.303 Martini Henry draws first blood

[Cottage Hill Bill]

Well, I finally got into the woods with the Martini. The deer were uncooperative, not moving much and the shootable ones I saw, I didn't have a good shot and the good shots I had weren't shootable deer. Guess that's why they call it hunting not killing. However, Saturday morning I walked into a food plot from out of the woods and found a family of feral pigs on the plot. We have a shoot on sight policy on pigs as they have become a real problem here. The boar and the sow were probably each 300+ pounders and about 7-9 piglets. I took a side on shot at the boar from about 50 yards. He took off into the brush and momma and the kiddies followed. I looked around but couldn't find a drop of blood. I knew I hadn't missed at that range. I took a look where he'd gone into the bush. The scrub there is thick briars, the canes are about the diameter of my little finger, vines and brush wood a little bit over waist high. I thought about following him for a minute, then thought "I'm carrying a single shot rifle and a .38 spl pistol. I don't think I want to confront a very PO'ed pig in that."

I went back to the plot about the same time the next morning and momma and the kids were on the plot, right at the edge of the wood. The boar was nowhere to been seen and off in the direction where I'd last seen him were a couple of circling buzzards. The sow was about 250 yards off at the opposite end of the plot. I tried to work in a little closer since I haven't tried the Martini past 100 yards (most of our shots here are 100 yards or less). As soon as she spotted me she called in the kids and disappeared into the woods.

All in all I was pleased with the little Martini. It's an easy carry in the woods and gives every promise of being just what I was looking for.

Good hunting all,
CHB

[S.E.Ak]

Shame the pork didn't end up in the freezer.

[Cottage Hill Bill]

Agreed. Next time it will. This was my first time with porkers. Next time I'll take a couple of the little ones. I understand that the 40-80 pound size are pretty tasty. The big tusker I shot probably wouldn't have been as good a choice.

[Spanky]

Nice looking rifle and congrats on the porker. 



Spanky

[Brithunter]

Oh just one small point about the rifle  as it's a .303 then it's not a Martini Henry but either a Martini Metford or Martini Enfield  The Martini Henry's were in 577/450 Only. It will be marked on the left hand side of the receiver like this:-


That's an Martini Enfield hence the M.E and it's an Artillery carbine hence the AC and the 2nd pattern hence the 11 designation.

The markings on the right of the receiver tell you what it was originally before being converted to .303.

[Cottage Hill Bill]

Brithunter,

You are correct. I had posted about this rifle in more detail on another thread. I'm afraid I was guilty of highjacking another poster's thread so this one was more of a follow up post. It was converted to an ME AC in '98. Sometime later it had an SMLE barrel fitted which has been bobbed to 20 inches. The forend was made from a MH rifle length forend. It has little collector value but is a great woods gun for the type of hunting I do. It points more like a good double than a rifle and will be going back into the wood right after the first of the year.

[Brithunter]

Bill,, Good luck in the woods with it  . Oh BTW I don't have any problems with your salvaging an old war horse. If it was a mint example that would be different  . I have  abutched oen as a project that hopefully will get built up one day if i can get the stupidity of our licensing officer overcome.

[pastorp]

Bill,

The 300+ boar would most definitely be the worst choice for a meat hog. If you shot the sow you would a prevented her from having any more little piggies. For eating we always killed the little boars of about 100lbs or less. They eat good. You also want to catch all the little ones and castrate them so when they grow up they will be good to eat. 

Regards,