My calibers for hunting in Africa

[Red Leg]

I shoot a little bit, and though I would have no problem playing on a range out to 500 meters with a .308, I am never going to take a shot at game with one at that distance.

The .308 is a great caliber. However, in .30's I much prefer a 180 gr bullet - particularly in Africa. The .308 is not ideal for such a bullet weight. The 30-06 is much better, and the .300 Win Mag is superb with that bullet weight. The target area in African antelope is just a tad farther forward and lower than North American or European deer. Forget that and you are often hitting a little too far back, where an exit wound can really aid your tracker. Even more likely, assuming you hit your target correctly, you are driving a bullet through muscle and bone. A premium 180 at sufficient MV buys you a critical bit of insurance. Remember, a drop of blood equals a trophy fee.

And no, a typical heavy for caliber 7mm will drive much deeper than a typical 150 fired from a .308. But then again, based upon my experience shooting African game, I am all about penetration.

If you don't want to buy another rifle - fine. Don't. You can have a very successful plains game safari with your .308 - many people have. Just don't expect a majority of hunters with meaningful plains game experience, to agree it is an ideal choice.

 

[Von S.]

Squire 308,

What I have learned in the past 50 years about mouch of the game in Africa is that many are very tough animals who will run like they've been missed even though they are hit with a shot that will prove to be fatal eventually if they are not crushed by an over abundance of foot pounds coming from a big, fat, heavy, slug moving at considerable speed.

There's just a lot of very tough animals there.

One thing that you should keep in mind new friend and that is that if you make it bleed you own it even if you never see it again.

 

[308W]

There are a lot of small to medium size antelopes in Africa, you can hunt with .243 Win and .308 Win.

Not everywhere it is legal to do so.

My advice is, .....forget them all....!!!

A good .375 Holland & Holland will do the job, and you and your PH will be happy...

Why forget them all?

Do you think 375 H&H could be the right caliber for an antilope of 20 kg?

I know 375 is the most apreciate caliber in Africa, may be indispensable for who want to hunt everything there.

 

[BeeMaa]

Thank you for your list and opinion.

I think there is a misuntertanding, I was talking about small antilopes but often you think and talk about calibers for big antilopes or more big games.

Opportunities come up, once in a lifetime opportunities.
There is a saying "Take what Africa gives you".
If you are given such an opportunity, you should have enough gun to take advantage of it.
Trust me, there is plenty of game North America to hunt with a 338 or 375, it won't be a safe queen.

 

[308W]

Remember, a drop of blood equals a trophy fee.

And no, a typical heavy for caliber 7mm will drive much deeper than a typical 150 fired from a .308. But then again, based upon my experience shooting African game, I am all about penetration.

If you don't want to buy another rifle - fine. Don't. You can have a very successful plains game safari with your .308 - many people have. Just don't expect a majority of hunters with meaningful plains game experience, to agree it is an ideal choice.

Hi Red Leg, I will remember your advice! ;-)

I know 7 x 57 has got a long and respectable story in Africa.

About 22lr and 308 I felt in love of them long time ago, you are right can be called "ideal choice".
I would love to use 22lr too, not for eland of course. ;-)

 

[Red Leg]

I really do believe, the .375 probably really is the "best" all around choice for most African hunting. The two plains game animals below were one shot kills. And the suni didn't weigh five killos much less 20. On this trip I used Swift A-Frames on most everything and Woodleigh Hydros (a solid) on the little guys. Both worked perfectly. The .375 also took down a really nice Zambezi Delta buff on the same hunt. Just an incredibly versatile caliber.

To be honest, were I going on a pure plains game hunt, I would likely take my .338. Not because it is a "better" plains game caliber, but because I have a lovely .338 that I don't get to use enough. But again, I am all about penetration and exit wounds.

Livingstone Eland - Mozambique

• Red Leg
• Feb 1, 2018
• 2

Mozambique Suni

• Red Leg
• Oct 16, 2017

 

[Shootist43]

308W, I have to take issue with your comment that a 308 can do whatever a 7x 57 does only better. In support of Red Leg's comment that a 170 Gr. bullet out of a 7 x 57 will out penetrate a 150 Gr. bullet shot out of a 308, in my mind there is no doubt of that. But as others have said, it is your hunt use what you want. I took two rifles to Africa on my first safari. One for deer sized game i.e. 150 to 200 lbs. (or smaller) and a larger rifle for anything above that weight. Like others have said if it bleeds you bought it.

