Eland Cartridges for recoil sensitive shooter?

[375Ruger416]

+1 for 7x57, 30/06 also great choice. Using a suppressor is a great idea and makes larger cartridges feasible. Decrease the recoil AND the muzzle blast.

Even more, practice with a 22 rimfire or Centre fire from all field positions and dry fire lots.

 

[Capebuffalo]

I think that you are on to something. He can continue to shoot with the Mystical 6.5creedmoir slowly increasing bullet weights to work up to increase recoil in the same rifle until he is ready to go up in calibre to a suitably chambered rifle for Eland.

The original question


My suggestion is 7mm-08 is a logical step in progression if recoil tolerance is the shooters goal..

Some say it's the ballistic twin of the classic 7x57.

Redleg gave advice and I think it's safe to say he would have taken Eland. I did not but I did have good results with a hire rifle on my hunt..

channelkat, has your some taken any game yet? I'm only asking as no-one has and he has set bar for big game and I'm wondering if he has taken hogs or smaller deer etc?

The short action would be the limiting factor of loading the 7mm-08 out long.

The 7mm-08 can definitely punch above its weight! Therefore, to get the most out of the 7mm-08 it might be worth to look into the different lengths of the various quality 175 grain bullets. There is no need for a high BC 7mm bullet when shooting an eland under 150 yards, not just because BC doesn't matter at that distance, but because high BC 175 grain bullets are usually too long for the 7mm-08 magazine. However, that is not a problem in this case, since the shortest 7mm bullets in 175 grain are the best you can get for larger animals at short range! Seems Woodleigh's 175 grainer is the shortest, with Swift A-Frame and Nosler Partition closely on its heels....the 175 grain North Folk seems a little long for the 7mm-08 magazine and will take up more capacity than what is necessary. A good place to start such an endeavor is to look at the following list regarding bullet lengths before deciding on which 175 grain bullet for your 7mm-08:

https://www.jbmballistics.com/ballistics/lengths/lengths.shtml

Enjoy your time in Africa!

 

[Altitude sickness]

You have many great options posted. Any of the .30 calibers suggested and the appropriate bullet design.

I like what others suggested about the old .303 British.

I know you didn’t ask which rifle. And there certainly are more affordable youth rifles. But!
if you haven’t found or purchased him a rifle yet.

Try to find a Uberti Courtney in .303 British. Light weight, small,

great design, nice soft recoil pad. Very accurate. Affordable for proper looking African stalking rifle.

I love mine. The stock design minimizes the recoil without reduced loads

 

[NIGHTHAWK]

.308 gets my vote…

Hire one from your PH.

 

[Flewis]

I own and have owned many 308wns. Because they are usually in a lighter rifle and loaded to higher pressure they have as much or more felt recoil than a standard weight 3006. That’s just my opinion.

 

[Deepfork]

I own and have owned many 308wns. Because they are usually in a lighter rifle and loaded to higher pressure they have as much or more felt recoil than a standard weight 3006. That’s just my opinion.

I agree with this. I have a 338-06AI, shooting a 185gr Hornady CX at over 3000fps. That load would work fine for Eland. I think recoil on my .308 with similar weight bullets but over 300fps slower feels sharper, my wife agrees. 6lb vs 8lb rifle.

 

[Triathlete3]

7mm-08 with a suppressor purchased in Africa and left there for future safaris. My 7 year old shot several larger plains game with 120gr Barnes and it hit hard. Shot placement and ethical distance are the key ingredients. Have him shoot off a Bog death grip tripod.

Another suggestion, albeit more costly, but not in the Grand scheme of the whole hunt cost. Get an identical rifle in .223 and have him shoot it at home thinking it is the rifle he will be using in Africa then take the 7-08 out to the dark continent. He will be none the wiser and not be afraid of the rifle, as we all know you don't hear or feel it when shooting at the animal. This method worked phenomenally with my boys.

 

[CRCO]

375 H7H suppressed worked for me.

 

[375Ruger416]

375 H7H suppressed worked for me.

What rifle and suppressor did you use? What was the total length of the setup.

I’d like to rent or borrow one from my guide as they are illegal here in Canada.

 

[CRCO]

What rifle and suppressor did you use? What was the total length of the setup.

I’d like to rent or borrow one from my guide as they are illegal here in Canada.

Sako 85 L 375 H&H with a Hybrid 46M suppressor. Total length is 49 inches. When I first went looking for a do all African Safari rifle this was what i was able to find locally. That Eland was just shy of 300 yards and dropped like rock. Used 270 grain TSX bullet.
Some folks will say it is too long for brush, well what I know is if I can get through the brush so can it.

 

[Capebuffalo]

It is amazing the difference in recoil between a 250 or 275 grain bullet out of a 338 Win Mag and a 225 grain bullet out of the same cartridge. Which is still enough to plug the life out of any plains game or north American animal, as long as you use a premier bullet. The huge jump in the quality of bullets brought tremendous changes in the hunting world.

 

[Capebuffalo]

Sako 85 L 375 H&H with a Hybrid 46M suppressor. Total length is 49 inches. When I first went looking for a do all African Safari rifle this was what i was able to find locally. That Eland was just shy of 300 yards and dropped like rock. Used 270 grain TSX bullet.
Some folks will say it is too long for brush, well what I know is if I can get through the brush so can it.

Even the magnums can be brush guns nowadays if necessary! All due to the quality bullets we are blessed with today. Gone are the days that the PH ask the hunter not to bring the "seven shoot again..."

 

[quesne]

IMO .30-06 can be adequate for eland. But you need to make sure it's a VERY good bullet and a well placed shot. The first eland I took was with my Model 95 (before adding a swappable 375 H/S barrel to it). Thought I had it all figured out with 220 grain Core-Lokt bullets. I had used 220s successfully on some pretty heavy beasties including waterbuck. On that eland, I was about 3 inches forward of the boiler room. The bullet smashed his massive shoulder bone into about 8 pieces and came to rest looking like a Rodin sculpture in the muscle just behind the joint. Had to follow that guy for almost 10 hours, all the while kicking myself for making him suffer so badly. This amazing madullah tracker eventually found him lying exhausted under a tree. He could go no further. He did not move a muscle when I walked right up to him (and yes, I apologized). When we got him back to camp, I dug out the bullet and the broken pieces of shoulder bone. I've kept them all for the past 27 years to remind me never to do something so stupid again. P.S. I switched to 180 grain Winchester Fail Safes after that (with excellent results), and eventually 270 grain North Forks in the 375 barrel.

I thought I would bring this story home with a few pictures. I dug up the shoulder bone and what's left of the 220 grain bullet. The other two photos are just gratuitous (i.e. me looking happy having meat on the ground I added a shot of the eland hanging from the butcher's block, with Stephen next door for scale. If you've never seen one up close, they are VERY big animals.