Is there a perfect plains game calibre?

[CAustin]

Sir,
I really like my 375 H&H Ruger #1. It is a fine shooting rifle. I have taken Hippo, Impala, Blesbock, Golden Wildebeest and Springbuck. Ammo used Ferderal Premium Trophy Bonded Bear Claws 300 grains.
However, I have taken far more animals with my 300 WinMag Ruger#1 including the following: Eland, Kudu, Oryx, Blue Wildebeest, Black Wildebeest, Zebra, Waterbuck, Red Heartebeest, Bushbuck, Impala, Blesbock, Warthog ,Porcupine, American Whitetail Deer and Hogs. Ammo used with the 300 Winchester Ballistic Silvertips 180 grains.
Most people will tell you that for plains game use the rifle you shoot best and are most comfortable with......often this is your favorite deer rifle.

 

[Art Lambart II]

Prior to the advent of premium bullets I use to pay more attention to SD. These days I don't worry about as much, especially when I don't plan on shooting past 300 yards. I have used the 06, the 300 WM and the 35 Whelen on safari and all the rounds produced DRT results it just happens with the Whelen more often. If for some reason your first shot is not fatal the extra energy delivered by the Whelen makes a big difference.

 

[BRICKBURN]

I always lean to the caliber and rifle YOU shoot best.

 

[Nyati]

I always lean to the caliber and rifle YOU shoot best.

+1 The rest is just theory and personal preferences, which of course I respect, everyone of them.

 

[HWL]

8x68S

HWL

 

[JakeH]

For those advocating the .35 Whelen (and who am I to disagree?), part of the increased DRT performance of that round is due to the fact that calibers at or greater than .358” (so your true medium and big bores) can produce the effects of hydrostatic shock at impact velocities as low as 2200 FPS whereas calibers underneath that mark tend to start losing that effect once velocities drop under 2600 FPS.

So when comparing factory ammo that is relatively similar (Nosler Accubonds), a 180gr .30-06 loses its ability to impart hydrostatic shock somewhere just shy of 100yds. A 225gr .35 Whelen will lose that ability at around 300yds.

The science of a ballistics aside, it’s hard to argue against a good .30 caliber with 180gr+ bullets for any game. Of course, anything will do the job if you know where to put the bullet.

 

[One Day...]

Ah! This word, "Perfect"...

Three thoughts to provide context:
1) The very use of the word "perfect" in the question, stimulates the thought of "cannot be improved on by a competing offering"...
2) We are talking about ONE rifle for all plains game (Duiker to Eland)...
3) We are NOT talking about a dual purpose PG / DG rifle...

In my view, "perfection' in a plains game rifle means:

1. the ability to launch projectiles in a weight range of 150 gr to 200 gr (in an ideal world 120 gr to 250 gr would be preferable);
2. the ability to have a 300 yd maximum point blank range (MPBR) sighting for a 8" vital area (in an ideal world 6" would be preferable);
3. the ability to procure ammunition relatively easily;
4. a recoil level no higher than 30 ft/lbs in a reasonable weight scoped rifle (in an ideal world 25 ft/lbs would be preferable).

The combination of all the above really reduces drastically the number of contenders!

This is going to likely trigger the usual fireworks of offended comments because i) one's pet caliber or pet odd load is not mentioned; and ii) I know that folks have killed Kudu with a .243; but it seems to me that, objectively:

• Anything below 7 mm is out. Just can't throw 200 gr at a velocity compatible with 300 yd MPBR.
• 7 mm Mag (Rem, Wby, RUM, STW, etc.) are edging the answer with 180 gr bullets.
• .30 non magnum are not fast enough to deliver the MPBR.
• .300 Win Mag meets the requirements with a 180 gr bullet but is a little shy with a 200 gr bullet.
• .338 Win Mag is just a little shy of MPBR with a 210 gr bullet and drops fast with a 225 gr or 250 gr bullet.
• Anything significantly larger than .33 is uselessly powerful on plains game, although Eland can soak up lead like a sponge and a .375 is always welcome for it.

In my view, the objective, data-based answer to the question is:

• .300 high speed Mag (Wby, RUM, Nosler, etc.). They will shoot 200 gr about as flat as the .300 Win will shoot 180 gr; or they will add 20 yd to the MPBR of a .3oo Win 180 gr.
• .33 high speed Mag (Wby, RUM, Nosler, etc.). They will shoot 250 gr almost as flat as the .300 Win will shoot 180 gr, while delivering a quantum leap difference in power.

Because I got into all this before RUM, Nosler, etc, existed, I am a Weatherby guy. In the name of "who can do more can do less," I prefer the .300 and .340 Wby to the .300 and .338 Win. They add 20-30 yd to the MPBR. Nothing more, but nothing less. Is it critical? Hardly. Is it more "perfect"? Objectively yes.

