30-06 Rifle for Plains Game - How Big?

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

100% this.

180 gr fired from 30-06 has ~same MV as 270 gr fired from a 375 H&H. With comparable BCs of bullets, ballistic arcs will be close enough that you won't be able to tell the difference.

Same sort of situation exists with 9.3x62 firing 286 gr and 308 Win firing 180 gr.

If I were hunting Free State, and I may be for black wildebeest and springbok in 2027, I'd be bringing my 280 AI. If you're going to bring 2 rifles, bring a fast 7mm or a 300 WM. Otherwise, just stick with the 375.

@sgt_zim
My son can comfortably shoot 600ml drink bottles at 400 yards with his 308 and 150gn projectiles.
Just because he can do it would I encourage him to shoot game at that distance. NO.
Would I allow him to shoot game the size of wildebeest and zebra at that distance with his 308. NO
The 308 is similar to the 06 and personally I think game of that size and at this distances a 300 win mag is more appropriate.
Will the 06 kill at those distances YES but there's BETTER around that are still comfortable to shoot.
Just my thoughts
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

The .30-06 Springfield is my absolute favorite caliber for African plains game (with the 7x57mm Mauser being a close second). I have successfully taken all the African plains game upto the size of bull eland with a .30-06 Springfield. My ammunition choice has almost always exclusively been the 220Gr Remington Core Lokt, ever since my first African safari to Kenya in 1974. Yes, it’s not the most modern choice of ammunition but it continues to serve me very well for 50 years & counting.

Most of my shots were one-bullet kills. Whenever a second or third or even fourth bullet was required, only I (and neither the rifle nor the caliber nor the ammunition) was to blame. I seldom took a shot above 150 yards (closing in is part of the thrill for me). But for those who prefer to take shots at longer ranges, they will do well to select a 180Gr bullet due to the flatter trajectory.

A 180Gr Barnes TSX is as good a general purpose African plains game bullet as they come. A small word of caution is requisite, however. Initial shot placement on the big eland bulls with any caliber below .338 Winchester Magnum must be extremely critical.
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@Hunter-Habib
As the saying goes in Australia
If it ain't broke don't fix it.
The old 30-06 falls into that category. It just keeps in working.
Bob

 

[ofbiro]

Humble comment by an African beginner.
I am far from being an expert on Africa, as my experience is limited to two PG cull hunts, the first in SA with .30-06, the second in Namibia with 7mm Rem.Mag.
I took in SA my CZ 550 Mannlicher style, with a Zeiss 2-8 x 42 Duralyt (without parallax correction). The short and handy Czech is very accurate at 100 m (3 shots in 28 mm) but beyond 150 m due to parallax the accuracy decreases. However, the Sierra 165 grs HPBT performed very well on Hartebeest, Nyala, Warthog and Impala.