Great cartridge and last of the good Sako's so far IMO. Great information you have provided there Jamie. Keeping it plain and simple when hunting Sambar is usually a very good recipe for success. Look forward to more upcoming videos. Thanks for putting the time and effort in mate.
I have a 303 but it’s too heavy to carry. I’m on the lookout for a lighter 303 for carry purposes. I haven’t had the guts to do what you do but now I’m really looking to have a go. I liked your video where you went through the gear to take including emergency beacons. That was really helpful. The first rule I have is to make sure I get home safe. Might even take a fishing rod. Thanks mate for sharing the love of hunting and the great outdoors.
Thanks im pleased you found gear overview useful. Its awesome to hear you're thinking about giving backpack hunting a go! And yes an emergency beacon, satellite phone or Garmin inreach are critical safety devices to have. Particularly if going solo. I am fortunate that I have like minded hunting mates who I can share the experience with, which adds that additional element of safety/reassurance. But I take my hat off to those who do it solo. Cheers for watching and all the best finding that lighter rifle to accompany you in the high country
The Sambar looks kind of like a Red Stag. I think it would be neat to be able to hunt either. Very cool looking animals, resembling a elk. Hopefully I can elk hunt, one day. None in my state, and expensive to hunt. Hard to get days off from work for the time needed to do it too.
hi there, yes they are both great game species to hunt (sambar and reds), although both species behave entirely differently. i find the sambar one of the most challenging deer species to hunt. I've only hunted elk (we call them wapiti in nz) in fiordland and took a hydrid wapiti/red in some fantasitcally ruggered terrain. In terms of their stature i would say Sambar are more stout and robust than the red deer or elk, and man are they tough. Hands down sambar are the toughest out of reds and elk. No doubt about it - if you don't hit a sambar with a good shot using a decent projectile from reliable calibre (minimum 270), then you will be found wanting. In terms of weights the North american elk are slightly heavier than sambar, but pretty close (mature sambar 300kg), but a mature red stag is considerably smaller at about 160kg. All three can live in some harsh and steep conditions but red deer are my favourite to hunt in terms of the terrain they can reside in. Man, I have seen and shot some great red stags in some remarkably remote and ruggered places in the Southern Alps of NZ - and as wild as you could ever find. But then the wapiti in fiordland live in some of the most hostile terrain imaginable too and subject ti incredibly wet condition and I couldn't imagine sambar living in that sort of terrain!! So yeah, all three species offer some excellent hunting in the south pacific thats for sure. Goodluck
No I haven't tried the ELD-Xs, i am using Nosler's similar version in the Accubonds (180g) from the 30-06 and just recently reloaded some 168g bergers for the 30-06 to test out. All high BC projectiles, similar to the ELD-X's
ASD350SXF i also considered the 300 but felt it may make my flinch worse!! (i have a terrible habit of lifting the head after the shot. bad habit from shooting and wanting to see where the animals runs!)
Yeah that's fair enough mate, nothing worse than developing a flinch... better off with a calibre you can shoot consistently and accurately everyday of the week... Mine booted bad, so I had to get a custom muzzle break put on there!
Its brutally loud mate and honestly majority of times when im chasing sambar I don't have time to put my ear plugs on, so I just cop it sweet... Only good side is It reduced the recoil MASSIVELY, kicks like my .260 Remington now.
ASD350SXF jeeeez man; be careful... hearing loss is permanent! can you take brake off when busg stalking but then screw it on when glassing and shooting across gullies?