I have not yet decided which one is best:

• In favor of the .300 high speed Mag: it is actually two guns in one. A 150 gr Partition/TTSX/etc. will fly as flat as a .257 Wby slug (no faint praise, and no slouch of a bullet either). Perfection on the "small to medium" plains game! A 180 gr or 200 gr Partition/TSX/A Frame/etc. will kill DRT (dead right there) any plains game that walks the earth. Perfection on "large" plains game!
• In favor of the .33 high speed Mag: a 250 gr bullet will do better on the largest plains game (Eland, Giraffe, etc.) what a 200 gr bullet does. The 185 gr TTSX makes it an incredibly devastating cartridge on small and medium size plains game. Like a .300 on steroids. In the unlikely case of self-defense shooting on an unprovoked buff or lion attack while plains game hunting, it will hit them noticeably harder than any .300.

Assuming as @BRICKBURN and @Nyati imply, that you can shoot it well, and for the same reason stated by Red Leg, with the caveat that the Wby version will outdo the Win version by 250 fps and 20 yd,

It hits with nearly the same sort of authority as a .375, and has the reach of a .300.

my own one-gun plains game safari rifle, as most of you guys know, is a stainless/kevlar .340 Wby.

I have used 250 gr Partition on everything from Steenbok to Eland. I will continue to use 250 gr Partition on Eland, and after a lengthy discussion with the folks at Barnes, I will try 185 TTSX (rather than my initial thought of 225 gr TTSX) this coming July for 2 weeks on everything else.

Yep, 6.5x54, 7x57, 30-06 etc. are grand classics and have killed anything that moves; and .260, .270, .308 kill thousands of game every year. But the question includes the word "perfect." All these are light in my book on the 500/600 lbs+ plains game (Wildebeest, Hartebeest, Kudu, Sable, Zebra, Eland, etc.) and they fail the 300 yd MPBR test with reasonable weight bullets. Nonetheless, if you consider your 6.5 Creedmoor "perfect" and you enjoy clicking your scope back & forth endlessly, and you relish tracking forever wounded game that does not produce one drop of blood, have at it, this is a free country ... just not my cup of tea ;-)

PS: for simplicity of discussion, I associate 8 mm, .318, etc. with .300; and .325, .35, etc. with .33 in this discussion. Give or take a few gr, a few fps, and a few yd in MPBR, they are all the same ;-)

 

[Eric Anderson]

For me, it is 30-06.
I shoot it well, and holdover is second nature to me.
It hits hard enough as well.

 

[bruce moulds]

whatever the 35 whelen will do, the 9.3x62 will do better, with possibly more ammunition availability in certain places.
250 gn barnesx at the bottom end, and 300 gn swift at the top end.
bruce.

 

[Ridgewalker]

Hmm...MPBR and what diameter do you recommend? If I use 7”, my 250 gr Barnes TTSX out of my 375 H&H has an MPBR of over 300 yards. That’s as far as I plan to shoot anything without a bit of holdover. Can’t offhand remember that much open space in bushveld areas.
Last trip the largest animal it took was a fine eland and the smallest was a handsome caracal.
I think I’ll stick with my 375 H&H (biggest cartridge I can handle and get a quick follow up shot) though an old cartridge but “new fangled” bullets. Seems to do its part when I do mine.

It’s really interesting to read everyone’s experiences. Just proves what all are saying, “put it in the boiler room and whatever it is will work”.

Oops I forgot to add...use an appropriate bullet!

 

[One Day...]

Hmm...MPBR and what diameter do you recommend? If I use 7”, my 250 gr Barnes TTSX out of my 375 H&H has an MPBR of over 300 yards. That’s as far as I plan to shoot anything without a bit of holdover. Can’t offhand remember that much open space in bushveld areas.
Last trip the largest animal it took was a fine eland and the smallest was a handsome caracal.
I think I’ll stick with my 375 H&H (biggest cartridge I can handle and get a quick follow up shot) though an old cartridge but “new fangled” bullets. Seems to do its part when I do mine.

It’s really interesting to read everyone’s experiences. Just proves what all are saying, “put it in the boiler room and whatever it is will work”.

Oops I forgot to add...use an appropriate bullet!

You know, that is interesting, this actually is my sleepless nights endless wondering: if things were to be redone now would I go .375 H&H instead of .340 Wby?
Given the bullets available 30 years ago, the .340 Wby was the obvious choice. Period.
Given the 250 gr TTSX or the 235 gr TSX, the .375 may make more sense than the .33 nowadays...
Ream that .375 H&H chamber to .375 Wby and you can shoot both H&H and Wby cartridges, and now you have a death ray with the 235 gr TSX out to 350 yd MPBR on plains game; you are legal on DG with a 300 gr; and you have a real hammer with 350 gr...
Did any one ever think of the .375 H&H as a universal caliber?

Objectively, a similar reasoning applies to the .300. Significantly better bullets today allow to up gun the .300 considerably compared to the .180 loads of 30 years ago. That may make the .300 Wby (or RUM, or Nosler, etc.) an even better universal plains game cartridge than ever before...

Truth be told, when my .340 Wby barrel finally dies, I may screw a .300 Wby Accumark barrel on it... I am not interested in the DG compatibility of the .375 because I have made my mind to hunt DG only at close range and with iron sights, so Kreighoff .470 double it is...