 

[308W]

Squire 308,

What I have learned in the past 50 years about mouch of the game in Africa is that many are very tough animals who will run like they've been missed even though they are hit with a shot that will prove to be fatal eventually if they are not crushed by an over abundance of foot pounds coming from a big, fat, heavy, slug moving at considerable speed.

There's just a lot of very tough animals there.

One thing that you should keep in mind new friend and that is that if you make it bleed you own it even if you never see it again.

Easy and clear, thank you!
I will keep in mind.

 

[Ryan]

I have taken eight plains game animals using a 30-06 with a 168 grain Barnes TTSX bullet Vor-TX ammo and they all dropped within sight. Smallest was a springbok, largest included kudu and zebra. Ranges mostly around 100 to 140 yards, though one at something just over 200. I'd say it worked well. I just looked up the ballistics on the 30-06 and 308 ammo in that same bullet. 30-06 muzzle velocity is 2850 fps, 308 is 2700 fps. The 30-06 loses 150 fps in 50 yards or so, making it a 308 plus 50 yards. For realistic distances mentioned the animal will never know the difference.

@308W, use it with confidence.

 

[308W]

I really do believe, the .375 probably really is the "best" all around choice for most African hunting.

Thank you for the post and pics too

 

[Longwalker]

I have shot a reasonable amount of game up to the size of moose with a .308 and several cartridges of similar capabilities. If a .308 is what you have and are used to, there is absolutely no reason to switch to a 7x57 or 30-06 or .270 or any of several other similar cartridges for most plains game size animals. There is no discernible difference in the field between any of those cartridges at normal field ranges. And forget about 500 yd/M shots. Nice in theory, but the vast majority of game anywhere is shot at under 200. The .308 gives me confidence in its ability to kill medium sized game cleanly to about 300 or a bit more. If you want to hunt very large and tough antelopes like eland or dangerous game, you will do better with or will be legally required to use a larger rifle. As mentioned previously a .375 would compliment your .308 nicely as a two rifle pair. But no need to put off starting your African hunting career because you "only" shoot a .308. Go forth and slay some beasts!

 

[ChrisG]

500m is completely unrealistic for a .308. Can it KILL at those ranges? Sure. Unfortunately it will do so very slowly without a nervous system hit. No matter what bullet, powder combination you choose. A .308 runs out of steam at around 300-350 yards. Once a bullet drops below 2,000fps, expansion becomes more of a "wing and a prayer" type situation. A .30 caliber hole is pretty small for a 200kg animal if the bullet doesn't expand. Not to mention, a 500m shot on a live animal is beyond unresponsible unless you are truly an exceptional game shot above and beyond average.

Not only that. Anyone who tells me they killed an animal from 500 yards or further, trying to win kudos... I take a page from Wayne Van Zwoll and simply reply "It's okay... you'll get closer next time".

 

[Von S.]

There is one hell of a difference between hitting something, wounding something and killing something.

The difference is inches and a rifle and round that can realistically do it, and they don't grow on trees.

 

[Hearties]

Load your 308 with 165 grain Accubonds (or similar premium bonded bullet) at 2650 fps and you’ll be absolutely fine out to 300m. The stalk is the fun part of the hunt so I don’t see much reason to shoot at further ranges than that...

 

[EZRider]

My son hunts with a CZ .308 here every year. He has taken everything from impala to Wildebeest with a 150 gr TSX at 2600 fps.
It is a great caliber as thousands of South African biltong hunters will attest to.
Bring it and use it.
If you want to hunt with your .223 or .243 as well then organize a trip to the Cape for a springbuck hunt in the desert. Those calibers are used by the farmers there all the time.

 

[IvW]

.223 is too small and in most cases illegal to use on larger plains game. Not a good option for a visiting client to bring very limited application.

.243 WM is a great caliber and mostly used for smaller game and is ideal for animals such as spring buck and bless buck and is used for this application by many SA hunters at longer range, as long as the wind is not blowing. Again not a great caliber to bring as you will be limiting yourself.

