An active hunter from Hokkaido was thrown into another world

Chapter 18 When choosing a rifle, the bullet comes first than the gun

Rifle: The Ultimate Weapon of the Hunter.

Whether in hunting or on the battlefield, the rifle is undeniably one of humanity’s most powerful weapons.

With its unmatched amount of gunpowder, the shotgun boasts incredible power. The secret lies in its velocity.

Compared to a shotgun with a muzzle velocity of around 400m/s, rifle bullets exceeding 800m/s possess several times the firepower.

In manga, games, and movies, shotguns are often depicted as highly powerful, but in reality, the experience of owning and shooting one is actually underwhelming. Despite being the first firearm beginners can obtain with the proper permit, shotguns are low-powered and relatively safe.

For fox control, we may use BB shot (4.5mm), but it doesn’t result in a blood-soaked fox. It doesn’t kill instantly either. It’s normal to take one shot to immobilize and then finish it with another shot. You won’t know where it hit until you part the thick fur and look. That’s about the extent of it.

Rifle ammunition has sturdy brass casings, right?

But what about shotguns? Their casings are made of plastic.

That means they can only contain an adequate amount of gunpowder. In the past, shotgun casings were made of paper. Ballistic fiberboard, to be exact. It’s impossible for shotguns to surpass rifles in terms of power.

The secret to the rifle’s accuracy, even at shooting distances exceeding 300m, lies in the spiral rifling engraved on its barrel.

By spinning the bullet and stabilizing it, it can fly like a spinning top, ensuring pinpoint accuracy.

I also use sabot slugs in my shotgun, rotating them with a half-rifling technique. However, the accuracy difference is staggering.

However, there’s no weapon as difficult to choose as a rifle.

In practical terms, shotguns are all hunting guns. They are perfectly suited for hunting, while rifles come in a terrifying variety of performance and purposes, ranging from shooting competitions to military assault rifles.

…That being said, I’m a hunter, so my choice is clear: a hunting gun all the way.

Since it’s my first rifle, I’d prefer to avoid large calibers. I’m also unsure about extremely expensive ammunition. Hmm, it’s a tough decision.

If we’re going for the classics, it’s either the .308 Winchester or the .30-06 Springfield.

For deer or wild boar, either of these will suffice.

Those who hunt brown bears also use the .300 Winchester Magnum.

Anything larger than that is for grizzlies or moose in Alaska or Canada. And the ones for elephants in Africa… well, that’s a long way off.

As a hunter, I don’t think about which gun to use. I think about which game I want to hunt and choose the appropriate ammunition for that purpose. Deciding which gun to buy comes afterward. The priority of the gun is lower than that of the ammunition.

Both the .308, the .30-06, and the .300 Magnum are names of rifle cartridges.

Yes, let’s go with the .308.

It’s my first rifle, after all. It’s the most widely used rifle cartridge in the world and highly recommended for beginners. Gun shops in Hokkaido don’t carry anything weaker than this. This cartridge provides the minimum required power. There are no game species in Hokkaido that can be taken down with a .30 Carbine round like the HOWA.

Although it’s also famous as the military 7.62mm NATO round, its adoption as a military cartridge came later. Originally, it was a small-sized cartridge developed by Winchester for hunting, with the assumption that it would cover all the wild animals on the American mainland. The largest game animal on the American mainland is the black bear, slightly larger than the brown bear and smaller than the deer.

With advancements in smokeless powder, this post-war rifle cartridge was developed to provide sufficient power even with shorter casings.

That’s why, as military cartridges, the .308 Winchester and the longer-cased .30-06 Springfield from 1906 have almost identical power and ballistic performance. If there were significant differences, it would require the military to redo training and replace all their manuals. So, they are essentially the same.

However, since the .30-06 also utilizes improved propellants, it has greater power than the .308 for hunting purposes, thanks to its larger casing.

