An active hunter from Hokkaido was thrown into another world

Chapter 4 Hunting in another world for the first time

My shotgun, the Remington M870, has a capacity of two rounds in the magazine and one round in the chamber, allowing for a total of three consecutive shots. This limitation is set by Japan’s firearm laws, which permit only up to two rounds in a shotgun’s magazine.

However, in reality, this shotgun’s magazine can hold four rounds.

There’s a spacer inside the tubular magazine under the barrel, designed to prevent more than two rounds from fitting. So, I removed the magazine cap, took out the plug, and removed the plastic spacer inside. (※1)

Carrying a shotgun in this state would be a violation of Japan’s firearm laws.

But since this is a different world, it doesn’t matter, right…?

And thus, my shotgun now has a capacity of 4+1 rounds.

To ensure safety, I don’t load any rounds into the chamber. Currently, there are four rounds in the tubular magazine.

To fire, all I need to do is pump the forend.

Pump-action shotguns may be considered outdated and mocked by some, but their simplicity of operation and high reliability surpasses that of semi-automatic or double-barreled shotguns.

I believe there’s a reason why veteran grandpas are fond of using them. I’ve been using it for a year, and I’ve never experienced any malfunctions or failures. (※2)

As a side note, let’s purchase some gun oil with the magic bag and perform maintenance.

From my last memory, I fired three shots at a bear, so I need to prevent it from rusting. I’ll wipe it down with a cloth soaked in oil, and I’ll use a rag wrapped around a thin wooden stick to clean the inside of the barrel. Maintaining a shotgun is easy because of its thick barrel.

When it comes to gun oil, there are various options, but I prefer using WD-40 as a general-purpose lubricant. It’s sufficient on its own, and I’ve never had any issues. Even firearm manufacturers use it in their factories.

What’s scary is that I have no idea where I should go from here.

It would be great if I could meet someone, but in this remote mountain area, in a different world no less, it’s quite daunting. The first person I encounter would probably find me suspicious and perceive me as a threat. I have no clue if they would be friendly towards me.

Well, to begin with, we probably won’t be able to communicate, right?

Should I just live in seclusion in these mountains, self-sufficient and alone…?

That’s scary too, isn’t it?

With that in mind, I climbed up a small hill and surveyed the surroundings.

There’s a lake in the distance. And there seems to be a settlement by the lakeshore.

I have no idea who lives there, but seeing the timber-framed buildings, they’re likely humans or a similar species. For now, I’ll try heading towards that place.

Observing from a distance should give me some insight.

There’s one more thing I need to confirm.

Will guns work properly in this world?

That’s something I must test.

Ideally, I’d prefer to start by shooting at small animals like birds or rabbits, but all I have is a half-rifle barrel, a scope, and sabot slugs.

In that case, it would have to be a deer… or maybe a wild boar.

I used to be a hunter in Hokkaido, but I’ve never come across wild boars. They don’t exist there.

I take off my orange jacket and store it in the magic bag.

Without it, I’m completely camouflaged in forest attire, except for my orange hat.

The familiar orange jacket from the hunting club serves the purpose of preventing accidental shootings among comrades. But since I’m alone, I no longer need it.

Many animals like deer are color-blind, so the orange color doesn’t pose any problem. Birds, on the other hand, are said to perceive colors.

As I descend the hill, I spot a lone deer. It’s different from the deer I’m familiar with in Japan, like the Ezo Sika or Kamoshika.

Its antlers aren’t branch-like; they’re large and resemble enlarged cow horns.

This might be the first time I truly feel that this is a different world.

The distance is about 80 meters, and it hasn’t noticed me yet.

If it notices me and starts running, I won’t be able to hit it with my shooting skills alone. Even an experienced hunter would have difficulty hitting a running deer. It’s all about whether I can hit it with my first shot.

My scope is zeroed in at 50 meters (※3). Since bullets are affected by gravity and fly in a parabolic trajectory, when shooting at 80 meters, I need to aim slightly higher. I’m using Nikon’s Slug Hunter scope. Japanese-made rifle scopes have a good reputation worldwide and are trusted by many hunters. Depending on the ammunition used, when using a zoom lens with a magnification of 6x, aiming at the dot just below the crosshair (※4) should result in hitting the target at exactly 100 meters, or so they say. Therefore, I’ll aim somewhere between the crosshair and the dot.

