HUNTING Gemsbok

[petrusg]

 

[Witold Krzyżanowski]

Nice trophies AdrianW.
Witold

 

[woods1126]

Very nice Adrian!! Kevin

 

[Nic7-300wsm]

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

Many novice hunters want to follow after the animal directly after the shot. A badly injured gemsbuck will reverse into a thicket and wait head-on for his assailant to arrive, ready with those deadly horns pointed forward. many hunters have been injured by the presumed dead buck that with his last breath lunges forward with 2 pin point sharp stabbing spears, no challenge for your hunting shirt and soft skin human torso...

 

[bassasdaindia]

this bull was taken in the Kalahari with my .270 , the shot was ranged at 378m which is a lot further than I like to shoot.

 

[Witold Krzyżanowski]

Nice bull and excellent trophy Bassasdaindia. Congrats.
Witold

 

[Nic7-300wsm]

I had to take this bull down as it had a broken right shoulder and was unable to walk. the shot was taken after running 800m after him in very thick bush. Luckily I had my .375 H&H loaded with 300gr Hornady DGX with me and could take the shot through thick bush at 60m at him. The bullet broke the front left leg and went through the heart. I could not recover the bullet as the animal carcass was destroyed due to the meat been contaminated due to the broken shoulder.

 

[Witold Krzyżanowski]

Excellent work Nic. Congrats.
Witold

 

[gillettehunter]

In May I got a 40 inch female with my 7mm Mag. Running 160 gr Accubonds at just over 3000 FPS. She was about 175 yds away and broadside. High shoulder shot. Bang-flop. Same for my Kudu and Reedbuck. Gemsbuck can be very tough if the shot is not dead on. Bruce

 

[Steve Bosang]

These superb wary plainsgame antelopes are very tough..I too shot with a 200gr Swifts AFrame bullet in my Sako .300 win mag.At 120 yds my first shot broke his shoulder but he still ran about 35-40 meters and when he heard us approach he got up and ran another 20 meters before I could put him down.Brave, tenacious animals, to be respected,,,and very beautiful. Mine was 38.25 inches in the spikes..

 

[Rule 303]

Congratulations to all that have taken their Gemsbok. I inetend to hunt Namibia in the next couple of years and Gemsbok is the main animal I will be after. Have always admired them since reading about their tenacity and ability to defend against Lion.

 

[Steve Bosang]

Congratulations to all that have taken their Gemsbok. I inetend to hunt Namibia in the next couple of years and Gemsbok is the main animal I will be after. Have always admired them since reading about their tenacity and ability to defend against Lion.

--Shot Placement is everything and dont go undergunned.PH's like heavy moderately fast bullets that dont break up.Barnes TSX and Swift A Frames get the job done...Gemsbok are very very TOUGH...

 

[sestoppelman]

They fall pretty easily to a well placed shot from anything from a 7x57 to a .30-06 and up. Shot placement and good bullets matter most, but they are not any tougher than anything else over there. My boy took one last year, one shot from a .284 Win. pushing a 140gr Barnes Triple Shock at just over 3000 fps., about like a .270 Win. Also about the best table fare I have had, every bit as good as eland and better than a lot of others.

 

[Rule 303]

Steve B, have no fear about calibre and bullets, just my shot placement.

I will be using either an 8X 68S or 350Rigby magnum driven at the velocity it should be. The bullets will be either Woodleigh or Australian Custom Projectiles. These are a monometal.

 

[Steve Bosang]

They fall pretty easily to a well placed shot from anything from a 7x57 to a .30-06 and up. Shot placement and good bullets matter most, but they are not any tougher than anything else over there. My boy took one last year, one shot from a .284 Win. pushing a 140gr Barnes Triple Shock at just over 3000 fps., about like a .270 Win. Also about the best table fare I have had, every bit as good as eland and better than a lot of others.

I was offering good solid advice to a hunter with an upcoming ticket for a gemsbok not starting a contest as to who can shoot a good sized animal with the lightest fastest bullet, but please refer to the previous comments by other hunters in the thread who may back my thoughts up...