Considering my current skill level, I’d prefer to avoid having too much power or excessively expensive ammunition with the .308.

In fact, these three cartridges all have the same caliber, .30 caliber (7.62mm). The .308, .30-06, and .300 Magnum, in that order, have progressively thicker and larger casings with varying amounts of gunpowder.

Now, what about the bullets…

I think it’s best to go with Barnes bullets.

Since lead bullets have been prohibited in Hokkaido, copper bullets, which are made entirely of copper, are used instead. They are slightly lighter than lead bullets covered in copper jackets. As a result, when hunters initially switched to these bullets, there was a misconception that “copper bullets don’t hit well.” In reality, the change in bullet weight resulted in higher velocity and altered ballistics.

As more people started using them, copper bullets received recognition for being more powerful than lead bullets.

The original purpose behind the development of Barnes bullets, which are entirely made of copper, was to create more powerful projectiles. Lead bullets tend to be too soft, and when they hit the game, they tend to break apart inside the animal’s body. Consequently, when used with high-velocity ammunition like magnum rounds, the energy of the bullet is not fully utilized.

Copper bullets, being harder and more durable, can be fired at high speeds and penetrate the game’s body without disintegrating, reaching vital organs with a deformed tip. This makes them more effective in terms of killing power. As a result, many hunters in Hokkaido, who initially begrudgingly used copper bullets due to the false belief that they couldn’t take down game, now accept and use them.

However, this information is based on the accounts of senior members of the hunting association.

In the morning, I take out my money pouch in the inn room and sit down.

I put a gold coin into the money pouch and concentrate, saying, “Barnes bullets, .308 Winchester.”

A box of twenty rounds appears.

Alright! I can make the purchase! Now I don’t have to worry about ammunition.

I receive nine silver coins as change. Three silver coins for a box. In Japanese yen, that’s about 125 yen per round.

…It’s cheaper than a shotgun sabot slug. Those cost three dollars per round.

When it comes to firearm ammunition, the price doesn’t vary based on size or power.

The more common and mass-produced the ammunition, the cheaper it is. Even for smaller calibers, rare ammunition can be more expensive.

Next, I put thirty gold coins in the pouch, and it’s finally time to purchase the firearm itself!

“Remington M700 Stainless Steel!”

Please! Leave the specific model numbers to me!

…Grrr.

The magic bag feels heavy.

It’s here! I open the bag.

It’s always a fascinating sight. Inside an ordinary yellow bag, a long rifle is nestled deep…

As I take it out, I see the stainless steel barrel and action, shining silver, along with the plastic stock. It’s a bolt-action rifle.

It’s the Remington M700… Just like the one my grandfather had.

His wasn’t stainless steel; it was blued, and the stock was walnut.

Of course, the transition to stainless steel and plastic has significantly improved its weather resistance and durability. It can withstand getting wet. If we were in a different world, this would be the ideal choice.

Stainless steel firearms don’t rust as easily as they have fewer rust-prone components, but it doesn’t mean they won’t rust at all, like tableware. Some maintenance is still required. Let’s keep that in mind.

I flip the bag upside down.

Twenty-two gold coins fall out. So that’s eight gold coins. Eighty thousand yen!

America is cheap, isn’t it!

Next is the scope mount and scope.

“Remington M700 Scope Mount, 30mm, Nikon 16x50mm Scope!”

Seven gold coins for both. The price of the scope is no different from the rifle…

Even so, it’s still a good deal. Nikon scopes are top-notch.

I was repeatedly told by seniors that you can’t fully unleash the performance of a rifle without buying a scope that costs more than the rifle itself.

When it comes to optical products, Japanese-made ones are the way to go. They offer high cost-performance ratio.

Interestingly, even the top-tier scopes from overseas manufacturers often have Japanese-made internals.

One notable feature of Nikon rifle scopes is their long eye relief.

In other words, the distance between the eye and the scope’s eyepiece is long.

