The Hunter

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Lionclaw

Yeah, the .243 bolt action rifle.




Yeah, installed it a few days ago. Maybe it's not enough time but, it seems like an interesting game. More of a relaxing type of game.

I've played it a few hours now. I have yet to spot a male Mule Deer, only females so far.

I'm not sure I'll hunt water birds.

Cool, good to know so I don't repurchase stuff again.

I think I'll get the Pathfinder bundle, more of a middle ground between the two other ones.

It has a .44 Magnum revolver.

I know what you're thinking. Did he fire 5 shots or 6? Infact, due to the excitement I lost track myself. Do you feel lucky? Well do ya, punk?!

Paraphrased from Dirty Harry movies.

With the .243, you are in no urgent need to go after the .223 I recommended. But you NEED one or two heavier rifles or at least a shotgun.

With the Pathfinder you can get along if you use slugs and buckshot, else you still need a reasonable rifle. The disadvantage of slugs is they do not reach that far and are not as precise. The clothing in the Pathfinder is nothing special, but it gives you a tent. And you still have no callers except for turkeys. If you want to use the bow, you may want a LRF.

BTW, maximum rendering range for animals in the game is around 230 meters, beyond that they are still there and get calculated, but they will not be visible.

Mule deer sometimes is called "ghost deer", and not for no reason, also, Logger's Point is not the most easiest reserve to play. I like it, but Whiteheart Island for example is easier. Try your luck in the early morning hours, and be silent, it is very good advise to behave like a submarine surfacing at night in fog within hostile waters. Most species have two activities at least: resting, and walking to eating grounds, and back. I am not certain whether I would call some observations of mine their effort to go to water to drink, too, or if that were just random meetings. The timetable for these activities vary from species to species.

The real highscoring bucks are very difficult to find, and usually also cannot be lured, also, the ynever call themselves, or only rarely. Also note that higher scoring animals sometimes follow after a "spearhead" of low-scoring peasants, which can make it tricky to go after the good scores. Its these scenarios where I could think about using lure spray. But then I usually find that I have not taken it with me.

P.S. An essential equipment to buy is a backpack. It doubles the space for items you can carry. To increase the number of ready-slots, also is comfortable, though not essential.

[Lionclaw]

I now have:

.243 Rifle (standard)
.357 Revolver
.44 Revolver
12 GA Pump Action Shotgun
Compound Bow "Snakebite"


I've been looking at the heavier rifles, a bit difficult to choose.

K98k, German WW2 rifle.

The Anschütz 1780 has wider selection of scopes though.

Then there's the .300 or the .30-06.

[Skybird]

Go by callibre. The WWII Carbine and the Anschütz 8x52IS are the same.

The carbine offers a 4x scope, the Anschütz a zoom scope with 3x, 6x, 9x. Very handy for quickly switching between precise aiming and getting situational overview.

I would pick either the Carbine, or the Anschütz 9.3 (the bigger one of the Anschütz rifles) with scopes. Possibly the Anschütz - a bigger difference to the Blaser 6.5, if you ever get it later. Yes, that sounds right to me: a Blaser 6.5, and an Anschütz 9.3. With your .243 and pump gun, you then have a very nice combo - the right tool for every opportunity. The rifles with scopes (long shots), but the shotgun does not need one. Scopes always limit situational awareness.

Consider to get callers. Really, they are important. Not the sprays, but the callers. Also, consider that backpack.

[Lord_magerius]

I've got a game up on Loggers Point for anyone interested.

Search for Monkster87's Game password will be Subsim

[Skybird]

But... They are playing football now! Halftime. :-)

[Lord_magerius]

Just some screenshots from my point of view whilst hunting with Lionclaw and Skybird.

Edit: For some reason the game looked really bad for me tonight, it had somehow defaulted to no AA, no anisotropic and scenery density was set at low, weird bug maybe.

A half decent Whitey


Moooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooose


Pretty decent blacktail deer


My first Roosevelt elk buck

[Skybird]

The photo on the mountain that I told you guys of, went amiss somehow, unfortunately.

I had five shots - five kills, a clean rifle statistics. I was satisfied. I made just one trophy shot and in a hurry, and it was not even a good one:

[Skybird]

I will announce my hunts in the forum from now on.

Subsimmers are welcome to join.

Password will always be "Subsim" or "subsim". I usually start at 06:00 gametime, and will not run beyond 10:00 ingame time, at the latest.

[Skybird]

I could take you two out for a mallard or goose hunt. I know you do not have the according stuff, but I have, you only need ethical weapons: birdshot, arrows, or .357 magnum (which is really odd, but that is what the game is like...). I have still set up according ambush sites in Hirschfelden and Rougarou Bayou.

A coordinated effort. I call them in, you two pick them down. The blinds can hold three people.

[Skybird]

Lionclaw, since you said last night you are still undecided on which rifle to choose, I just wrote this in their forums:

Ignoring shotguns and slugs: and basing both on my own experiences and the German Wiki, with which I agree in its assessments of the Anschütz rifles.

The brute power of the 9.3 is without rival within ranges of around 100-150 meters. It's the rifle that I brought to full kill score as the first rifle in my statistics. It's a Panzerfaust. It also is damn accurate within that range. In excess of that range however its ballistics make themselves felt, and the bullets drop more than with the .300 or 30-06. If you can compensate for that, you still have a cannon in your hands. At maximum rendering distance of 230m, aim maybe the width of one hand higher.

The .300 is more precise over longer ranges, that's why the scopes for it are zeroed in for not 100 but 150 meter. It delivers a good punch, and adding the precision, in capable hands it is as lethal as the 9.3

But you have to differ between penetration power and the body damage in general. The .300 has a good, maybe better penetration power than the 9.3, but is not en par with the body damage done by a 9.3. The 9.3 does more damage, if it penetrates shoulder bones, for example. If you aim in such a way that you avoid needing to penetrate bones, the 9.3 still is the superior weapon. The .300 is the safer weapon to penetrate, and easier to handle, due to better precision.