 

[sestoppelman]

I was offering good solid advice to a hunter with an upcoming ticket for a gemsbok not starting a contest as to who can shoot a good sized animal with the lightest fastest bullet, but please refer to the previous comments by other hunters in the thread who may back my thoughts up...

Well, I guess someone is looking for an argument, not me. Just offering an opinion, and like the old saying goes, your mileage may vary. Its all about shot placement and bullet quality really, given an at least adequate power level. And the 140 Triple Shock, ( a very good bullet), at 3000fps is not as fast as it can be pushed either, but that was the sweet spot for accuracy. I have taken 2 gemsbuck, both with the 9.3x62 and 250gr Accubonds, one shot each. My boys .284 also took a nice blue wildebeest, another notoriously tough animal, also with just one shot. I 'd say that makes it an adequate PG round.

 

[Tim Decker]

Hey team sorry to dig up an old thread just trying to learn a bit more about these animals, this article is great on where to hit them just curious as to what most people feel comfortable shooting them with and with your chosen calibers are you sticking to premium bullets like TTSX or Partition

Thanks for any advice
Regards Matt

Matt, my personal experience is limited, so take that into consideration. I killed a big bull using a .338 Winchester Magnum and a 250-grain Nosler Partition bullet at a muzzle velocity of about 2650 feet per second. I would cheerfully use this caliber/bullet combination again. My second gemsbok fell to a .300 Winchester Magnum with a 180-grain Nosler Accubond bullet at a muzzle velocity of about 3100 feet per second. I would also cheerfully use this caliber and bullet again. My w'06ife has killed two gemsbok with a .30-06 and 180-grain Nosler Partition bullets, and one with a .300 Winchester Short Magnum using a 180-grain Nosler Ballistic Tip bullet. I tell her frequently that she got away with murder using the Ballistic Tip bullet because I think it opens up too quickly on an animal the size of a gemsbok. Personally I would stick with premium bullets that will retain their weight, meaning bonded core or partition bullets. The TTSX would also be a good choice, but I have no personal experience with it.

 

[Bert the Turtle]

I'm not much for the "African animals are tough" theory. I don't have a world of experience but the 21 trophies in my house all tell the same story: a bullet in the vitals= a dead animal, a bullet not in the vitals =lingering death irrespective of the species barring medical attention. You could shoot a rat in the foot with a 458 and it will be infection that eventually kills him, if he dies from the shot at all.

Putting a bullet in the vitals requires 1) knowing where the vitals are, 2) knowing where to aim to put the projected bullet path through the vitals, 3) knowing your abilities and limitations as far as making the shot, 4) knowing what the abilities and limitations of your chosen projectile are, and 5) putting all of the above together and making the right choice as to whether or not to pull the trigger.

A bigger, tougher bullet affects #4 and gives you more leeway. A 243 Winchester with a tough bullet will absolutely and reliably take a gemsbok, but it isn't forgiving and depending on where you hunt, may not be legal. The 270 or better advice given earlier is sensible.

 

[Rule 303]

Bert I agree with what you say with the exception of your first sentence. Now take on board I really have no idea how tough African animals are. What I am getting at is the term "Tough". I think "Tenacious" would be a more apt word to use. Example. I know of Sambar deer in Aust. that have dropped to a single heart shot from a 30-30 and others that have been heart shot with a 338WM and 35 Sambar that have run 70 to 200mts. They are dead just don't know it. Yet I have not heard of a Red deer doing the same thing. Hence I say that Sambar are more tenacious than Red deer.

 

[Steve Bosang]

Steve B, have no fear about calibre and bullets, just my shot placement.

I will be using either an 8X 68S or 350Rigby magnum driven at the velocity it should be. The bullets will be either Woodleigh or Australian Custom Projectiles. These are a monometal.

8x68S !!!!????? Things are getting downright romantic.....great calibre!!!