So, you don’t have to worry much about hitting your eye on the scope due to the rifle’s recoil.

Even in action movies from America or elsewhere, there are occasional scenes where characters press their eyes against the scope’s eyepiece. Unlike microscopes or binoculars, if you shoot with the rifle like that, the scope will smash into your eye, causing blindness.

It might be fine for air guns, but the distance between the scope and your eye in a rifle should be at least 10 cm or more.

I’ve known hunters who bought strange scopes, ended up injuring their eyes by hitting them on the scope, and ever since then, they’ve developed a stiff shooting posture and their shooting skills never improved.

I highly recommend Nikon rifle scopes.

Excitedly, I assemble and mount the scope.

Finally, the rifle… My rifle, the rifle I’ve been longing for.

With this, I’ve finally arrived at the threshold of becoming a full-fledged member.

“It’s amazing, you know? But it looks more sleek than the one I had before.”

“Yeah, compared to a shotgun, it’s slimmer and may seem less reliable”

“But you know, the power and range are more than double what I had before.”

“Oh, really…”

I’m looking happy, and Saran is smiling too.

“I’m sorry… I spent fifteen gold coins.”

“If it’s me and Shin, we can earn that amount in a week. Don’t worry about it.”

“…Thank you.”

Saying that with tears.

Some people might find it strange that I’m using a Remington M700, which is just a normal, outdated, and cheap hunting gun in this other world.

They might think, “There are military guns, assault rifles, sniper rifles, cooler and more high-performance guns available, right?”

But you know, when it comes to hunting guns, despite all the talk, this is still the most suitable for hunting. It has been used since ancient times and is still used today, chosen by many hunters. This is the best option.

After all, it’s called a hunting gun.

My grandfather’s choice wasn’t wrong. I deeply believe that.

That’s why it’s the right choice to use the gun my grandfather used.

I couldn’t inherit my grandfather’s rifle.

There’s an insurmountable legal barrier that requires ten years of experience with shotguns to obtain permission. My grandfather’s rifle was taken by the police and destroyed.

…It was too old. Even the hunting association couldn’t find anyone willing to take it.

The M700 has all the major calibers covered. From the .22 caliber varmint for shooting prairie dogs to large-caliber magnums for facing African beasts, it has a wide selection.

While semi-automatics often have specific designs for certain calibers, bolt-action rifles can handle any type of ammunition with just a slight modification.

Even if I need a more powerful rifle in the future and decide to replace it, the usage remains the same. That’s the great thing about the M700; you can keep using a familiar gun. It excels in the variety of available calibers. It’s nice to have the option of having various caliber guns for different purposes, yet still be able to unify them all with the Remington M700.

Performance comes first, practicality comes first, and looks come second.

“I’m going for a test shot!”

“I’ll come too.”

No, Saran, I’m just going to adjust the scope.

“We’re just adjusting it. We’re not going hunting. You can rest today or go shopping if you want.”

“I want to go. It sounds interesting.”

“Okay, then let’s go together.”

We walk leisurely through the East Gate, leaving behind the rural area and entering the wilderness.

There’s a rock. Let’s use that as our target.

I spray a cross on the rock using a can of spray paint.

I estimate the distance roughly by counting my steps and then use Nikon’s laser rangefinder to measure it more accurately.

This is actually a golf tool, but it’s convenient as it can measure distances up to 500 meters.

It’s exactly 50 meters. This should be good for now.

We lay a cloth on the ground, place the backpack on it, and rest the front end of the M700 on top, assuming a prone position.

I lift the bolt, pull it back, and press the bolt stop release located inside the trigger guard to remove the bolt from the rear.

In this state, if you look at the gun from behind, you can see the round hole of the barrel.

I peek through the barrel and position the sprayed cross on the rock at the center of the gun’s muzzle. Then I look through the scope to check if the crosshair is aligned.

It’s called boresighting (※1) technique.

