Eland Cartridges for recoil sensitive shooter?

[Firebird]

I agree with Tom! Paid vacation?

 

[Hogpatrol]

IIRC in Namibia and Zimbabwe there are regulations for larger plains game.
Please check NAPHA.
Our PH in Zimbabwe had very explicit expressions for people trying to shoot with small calibers on large game like Eland...

PS: if you hunt in Africa, you should be able to stalk several hours, carry the gun and place exhausted a precise shot. If you´re not able to perform (independent of age) you should not go to Africa.

Considering us boomers, that would eliminate sixty percent or more of American hunters and possibly the same amount of European. Unintended consequences to some venues would be financially ugly.

 

[shootist~]

I don't have a bench set up (or really a place to just keep it set up permanently) so it is kind of a headache right now, but I can reload if I need to. As I was reading the suggestions here, I did start thinking I might just need to set it up and develop some low recoil loads for my 30-06. It happens to be the only bolt rifle I currently own that is even remotely appropriate for him to shoot any time soon. It was my first rifle (an old Winchester 670, 30-06) and has for whatever reason become my go to rifle over the years. I recently put a recoil pad on it and with the right load I should be able to get it tolerable for him.

If you have in recipes, please share!

My 30-06 practice load has proven to be accurate with moderate, though not "light" recoil in 3 different rifles (two Tikkas and one Ruger). Only one of those is mine.

150 gr Hornady FMJ-BT
56.0 H-4350
F210 Primer
COL per the Hornady manual (or a tad longer). No crimp.
Remington & Starline brass, annealed, especially the Starline.
V= 2,787 fps in my 22" Tikka.

Recoil energy calculates at 17.3 Ft pounds Vs 22.6 for my 180 gr A-Frame load at 2,750 fps. (Based on a 8.5 lb rifle.)

I'm a recoil sissy and after a few years of practice with sticks - I now even zero my rifles from the sticks. I also do much of my practice with a 22 (also a Tikka).

Using a sissy pad makes a lot of sense, too.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

The PH said bare minimum is a 7mm and should be at least a .308/.30-06 class rifle according to OP.

I talked to my PH as well. He said the exact same thing. 7mm possible, but .308/.30-06 should be considered minimum.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

.308 , 7x57 , 8x57 ( 198 sp) , British 303 180gr sp

@S-3 Ranch
Or 303 with a nice 215gn Woodleigh RNSP at 2,200fps.
Heavy for calibre and great sd for penetration at the ideal speed.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

He has not been to Africa. Myself only once to Mozambique, so I am no expert either. As we talked about a PG trip to Namibia or SA (I want to complete my tiny ten) he has made it very clear he really wants to hunt Eland. I didn't have the heart or a good reason to discourage him, so I told him he might have to step up a notch in caliber and that if he practices enough off sticks at the range we can try. I felt it was a good goal/ incentive.

@channelkat
You have received a lot of good advice on calibres BUT me thinks there's one thing that's missing.
Before I took my 14 year old bean pole son to Namibia we spent a lot of range time with a humble little 22LR. 5000 rounds in fact.
He spent a lot of time and practice in EVERY FIELD position. Sitting, kneeling, prone standing both supported and unsupported as well as off sticks.
Also reactive targets were placed at various distances and he was given 5 seconds to acquire the target and shoot. This could be ANY TARGET AT ANY DISTANCE and any position I called.
After a few thousand rounds he thought he was pretty good but when dad showed him up he said he needed more practice.
His shooting became instinctive and natural in the end.
A 22LR and plenty of practice is the place to start.
His rifle is a Howa 308. I started loading it with 125gn projectiles and minimum loads and worked up to full power. During his practice with the 22LR he also used his 308 off the sticks a lot. At the end of his training he could fire his 308 with full power loads as well as or better than a lot of adults.
He was hunting wart hog with the PH and myself for leopard bait snd a good warthog exploded about 60yards in front of us. Up came my son's 08 but the first shot was a bit far back and it went under the neighbours fence. It turned around and can barrelling back thru the fence and my son finished it before it got 10 yards.
If he hadn't had the practice he would not have been able to comfortably take shots like that. Our PH actually commented on his so called natural shooting ability and how good a shot he was.

