HUNTING Gemsbok

[BigTexMan]

I shot my gemsbok at about 100yds almost perfectly broadside. I was shooting a 338 Win. Mag. loaded with 225 Gr. Barnes TTSX bullets. My bullet struck right above the heart, taking out the large artery, both lungs, and exiting the off side. It ran over 200 yds thru the brush with blood spraying all over everything it passed. I have one picture where it passed 3 trees, each a couple of feet apart, and there is blood spray on each tree. It appeared to have died running at full speed landing in a bush. There was a blood puddle approximately 16" in diameter under/around it's head. This animals toughness is astounding.

My friend shot one 3 times with his 338 Win. Mag. and his PH shot it once with a 375 H&H in order to put his down. Shot placement wasn't perfect, but none of them were gut shots.

 

[sestoppelman]

My boy got a nice bull this trip with one shot from a .284 Win., driving a 140gr Barnes Triple Shock. Close shot but the bullet went on thru on a sort of quartering shoulder shot, ran about 50 yards and down. My load is about like a .270 at just over 3000fps and 2800 lbs. of muzzle energy. Did just as well on wildebeest but no pass through on about the same angle, but a little further away. Never found the bullet.

 

[Ruan Bouwer]

I shot my Gemsbok about 2 or 3 weeks ago, Ruger 7x57 MK II, 139gr Hornady Superformance, about 120m, one shot kill. It dropped right there without even running. Great shot placement. Shot placement is key, it doesn't matter what caliber you use.
• Ruan

 

[jeff]

Shot my gemsbok bull with an arrow through the top of the heart and he still ran about 100 yards!

 

[Okkie van der Westhuysen]

Good afternoon all.

Im hunting my first Gemsbok comming June, i still see myself as new to hunting so any advice would be appreciated.

I have gone through this thread and found some very helpful info.

I will be hunting with my Howa 1500 .375 Ruger / 300grain Nossler accubond hand reloads, chrono not available, im getting good groupings with mentioned loads.

As i understand Imapala solid rounds are also good but shot placement needs to be very good, any thoughts on that with hunting Gemsbok specifically?

Will probably use gun mounted Bipod if terrain permits it.

Any advice would be hugely appreciated' i am really looking forward to this hunt.!

 

[sestoppelman]

No advice needed beyond putting a decent bullet in the right place with most any sensible cartridge starting about with the 6.5 caliber and up. I would use a .308 or 7x57 as a personal minimum, certainly no need for a .375 unless that's the one gun being used and there is no better than a good .375 rifle for everything.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Okkie, if you can not get the job done with proper shot placement with those rounds I will be amazed.

 

[Okkie van der Westhuysen]

No advice needed beyond putting a decent bullet in the right place with most any sensible cartridge starting about with the 6.5 caliber and up. I would use a .308 or 7x57 as a personal minimum, certainly no need for a .375 unless that's the one gun being used and there is no better than a good .375 rifle for everything.

Thank you for the replies.

I only have 1 hunting rifle which is the Howa .375, i decided on 1 rifle and chose the .375 as an all rounder hence the reason to hunt the Gemsbok with that calibre.

I will go to the range again before the hunt to make sure all is 100%.

 

[Okkie van der Westhuysen]

Okkie, if you can not get the job done with proper shot placement with those rounds I will be amazed.

100% thank you.

 

[G Skinner]

These are the two cows I took in Namibia .... probably my most favorite animal and they can be tough !
Glen

 

[woods1126]

This one was broadside, slightly quartering towards us at 230 yards. A 200 gr. Accubond @ 3100fps, out of my 300 RUM. The bullet didn't exit. She went over 150 yards in some very thick stuff. The recovery was very stressful, but joyous in the end. . Kevin

 

[larry4831]

I've never been to Africa, and maybe I'll never get there, but if I could shoot only one plains game animal it would be the gemsbok. they are absolutely beautiful. those long straight horns, and I read they've even been known to kill lions with them.

 

[sestoppelman]

Yes, lions and hunters as well.

 

[larry4831]

Yes, lions and hunters as well.

Wow! I was not aware of hunters too! did not know they were that aggressive, but they're still very beautiful animals

 

[Witold Krzyżanowski]

Anything in the .270,7mm class upwards will do just fine with the correct shot placement.

I agree with Paw Print. I took two with the 30-06.

 

[Witold Krzyżanowski]

Thank you woods1126.
Witold

 

[woods1126]

You are very welcome sir!! . Kevin

 

[sestoppelman]

Its not that they are aggressive so much as defensive. The case I was told by a reliable PH in Namibia was of a fellow hunter, a PH I believe who approached a wounded, on the ground oryx from behind. The animal threw his head back at the approach. and stabbed the fellow thru the heart with one horn. He fell and died almost instantly. Almost any animal can be dangerous, especially when wounded, note how many dogs get poked by wounded or cornered bushbuck.

 

[bluey]

As with all horned and antlered animals
They are well aware of the end of thier horn and know exactly where it is in relation
To the rest of thier body

The P.H in 2010 told me that you walk up to a mortally wounded gembok ant toss a pebble towards him and he can deflect it with the end of his horn
Wouldve like to have seen it , but when we got to my cow she had alredy expired

 

[larry4831]

thank you fellows for your replies