.308 W is used again by many SA hunters. With the right bullet it is capable of taking most plains game but is not recommended for the larger plains game. The 308 W runs into issues when you want to use heavier for caliber bullets, the case capacity is just too small to push them at respectable velocity, and the twist may also be an issue. Ideally you want to shoot a 180-200 gr bullet in .308 caliber. This is one caliber where the TSX bullet(I do not like them) may in fact be the best option.

Not the best .308 caliber for all the African PG but with the right bullet you could hunt most of the PG. You will also be limiting yourself on the shots you could take.

You have vast experience hunting European game. Comparing European game and African game, they are not the same.

As for the 375 H&H, well yes it is the King of the medium bores and is still the single most useful caliber a hunter can bring to Africa.

Do you need it?

Depends on what you want to hunt.

If it is PG as well as maybe DG, for sure it is the best for that application and in most cases the legal minimum required.

If it is PG only, you could of course use it but it certainly is not necessary.

On plains game only it will also depend on what plains game you intend hunting. If it is a general plains game bag anything from 7mm-.375 will do(including the 308 W, however if you start hunting the bigger(and much more expensive) PG such as Mountain Nyala, Lord Derby Eland, Bongo etc. common sense would depict a larger caliber with more game taking ability, perhaps a .308 caliber with a 200 gr bullet(300 H&H, 300 Mag), a .338 or .375 would be a much better choice.

As for distance, a 300 yard shot would be considered a long one. 500 meter shots are a no no, unless it is at a wounded animal disappearing over the next hill. Most shots will be from 50 to 250 yards.

I am an old school hunter and prefer heavy for caliber bullets in the proven calibers. The 308 Win does not fall into that category for me. I use 7x57, 7x65R and 375 H&H for my PG hunting and also like the 300 H&H and 8x68S. I prefer heavy for caliber bullets.

You seem to be a good shot with your 308 Win. If you use the right bullet and place that bullet in the right place, you will be just fine for hunting PG in Africa. Just be aware of the limitations.

A rifle you shoot well is the best one to bring and use.

A good bullet, shot placement and penetration will get the job done each time.

Good luck.

 

[mark-hunter]

Why forget them all?

Do you think 375 H&H could be the right caliber for an antilope of 20 kg?

It is not ideal, but works very well with solid (non-expanding bullet)


Mind that 308 was not designed for hunting, but for incapacitating enemy soldiers on such distances, where only wounding is sufficient.
Later it found its use in sport shooting an hunting, but 308 win is not perfect or ideal.

Above mentioned, 7x57 has good hystroical reputation in Africa, but it was 100 years ago, and should be observed in context of time, when larger calibers were not easy to get, or they have been too expensive. Also, I am not aware of any author in that time that was writing about wounding, but I am also certain it was happening.

Robert Ruark, who generally started modern safari culture is famous for saying "use enough gun". This means as much caliber as possible. He started getting the idea after hitting hyena 9 times with 22-250, and finally brought it down with 577,
(If I remember correctly the calibers since reading the book)

And this logic is generally accepted today, all over African hunting.

I was in situation with wounded oryx, (with 375 HH), shot in the ribs, who went away. Blood hounds were in another car, and tracker and I tracked the blood and tracks for about half mile, in dense bush. In that situation, I really wished I had stronger caliber before pulling the trigger, The tracker was excellent, but i still have feeling it was also luck to find oryx. We could easily stay without him.
We found oryx, but the feeling of the uncertainty of tracking wounded animal is not nice and it is very good learning experience.

From what I have seen, in most cases 200 meters is maximum hunting distance, and often less. I would forget about hunting on 500 meters or so.

Finall thought is to define which animals you will hunt.
My PH told me few times, the animals most frequently lost due to bad shot are wildebeest and zebra. So consider all aspects.
Big antelopes, or game resistant to shot should be taken with something stronger then legal minimum. (zebra, eland, wildebeest, roan, sable, kudu).
Smaller animals, are OK with average calibers in level of 308. (springbok, warthog, etc)

 

[IvW]

@mark-hunter

I thick we pushed the reply button at the same time!

 

[mark-hunter]

Possibly, IvW!

 

[One Day...]