There was nothing natural about his shooting it was because he put the hard yards in behind the but and went thru a lot of 22LR ammo to get there.
Make the practice fun and a challenge and he will enjoy it and when it comes to his hunt he will appreciate it.
Just the ramblings of an old fart that enjoys hunting with is mate, his son.
Bob

 

[pilar]

@S-3 Ranch
Or 303 with a nice 215gn Woodleigh RNSP at 2,200fps.
Heavy for calibre and great sd for penetration at the ideal speed.
Bob

Before my enfield got stolen, killed a lot of Mexican feral cattle & goats with Remington 180gr rnsp cor-lok , between the tick barrier fence and the Rio grande river, nilgai too

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Before my enfield got stolen, killed a lot of Mexican feral cattle & goats with Remington 180gr rnsp cor-lok , between the tick barrier fence and the Rio grande river, nilgai too

@S-3 Ranch
There's nought wrong with the good ol Remington 180gn round nose.
The old 303 is underrated by a lot of people because it's a rimmed round, not real fast and 303 rifles is usually but ugly but hey it works.
Bob

 

[serdog]

@S-3 Ranch
There's nought wrong with the good ol Remington 180gn round nose.
The old 303 is underrated by a lot of people because it's a rimmed round, not real fast and 303 rifles is usually but ugly but hey it works.
Bob

The only thing I will say is do not get a Number 5 Lee Enfield as my 12 year old Shoulder can testify to (it a great example of how much weight and stock design matter to pain )

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

The only thing I will say is do not get a Number 5 Lee Enfield as my 12 year old Shoulder can testify to (it a great example of how much weight and stock design matter to pain )

@serdog
Who ever designed that but was a real sadist.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Tha makes sense.
That being the case how effective would a 7mm built on a Creedmoor case design be?
I think the thing that makes the Creedmoor what it is that it was designed to seat a bullet out.
Can you just long throat a 7mm-08 and or use a copper/mono projectile to get into a suitable weight class and velocity

@CBH Australia
Even ifn y'all long throat the 7mm-08 you are still limited by the mag kenggt unless you single load.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Think I’m gonna need to swing through Gordy & Son’s to grab a couple boxes of the .275 Rigby ammo for my rifle.

@Mtn_Infantry
Sorry to tell you 275 Rigby ammo will only wok in a Rigby rifle so y'all may as well get one of those while you're at it.
HA HA HA HA HA HA
Bob

 

[CBH Australia]

@CBH Australia
Even ifn y'all long throat the 7mm-08 you are still limited by the mag kenggt unless you single load.
Bob

Correct, but with Tikka being modular I can use a long action magazine and change the bolt stop.
My .260rem build will probably be on a 6.5x55 action.
The .280a.i. started life as a .25-06

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Correct, but with Tikka being modular I can use a long action magazine and change the bolt stop.
My .260rem build will probably be on a 6.5x55 action.
The .280a.i. started life as a .25-06

@CBH Australia
I'm glad you kept the 25-06 barrel.
You could make a lovely switch barrel 280AI/ 25-06 and be set fer anything little to big.
Bob

 

[Bush Buck]

I think it's terrific that you're planning this hunt with your son!

I really enjoy tracking Eland. The tricky part with tracking is that your shot opportunity will probably not be ideal. A quartering shot is likely. I wouldn't do this with a 6.5mm. The minimum for me would start at 308 Win with 168 Barnes or 165 Swift (180 if they work for your rifle).

I really like H4895 for reduced loads in 308 Win. Hodgdon says you can use 60% of a published max load for this powder (note - that is a 40% reduction). In practice I find that reducing the max by 20% gives and accurate and pleasant load. Please read what Hodgdon has to say or call them.
Here is a link: h4895-reduced-rifle-loads-2.pdf

This method allows you to tailor the load as your son grows. You can increase charge and bullet weight as he grows more accustomed to the rifle.
This will work with 30-06 as well but you'll probable want to change to a slower powder like H4350 when he gets to heavier bullets and charges.

 

[shark_za]

Saying no to a 7mm loaded properly (175gr) but yes to a .30 cal loaded with 150gr bullets is not a wise move.

Leave those bullets at home for deer.

 

[serdog]

@serdog
Who ever designed that but was a real sadist.
Bob

I enjoy mine because my Dad was a just post World War 2 british army draftee and I got to watch him (as a kid in the 90s) put up aimed shots as fast as a lot of guys can with a semi-auto. That bolt is as smooth as butter. I almost want to get in re-stocked and use it more but it would be ashame to do that to an early production original one (the strap is new but that's not the stock)

Saying no to a 7mm loaded properly (175gr) but yes to a .30 cal loaded with 150gr bullets is not a wise move.

Leave those bullets at home for deer.

I agree heavy for calibre premium expansion bullets are a must I would think 180 in the .308 calibre would be the minimum

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

@Mtn_Infantry
Sorry to tell you 275 Rigby ammo will only wok in a Rigby rifle so y'all may as well get one of those while you're at it.
HA HA HA HA HA HA
Bob

I've been considering a Rigby build for a while .... was eyeing one of their doubles the other day

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I've been considering a Rigby build for a while .... was eyeing one of their doubles the other day

Building a double rifle would be a challenging project!

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

Building a double rifle would be a challenging project!

It’s not a Rigby unless they build it ….. Their double i was eyeing, is a used gun.