An active hunter from Hokkaido was thrown into another world - Chapter 21

An active hunter from Hokkaido was thrown into another world

Chapter 21   Why hunters use hunting rifles

“Let’s engage in long-range sniping with rifles.”

“What’s going on?”

“What I’m about to do is strictly confidential. Otherwise, I won’t be able to cooperate in the future.”

“…Understood.”

I hand Saran a pair of binoculars.

“What’s this?”

“It’s a combination of binoculars and glasses.”

“I’ve never seen anything like this before!”

“It’s the latest model.”

Bal-san is getting annoying with his constant surprise.

I discreetly pull out a Remington M700 from the magic bag behind my back.

“What’s that?”

“It’s a more powerful one.”

“How many of those do you have?”

“Please don’t ask.”

From the prone position, I place the backpack in front of me, supporting it with my left hand and resting the forend on it.

I open the box of .308 Barnes bullets and lay out forty rounds on the cloth.

This rifle is a four-round capacity. I pull back the bolt handle, load four rounds into the chamber through the ejection port, push the bolt handle forward, and press it down to complete the ready-to-fire position.

187-meter shooting from an elevated position.

When the rifle is angled downwards or upwards, the point of impact shifts slightly higher.

Whether facing upwards or downwards, the impact tends to be slightly higher.

But with .308 caliber, at a 15-degree angle, it’s only about 7 centimeters off at 500 meters. It can be ignored for this situation.

“Saran,” I call out to Saran, who is looking through the binoculars.

“If you had to shoot first, which one would you aim for?”

“The big one. Probably the leader.”

“Yes, I think so too…”

I adjust the side focus ring (※1) on the scope to bring it into focus.

Oh, how creepy…

I almost forgot. Earplugs, earplugs. I hand one to Saran and put on a pair myself.

“It’s going to make a tremendously loud sound. Bal-san, cover your ears.”

…Where should I aim?

The head… It’s small, isn’t it?

Maybe the chest after all.

Boom!…

Gunshots reverberate through the mountains.

“He’s down.”

As I listen to Saran’s voice, I quickly move on. Click, clack!

Operating the bolt handle to eject the spent casing and load the next round.

Boom!

Second one down!

They seem to be in a panic. Looking around frantically.

They probably never expected to be attacked from such a distance.

With their leader down, they’re running around in confusion.

Boom!

Third shot!

“Aaahhh…”

Bal-san plunges his face into the grass, clutching his head as if thunder just struck. Well, it’s quite startling, isn’t it?

Boom!

If they were wild animals, they would all instinctively flee at full speed without hesitation. Whether it’s birds or other animals, it’s normal to shoot into a group and only manage to catch one.

But goblins have this strangely human-like aspect to them. Instead of running away, they try to assess what’s happening first. They rush to their fallen comrades, shaking them or trying to wake them up. They make for perfect targets.

One thing I’ve particularly noticed since coming to this other world is that it’s much easier to shoot and kill humans than wild animals. After all, humans are standing upright, so simply aligning the horizontal axis ensures hitting a vital area. Head, face, throat, heart, lungs, abdomen—there’s a vertical line of vital areas, all fully exposed.

With animals like deer, unless you hit a vital area, they won’t die. Even if you cause severe injuries, if you miss the vital area, they will always escape. I can’t count how many times I’ve ended up trailing bloodstains.

This time, it’s goblins, not humans, but it’s a common misconception that hunters, just because they have guns, want to shoot and kill humans. The president of a hunting association said this while watching news about a shooting incident:

“Humans aren’t as clever as crows, as cautious as foxes, as fast as deer, or as fearsome as bears. Shooting them isn’t entertaining at all. Those who cause such shooting incidents have probably never been hunters.”

They’re absolutely right.

Boom!

Once I’ve emptied the four rounds in the magazine, I directly load one bullet at a time from the lined-up ammunition into the ejection port (※2) for rapid fire. It’s faster than reloading the magazine.

Boom!

One shot per person, systematically bringing them down.

They’re still wandering around, huh?

They should have just fled into the cave.

Boom!

The reason hunters don’t use those fancy sniper rifles or assault rifles that military enthusiasts love is because…

Boom!

Shotguns are much more powerful and have higher killing capacity!

Boom!

Only three left. They’ve wisely taken refuge in the cave.

The ammunition used in shotguns is hollow point. They have a hole at the tip and are capped with plastic.

Those full metal jacket rounds regulated by international law for military use (※3) aren’t as forgiving. Even if they’re fired with tremendous force, they’ll penetrate upon impact.

Hollow point bullets, on the other hand, expand upon entering the body, creating a significantly larger diameter. They penetrate while releasing shockwaves throughout the body, using up all their energy before coming to a stop. They create large cavities inside the body, tearing through tissues and major blood vessels. They’re specifically designed to ensure instant death for large game. If you get hit, there’s no chance of survival.

And, in fact, all hunting rifles are essentially “sniper rifles”!