A lot of good advice from a lot of good people in there @308W. Worth listening to ;-)

Without repeating what was already said by @Red Leg, @BeeMaa, @Von S., @IvW, etc. which I entirely suscribe to, please allow me to add a few thoughts:

... 308 Win ... is the most powerful caliber I have had

.308 Win is a mild-mannered mid-weight caliber shooting mid-weight bullets designed for mid-weight targets (2 legged or 4 legged). Shooting it well is vastly different from shooting well harder hitting calibers designed for bigger and tougher targets. However good people are with their .308, .270, .280, .30-06, etc. (7x57, 7x64 etc.) one should not assume that one will automatically shoot as well a fast .300 mag (8x68), or a fast & heavy .338, or a heavy .375 (9.3x64) slug. Recoil levels will essentially double. No it will not break your shoulder, this is a misconception (although a scope kiss may be really painful). The issue is to be able to control the gun enough that it still points at the target by the time the bullet leaves the barrel. Easier said than done. So, bottom line, it is better to shoot well a .308 than to shoot poorly a .300 mag (Win, Wby, RUM, etc.). This consideration overrides everything else.

However...

... Can my calibers be enough to hunt antelopes in Africa, or do you think they are not?

As several already said "antelopes in Africa" is not a specific enough. What antelope? The 10 lbs to 250 lbs class? Yep, no problem with the .308 Win, but you are already stretching the .243. The 250 lbs to 500 lbs class? Yeah, .308 Win works but you do not have a lot of safety margin. The 500 lbs to 1,000 lbs class? So, OK, .308 FALs have killed thousands of elephants and buffalo on control work, but this is not hunting, and, yes, I know, there is no shortage of folks telling you that their .308 Win, 7x57, etc. worked just fine on kudu, wildebeest, hartebeest, eland, etc. but for every guy for whom it went well, you also have 3 or 5 guys for whom it did not go so well. With a 308 Win on big plains game, you are just inviting trouble. You may be lucky. But then you may not be.

Therefore...

... Thinking of a single rifle, which caliber handyman would you recommend?

It depends how well you tolerate recoil and what degree of specialization you want or do not want. Something that you will be able to use later on for buffalo? .375, or .416 (insert whatever type you like: H&H, RUM, Wby, Rigby, 9.3x64, etc.). Something that will not recoil too much? .300 mag (again, Win, Wby, RUM, 8x68, whatever you like). Recoil is not a big issue and it does not need to be legal on dangerous game? Hard to beat the .338. @Red Leg will say .338 Win, I will say .340 Wby. Both work. As will .338 RUM, .338 Lapua, etc. but Wby, RUM, Lapua do recoil more than Win. Totally impervious to recoil and looking for the ultimate hammer? @Von S. will make the case for the .378 Wby, but you are more man than I am.

... 500 yards

Yeah, some folks play sniper in Africa... A friend of mine involved in the safari video industry tells me that for every (pick a number: 400, 500, 600) yd shot you see on You Tube, there are dozens of wounded animals limping around in the Eastern Cape. Go hunt. If you want to snipe, go punch steel plates. I do not know if you have actually done it, but hitting predictably, consistently, and reliably an 8" vital area at 500 yd under field conditions is quite difficult. I do not; and I am pretty good on steel out to 1,000 meters. Most of us will attempt a 400 yd shot on a fleeing wounded animal, but many of us will self-limit ourselves to 300 yd on non-wounded animals, which is already quite far.

Better bolt action or double rifle?

Unless money is plenty, a dedicated double for plains game is just not practical. You may be lucky and get a .300 Win Mag double, there are a few out there, but rare are the ones that will group 3 to 4" at 200 yd/meter, which is what you want. And you need it scoped. A typical European 9.3x74R will not be ideal. The caliber is too slow and the trajectory is to arcing. A .375 H&H will do fine but it will cost you as much as a 2 week 10 animals hunt.

In summary, shoot your .308 Win if this is as much recoil as you can deal with, but shoot close (less than 200 yd) and shoot premium heavy slugs at the big antelopes. If you can take more recoil, test a .300, .338 and .375. As in many cases, the sensible middle is the best compromise (unless you want the rifle for Dangerous Game) and I would personally recommend a .338 (Win, Wby, RUM, etc.) with 250 gr Partition or 225 gr mono-metal if you can shoot it well.

As a parting thought, I will share that my personal African battery is .257 Wby; .340 Wby; .416 Rigby; .470 NE.

I hope this helps...