Yeah, it’s mostly centered. If there’s no significant deviation at this point, it means the gun, scope mount, and scope are all accurately made. That’s great.

I set the bolt, insert a Barnes .308 cartridge into the ejection port, and push the bolt forward, rotating it downward.

※1 Note: The term “boresighting” refers to the process of aligning the firearm’s sights or optics with the bore (the centerline of the barrel) to ensure proper accuracy before shooting at a target.

“Here, Saran, put these on.”

“What are these?”

“Earplugs. It’s going to be loud.”

“Eek!”

“Look… like this…”

I demonstrate how to do it. Can you do it well? Ahahaha.

I pinch Saran’s long ears and insert the earplugs for her.

“Aaah…”

Don’t make strange noises.

“We’re going to shoot now!”

“Go ahead!”

When shooting a gun, placing it on something and shooting is called supported shooting. It reduces recoil and improves accuracy, so whenever possible, you should use anything available, such as a tree or a fence, to support your gun when shooting.

However, in any case, the front end of the gun must be placed on the palm of your hand.

You don’t have to grip it. Just rest it.

If you place it on a hard or soft surface, the impact point will change. Real firearms have recoil, so it’s important to place your hand on the supporting object and rest the gun on top of it.

Otherwise, if you only rely on your hand to support the gun without anything to rest it on, the impact point will change.

Directly pressing the gun against a structure to shoot is also strictly prohibited.

The worst thing you can do is to rest the barrel directly on something. That’s a big no-no. The barrel vibrates during firing, so it will bounce. If you rest it on something, it should be on the front end at the very least, and the barrel should not touch anything.

I place my left hand on top of the bag and rest the front end of the gun on the palm of my hand.

If someone claims that their scope got misaligned when they took the gun for hunting after adjusting it with a bipod in a fully supported position, it means they didn’t do this… They didn’t use the bipod for shooting during the hunt. Snipers always do that, without exception.

BANG!

A tremendous loud noise reverberates, kicking up a cloud of dust. The scope’s field of view is engulfed in an orange flame, and a jolting impact strikes my shoulder.

Well, shall we go check it out?

“…That noise was incredible. It might be even louder than Shin’s gun, even with earplugs.”

“It’s powerful, you know.”

It’s strange for both of us to be speaking a little louder.

It seems to have shifted about 5 centimeters up and 2 centimeters to the right.

I adjust the scope’s turret with a series of clicks: click, click, click.

The markings on the turret say 1 click = 1/4 inch at 100 yards, which means it moves 1/4 inch (6.35mm) at 100 yards (91m).

For 50 meters, remember that 1 click is about 3.5 millimeters. So, I’ll make 14 clicks downward. It was leaning to the right, so around 5 clicks to the left should do.

Some scopes may have 1 click = 1/4 MOA written on them.

MOA stands for Minute of Angle. It’s similar to dividing an hour into minutes. In terms of angles, it means dividing one degree into 60 parts. Just like an hour has 60 minutes.

One click signifies 1/60th of a degree, and then further divided into 1/4th of that.

In practice, the movement is essentially the same as 100yd = 1/4in.

American scopes often use the 100yd notation, while European scopes commonly use MOA.

Next, let’s move to a distance of 100 meters and take another shot!

BANG!

This time it shifted about 2 centimeters down and 1 centimeter to the right.

For 100 meters, let’s remember that 1 click equals 7 millimeters. With Nikon, it’s already written on the turret as 1 click = 7mm/100m.

I’ll make 3 clicks upward and 1 click to the left.

Next, let’s move to a distance of 150 meters…

“Wait, Shin!”

“Hm?”

“You can hit from this far away?!”

“Yeah.”

Saran is surprised. Well, that’s understandable.

When aiming through the scope, be mindful of parallax. In other words, you need to ensure that the entire outer edge of the scope appears perfectly round and that your eye is centered in the scope. If there is any part of the scope where the image appears dim and crescent-shaped, avoid shooting. That would indicate a misalignment.