…

Note: ※3: Full metal jacket rounds are regulated by international law to reduce the risk of over-penetration and collateral damage. They have a jacket made of harder metal covering the core, typically lead, to enhance penetration and stability.

…

“Bal-san.”

Bal-san, who had his face buried in the grass, raises his head.

“I’ve taken down nine of them. The remaining three have fled into the cave.”

“…Seriously? That’s incredible.”

It becomes quiet.

The wind rustles gently.

“Saran, how are things?”

“…I don’t see any of them approaching us. I guess that was all of them.”

Saran removes her earplugs and scans the surroundings while sensing any presence.

Snipers are vulnerable while they’re engaged in shooting. They can only see through the narrow field of view provided by the scope.

In real combat situations, a partner is always necessary. They are called spotters or pointers. Saran naturally fulfills that role. She truly is a wonderful wife…

“Let me see for a moment.”

Bal-san borrows the binoculars from Saran.

“Wow, this is amazing! It’s the first time I’ve seen a binoculars and glasses that provide such clear vision.”

Japanese optical equipment is top-notch. It’s Fujinon.

“Seven, eight, nine… You really took down nine of them. From this distance…”

“Please don’t tell anyone.”

“Even if I did, no one would believe it. They would say it’s impossible, even for a magician.”

Bal-san is captivated by the binoculars.

I wonder if he’s pleased with them.

“So, what’s the plan?”

“If you were a goblin, what would you do?”

“Well, considering our fallen comrades in front of the cave, I would probably come out cautiously to assess the situation.”

“That’s right. So, we’ll continue monitoring here, wait for the remaining ones to come out, and take them down.”

“…It’s getting tense.”

“In hunting, safety comes first. We should avoid any avoidable risks. Absolutely no recklessness or foolhardiness. If there’s a safe method available, there’s no need to deliberately choose a dangerous one.”

“…You seem more professional than me. What are you exactly?”

“Bal-san, please continue monitoring as you are. Saran, stay vigilant of the surroundings.”

“Got it. Leave it to me.”

“Yes, my dear.”

Saran, your way of addressing me has changed. Hey, it’s making me blush.

Click, click, click, click…

I load four rounds into the rifle.

The bolt is still not closed. Safety first.

We continue monitoring for about 30 minutes.

A sniper doesn’t let their concentration waver.

“They’re coming out!”

Bal-san alerts us.

I confirm it through the scope.

“Take the shot!”

“Not yet.”

One… two…

The third one has also emerged.

They cautiously peer at their fallen comrades’ bodies.

“Plug your ears.”

Both of them hastily cover their ears.

Boom!

The goblin, shot in the leg, falls and cries out in pain.

As two others rush to their aid…

Boom! Boom!

They are brought down.

The goblin with the wounded leg continues to roll.

Boom!

…Mission complete.

“…Was that intentional?”

“Yes.”

“You’ve got some skill.”

“I didn’t want them to escape again.”

It’s strange how I can remain so calm…

While peering through the scope, I don’t feel any emotions surfacing.

Within the scope, something dies. But I have absolutely no sense of that reality.

That’s just how it is.

――――Author’s Note――――

※1. Side Focus

Hunting scopes are like the pan-focus function in cameras. They are designed to have a wide focus range. However, with large-caliber high-magnification zoom lenses, the focus range can be narrow. Therefore, some precision shooting scopes are equipped with a focus adjustment mechanism. In the past, scopes were adjusted by turning the objective lens at the front, just like cameras, using a screw. However, this required reaching out with your hand while holding the gun. Nowadays, scopes with a focus adjustment knob positioned on the turret are popular, especially those known as “Side Focus,” which distinguishes them from traditional focus ring mechanisms.

※2. Throwing into the ejection port

In semi-automatic pistols and assault rifles, there is usually a slide stop or bolt stop mechanism that keeps the slide or bolt open after firing the last round. However, non-automatic hunting rifles typically lack such mechanisms. Instead, it is common to directly throw a single round into the ejection port and then close the bolt to fire. Having a slide or bolt stop in this case would be obstructive.

※3. Full Metal Jacket

With the invention of smokeless powder, bullet velocities increased. However, lead bullets were too soft and didn’t achieve effective rotation, resulting in lead residue building up in the rifling. To address this issue, bullets were coated with copper, known as metal-jacketed bullets. Among them, the term “Full Metal Jacket” refers to bullets where the copper jacket covers the entire bullet, including the tip. Hunting bullets, on the other hand, are designed with soft points or hollow points that are not covered at the tip. Military bullets with similar effects (such as the famous “Dum-dum” bullets) that achieve high lethality have been banned by treaties, and all military bullets are now fully jacketed with copper. Therefore, “Full Metal Jacket” essentially refers to “military ammunition.” However, in civilian contexts like target shooting or sports shooting, these inexpensive bullets are readily available. In Japan, where guns are only used for hunting, Full Metal Jacket bullets are not sold in gun stores.