Cartridges Under .30 for Plains Game

[Firebird]

I was surprised At the mention of the cost of animals. True if you draw blood you pay-as well as the unnecessary suffering to an animal. My thought was that here in the states, most average guys get maybe one shot a year. One shot! So maybe rather than stress about the caliber, we should be investing in time at the range, and since this is africa, time on the sticks. Cost and suffering should not be going through your head at trigger squeeze time, you should be prepared and confident, no matter the rifle-

 

[baxterb]

The more i pay attention to what rounds old Safari dudes thought outperformed their weight (or caliber) the more S.D. I find. Be it a 6.5 mannlicher, 7x57, 318 WR, 9.3…. In the heavier weights they generally used, SD was almost invariably over .300 and often closer to .320/.330.

i think that’s something to consider.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Standard .260 twist rate is 1:9 whereas most 6.5 run at 1:7.5. You need the faster twist to stabilize the new longer copper and heavier bullets. So, that could be the reason.

@Tanks
It shouldn't be to hard to ream a manbun to 260 if you want.
Ha ha ha ha ha

 

[Rocco490]

270 Win with good bullets I would guess would work for most PG stuff without much recoil. I think a 7mm mag with heavier bullets has as much or more recoil vs a 30 06 and I would think a 30 cal might be better for the larger Plains Game so I wouldn't cut out the 308 and 30 06 for candidates for good versatile moderately recoiling rounds

 

[Philip Glass]

From your list I recommend the 7mm Mag. It is a great all around cartridge. No matter what you are told African animals are tough. If you are online of those hunts where some guys just shoot off the truck on a well stocked game farm you can shoot anything and do well. If you find yourself on a real hunt and having to take tough shots you will be glad you took enough gun.

 

[fourfive8]

Yes, use enough gun! My last trip I used a 7mag, belonging to my PH, with factory ammo with 175 TBBC bullets for everything less than blue wildebeest. It was a cull hunt so had a good chance to compare performance with what I’d used previously on PG up to wildebeest. The 7mag was no more or less impressive than a 30-06 using 170 gr premium bullets I’d used previosly on comparable game. Overall the 7 mag did not perform as well, IMO, as my personal favorite for PG less than eland, the 338-06 using 210 and 225 premium bullets. During that trip I used my PH’s 375 HH using 300 grain premiums for wildebeest, eland and zebra. I did not feel over-gunned! Just as I did not feel over-gunned on one trip where I used my 416 Rem for all DG and PG including eland.

Oh, you can use lesser cals for many of the PG including many of the various 6.5 man buns. But why? There you are, stalking a group of springbuck through the broken scrub, all confident and smug in the appropriate choice of your 6.5 yadayada or a 7 Mag with the latest greatest super high BC long range vaporizer bullet and the 2000 lb eland bull of a lifetime busts out of a thicket 80 yards in front of you and is beating feet angling away. You are standing there with what seems like a peashooter compared to the mass of that eland when something like a 375 HH and 300 tough bullets for penetration through a drum full of wet fodder would be so much more appropriate! Again- choose your caliber and bullet carefully.

 

[crs]

I would not take any of them and certainly would not waste time or ammo on the so called Tiny 10.
The tiny 10s that I flushed while bird hunting in RSA I could have killed with my shotgun. To me, it was like shooting Texas Jackrabbits which I did as a kid mostly with a 20 ga. gun and with .22 rifle. They made good chili. Cotton tailed rabbits Mom just fried in a skillet.

The smallest caliber rifles that I have taken to Africa (and will continue to take) are .338 Win Mag , .405 WCF and .458 . Plus doubles in the latter two.
However that is just me.

On my first Safari, the outfitter said my .308 would be fine even up through Eland. I took my Ruger 77 .338 WCF and had all one shot kills; the eland did not even move when shot, just slowly settled down. Winchester 230 grain Fail Safe.
Proper bullets and shot placement rules!

 

[shootist~]

The 280 AI, just for the cool factor and because I want one.

 

[ActionBob]

I would not take any of them and certainly would not waste time or ammo on the so called Tiny 10.
The tiny 10s that I flushed while bird hunting in RSA I could have killed with my shotgun. To me, it was like shooting Texas Jackrabbits which I did as a kid mostly with a 20 ga. gun and with .22 rifle. They made good chili. Cotton tailed rabbits Mom just fried in a skillet.

The smallest caliber rifles that I have taken to Africa (and will continue to take) are .338 Win Mag , .405 WCF and .458 . Plus doubles in the latter two.
However that is just me.

On my first Safari, the outfitter said my .308 would be fine even up through Eland. I took my Ruger 77 .338 WCF and had all one shot kills; the eland did not even move when shot, just slowly settled down. Winchester 230 grain Fail Safe.
Proper bullets and shot placement rules!

Hey! The tiny 10 are a challenge and the proper tiny 10 requires trios to several countries.

 

[Jörg Krüger]

I think this might be the answer for an under 30 caliber. The one on the left naturally.
Think it will give a 243 a good run for its money.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I think this might be the answer for an under 30 caliber. The one on the left naturally.
Think it will give a 243 a good run for its money.

