WIZ You must have been involved with the BTEC campaign.

Ok, I'll bite......... the what campaign?
Is that the one about cows and lungs, or a shot from undercover?

Wizzy......
 

Obviously you didn’t get up to the Top End in the 80's - 90's.

It was a Government Campaign to rid Brucellosis from the country. The disease was spread by introduced wild critters, mainly Buffs....there were many 100,000's of them shot from a swarm of helicopters, normally with a 7.62 SLR [Ex Aussie Military standard issue]
Pigs and camels were also targeted, but can't recall if they spread that disease or something else.....

BTEC = Brucellosis ??????? Eradication Campaign [If I remember correctly].

Merry Xmas.

I was guessing that was what it meant but wasn't sure.(hence the comment about cows and lungs).
I did manage to do a bit of the eradication program in the pilbara in the late 80s and early 90s.
we used govt issued 7.62x39s. old L1A1 SLRs. great for shooting hot brass down the pilots shirt neck and realy creating some cheek twiching gyroscopic manouvers. :E

I think the T part was TB.

Whizzyy...
 

You had better duck if that was you who put a couple of holes in my tail boom???

Wasn't me!!!, I only managed the hot brass bit. you better duck if you were the pilot that tried to rub me off on a gum tree when it all got a bit exciting. ;) all in the name of making a dollar I spose. :}

Now fellas I ain't making this up....current bunch of SLF (Self Loading Freight) I haul around do the hawg hunt thing using knives. They turn loose a couple of Pitbulls to divert the Hawg's attention...then they dart in and do the poor ol' critter with the knife.

When invited to join the affair...I asked them to modify the Table of Organization and Equipment (TO & E). I opined I would like to see one man assigned a shotgun with an extended magazine....for use on the dawgs if they should bite me instead of the hawg. My pax are a manly bunch...:ok:

Take special care when shooting anything from an R22.
Some years ago Robinson lost a lawsuit brought by a shooter after the recoil knocked the fuel tap off. (Presumably he was a southpaw). Robinson was held (from memory) to be 20 percent to blame.

t'aint natural

Do you have any recollection of why the courts decided that Robinson was 20% to blame?

I guess probably because there wasn't a sign on the tap saying "Don't turn this tap off in flight with a rifle"

The tap should always be zip-tied ON anyway.....
Dogs and knife are standard fare in NZ. I used to carry a single barrel shotgun with a slug as backup. Oz is the only place I know of that they use a rifle most of the time.

Who won?
 

So, how much "pussy" did we bag on the 26th? :}
Any Rotorhead win the $700 prize? :ok:

BTEC - Brucellosis and Tuberculosis Eradication Campaign - targetted cattle and buffalo. Bit of a bother at the time but we've ended up with a herd that is marketable anywhere/any time. :ok:

The numbers of horses, donkeys and pigs in the bush are well beyond any reasonable level of control. We'd need the US's annual defence budget to make a significant dent in them. Ditto cane toads. :{

Latest from the Hunt is 60 pigs to date totalling 1800kg, with the largest at 108kg. This is down on last year's winner at 119kg but there's still a few days to go and they've seen one possibly weighing in at 130kg. (Mind you, the hunters are also trying their luck with the barramundi and you know how fishermen tend to exaggerate.)
The barra are only little 'uns at around 750mm to 1 metre in length.

No cats brought in yet but quite a few cane toads have met their maker. Largest toad weighed in at 1kg.

Is it possible the toads are seeing to the cats? :eek: :ok:

Wizard, doesn't the L1A1 fire a NATO 7.62 x 54? And the Type 54 or AK47 etc fire the 7.62 x 39? The reason being we could use their ammo, but they could not use ours.

As for shoting feral pigs and cats, bring it on. I grew up in the country and when it was dry (ie most of the time), the roos, pigs and goats used to do huge amounts of damage to crops. And if we were to pay any money to the bank that year :( we had to protect the wheat etc. Where do the city folk think their bread etc comes from? (I had cousins (from ML) that wouldn't believe me when I told them milk came from cow!! :hmm: )

What should also be done is get rid of the cane toad. While we are at it, fish out the carp from our rivers. The problem isn't going to fix itself now is it?

PS for pigs use a .22 if you want to practice you shooting skill (you have to hit them exactly in the right spot) or if you just want to knock them over regardless of where you hit them, use a 6.5!

Why use such a big gun?
 

Use a 22 Magnum rifle. It has a muzzle velocity of 2200 feet per second and at the point of impact it exerts over 60,000 PSI of hydrostatic pressure. That can severely damage even a large pig.

It can blow the back end off of a cat and just imagine what it can
do to a cane toad.

:E :E

We use a .308 with 150gn at 3000fps or .270 with 130gn 3400fps for porkers

seems to do the trick, however if you want more grunt try the remington 7mm ultra magnum with 190gn projectile at 3500fps

maybe a bit heavy for cats but good for goats and pigs!

Best weapon for a cane toad is a 5 iron!

:E


But like all creatures they adapt quickly.
http://helipics.homestead.com/files/froggolf.jpg

They all hurt....
 

Most professional [Government] shooters use the SLR 7.62 ex military rifle.

Originally from the Belgium FN, it was modified to become the L1A1 SLR, using the 7.62 x 51 Standard NATO Ammunition and a 20 round magazine.

Its muzzle velocity is specified as 2700 - 2800 ft/sec....

There were a handful of the basic version modified to become the L2A1 AR [Automatic Rifle] which had a full automatic function with a 30 round magazine.

Its stopping power is renowned, however the much smaller 5.56 calibre [Current NATO Standard] causes more damage, due to it fragmenting after impact.

From memory, the Soviet AK47 uses the 7.62 x 39 round.

Nice topic!!!

5.56 mm
 

The high velocity of the NATO 5.56 mm causes the most damage (using military M4, M16, etc). The spin and speed of the bullet can be devestating. Once saw a round enter the elbow area, tumble along the bones, and enter the body cavity of a bad guy. KIA from being hit in the arm by a single round!!! It doesn't always happen that way, but it can.

However, the 5.56 mm round doesn't have any stopping power. In contrast, the 7.62 mm round can penetrate through walls, engine chasis, and other areas the 5.56 mm round can't get to. Very useful to have!

Uhhh... not sure how either relates to shooting toads, but I suppose you can give the pigs trouble! :ok:

Heli Hog Shoot
 

.
Looks like wild boar may be on the menu for some heli crews Stateside:

KTEN.com - Property Owners May Be Able to Shoot Feral Hogs From Helicopter

Sav

ps: I have a few wild boar recipies if anyone's interested.

God help us. An American on foot with a gun is scary enough but now they can try to shoot moving things from the air as well.

I think you mean 'Sanglier' Savoia ;)