Caliber for springbok

[Jon Glajchen]

I would stick with the 7mm.

The .243 is great when the wind isn't blowing. If you are going for a grand slam, you may end up under pressure with little time left having to make a long shot in very windy conditions.

I would prefer to have a caliber that is able to buck the wind a bit.

 

[Grumulkin]

hi AH, I'd like your input on the right caliber for a springbok grand slam, I'd like to take the trip to sa just for that. I used a 7mm when in Namibia and harvested a kudu, gemsbok, blue wildebeest, zebra and red hartebeest. I'm thinking a 7 mm might be too big for springbok? Any input would be greatly appreciated. And I do have a 280 rem and a 243. Would either of them be adequate?

The last time I was in South Africa, I took 16 of them with a 300 Weatherby Magnum. It was adequate.

 

[JimP]

I took mine with a .340 Weatherby shooting 225 grain Barnes TTSX bullets. I think that the bullet weighed almost as much as the springbok. But it did put a nice hole into it through the heart at 349 yards.

 

[Beans]

A good quality scope will help. Shots on springbuck are normally long like @JimP just said.

 

[Witold Krzyżanowski]

I think that 275Rigby is very good caliber for springbok.
Witold

 

[Petrus Geldenhuys]

When hunting springbuck you need a calibre that you can shoot accurately at about 400 yards. So my pick would be the one that you can shoot the best at that range as all of them are good calibre's for springbuck.

 

[Grumulkin]

When hunting springbuck you need a calibre that you can shoot accurately at about 400 yards. So my pick would be the one that you can shoot the best at that range as all of them are good calibre's for springbuck.

Be careful. You're scareing people. In the U.S.A., 200 yards is considered a long shot and 400 yards inconceiveable.

The longest shot I took in South Africa was when I swatted a Gemsbok at about 400 yards. I took several Springbok at a bit over 300 yards and, on one occasion, could have taken a black one at about 10 yards but I didn't want one of those.

 

[Petrus Geldenhuys]

Be careful. You're scareing people. In the U.S.A., 200 yards is considered a long shot and 400 yards inconceiveable.

The longest shot I took in South Africa was when I swatted a Gemsbok at about 400 yards. I took several Springbok at a bit over 300 yards and, on one occasion, could have taken a black one at about 10 yards but I didn't want one of those.

Not trying to scare anyone! Ive taken a springbuck with a bow at 5m before (walk and stalk) but your usual shot on springbuck is between 100 and 200 but you might need to take a longer shot if you want to hit that big old springbuck ram that just stays away far enough (thats how he got that big in the first place)

if you can shoot ok at 400 yards you will hit a 200 yard target everytime.......

 

[ActionBob]

524 yards off sticks... Good rifle (Ruger predator), very capable round (6.5 Creedmoor, factory load Hornady Superformance 129 grain Interbond bullet), superb scope (Swarovski Z5 3.5-18 x 44 w/adjustable turret)... And one heck of a lot of dumb luck!

 

[DOC-404]

The .204 Ruger is also a great caliber for Springbuck...but you need to be on top of your game.

 

[Hearties]

Bring the 280 - where there are springbok there are often gemsbok!

 

[Nicholas Barcomb]

Considering that the .280 Remington is still in the 7mm class of cartridges, I would opt for the .243 using a round nose (if you can find them), Hornady Interbond, or a Nosler Partition.

 

[Velo Dog]

I think that 275Rigby is very good caliber for springbok.
Witold

As usual, great minds think alike.
A .275 Rigby and the classic 140 grain spitzer HV load would be very nostalgic and a joy to hunt springbok with.
If larger game is available, then I would use 160 grain in wide open country, such as springbok seem to love.

 

[brandondd24]

Hmm never thought of the rigby, that would be a good choice, but I don't own one! Maybe I can talk the wife into letting me buy a new gun! Now I have a reason!

 

[fsrmg1]

I like the 7x64 loaded with 140 gr Accurbonds for my long stuff. Accurate, good reach, hard hitting and easy on the shoulder.

 

[dory]

After my hunt in Namibia this year we moved down to the Kalahari to cull some Springbok .
I used my 308 with federal 165 gr trophy copper with a vortex 3-9-40 scope .
I felt I had to harder bullets and I was under scoped .
Springbok love open country so shots are long-range , most of the time .
If I was to do this hunt again I would take my HS Precision 243 topped with my 4-16-50mm leupold .
I use 80 gr remington Corlok with it here in NZ on red deer with great results .
The farmowner used his 223 on the springboks with devastating results .
All animals shot were sold for meat so head and neck shots were in order .
( a couple of my shots there arse got in the way first . HA )
The rifle cal and set up is a personal thing but if I was going after springbok only a top scope with hing magnification is a must !!!!!!!

 

[Bert the Turtle]

A springbok is more or less a whitetail deer. And not a northern one, either. A 243 is fine, but as others have said, nothing wrong with 7mm. "Too much gun" comes into play once you can't shoot it well, other than that, so what if the bullet passes through and kicks up some dust? The 243 with a good bullet (such as a Barnes) will reliably and ethically take game well past the legal limits established when bullets were not nearly as sophisticated as today. The main limitation will be shot selection- in that regard, it is like hunting with a bow, only with more range. There will be shots that would not be sensible to take with a 243 that one may be comfortable taking with a bigger bullet. So long as you know the limits, it will work extremely well and will minimize hide damage.

That said, bullet selection is important if you want to minimize hide damage, but that really only matters if you are planning a full body mount.

As far as distance, the farther you can shoot reliably, the better your chances. But stalking is half the fun. It all depends on the location I suppose.

 

[kudu1]

6x45 is good (necked up 223) .257 Bob - 25-06 or a 6.5 Creedmore all great cartridges for springbok, impala and blesbuk class animals.

 

[WildRose]

I have my eye on a 220 swift, at my local gun shop.

Check to be sure that the swift is legal in the country you are hunting but if it is, for a Springbok it's a great choice. I've shot a boatload of White Tailed Deer with it and the Springbok is smaller and lighter.

 

[Odinsraven]

I have culled perhaps 70 or 80 springbok .....used my 8mm remington magnum shots 200 to 350 yards with 170gr sp bullets ......a shade back from max loading ...... With one exception they drop to the shot ......

It's my culling rifle and gets used for wildebeest Eland ....Kudu warthog and anything else.......That's on the list

However for a pure springbok hunt 7mm remington magnum would be my choice ...With the ability to get you to as far as your shooting ability allows you.