There are moments that remain stuck in our memories, like beech wood tar on a tweed jacket. The question from a trade fair visitor, then, of whether the Mauser 18 Feldjagd could be used to hunt in the forest, left even the most seasoned trade fair veteran speechless. But when you think about it, this question is somewhat justified: The market is offering an increasing number of highly customised weapons systems tailored to specific hunting challenges. How are absolute beginners supposed to find their bearings and suss out which weapon/calibre combinations are all-rounders and which are strictly reserved for certain hunting situations?
To clear up these kinds of uncertainties, we asked Alexandra Schunk and Xaver Butterhof to test out their Mauser rifles on unfamiliar terrain. First up was Xaver, who was going to see if his Feldjagd could successfully straddle the border between the two worlds on a hot summer day in Alex’s stomping ground in the forest to the east of Bamberg. Xaver bought his Feldjagd because its precision and robustness were crucial for him.
He had noted down a few features that his weapon absolutely had to have beforehand: “I go to the shooting range quite often and I don’t want to have to wait ages for the rifle to cool down or have to look out for the weapon when climbing. So a fluted barrel was important to me. And I really liked that the Mauser 18 came with a precision guarantee.”
When the Feldjagd takes to the forest
After the temperature dropped following a thundery shower, it was over to the Feldjagd to show what it was made of in the forest. There was no time like the present, so off they went! After all, roe deer come out to play as soon as all the human forest visitors are driven away by the weather. Stalking downhill, the terrain is scoured. When a ram is spotted grazing on a blackberry bush, Xaver sets up his rifle on its rest and confidently turns down the magnification of his Minox 3-15X56 scope, as he is certain: he’s going for it. With a sensible universal calibre such as the .308 Win., using the “specialist” Feldjagd in the forest feels totally normal. The ram hits the ground.
Of course, the Feldjagd works best when shooting at game that is stood still. But this does not mean it can’t be used in driven hunts, as the weapon’s weight and vibration characteristics make both possible. However, the Waldjagd is the best choice for shooting at moving game. As a walking gun, Alex soon saw the Mauser 18 Waldjagd as a harmonious addition to her hunting equipment. “It immediately stood out from the crowd of potential weapons,” Alex tells us, as she reports on the metre-long Wald-jagd’s pleasant 3.1 kg weight and its optimum vibration characteristics. But how would the weapon fare over longer distances in a field?
The Feldjagd also has a go in the high seat.
The Mauser 18 Waldjagd with its short barrel has the edge here. The Feldjagd, on the other hand, is more accurate, especially when it comes to long shooting distances.
The next day, they head to Xaver’s Feldjagd paradise: early in the morning at the raised hide, a quick stalk around the hedges in the field. “In the raised hide, I can see how the more compact design of the Waldjagd is slightly more beneficial. When it comes to handling it in a narrow high seat, the Waldjagd is best in my opinion,” says Alex. For Xaver, it’s all a matter of what you’re used to. He reckons he’s never had an issue with the slightly longer Feldjagd, never missed a chance because he unintentionally knocked the end of the barrel against the top of the high seat right at the opportune moment. When it comes to distances, Alex sees the difference more in the scope than the weapon used. Her Minox 2-10×50 is an all-rounder for driven hunts and raised hides. Just as the hope of finding more game dwindles, a fox kit toddles off across the meadow. Xaver banks on this late-night reveller pausing for a moment, and he sets himself up in the prone position, ready to shoot. But before he knows it, there’s a bang. Alex shot it standing. “The perfect vibration, what did I tell you,” the walking gun laughs, delighted by her lucky Waidmannsheil.