There is no one correct way to aim, as it varies from person to person. For me, I adjust my stance so that the scope’s image moves precisely up and down with my breath. It’s important to keep the gun level and avoid any diagonal or slanted movement. After confirming that, I wait for the right moment when the crosshairs align with the target, hold my breath, and gently pull the trigger. Most people naturally hold their breath at the moment of firing.

BANG!

I fire three shots.

Let’s go check the bullet impacts in three different locations…

It might be a hassle to walk back and forth to the target without a spotting scope…

The bullet impacts form a distorted triangle, with a size of about 5 centimeters.

Considering it’s my first time with a rifle and my skill level, I’d say this is about right.

My experience with air rifles and sabot slugs has paid off. I’m satisfied with the results.

If we consider the center of this triangle as the point of impact, it’s dead-on left and right.

However, it’s about 2 centimeters below the target vertically.

For 150 meters, 1 click equals 1 centimeter. Let’s go back and make 2 clicks upward.

This should zero in the rifle for 150 meters.

In terms of my skill level, this distance will likely be the most frequently used.

Afterward, I continue shooting at varying distances.

At 50 meters, the impact is zero vertically.

At 100 meters, it’s 3 centimeters high.

At 150 meters, the impact is zero vertically.

At 200 meters, it’s 7 centimeters low.

At 250 meters, the impact is 20 centimeters low.

In other words, when aiming at 250 meters, I need to aim 20 centimeters above the target.

This seems to be my limit considering my skill level.

The scope has reticle markings, so I can use them as a reference to adjust the vertical aim.

I proceed to make successive shots at 250 meters.

Yes, with the scope set at 12x magnification, the reticle lines up perfectly with the markings. Nikon scopes are designed precisely for this.

Let’s remember the distances: 150 meters, 200 meters, and 250 meters.

I’m not confident about 300 meters. With my skill level, I can only hope for occasional lucky shots.

“Finished!”

“The rock is all battered… The power and range are incredible.”

“Yeah, pretty impressive, right?”

…

She pouts with a displeased expression, puffing her cheeks.

Even in a different world, girls still do the same things…

“Um, did I do something to bother you?”

“I feel like my role is being taken away.”

Ah… so that’s it.

“No, that’s not true. With a weapon that makes such loud noises, anyone would quickly figure out where the shots came from. When it comes to hiding and hunting, your bow, Saran, is far more advantageous. Please think of me as someone who can only use something like this and is a bit of a fool…”

Saran is smiling. Her simplicity is a relief.

Author’s Note –

※1. Boresighting

A method of aligning aiming devices such as scopes to a target visible through the hole when looking into the barrel from behind.

Since brand new scopes are not calibrated, shooting at close range may not hit the target, and it can be confusing which way to adjust. It is recommended to attach the scope and perform boresighting as the first step to ensure that the initial shot does not miss the target.

In actual shooting, there is also recoil and bullets are affected by gravity, so boresighting alone cannot achieve precise alignment. It is a technique performed to ensure that the first shot does not miss the target.

※2. Turrets

Refers to the fine-adjustment dials on a scope. Normally, if the impact point is lower, it should be rotated in the UP direction, and if it’s shifted to the left, it should be rotated in the R direction for correction. Adjustment dials on hunting scopes usually have covers to prevent accidental rotation. Once calibrated, they are typically left untouched, and adjustments are made by changing the aiming point. Some tactical scopes have exposed turrets that may require pulling or have some form of locking mechanism.

In Japan, where there are no civilian shooting ranges that exceed 300m, hunters rarely have the opportunity to shoot at distances where adjustments are necessary. Additionally, test shooting outside of shooting ranges is prohibited in Japan, so it is unlikely to find hunters tinkering with the turret settings calibrated at a shooting range in hunting fields.