30-06 Rifle for Plains Game - How Big?

[DLSJR]

As others have said, you’ll be fine with a 30-06 and quality 180 grain bullets on any plains game, including eland. I’ve never used a 30-06 in Africa but my son and I have shot quite a few animals, up to Burchell Zebra with a 270 Winchester and 150 grain Nosler Partitions or Barnes TTSX’s. I never felt undergunned with a 270, and a 30-06 would be every bit as good. Everything that was shot properly died quickly with one shot. I personally would not hesitate to shoot any plains game, including Eland, with a 30-06.

Before you worry about a larger cartridge, I’d just get a great scope like a Leupold VX5HD in 2-10x, CDS turret and Firedot reticle being outstanding for that rifle and the use you intend for it. You’ll have no problem shooting accurately with that cartridge and scope. A quality 180 grain bullet like the ones you’ve mentioned will kill everything you’ve mentioned.

I know Africans who’ve killed Lions and Cape Buffalo with 30-06’s and lesser bullets than the great options we have today. None of them felt like it was inappropriate. While not ideal or legal, it got the job done efficiently for them.

 

[coreydb]

A lot of relevant information in this thread. Be pragmatic in your selection though. If you're going with a PH who says expect long range shots, then practice long range shooting. you can effectively practice at 100 yds if you know the bullet's trajectory, then adjust to achieve your rifle's Maximum Point Blank Range (MPBR). Your 30.-06's MPBR with a 180 grain bullet is generally at 300 yds, but practice will allow you to be specific.

Also keep in mind your kill zones are pie plate size and pin-point accuracy is secondary-just hit anywhere in that zone and it's a kill shot.

 

[Rare Breed]

Just want to add I am completely comfortable after practice shooting Remington Corelokts 220 grain out to 300 yards easily within 1.5 inches

 

[Woodcarver]

I'm no "expert", but in 2014 I took my .30-06 to Africa as a "back up" and ended up using it to harvest 4 out of my 5 trophies. I shot gemsbok, kudu, impala and a cow waterbuck. All were one shot kills with the exception of the gemsbok, which I initially made a bad shot on, so the fault was mine, not the cartridge.
I was using a handload with a 200 grain Nosler partition pushed by a charge of H414. The charge amount is moot, since the morons at Hodgdon decided to quit making this powder (as well as several others that I came to rely on).
Farthest shot was 325 yards across a small canyon on the Kudu; closest was about 75 yards on the impala. Rifle was an inexpensive Interarms Mark X Viscount that I've had since 1978.

I suspect that: H414 is actually a rebranded Winchester propellant.

Hogdon told me WW760 is identical to H414. Even though they say so, I don’t get the same accuracy or velocity as 414.

When Hodgdon bought Winchester powder company, they no longer had a reason to relabel W760 as H414, so they dropped H414 from their line. It is the same powder, from the same production line. Which is also why every reloading manual will give you the same recipe with the same velocities and pressures for both. If H414 was one of your go-to powders, go to W760, it's literally the same powder.

 

[Certus]

Here’s a list of African game / sizes, I haven’t killed with a 30-06.

- Crocodile
- Elephant
- Rhino
- Hippo
- Lion
- Leopard

165gr Swift Scirocco II, 165gr NPT or 180gr Swift A-Frame.

Here’s the list of distances I haven’t killed anything with a 30-06 and said bullets.
0-8m
460m +

There’s a reason why it’s called The King!

Truly one of the greatest cartridges ever made. If worried about penetration go to a 220gr, but I’d trust the right 180’s to do any plains game. Just may adjust my ranges. But I’m not a good shot anyway so wouldn’t be taking long shots that the magnums provide advantages for.

 

[nomspc]

A great discussion. My thinking on caliber choice for a hunt like this is not to plan for everything going right, but rather, what choice gives me an edge when things go wrong? I’ve taken elk with a .30-06, but now hunt them with a 300WM. Variability in terrain, range, weather and a big, tough animal that might give you a less than ideal angle when you get your shot all pushed me to move to the big 30.
My first PG hunt in Namibia, I wounded a mountain zebra and chased him for an hour before getting a shot: 400 yards, sharply downhill, the zebra moving quickly, quartering away towards dense cover, so a brief shot opportunity. 300WM, 180 TTSX behind the shoulder and it was over. Could I have taken him with a .30-06? Sure, but I was happy to have the extra 200 fps in that situation. A personal choice, for sure.

 

[ftrovato]

I've taken a great deal of animals with the 30-06 over the last 45 years. For me, not so sure it has a place in Africa. Does it kill well, sure. But considering the size of animals on that continent I want to insure that if an off angle shot is presented I don't have to worry about penetration and having to pass up an animal. Or risk taking an unethical shot... But that's just me.