Hey Jamie, I just noticed you haven't used optilock rings or bases to mount your scope. What brand rings did you choose? And do they grip the tapered dovetail well enough? I like how low your scope is, I can't achieve that with optilocks on my sako. Thank you. Hope you are planning another backpack hunt soon
Hey there, sorry for late reply, I missed this! They are sako tapered mounts, but only low, I wish I had gone medium or high to clear the objective lens off rhe barrell more, as I have to push the scope really far forward and it forces me to lean forward into scope a little more than I'd like to
Jonathan Davies i am huge fan of the necked down 25-06 cal so it was probably always a matter of time before i went heavier. I'm loving the range of .308 projectiles (so many to play with haha)
Hey bud awesome videos, I've been wanting to get in to a bit of hunting with my partner for few years now, we have no gun licence nor been out. What would be the best and easiest way to take this up and give it ago and also best place to learn bush safety. Cheers Joe
Apply for a firearms license, join a local Deerstalkers club and meet like minded folk who are more experienced and start going on hunts. Where are you based ? NZ, Aus, U.S. , UK, or Europe?
@@josephmarino2658 nah joining a Deerstalkers association and becoming a local member of a club is about 100$ a year, to get magazine issued quarterly, ability to attend Deerstalker organised events or hunts. The rifle license application depends where you are in the world, but usually that's administration fee of 50 odd $. The purchasing of a rifle and scope and hunting accessories is the investment though and th at totally depends on upon your budget. You can buy entry level equipment all the way up to top end stuff. Hope that helps
@@MountainMan_NZ cheers mate thank you very much for your time and effort into replying, this helps a lot, all the best for future hunts hope to see more of what you do. Choice
Hey Jami what load u got for 200gr sbt pls being chasing it I got 180 sbt behind 55.5 2209 very low essd very accurate @500mtrs but could't tune the 2oosbt sierra
MountainMan HuntingFilms, pleasure. Just getting into deer hunting. Hunted plenty of smaller critters growing up. might need to upgrade the .308 before I tackle sambar tho!
Dan Stevens as an experienced hunter i can attest that once you get bitten by the sambar bug you'll probably have a life long infatuation of pursuing them!! goodluck!
MountainMan HuntingFilms cheers! Certainly seems to be the case with you guys. Is the meat any good on a hard antlered sambar? Or does it just depend on when they rut?
Dan Stevens to be honest (and i am no master chef lol) but i would generally only casserole or sausage sambar stag meat. i cut the back steaks very thin while still out hunting and cook it super fast but its still like chewing a gumboot lol. the heart & liver on the other hand are great with some onions and butter
Hey Harry, no I haven't, I don't shoot regularly enough or long range to warrant a muzzle brake. I'm happy just bush stalking with the 3006 and if I have to stretch it across a gully then I will, but most shots have been within 80m
@@MountainMan_NZ thank you for your reply. Did you cerakote the bipod as well? How has the cerakote lasted on the rifle? I'm thinking about getting one of my rifles done too. Keep up the great videos, we love them. Thank you
@@ThreeEyeGypsy30 hey mate, bipod is standard harris 9inch extendable model and no i have not cerakoted it . The cerakot is fine on the rifle although a fee places I have scratched the barrel climbing through rocky ledges or when i dropped it in a creek lol, so the cerakote has scratched off but only minor marks and hardly noticeable
MountainMan HuntingFilms Yeah mate I was standing in that same island of trees this year and recalled you and Andre stalking up to us!!..nice to see your adventures in Oz too
Great cartridge and last of the good Sako's so far IMO. Great information you have provided there Jamie. Keeping it plain and simple when hunting Sambar is usually a very good recipe for success. Look forward to more upcoming videos. Thanks for putting the time and effort in mate.
thanks mate
I have a 303 but it’s too heavy to carry. I’m on the lookout for a lighter 303 for carry purposes.
I haven’t had the guts to do what you do but now I’m really looking to have a go.
I liked your video where you went through the gear to take including emergency beacons. That was really helpful. The first rule I have is to make sure I get home safe.
Might even take a fishing rod.
Thanks mate for sharing the love of hunting and the great outdoors.
