Thanks for the comments!
Firstly, I haven't really answered the original comment about bulk. - The Bush Shirt is a larger, longer garment, made out of heavier, denser wool - so inevitably is is bulkier than a Ranger. But it is not stiff or cumbersome - it is a top you can work, climb, hunt and if necessary run in - it gives unrestrited movement. To make sure you can do this, the fit across the shoulder is important.
As far as fit goes, I hover between large and medium - the swannie in the pics is a medium, and I can get a fleece shirt and a merino singlet underneath, but it feels a bit snug then. (Also depends on pie consumption.)
My Mosgiel is a Large - I can wear a shirt, jumper and still have loads of room to move my arms. I tend to wear this one walking the dog, nipping down to the supermarket, working in the garden etc. The zip makes it an every day top, and in the words of the Creature Comfort animals "It's easily on and offable"
I actually bought another Bush Shirt (again in green!) in Large a few months ago, to give some flexibility for extra layers if I wear it hunting - and the new one is
"Assembled in China to Swanndri NZ standards."
So - my verdict? Seems the same, near as dammit. My older one has a fluffier, more felted feel, but that I am sure is down to the fact it has been washed on hot each time I have carried an animal out. Probably shrunk it a little too. (I ruined a Ranger like that once, but the bush shirts stand up to shrinkage better I reckon.)
Is it the same quality? I'd say yes, it is. I don't think Swanndri could gamble on anything else. (As an aside, my brother works in the clothing industry, for a very well known British brand - their stuff is made in China - says so on the label - and he sys as long as you specify the standards, that's what you get.)
I wouldn't hesitate recommending them.
How to wear one: in NZ, with short shorts - rugby shorts or similar, giving you that medieval look! Seriously, I could go to the supermarket like that, and No One would give you a second glance!
As far as hunting goes, the pig was caught with dogs. And killed with a knife by the farmer I was with, which is the way it's normally done here. Rifles are often carried pig hunting, but you have to exercise caution with dogs about, making sure they are safe, and not in the way of a shot, and increasingly, people are more aware of the effect a shot can have on a dog's hearing. It's pretty much the only way to get them, as they usually disappear in bush. Hunting with dogs seems quite violent to some, particularly after the ban in UK, but pig hunting with dogs can even be seen on prime time programmes on a Saturday evening in NZ! I have seen them in the open twice - once I had no rifle, the other time they were just across a boundary, and so I didn't shoot...
Here's anothe pic
This one shows the terrain on another hunt (The picture is a bit poorly posed, those self timers are tricky!) - - I'm wearing a Swazi bush shirt - basically a fleece version of Swanndri's Ranger in this one - Ridgeline fleece shirt, merino singlet, and shorts. Shorts are popular, because the are better for climbing (don't rub your legs so much) and river crossings. Rifle Tikka T3 Lite in 308, knife and sheath/steel by Victory, NZ. Belt pouch bt Stoney Creek NZ.