If you do not call long range shots, but like to close in, do like I do and prefer the 9.3. If oyu prefer the long range shots, maybe the .300 is better choice.

The 30-06 is a very good allrounder. Slightly stronger than the 8x57IS, no interfering ballistics at 200m, and it can easily hold its ground with the .300 and 9.3.

All these callibres are lethal, if you handle them according to their small differences and adapt to them. I would not choose a rifle because of them, but because of the scopes, the sounds the rifle makes, and the looks. Serious. And the sounds of the Anschütz rifles are - well, they leave the .300 and 30-06 in the dust, imo. The .300 is slow in reloading, you hardly get off a second shot. The Anschütz rifles I often use for two shots, on some occasions even three (though they do not reload as fast as the Blaser R8 6.5). The Winchester also reloads quite fast. The .300 has a very good scope: fine crosshairs with a red dot, fits any light condition.

Do not count out the Anschütz 8x57IS. Its more precise than the 9.3, and a VERY good allrounder. Not maximum penetration and body damage, but very good values in both, and that combined with the precision and fast reloading and nice sound and scope makes it a very good rifle in game.

I come to love with the Blaser 6.5 since the last weeks. For its kind of game, it now is my favourite weapon: Blacktail, Whitetail, Mule, Coyotes, even hogs. The key to it is understanding its strength: precision, fast travelling bullets, and the resulting high penetration power. It doe snot do as much damage than the callibres mentioned above. But also, it doe snot ruin your trophy score that way. For the prey mentioned, it is maybe the most superior rifle in the game. It has a good scope, characteristic sound, and reloads extremely fast. Damn good rifle! For elk, moose and bears you need a bigger one, however, not because you could not kill with 6.5, but because the ethical argument ingame (no score, that is )

[Lionclaw]

Thanks Skybird. Bought a .300 though, the sights I have is compatible with it, saved some money that way. With the Pathfinder bundle I received a 3-9x40 rifle scope.

I bought some ammo, noticed later that I had been given three boxes of it.

I bought the B&C Clothing bundle, scent eliminator and a range finder.

May need to get more em$ to get some callers or something.

[Skybird]

No bad choice, the .300. Will make no more jokes on you when meeting you in the forest now, for pulling your leg you now have too big a Boom on your back. It will teach you aiming discipline, since you most often will not be able to reload in time for a second shot - that longer reloading time is its only - relative - weakness.

Reloading the .50 would take even longer however.

The B&C clothing is good scent protection when hunting all kind of deer, both in summer and autumn reserves, but it gives no visual benefits when hunting animals that are more eye-focussed. For the time beeing, stay with the B&C.

Yes, callers. Bleat caller is top on the list, since it serves for luring several species. The others in the order you want to hunt them. Note that the four callers for mallards and geese do not help you that much at all if you do not also use according blinds, and plastic dummies which raise the probability that the cvallers will be effective - I would stay away from mallard and goose stuff as long as I need other equipment.

A Rucksack!

---

I have just done another expedition, this time Hemmeldal.

It was a beautiful early morning.



I scored seven of seven, amongst them this fox...



... and this brown bear.



"What's this supposed to mean - Germany 0 Portugal 1...!?!?!"

[Lionclaw]

Originally Posted by Skybird

"What's this supposed to mean - Germany 0 Portugal 1...!?!?!"

That expression fits perfectly.

Originally Posted by Skybird

The B&C clothing is good scent protection when hunting all kind of deer, both in summer and autumn reserves, but it gives no visual benefits when hunting animals that are more eye-focussed. For the time beeing, stay with the B&C.

Roger that!

Originally Posted by Skybird

Yes, callers. Bleat caller is top on the list, since it serves for luring several species. The others in the order you want to hunt them. Note that the four callers for mallards and geese do not help you that much at all if you do not also use according blinds, and plastic dummies which raise the probability that the cvallers will be effective - I would stay away from mallard and goose stuff as long as I need other equipment.

I saw the water bird thingies, and yeah, they cost a bit.

I have a Deer "Bleat" caller, part of the guest equipment.

It attracts both female and male, so the grunt call may not be needed I guess?

There are the moose, elk etc. callers, might come in handy.

What about scent lures? Mmm, piss.

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Lionclaw

I have a Deer "Bleat" caller, part of the guest equipment.

It attracts both female and male, so the grunt call may not be needed I guess?

No, it sounds different, but in effect both are not any different.

There are the moose, elk etc. callers, might come in handy.

The next important items on your list, I'd say, and next comes a Rucksack.

What about scent lures? Mmm, piss.

I personally never use them. You could use them to attract your prey into a position that should not be your own. But for me, callers just do the job. Maybe it also is habit. I think most players do not use lures much.

You probably have noted already that your rifle is less stabilised when standing, and better stabilised when kneeling, and best when laying flat on the ground. Also, hold your breath when shooting, it helps. And shoot from shortest possible distance. It does more damage that way, and reduces the risk of having a time consuming after-search.

I hate searching.

I experimented with lures quite a bit in the last weeks and they work fine for me during feeding times of the animals. I tried them on Roe deer and was OK with the results.

Scents last longer than callers (20 ingame minutes, 10 real time minutes) and also have higher chances attracting animals in range (same range as the audible caller, IIRC. Also, after shooting a deer I also noticed the others were not running as far away as usual AND some of them returned to the spot as well.

So if you feel lazy and not like stalking around, that passive way of hunting can be a welcome change - and profitable...