Enough bullet for kudu?

[frog stealer]

I agree with Jaco, go with the 140 grain bullets. Shots can get long in the East Cape.

Would you say long in general, or only certain species? On my list are impala, kudu, and eland.

 

[Warbird782]

I hunted the Eastern Cape last year. I used a 7mm Rem Mag loaded with 160 Nosler Accubonds. Both kudu I shot were 100 yards or less. One fell at the shot and one stumbled 10 yards and tipped over. In the cape were I hunted there was big hills with lots of vegetation enabling me to get close. We had many stalks that we got within 50 yards of herds of kudu. Just put the bullet were it needs to go and you will be just fine.

 

[Diamondhitch]

This is as much fun as the safari..

Lets not get carried away now Jaco...

 

[KWALATA SAFARIS]

Hajj diamond I can't sleep still on US time!!! and not hunting right now so kinda enjoying this!!!

 

[enysse]

Would you say long in general, or only certain species? On my list are impala, kudu, and eland.

All depends on the outfitter, certain properties you could sneak right up on the animals, other not so much. It was kinda like hunting out West...shooting up or down from a point where you can see the animal. Some shots were at 100 yds, others at 200+. I declined to shoot long range after a mess up at 375 yds on a nyala....it was more like 425 yds. It can be very thick in some places and the animals just disappear and reappear at times....was very windy too when I was there last time. I must admit on time crunch, I was on a 7 day hunt for kudu, impala, blesbuck and bushbuck.....and the cape bushbuck was giving me fits. They get hunted hard down there at certain properties.

 

[KWALATA SAFARIS]

I just saw Eland In that list, I would be weary of just trying to hammer at the shoulder, try sneaking it in on a slight angle just behind if possible..

Those buggers can be tough if not hit very well.

My best always

 

[frog stealer]

I just saw Eland In that list, I would be weary of just trying to hammer at the shoulder, try sneaking it in on a slight angle just behind if possible..

Those buggers can be tough if not hit very well.

My best always

No worries on the eland...I'll be bringing a second rifle for those big guys...300 grain tsx at 2700 fps.

 

[KWALATA SAFARIS]

Well then you should be just fine....

My best always

 

[graybird]

If I were in your shoes, I would use the 140 TSX. As has been stated before, the lighter weight TSX bullet acts like a heavier bonded bullet, like comparing the 140 TSX to the 160 AB. Also, IMO, I believe the TSX will out penetrate the AB if/when hitting the same medium. When shooting thru the shoulders of African game, penetration is the key behind shot placement.

I hunted the EC in 2010 and will be doing so again in June. I took two kudu on my last trip, one at 168 yards and the other at 225 yards, with the former making it about 60-70 yards and the latter about 10 steps. The kudu was the farthest any of my critters made it, including a black wildebeest that stumbled about 25 yards after taking a 180 gr TSX from a 300 WM at 271 yards. The remaining critters on that trip were all little guys, so not very comparable.

Good luck!

 

[frog stealer]

If I were in your shoes, I would use the 140 TSX. As has been stated before, the lighter weight TSX bullet acts like a heavier bonded bullet, like comparing the 140 TSX to the 160 AB. Also, IMO, I believe the TSX will out penetrate the AB if/when hitting the same medium. When shooting thru the shoulders of African game, penetration is the key behind shot placement.

I hunted the EC in 2010 and will be doing so again in June. I took two kudu on my last trip, one at 168 yards and the other at 225 yards, with the former making it about 60-70 yards and the latter about 10 steps. The kudu was the farthest any of my critters made it, including a black wildebeest that stumbled about 25 yards after taking a 180 gr TSX from a 300 WM at 271 yards. The remaining critters on that trip were all little guys, so not very comparable.

Good luck!

Grey, thanks for providing some good points. I'm getting ok accuracy from the 140 TSX's, maybe I'll experiment a bit more with seating depths and powder charges. During my last range session, my chrono indicated 2840 fps with a 140 tsx and 47 gr. of H414. I thought maybe my chrono had an error, it seemed kinda high.

 

[graybird]

Grey, thanks for providing some good points. I'm getting ok accuracy from the 140 TSX's, maybe I'll experiment a bit more with seating depths and powder charges. During my last range session, my chrono indicated 2840 fps with a 140 tsx and 47 gr. of H414. I thought maybe my chrono had an error, it seemed kinda high.

I ran your load thru Quickload real quick, because I was curious myself. Assuming you have a Mauser running SAAMI pressures, QL predicts 2777 fps, so it wouldn't be too far from expected if your barrel is "fast".

 

[frog stealer]

I ran your load thru Quickload real quick, because I was curious myself. Assuming you have a Mauser running SAAMI pressures, QL predicts 2777 fps, so it wouldn't be too far from expected if your barrel is "fast".

Thanks for running that for me...in comparison, my notes from a few weeks ago indicate the same 140 tsx with a 46 gr. charge at 2661. Not sure what's going on! Gun is an FN M70 featherweight with a 22" barrel.

