling to reload TWO big hinds move off across face,both would have been easy to hit had I managed to reload...closer and clearer...but no joy...so Meg n I head over to where deer had been standing,easier said than done with steep sided creek between us.....was 3 points of contact up otherside....got to where though she had been and let Meg cast around...tiny bit of interest in derection deer had headed off but nothing really to say"yip come on dad this way" had good look around where thought deer had been then spotted the dreaded cut sapling.....so now had definate area to look...and nothing at all to see,no blood no hair,nothing...so followed off in direction deer had gone trying to keep to the few footprints...after 75-100 yards nop no blood...missed ya useless prick..... oh well betterthan wounding....
bottom lip was down a bit ,but shook it off and carried on up n over spur and across next two gullies with nothing more seen or heard....got into really open washout area,Meg got keen,fresh pooh seen,super sneak mode,wind was ideal upwards and across front....4 quiet steps,look around,4 more look around,watch dog,4 more steps look some more..after 100 yards of this meg dead keen but buggered if I can see anything,then rocks rolling upwind ,Meg kept quiet this time so we moved downwards towards sound,spy what looked like spiker moving off,too quick to get bead on,three glimpses was all we got,was nearly tempted with a russian heart shot on offer,then decided better of it. another quick glimpse was all we got.....Meg was lots more settled this time and we stalked down into wind for 4-500 yards keeping quiet and super alert but nope,the wee fella had snuck off to safer ground.....oh well,better than being at work....
carried on across face of hill and down across another gut and onto a semi open ridge,Meg on high alert,Im on high alert.....it just felt right then noise/movement ahead...growl to shut Meg up,moved to see better and movement ahead....hind and yearling again about hundred yards...ok so line up as good as I can and let rip....cloud of Black Powder smoke this time as had changed to load I know shoots well...again no big thump,no tumbling deer but this time I know precisely where deer was standing so I lead Meg over to area and again have bloody good look around but alas again nothing what so ever to be found.... 100 yards is barrel stretching for my crude sights,50 yards all good but 100 just too far for my crude sights n old eyes....
5 deer seen,2 shots fired and nothing to blood my new knife..... so Meg n I headed back to wagon,cranked heater up high and came home tails between our legs....
might have to have a rethink....if I can find a 4" length of piccy rail cheap enough,its feasable to stick it on the top of barrel,there is a flat section there....the MS1 has held the rear sight extremely well so should hopefully be able to do same to a piccy rail...then fit one of my small fixed power scopes...hmmm but then I WILL HAVE NO EXCUSES...
so a good day out on hill,wet arse n no venison...never mind Meg n I are back in synch again.



a kind fellow has sent me a 4" /100mm section of rail,designed for a remington 700.... it is now glued in place with MS1 windscreen sealant...will see how crooked it is when it sets/cures and I fit the wee 4x leupold...

well the rough bore sight got me within 12" of p.o.a. a near enough correction up the hill was still not good enough and I missed wallaby at 50 yards,but made up for it with a 2 for 1 at 25 yards later on....now I really must sight this thing in properly....it definately looks like smokeless loads are going to be close to 10" higher than black powder at 75 yards....HOPEFULLY the black powder dead on at 50 will result in smokeless near enough to dead on at 100..... the black powder loads are so much nicer to shoot and the cloud of smoke is rather a lot of fun.... the smokeless should carry much more power being a heap faster.