 

[FlyGuy]

I've taken a great deal of animals with the 30-06 over the last 45 years. For me, not so sure it has a place in Africa. Does it kill well, sure. But considering the size of animals on that continent I want to insure that if an off angle shot is presented I don't have to worry about penetration and having to pass up an animal. Or risk taking an unethical shot... But that's just me.

Perhaps there’s a reason why it’s still the most popular plains game cartridge for local hunters in Southern Africa? We use them for everything from springbok to giraffe.

Similar to the 7x57, the 30-06 kills well beyond what the numbers on paper suggest it should.
With modern powders and the excellent variety of bullets available, the dirty old six is better than it’s ever been.
Obviously it’s no 700 yard eland buster, but at 300-400 yards, it’s keeping taxidermists and butchers busy.

 

[steve71]

I took Impala up to zebra and sable with a 30-06 and Barnes 168 gr. TTSX No problems

 

[HankBuck]

I took Impala up to zebra and sable with a 30-06 and Barnes 168 gr. TTSX No problems

@steve71 good to “confirm” what should be very obvious —— a .30-06 should be fine for any animal under 1000 lbs anywhere on Earth….with a well placed shot & well constructed bullet —— Not talking about “Stopping a Charge” but under ‘Normal hunting conditions’. If you really “need” more then a .30-06 then jump to a .375 H&H or above. Modern exceptions “might” include Lion, Tiger, but they would certainly succumb to a .30-06….but not quick enough for many to feel comfortable,
I think that .300wm and even .338 wm are only marginally better and why I would never consider them —- jump right up to the .375 H&H (or higher) if you have concerns. BUT, others are far more experienced then ME and I would respect their opinions….especially if they were Born BEFORE 1980 !!

 

[JG26Irish_2]

I've taken a great deal of animals with the 30-06 over the last 45 years. For me, not so sure it has a place in Africa. Does it kill well, sure. But considering the size of animals on that continent I want to insure that if an off angle shot is presented I don't have to worry about penetration and having to pass up an animal. Or risk taking an unethical shot... But that's just me.

There has been more game taken in Africa with the 30-06 over the last 120yrs than perhaps any other cartridge. In more recent years the 308 might be more popular but not more effective. On my last Safari, I brought a 308 with 180g bonded bullets and a 375HH with Barnes TSX bullets. I ended up using the 308 for everything except my Wildebeest. Every animal shot with the 308 was a one shot kill. Every bullet was a complete pass-thru. A 30-06 loaded with the same bullets would have only done a bit better. Hard to beat DRT.

While prepping for this year's safari, I was seeking to choose between a 30-06, 7mm Mag or 7mm/08 for my PG rifle. My PH suggested the 7mm Mag since it might have a bit longer maximum point blank range. But, I am comfortable with all of them. In all honesty, the jury is still out.

 

[shootist~]

9 of 9 with the '06 using 180 A-Frames @ 2,750 fps for my 2001 PG hunt. But the Blue WB took a frontal chest shot from <75 yards (last light), stayed on his feet, and was nearly lost.

So shoot 'em harder - or earilier in the day.

 

[HankBuck]

I've taken a great deal of animals with the 30-06 over the last 45 years. For me, not so sure it has a place in Africa. Does it kill well, sure. But considering the size of animals on that continent I want to insure that if an off angle shot is presented I don't have to worry about penetration and having to pass up an animal. Or risk taking an unethical shot... But that's just me.

@ftrovato - I think you are in a minority here as the .30-06 has a solid and proven History on African Plains game and also Leopard. Every Hunter should shoot what they are comfortable with, confident in, and can shoot accurately and I’m sure you are an experienced Hunter that has taken game with whatever rifle you prefer. And I don’t think many would even question a Hunter wanting to use a more powerful rifle but your statement about the .30-06 “Not sure it has a Place in Africa..” is a rather strong one and doubt most could agree with that. If you favor a minimum of .338 mag and up for Plains Game (and some do) then the Bigger is Better may apply but for many calibers smaller then .338 it might just be “Personal Preference” as a reason Not to use a .30-06 for most African Plains game. Anyway - that’s My opinion.

 

[BeeMaa]

A 30-06 with proper shot placement and premium ammo is capable of taking the largest of PG, including eland and giraffe.

However, on many animals it will be necessary to get a near perfect shot presentation before the PH will green light most hunters. Make no mistake, you are hunting but the PH is in charge of it. If they are not confident in the shot and your ability, you will be passing on that opportunity.

