Caliber for springbok

[bassasdaindia]

the caliber depends on several issues :

• location of hunt - Kalahari is mostly long distance shooting 200m and further
• Kalahari wind is strong and .243 although adequate , it struggles in the wind
• my choice would be and is : .270 or 6.5x55
• the .280 also performs very well in the Kalahari

 

[Heym 450/400]

25-06 works well....

Either of your choices seem right to me

 

[Heym 450/400]

During a cull I rotated between 3 rifles..300WM and 7mag for longer shooting and a 25-06 for closer and midrange work.

 

[Bruce]

.243 is excellent for springbok and a very flat trajectory... not suitable in general for kudu size animals etc. 7mm is fine for a 1 x gun PG hunt ( excluding eland)

 

[IvW]

243 Win is the classic South African Springbuck caliber.

 

[ian-bradley]

7x57 for everything plains game under eland

 

[Hoss Delgado]

I would highly recommend the 7mm 08 Remington

 

[Newboomer]

I've taken springbok with a 7 mag with Barnes TSX 160 g, a 375HH with Barnes TSX 235 g, and a 6.5 CR with Hornady 143 g ELD-X. The 6.5 or 7 mag are perfect. Both have flat trajectory and killing power at any practical range. 375 is a little much but it was what I had at the time. Still good out to 300 yards.

 

[Hearties]

Hard to beat the .243 or 25-06 for Springbok

 

[Witold Krzyżanowski]

7x57 for everything plains game under eland

I think the same as you.
Witold

 

[buffybr]

Like others have posted, Springboks are about the size of our Whitetail deer. Just about any Whitetail deer cartridge, including the .243 Win, would be a fine Springbok cartridge.

I've only killed two Springboks. The first was a Common Springbok that I shot with a 7mm RM, shooting a 160 grain Accubond. The second was a Black Springbok that I shot with my .375 RUM shooting a 270 grain Barnes TSX bullet at 3040 fps. Both easily killed the Springboks.

Luckily I had a hotel gratis needle and thread kit in my pack that we used to sew up the exit hole that the TSX left in my Black Springbok so we could take a hero picture.

 

[IvW]

I am looking at converting my 243 Win original ZKK 601 to a more appropriate caliber for the task at hand. The 243 wastes too much meat and is too wind sensitive....being short actioned I am considering re barreling to 260 Rem with a 26 inch barrel and a 1 in 7.8 twist Walther Lothar barrel....
6.5x55 is great but too long for the action....
Target velocity is 2750 fps with a 140gr bullet

 

[Rare Breed]

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?

Killed mine at 378 yards with a 25-06

 

[C.W. Richter]

A lot more to think of Hank, thanks, I'd hate to be in a opportunity for a 60 inch kudu with only my 243!

Precisely what I was going to say....You show up w/ the .243 and the Kudu of a lifetime does as well. I've shot springbok with big cased 264s (3300 fps using primo bullets-140 NPs, 160 Woodleighs, etc.) and they still ran a decent distance before expiring with good shot placement. Although they are small, they are more heavily constructed than say an American Pronghorn, as they're built to withstand some degree of predator attacks (same for nearly all African antelope/gazelles, excepting the dwarf species such as dik-dik, etc.) So, you're walking through prime Springbok habitat in the Kalahari and a lion charges you at dusk. Good luck with that .243! Most taken with stout 7s-.300s-.375s. Shooting distances may be long in some areas, so a flat-shooting rig with proper optics is recommended. That said, the last one we bagged was at 60-80 yds as we had to crawl to the edge of some high grass to make the shot into an open area they were crossing.

 

[C.W. Richter]

I am looking at converting my 243 Win original ZKK 601 to a more appropriate caliber for the task at hand. The 243 wastes too much meat and is too wind sensitive....being short actioned I am considering re barreling to 260 Rem with a 26 inch barrel and a 1 in 7.8 twist Walther Lothar barrel....
6.5x55 is great but too long for the action....
Target velocity is 2750 fps with a 140gr bullet

6.5x284, 7x57AI, 260 AI

 

[BeeMaa]

I am looking at converting my 243 Win original ZKK 601 to a more appropriate caliber for the task at hand. The 243 wastes too much meat and is too wind sensitive....being short actioned I am considering re barreling to 260 Rem with a 26 inch barrel and a 1 in 7.8 twist Walther Lothar barrel....
6.5x55 is great but too long for the action....
Target velocity is 2750 fps with a 140gr bullet

Don't sleep on the 7mm-08 either. I believe the velocity is right around 2700-2800 with a 140 grain bullet and it's a short-action caliber. If you loaded it with a 140 grain Woodleigh Hydro, you could probably slow it down a little more to 2500 fps, minimize meat damage and still have a humane harvest with a lung shot.

 

[C.W. Richter]

Woodleigh just went out of business, no?

 

[Tundra Tiger]

Since I know that NO ONE else will suggest it (HAHAHA)... a .338 Marlin Express. Perfect for just in case you run across larger PG.

Short story on my one springbok. It was very, very windy. It was hot (86; we NEVER get that in my part of the world). Every one of the seemingly cajillions of springboks we saw the day we hunted them all seemed to have a singular group mindset of "Run away! Run away!" Mine alone stood still while we set up for the shot. Just before I squeezed the trigger I looked up at my PH and said "You realize when we get down to it, there's going to be a suicide note beside it." His wife laughed somewhere back behind me. My .338 dropped him right there. Alas, the wind must have carried the suicide note away from us, because we never did find it. Mine is not all that large, but he was the only one to stand still (there's probably some lesson in that if one were to think about it hard enough), and this was an add-on species at the end of the hunt, so I am quite happy with it. It was also my longest shot.

Truly... the suggestion from others of having enough gun for other stuff is good advice, whatever that caliber might be. YMMV

 

[1dirthawker]

@brandondd24,

i think springbok are one of the few animals that i would say a .243 is perfect for. accurate, flat shooting (use barnes bullets) and big enough. my 2 cents.

 

[BeeMaa]

Woodleigh just went out of business, no?

They had a fire. I believe out of business is TBD yet.