Thanks im pleased you found gear overview useful. Its awesome to hear you're thinking about giving backpack hunting a go! And yes an emergency beacon, satellite phone or Garmin inreach are critical safety devices to have. Particularly if going solo. I am fortunate that I have like minded hunting mates who I can share the experience with, which adds that additional element of safety/reassurance. But I take my hat off to those who do it solo. Cheers for watching and all the best finding that lighter rifle to accompany you in the high country
The Sambar looks kind of like a Red Stag. I think it would be neat to be able to hunt either. Very cool looking animals, resembling a elk. Hopefully I can elk hunt, one day. None in my state, and expensive to hunt. Hard to get days off from work for the time needed to do it too.
hi there, yes they are both great game species to hunt (sambar and reds), although both species behave entirely differently. i find the sambar one of the most challenging deer species to hunt. I've only hunted elk (we call them wapiti in nz) in fiordland and took a hydrid wapiti/red in some fantasitcally ruggered terrain. In terms of their stature i would say Sambar are more stout and robust than the red deer or elk, and man are they tough. Hands down sambar are the toughest out of reds and elk. No doubt about it - if you don't hit a sambar with a good shot using a decent projectile from reliable calibre (minimum 270), then you will be found wanting. In terms of weights the North american elk are slightly heavier than sambar, but pretty close (mature sambar 300kg), but a mature red stag is considerably smaller at about 160kg. All three can live in some harsh and steep conditions but red deer are my favourite to hunt in terms of the terrain they can reside in. Man, I have seen and shot some great red stags in some remarkably remote and ruggered places in the Southern Alps of NZ - and as wild as you could ever find. But then the wapiti in fiordland live in some of the most hostile terrain imaginable too and subject ti incredibly wet condition and I couldn't imagine sambar living in that sort of terrain!! So yeah, all three species offer some excellent hunting in the south pacific thats for sure. Goodluck
You ever try the Hornady ELD-X bullets? They look pretty good and have a pretty good Ballistic Coefficient.
No I haven't tried the ELD-Xs, i am using Nosler's similar version in the Accubonds (180g) from the 30-06 and just recently reloaded some 168g bergers for the 30-06 to test out. All high BC projectiles, similar to the ELD-X's
Another good video mate! I personally run a Sako 85 in .300wsm for sambar. bloody love em!
ASD350SXF i also considered the 300 but felt it may make my flinch worse!! (i have a terrible habit of lifting the head after the shot. bad habit from shooting and wanting to see where the animals runs!)
Yeah that's fair enough mate, nothing worse than developing a flinch... better off with a calibre you can shoot consistently and accurately everyday of the week...
Mine booted bad, so I had to get a custom muzzle break put on there!
ASD350SXF how do you find the muzzle brake when bush stalking? take ear plugs? could imagine its a helluva bang!
Its brutally loud mate and honestly majority of times when im chasing sambar I don't have time to put my ear plugs on, so I just cop it sweet... Only good side is It reduced the recoil MASSIVELY, kicks like my .260 Remington now.
ASD350SXF jeeeez man; be careful... hearing loss is permanent! can you take brake off when busg stalking but then screw it on when glassing and shooting across gullies?
Thanks for sharing....very informative.
no probs :)
nice rifle pal....the heavy hitter
gav bubu cheers Gav. yeah those 220g are pretty choice up close!
Hey Jamie, I just noticed you haven't used optilock rings or bases to mount your scope. What brand rings did you choose? And do they grip the tapered dovetail well enough? I like how low your scope is, I can't achieve that with optilocks on my sako. Thank you.
Hope you are planning another backpack hunt soon
Hey there, sorry for late reply, I missed this!
They are sako tapered mounts, but only low, I wish I had gone medium or high to clear the objective lens off rhe barrell more, as I have to push the scope really far forward and it forces me to lean forward into scope a little more than I'd like to
Yeah its a good cal the '06 so versatile and yet emphatic killer.
Jonathan Davies i am huge fan of the necked down 25-06 cal so it was probably always a matter of time before i went heavier. I'm loving the range of .308 projectiles (so many to play with haha)
Hey bud awesome videos, I've been wanting to get in to a bit of hunting with my partner for few years now, we have no gun licence nor been out. What would be the best and easiest way to take this up and give it ago and also best place to learn bush safety.
Cheers Joe
Apply for a firearms license, join a local Deerstalkers club and meet like minded folk who are more experienced and start going on hunts. Where are you based ? NZ, Aus, U.S. , UK, or Europe?