Silently, I gently pull the forend, being careful not to make any noise, and then push it back into position.

I sit flat on the ground, leaning against a tree, resting my elbow on my knee to support the gun. The forehand (left hand) rests on the open palm without gripping it.

With my right hand’s pinky lightly pressing against my shoulder, I aim through the scope.

There’s no need to exert force when aiming the gun. I just imagine it resting on my hand.

If I were to tense up and forcefully aim, each shot would land differently. Humans cannot maintain the same grip strength while under tension. If I want consistency, it’s better to relax and let go of the tension. The recoil will be absorbed by the weight of the gun. Of course, as I’m not firmly holding it, the gun will move due to the recoil upon firing. But by adjusting the scope to ensure it hits the target, I can compensate for that movement.

I aim for the base of the neck, a neck shot.

It’s difficult to aim for the head. Even shooting at the abdomen, chest, or heart doesn’t guarantee instant death for a deer.

A shot to the neck delivers an impact all the way to the head, causing the deer to fall with a single shot.

Bang!

The scope is momentarily blinded by the orange flame, and the muzzle jumps up.

Unlike in movies and dramas, real firearms have recoil and flames, so you can’t observe the impact through the scope. I quickly return the scope to its original position and confirm the downed deer.

It’s down!

I stand up and approach the deer.

Rustling through the bushes and brushing aside branches, I make my way down the slope. Along the way, I unexpectedly bump into someone.

She look surprised and gaze back at me.

And I, too, am surprised as I look at her.

Yes, it’s a woman…

My first impression is that she’s huge!

Yes, she’s bigger than me. She’s as big as a volleyball or basketball player.

Long hair, a well-defined physique, undoubtedly a woman.

Wearing simple green clothing… with a large bow and arrows strapped to her back.

Her long blonde hair is braided and hanging down the back. She has fair skin and blue eyes, definitely a foreigner…

“Huh… Excuse… me?”

“Huh?”

English won’t be understood, right?

“Um, excuse me. I, uh, took that away from you?”

Not knowing if I’ve been disrespectful as a hunter, the rules of this world, whether this person is an enemy or an ally, in this state of complete uncertainty, the best thing to do for now is to smile.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Did I interrupt you?”

Just with that, most of the troubles can be resolved. In Japan, at least.

“I was just about to shoot as well, it seems.”

I see an arrow piercing through the deer’s forehead.

Impressive…

You’ve got some skills.

The language being spoken isn’t Japanese.

It’s not Japanese, but I understand the meaning.

And somehow, the other person can understand my words too.

Wait, am I bilingual? Is it due to the otherworldly adjustment?

“That tremendous noise earlier, was it you by any chance?”

“Yes.”

Gunshots, huh? If you fire a shotgun, the sound resonates within a three-kilometer radius.

“What on earth did you use to take it down…? I’ve never heard such a sound before.”

“Oh, this.”

“What’s that?”

“A firearm.”

“What’s a firearm?”

She doesn’t know what a firearm is. Is it because of this otherworld? After all, she’s equipped with a bow and arrows.

“With this, I shoot copper pellets at an incredibly high speed that’s invisible to the naked eye.”

Normally, firearms use lead bullets. The lead is covered with a copper jacket, called a metal jacket.

However, in recent years, the use of lead bullets has been prohibited in Hokkaido. There have been numerous cases of endangered animals dying from lead poisoning after consuming lead bullets. So now, we use bullets made entirely of copper. That’s why what I’m shooting is copper, not lead pellets anymore.

“That’s amazing. A magical tool? A magical artifact, perhaps? I’ve never seen or heard of anything like that. Are you a mage?”

“No.”

“So, you’re human?”

“Yes. Where did you shoot from?”

While we say “shoot” for firearms, we use “release” for bows and arrows.

This person is clearly a specialized archer, a hunter.

“From over there.”

She points to the tree she was leaning against just moments ago.

“…From there… Incredible!”

She smiles with a mischievous grin. How adorable.

“Well… In that case, I guess we’ll have to divide the spoils. This is the spot you hit, right?”