View attachment 455571

@Jörg Krüger
I don't know mate looks a bit over bore. Maybe the Flintstone Eyebunger might be better for barrel life.

 

[baxterb]

I just saw this on Chuck hawks site. This is what I was mentioning above. The caliber/gr combinations should look very familiar.

 

[Doug3006]

I would love to hunt small to mid-sized game in Africa with my 264 Win Mag. It’s very accurate and with the right bullets I wouldn’t turn down a shot at a Kudu if I had that rifle in my hands at the time.

But I never will. Since I don’t live in Africa, my gun choice is partially dictated by the number of rifles I‘m willing to tote over there. That’s usually two. Sometimes just one. I need a rifle with a lot more versatility. That means a 30 cal up to a 375.

I hope to return to Africa next year. Crusader Safaris has my attention with their free range areas. Cape Bushbuck, Nyala, Cape Kudu, and Eland. I’m planning to take my Ruger #1 in 300 H&H.

 

[Rell]

I’ve had a custom Sako 7mm Rem Mag from Hill Country rifles with a 23 inch barrel on 4 safaris. I wasn’t hunting eland on any of them and took maybe 50 animals and never lost one. Swarovski Z6i 2.5-15x44 mounted on it.

The key I believe is bullet more then cartridge or caliber. I’ve used 168gr Barnes LRX with spectacular results. The .25s need premium bullets badly or really aren’t suited IMO.

I’ve also used 6.5x264 with 127gr Barnes LRXs and a 338 Federal with 160gr Barnes TSXs with fine results.

But … my AHR CZ in 300 Weatherby is truly a giant slayer with 175gr Barnes LRX. I always bring that if Eland is on the menu.

Sorry I sound like and advert for Barnes.

 

[TOBY458]

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[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I just saw this on Chuck hawks site. This is what I was mentioning above. The caliber/gr combinations should look very familiar.

View attachment 455612

@baxterb
What about .358
275gn .307
310gn .346

 

[baxterb]

@baxterb
What about .358
275gn .307
310gn .346

Yup! And I’ve been waiting for someone to bring up the .358…. ;-)

if there was an exception to the .300 SD “rule” I just invented for cartridges hitting above their weight, it would be the 350 Rigby (and by extension the 35 Whelen) with a 225gr bullet. They both fall into the “they always get it done without any fuss” category.

 

[Robmill70]

@Tanks
It shouldn't be to hard to ream a manbun to 260 if you want.
Ha ha ha ha ha

Most of the new off the shelf rifles I see are 1:8 twist for both those calibers. But hey, everyone has their favorite. I own both those calibers and I shoot the same with both, no difference to me.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Yup! And I’ve been waiting for someone to bring up the .358…. ;-)

if there was an exception to the .300 SD “rule” I just invented for cartridges hitting above their weight, it would be the 350 Rigby (and by extension the 35 Whelen) with a 225gr bullet. They both fall into the “they always get it done without any fuss” category.

@baxterb
That's what I've been trying to tell people. Ifn the 350 Rigby was so highly regarded then a properly loaded a Whelen will do the same then some.
I 100% agree with the 35 always gets the job done without any fuss a Nd I will add. They just plain work without the roaring, bellowing or recoil of the magnums.
Bob

 

[ActionBob]

I would love to hunt small to mid-sized game in Africa with my 264 Win Mag. It’s very accurate and with the right bullets I wouldn’t turn down a shot at a Kudu if I had that rifle in my hands at the time.

But I never will. Since I don’t live in Africa, my gun choice is partially dictated by the number of rifles I‘m willing to tote over there. That’s usually two. Sometimes just one. I need a rifle with a lot more versatility. That means a 30 cal up to a 375.

I hope to return to Africa next year. Crusader Safaris has my attention with their free range areas. Cape Bushbuck, Nyala, Cape Kudu, and Eland. I’m planning to take my Ruger #1 in 300 H&H.

My very first African adventure was with Crusader. I hunted with Mark as my PH but not sure he still PH's. My hunt was April of 2014. He was great, BTW. In any case please say hi to Andrew for me.

Our hunt was very diverse for a PG hunt. We hunted the home area including the farm Andrew grew up on. Even toured the little little church that dates his family back to settlement of the area. Went to the Karoo and stayed at a very stately old colonial home with a very stately couple. It was her farm and he was a State veterinarian. Springbok, gemsbok, kudu, steenbok. Then the Cowey region which was more tropical jungle (at least for the EC).

I've always wanted to go back and hunt the area Andrew has up in Natal for Nyala. Always elect to hunt as close to the indigenous areas for a species

Enough bs, take the 264 win mag along! Two guns is not really more difficult than one. I did take an eland with Crusader. If doing it over I would skip that and wait for more of a wilderness hunt for eland, and a bit more exotic of a sub species.

In the EC you need to hunt Black Wildebeest. And if you get to the Karoo, go after a red hartebeest. And if you get to the Cowey for bushbuck, consider a zebra. The other thing to do in the EC is Caracal. Perhaps with dogs. Tough critter to get elsewhere so a good one to take while you are there.

Everything except the eland could be taken with the 264 win mag if you use an A Frame, TSX, or Trophy Bonded Bear Claw.. or something on par with those.