@@MountainMan_NZ cheers bro I'm in aotearoa live in fielding,
@@MountainMan_NZ would this be heavy on the pocket?
@@josephmarino2658 nah joining a Deerstalkers association and becoming a local member of a club is about 100$ a year, to get magazine issued quarterly, ability to attend Deerstalker organised events or hunts. The rifle license application depends where you are in the world, but usually that's administration fee of 50 odd $. The purchasing of a rifle and scope and hunting accessories is the investment though and th at totally depends on upon your budget. You can buy entry level equipment all the way up to top end stuff. Hope that helps
@@MountainMan_NZ cheers mate thank you very much for your time and effort into replying, this helps a lot, all the best for future hunts hope to see more of what you do.
Choice
Hey Jami what load u got for 200gr sbt pls being chasing it I got 180 sbt behind 55.5 2209 very low essd very accurate @500mtrs but could't tune the 2oosbt sierra
Alex M 52.7g ar2209 for the 200g sierra gamekings
Cheers for the vid 👍
thanks for watching Dan
MountainMan HuntingFilms, pleasure. Just getting into deer hunting. Hunted plenty of smaller critters growing up. might need to upgrade the .308 before I tackle sambar tho!
Dan Stevens as an experienced hunter i can attest that once you get bitten by the sambar bug you'll probably have a life long infatuation of pursuing them!! goodluck!
MountainMan HuntingFilms cheers! Certainly seems to be the case with you guys. Is the meat any good on a hard antlered sambar? Or does it just depend on when they rut?
Dan Stevens to be honest (and i am no master chef lol) but i would generally only casserole or sausage sambar stag meat. i cut the back steaks very thin while still out hunting and cook it super fast but its still like chewing a gumboot lol. the heart & liver on the other hand are great with some onions and butter
Ever thought about adding a muzzle breaker?
Hey Harry, no I haven't, I don't shoot regularly enough or long range to warrant a muzzle brake. I'm happy just bush stalking with the 3006 and if I have to stretch it across a gully then I will, but most shots have been within 80m
Another fantastic video, thank you for sharing your knowledge. Can I please ask where you bought the scope cover?
I bought the neoprene scope cover from a hunting and fishing store in Darwin, NT
@@MountainMan_NZ thank you for your reply. Did you cerakote the bipod as well? How has the cerakote lasted on the rifle? I'm thinking about getting one of my rifles done too. Keep up the great videos, we love them. Thank you
@@ThreeEyeGypsy30 hey mate, bipod is standard harris 9inch extendable model and no i have not cerakoted it . The cerakot is fine on the rifle although a fee places I have scratched the barrel climbing through rocky ledges or when i dropped it in a creek lol, so the cerakote has scratched off but only minor marks and hardly noticeable
@@MountainMan_NZ Thank you for your reply and sharing your information with us. Much appreciated
30-06 great sambar cartridge.
such a versatile calibre without having to step up into the big game magbum calibre
Cheers,Nice rifle and calibre.
I'll stick with the 7mm RemMag until I can't handle it!!..Jacko
Graeme Jackson maaaaate bloody great to.hear from you again!!! geeez.must be 10 years since we crossed paths up THAT river!!
MountainMan HuntingFilms
Yeah mate I was standing in that same island of trees this year and recalled you and Andre stalking up to us!!..nice to see your adventures in Oz too
Graeme Jackson awesome brother. and any luck this year
MountainMan HuntingFilms Had to get one aye mate....always nice to get one or two..spent a week up Valley then over to Wilber for look..
Graeme Jackson be busy that 2nd place...
Which MFG country?
MFG? Manufacturing? Tikka is manufactured in Finland
A 30 0 what lol sux ... a sarko or sako? A mako shark ain’t a marko lol
John Harrison haha gets me every time.
Lol Aussies love a bit of kiwi slang 😃
Cheap rifle set-up
Does the job just fine
We’ll then let’s see what you have big guy.