I point to the bleeding area around the base of the neck.

I’m glad it hit where I aimed.

With my skill, the Sabot slugs group within about 5 cm at 50 meters and scatter about 10 centimeters at 100 meters. It’s not as accurate or long-range as a rifle since it’s originally a shotgun. I guess luck was on my side this time.

“Um… Then, shall we dismantle it here?”

“No way! Wolves will gather, won’t they?”

Oh no, there are wolves here! That’s scary!

They should have long been extinct in Hokkaido, though.

“Can’t be helped. Let’s go to the village. Follow me. We’ll divide it there.”

“Is that okay?”

“Yeah, it’s fine. Um, can you carry this?”

“…It’s impossible for me.”

“I thought so.”

Saying that, she grabs the hind legs and front legs of the fallen deer, lifts it up, and slings it over her shoulders behind her neck, carrying it like a burden.

Incredible!!

What tremendous strength!

Shuffle, shuffle, shuffle.

She starts walking.

“What are you doing? Come on.”

“Yes.”

“Carry this.”

“Yes!”

I remove the shells from the loading port of the Remington M870, emptying the magazine, and sling it over my shoulder with the sling. Then, I receive a large bow and quiver of arrows from her.

Shuffle, shuffle, shuffle.

Step by step.

I wonder if it’s alright for me to continue following this person…

“I’m Saran. And you?”

“Oh, my name? It’s Shin.”

“Shin, huh?”

Shuffle, shuffle, shuffle.

“Even though it’s an elf village, you don’t dislike elves, right?”

“Hmm.”

“That’s good.”

So, Saran, you’re an elf, huh?

Now that I think about it, your ears are pointed. Sideways.

Out of habit, I unintentionally removed the bullets from my gun.

I wonder if it would have been better not to do that.

I hope I won’t end up being eaten later on.

– Author’s Note –

*1. Spacer

This is not something Remington specifically makes parts for the Japanese market. Under the federal law in the United States, hunting shotguns are limited to a maximum of two rounds in the magazine to protect migratory birds. Therefore, all shotguns come with interchangeable spacers, and it would be illegal in the United States to use them for bird hunting without the spacer attached. Many countries in Europe, including the United Kingdom, also restrict magazine capacity to two rounds.

It should be noted that there are no restrictions on extended magazine extensions for home defense or shotgun combat shooting competitions in the United States. Various extended magazine extensions are sold as custom parts without requiring specific permits. The regulations are lenient in this regard.

*2. Malfunction (Added on 2020/1/17)

The Remington 870 is known for its high reliability, but there are cases where individual firearms experience jams (failure to eject) due to cost reduction and decreased quality. After firing, issues may arise such as the forend not moving or shotgun shells getting stuck between the bolt. A YouTuber from the United States discovered that the cause of this is a slight step in the chamber where the rim of the shell remains (search for “remington 870 jam”). By smoothing out this step, which is only 2-3 mm wide and has a height difference of 0.1-0.2 mm, using a router, the problem can be resolved. If you encounter such issues with your own M870, I highly recommend giving it a try.

*3. Zeroing

The process of adjusting the scope. It determines the distance at which the bullet trajectory intersects with the aiming line of the scope, creating a parabolic curve. The shooter decides at which distance to zero the scope. Based on this reference, aiming slightly above or below is done to adjust for distance. The distance at which zeroing is done is referred to as “zero range” or “zero distance.” Some people also use the terms “zero set” or “zero setting.”

*4. BDC (Bullet Drop Compensation) Dot

A unique Nikon aiming system called BDC (Bullet Drop Compensation), which features a circle (●) instead of a dot. Unlike mil-dot reticles with evenly spaced markings, the BDC reticle is marked with uneven spacing to match the trajectory of the bullet’s parabolic path. Nikon scopes are not domestically made but are of trusted Nikon quality, manufactured in the Philippines.

In movies, there are scenes where the scope is adjusted with clicks according to the distance. However, in reality, hunters rarely do such things. Once a scope is zeroed at a shooting range, they typically don’t touch the adjustment turrets and instead rely on the crosshair markings for bullet corrections. Therefore, hunting scopes have covered adjustment dials to prevent unintentional movement.