 

[graybird]

Thanks for running that for me...in comparison, my notes from a few weeks ago indicate the same 140 tsx with a 46 gr. charge at 2661. Not sure what's going on! Gun is an FN M70 featherweight with a 22" barrel.

I went back and changed the barrel to 22" with a 46 gr charge and QL spit out 2658 fps. The 47 gr charge and 22" is 2717 fps, so yeah your chrony might have been doing some funny things. Also, it states pressure on these two loads are 44872 and 47870 psi, so you are well under SAAMI specifications.

 

[frog stealer]

I went back and changed the barrel to 22" with a 46 gr charge and QL spit out 2658 fps. The 47 gr charge and 22" is 2717 fps, so yeah your chrony might have been doing some funny things. Also, it states pressure on these two loads are 44872 and 47870 psi, so you are well under SAAMI specifications.

Thanks again for running those...I bet it was just a fluke with the chrony. Maybe a weird angle or something. I might need to get this "quickload" software you are using. How much does that run? Does run based off bullet weights, or actually bullet brands/models?

 

[graybird]

Thanks again for running those...I bet it was just a fluke with the chrony. Maybe a weird angle or something. I might need to get this "quickload" software you are using. How much does that run? Does run based off bullet weights, or actually bullet brands/models?

I don't recall what the cost was, but for some reason I wanna say it was around $100. The software is much more powerful then what I've dove into. You can run the program off of any parameter you would like to. For instance, I like to run it based upon the bullet I want to use and a range of powder burning rates based upon a specific PSI and % case fill. It will tell me all the powders that fit within my set criteria and max starting loads to gain the desired PSI. I drop back 10% and start my load development. Many times this will extend the range of useable powders versus what are in the printed books. For example, Ramshot Hunter has quickly become my go-to powder but it often isn't listed in the load books. This then gives me a starting point to attempt a potential load.

Sorry to get your thread off track!!!

 

[frog stealer]

I don't recall what the cost was, but for some reason I wanna say it was around $100. The software is much more powerful then what I've dove into. You can run the program off of any parameter you would like to. For instance, I like to run it based upon the bullet I want to use and a range of powder burning rates based upon a specific PSI and % case fill. It will tell me all the powders that fit within my set criteria and max starting loads to gain the desired PSI. I drop back 10% and start my load development. Many times this will extend the range of useable powders versus what are in the printed books. For example, Ramshot Hunter has quickly become my go-to powder but it often isn't listed in the load books. This then gives me a starting point to attempt a potential load.

Sorry to get your thread off track!!!

No problem, thanks for the info!

 

[Diamondhitch]

Many times this will extend the range of useable powders versus what are in the printed books. For example, Ramshot Hunter has quickly become my go-to powder but it often isn't listed in the load books. This then gives me a starting point to attempt a potential load.

Sorry to get your thread off track!!!

x2. I found with my rifle that Vihtavouri N570 is a great powder in my .257. I have seen no loading data with this powder published but Quickload identified it as a great candidate.

It is pricey but well worth it. $153

quickload quicktarget software

 

[buffybr]

I shot my first Kudu in 2000 on my first African hunt in the Limpopo Provence with a 140 gr Ballistic Tip bullet from a 7mm Rem mag. The PHs in camp all thought that those bullets were too light, but they did make one shot kills on that Kudu, a Blue Wildebeest, and "one of the quickest kills" that the Outfitter/PH had ever seen on a Gemsbok. I was a last minute addition to the group of guys on that hunt. That 7mm RM was the only rifle that I had available, and the 140 BT bullets were the most accurate that I had available.

In 2005 I took another 7mm Rem mag to Africa but with 160 gr Accubonds. I hunted two countries and several different properties on that hunt, and one of my PHs (who also handloaded 7mm RM) repeatedly commented on the large internal wound channels that those 160 gr Accubond bullets made.

I hunted the Eastern Cape in 2007, and the only rifle that I took was my .375 RUM with 270 gr TSX bullets. I shot my Cape Kudu at 165 yds, and the 270 gr TSX bullet went in the front of his left shoulder and stopped just under the skin in front of his right hip. Both of my Kudu bulls are very close to the same size, both in body and horn length.

That 160 gr Accubond is also my 7mm Rem mag elk load.

 

[Code4]

Kudu aren't as tough kilo for kilo as most plains game the same weight and I have no doubt can be put down quite quickly if properly hit with a 140.

If you are hunting Eland with that 7x57, I would use a 175 RNSP such as the Interlock.

 

[RickP]

I used two different factory rounds for my kudu and both work just fine. One was a Win. 180 gr. XP3 and took my Greater kudu at around 100 yds or so quartering away. It penetrated about 3 ft of animal and broke the off-shoulder. The second Eastern Cape kudu was shot with some Barnes rounds w/ 180gr. TTSX bullets. It was shot at 370 yds. I just ended up using the heavier bullet because I wasn't sure what to expect for distance, terrain, animal size, etc.