The 375H&H is to Africa what the 30-06 is to North America…a (mostly) do-it-all cartridge. If a hunter were to show up on a PG safari with a .375 (pick your flavor) caliber or equivalent and 300 grain Barnes TSX…the PH would be elated.

 

[JG26Irish_2]

9 of 9 with the '06 using 180 A-Frames @ 2,750 fps for my 2001 PG hunt. But the Blue WB took a frontal chest shot from <75 yards (last light), stayed on his feet, and was nearly lost.

So shoot 'em harder - or earilier in the day.

Good one. My Blue WB was an Alpha herd bull that had turned to face us as the remainder of the herd withdrew. The PH directed me to take the frontal shot. I am not a fan of that shot angle but also knew that it was all I was going to get. I even whispered, "Are you sure you want me to take the frontal?" When the PH said "Yes", I was already on him, aiming. Just as I was about to send the shot, the bull shifted to my right ever so slightly. I knew he was about to turn and run and sent the shot into his chest aimed slightly to my left. This was a 375HH at 180y loaded with 300g TSX ammo. The slug hit hard and the Kugelschlauch echoed loud across the valley. The big bull bucked, stumbled once, wheeled and ran away. Just as he disappeared over a rise the PH said he was down! The WB had run only 60ish yards. We trotted closer and on my PH's orders shot him in the neck from 60y. The first shot had hit his right lung and clipped the top of the heart and just nicked the back side of the left lung before lodging about 3.5 ft deep into the paunch on the left side of the bull. It had expanded to about 2x diameter. The 2nd shot was a pass-thru. When we walked up to the bull, he was still lolling his head around attempting to get up. It took a 3rd shot to the chest to end him. That 3rd shot was found on the opposite side under the hide and had expanded to 2.2x. They are tough beasts. I am pretty sure that your 30-06 performance on your WB was not the guns fault. Meaning had you used a larger cartridge you likely would still have a long stalk.

I try to avoid frontal shots. I have only taken a few and none of them performed as decisively as a proper broadside to the vitals. The animals do still die but take longer and can require long stalks and could result in lost game depending on the terrain and conditions.

I think that my 308 performed better than the 375 did on game but since I only shot the WB with the larger rifle, I cannot be sure. I had taken a Whitetail deer the season prior using the 375 just to gain some experience with it in the field. I used 270g TBBC for that job and was not all that impressed. I normally used a 270 Mauser custom for deer loaded with 130g Nosler BT's and those were a hammer. The big heavy slow trophy bonded bullet seemed to perform like a solid on the deer. It killed it but I thought it was a slower kill. It was a complete pass thru and dropped it in its tracks so, it is hard to complain but when I examined the wound found the damage to be minimal.

My long winded point? Only that in my opinion, a 180g bonded 30-06 will out perform a 375HH loaded with heavy (300g) DG bullets like TSX, TBBC, A-Frame, etc when used on light skinned game. The only time the larger rifle has an advantage is if you choose to take an off-angle, less than optimum shot on a very large animal. In such a case the larger, heavy, slow to expand DG bullet is going to penetrate deeper and still do the job where the smaller option, may or may not. If you bring PG specific ammo for your 375 loaded with lighter bullets to higher MV's, you can to a degree get the best of both worlds.

 

[ftrovato]

@ftrovato - I think you are in a minority here as the .30-06 has a solid and proven History on African Plains game and also Leopard. Every Hunter should shoot what they are comfortable with, confident in, and can shoot accurately and I’m sure you are an experienced Hunter that has taken game with whatever rifle you prefer. And I don’t think many would even question a Hunter wanting to use a more powerful rifle but your statement about the .30-06 “Not sure it has a Place in Africa..” is a rather strong one and doubt most could agree with that. If you favor a minimum of .338 mag and up for Plains Game (and some do) then the Bigger is Better may apply but for many calibers smaller then .338 it might just be “Personal Preference” as a reason Not to use a .30-06 for most African Plains game. Anyway - that’s My opinion.

Fair points. At the end of the day 30-06 gets it done very well.

I'm just an Elmer Keith (Belt & Suspenders) type guy at the end of the day...

 

[HankBuck]

Fair points. At the end of the day 30-06 gets it done very well.

I'm just an Elmer Keith (Belt & Suspenders) type guy at the end of the day...

@ftrovato - well gotta like Elmer Keith, he was an icon and had to compete for attention and respect against Jack O’Connor. I believe some of his opinions were “forced” to contradict O’Connor - just so he could establish his own identity, but he knew his stuff and while a bit more of a “Blow Hard” then Jack —- established a following and developed some fine cartridges (.41 magnum etc…)