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Australian Gun Culture Part 18: Queensland Cattle Station Shooter
Ammoland ^ | 1 September, 2017 | Dean Weingarten

Posted on 09/02/2017 1:10:51 PM PDT by marktwain

Queensland Cattle Station Shooter

Queensland Cattle Station Shooter

While attending the SSAA Shot Show in Brisbane, Australia, I met a shooter who related his experiences on a cattle station in northern Queensland.

He did not wish to be identified, but his story was convincing. There was some documentation and corroboration. I will call him Jeff.

About a decade ago, Jeff was involved in the development of a cattle station of over a hundred thousand acres, with thousands of cattle. In addition to the cattle, they grew crops. The station was remote.

It was described as having considerable area where no European had ever been known to have set foot. Attempting to make a living on the station was a constant battle with nature and the elements.

Wild pigs were numerous and did extensive damage. Crop losses were estimated at 20 percent, about $300,000 a year. Birds did enormous damage to the sorghum crop.

To control the bird damage, Jeff used a pair of Stirling .22 bolt action rifles, buying ammunition by the case (5,000) regularly. He said that he became quite a good shot with that sort of practice.

He used a surplus .303 Lee-Enfield for pig control. The bolt gun was too slow, with too small of a magazine capacity, especially for shooting from a vehicle. It took Jeff two years to obtain a permit to acquire a semi-automatic centerfire rifle.

Then it took him three months to find one for sale. He bought the first one that was available. It was a Chinese version of the SKS carbine, that uses the AK-47 type magazines, in 7.62X39. It proved to be a good choice. Jeff said that you purchased the ammunition that was in the store, and there was not a wide variety available.

Jeff described riding

(Excerpt) Read more at ammoland.com ...


TOPICS: Australia/New Zealand; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: australia; banglist; cattlestation; feralpigs; guns; rifles
Jeff said the amount of damage done by feral animals and birds was enormous. If we use his figures of about $300,000 of damage a year, that is three million dollars. That is easily the difference between making a viable profit and not.
1 posted on 09/02/2017 1:10:52 PM PDT by marktwain
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To: marktwain

Feral pigs are a pestilence here in E. Texas, they can and will eat or destroy any food crop or pasture. They are definitely a “shoot on sight” varmint.


2 posted on 09/02/2017 1:22:30 PM PDT by GT Vander (Life's priorities; God, Family, Country. Everything else is just details...)
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To: marktwain

Fascinating. I wonder what the Aussies will do when the Chinese decide to land a million men, after destroying thousands of old FALs that might have formed the backbone of a citizen militia, or reserve force. Shoot them with the occasional .22 rifle or .38?


3 posted on 09/02/2017 1:50:00 PM PDT by Travis McGee (EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com)
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To: GT Vander

Probably a million across the southeast need to be eradicated. Some say they are good eating.


4 posted on 09/02/2017 1:52:14 PM PDT by tjd1454
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To: Travis McGee
Fascinating. I wonder what the Aussies will do when the Chinese decide to land a million men, . . .

Probably quickly send us posters like this, with Australia the destination:

5 posted on 09/02/2017 2:07:02 PM PDT by Oatka
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To: tjd1454

They are DELICIOUS! Pork like it was before industrial farming, dark, rich, and fatty with a rich flavor.


6 posted on 09/02/2017 2:10:15 PM PDT by GT Vander (Life's priorities; God, Family, Country. Everything else is just details...)
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To: Oatka

Yeah, good luck getting any US weapons next time...


7 posted on 09/02/2017 2:17:23 PM PDT by wastoute (Government cannot redistribute wealth. Government can only redistribute poverty.)
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To: marktwain

He needs to invite people to his property to camp out and shoot pigs and birds.


8 posted on 09/02/2017 3:06:44 PM PDT by umgud
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To: umgud; marktwain

Turns my tummy to think that
Australia has become a Totalitarian
Nation. It arose from being a
Penal Colony to something like
The U.S. in it’s Old West heyday.
The prison Doors clang shut once again.


9 posted on 09/02/2017 3:32:33 PM PDT by Big Red Badger (UNSCANABLE in an IDIOCRACY!)
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To: Big Red Badger

Yeah, it’s sad.


10 posted on 09/02/2017 3:46:47 PM PDT by umgud
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To: tjd1454

No way. Slice n dice and you will see the parasites. Ok for feeding the dogs though.


11 posted on 09/02/2017 4:00:44 PM PDT by rocknotsand
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To: Travis McGee

Well, I am an aussie and attended a local range shoot for big bore and black powder. Fun stuff.
There are lots of reloaders in the local club. I have been out of the club stuff since 2003. I have recently returned in order to obtain a licence and do some target shooting.
I take your point about FAL, and the Steyr f88 is pretty worthless in my experience.


12 posted on 09/02/2017 4:10:01 PM PDT by rocknotsand
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To: tjd1454

Probably a million across the southeast need to be eradicated. Some say they are good eating.


I have eaten quite a bit of pork from feral pigs. Every bit that I had has been delicious.

It tends to be quite a bit leaner than domestic pork.


13 posted on 09/02/2017 4:41:08 PM PDT by marktwain (President Trump and his supporters are the Resistance. His opponents are the Reactionaries.)
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To: rocknotsand

Instead of stockpiling them in dispersed armories for a rainy day, (China), the Aussies destroyed tens of thousands of perfectly good FALs.

I hope they never regret it.


14 posted on 09/02/2017 4:58:24 PM PDT by Travis McGee (EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com)
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To: umgud

“He needs to invite people to his property to camp out and shoot pigs and birds.”

He could actually make a business of that, if he wanted to. Lots of people from the US would love that experience - not to mention all they’d learn from it.


15 posted on 09/02/2017 7:13:11 PM PDT by BobL (In Honor of the NeverTrumpers, I declare myself as FR's first 'Imitation NeverTrumper')
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