 

[Buckdog]

Their is a perfect PG round and it's the 35 Whelen. A 35 Whelen moves a 225 grain bullet at 2700 fps, 2700 fps is a standard 180 grain bullet for the 06 and a 200 grain bullet for the 300 WM. The Whelen uses a heavier bullet with a larger frontal diameter at the same velocity as the 06 and the 300 WM equals more energy on target and a greater killing effect. Out to 300 yards the Whelen is the best PG round you can use.

Art, nothing against a 35 whelan they are great BUT I can move a 200gr 300WM way faster than 2700fps with a handload all day every day.
Hydrostatic shock is what destroys the internal organs and turns the lungs to jelly its the transfer of the energy to the critters vital organs.
So the limiting factor is the shooter period. if you cant hit the vital organs then the best gun and caliber in the world is a waste.
some guys might shoot a 270 very well, give them more recoil and they cant hit SH*T so the best for them a 270, some can shoot a favorite 375 like a dream and that's best for them.
it all going to be personal and we all have our favorite go to toys!

 

[Shootist43]

Buckdog, I play around a little with QuickLoad and just checked my 35 Whelen loads with 225 Gr TSX against the 300 WM pushing 200 Gr. bullets. Yes the WM rounds are a bit faster (200FPS) but the Whelen edges them in Ft Lbs of energy. Someone posting ahead of me stated that there may not be a "PERFECT" PG rifle but there are a lot of very good ones and like you said we all have our favorite go to toys.

 

[TOBY458]

With all this talk about MPBR, I wonder who can really shoot well enough in the field to really be taking shots at much over 300 yards. You can zero just about any rifle with a muzzle velocity of 2700 to 3100 fps in at 200 yards and the difference at 400 yards is only a couple of inches either way between all typical calibers that most people shoot. For instance a 7mm Rem Mag drops about 16" at 400 yards when sighted in at 200 yards. A 30/06 drops about 20" with the same sight in. Those figures are with bullets of similar SD and BC. At 300 yards, the difference is extremely negligible. I doubt anyone could shoot well enough in the field, especially off of sticks. to know the difference.
As for the difference in killing effect between a 180 grain Barnes TSX out of a 300 Win Mag, @2960 fps, and a 225 grain Barnes TSX from a 35 Whelen @2700 fps. I bet you'd have to shoot a whole lot of Eland and Kudu to ever tell a real difference in performance.

 

[sestoppelman]

Everything from 6.5 Swede to .375 mag. I don't really have a favorite, after my first 3 trips with a .375, started using different calibers. .338 Win mag, 9.3x62, .30-06, .405 Win. Not sure what goes next time...

 

[Shootist43]

Everything from 6.5 Swede to .375 mag. I don't really have a favorite, after my first 3 trips with a .375, started using different calibers. .338 Win mag, 9.3x62, .30-06, .405 Win. Not sure what goes next time...

EENE, MEENE, MINEY, MOE...… unless you can think of a better way to make up your mind. In truth I'll bet that most of us have the same dilemma.

 

[Lee M]

I had to look up the specifics of the 7mm STW, as I was not familiar with it. I have shot numerous PG with my 7mm rem mag with good results using a 160 grain bullet. Your 7 STW with 160 to 175 bullets will kill any plains game with ease. And I personally think that using a gun you are familiar with is key. Your cartridge also will have less drop then the vast majority of those used in Africa, so range is not an issue. Take it and enjoy. You likely won’t find ammo for it, but in the very unlikely event of lost ammo borrow your outfitters gun. No need to buy a new gun or rechamber a gun. Unless of course your using this as an opportunity/excuse to do that. Lol. If you are - go for it!

 

[Hunter101]

Just take your stw will kill everything over there. None of the plains is any tougher then a elk and all will die with one shot. I have killed several with a bow never made it very far at all 30 40 yards at most. Put a hole in lungs they die fast

 

[Ryan]

Yes, there is. It's the one in your rifle when you lay the crosshairs on the spot and pull the trigger.
The mass majority of PG has dropped very effectively to bullets between the 30 and 7mm calibers. The only difference among them is maximum effective range, which few shots reach.
Are you confident with the 7mm STW? Then it's perfect.

 

[njc110381]

I don't have much experience with my STW yet as it's fairly new to me. All I've killed with it are a couple of foxes and red deer. But it's a Sako 75 - I have exactly the same rifles in .22-250, 6.5x55 and 7STW. They all feel the same, the triggers are the same, they near enough weigh the same.... I can shoot them all the same! With the .22-250 and 6.5x55 I can confidently hit a 4" circle off of quad sticks at 300m+ and I don't suppose the STW will be any different once I've learned the trajectory. I zero all my rifles 1"/25mm high at 100m.

It sounds like the STW will do the job nicely, so I'll stick with it. It's a very easy rifle to shoot. It has sensible recoil and amazing trajectory with the ability to buck the wind pretty well too.

Are moderators/suppressors legal in Africa? My STW is threaded and I have a moderator and muzzle brake for it, but I would't use the brake on an accompanied hunt. They are very anti social in my opinion but the moderator on the other hand makes it extremely pleasant!