My calibers for hunting in Africa

[308W]

@308W , The .308Win will take any of the animals on the plains game list.

Down here in the South, in the Eastern Cape Province, shots can be further, due to the mountains and the methods that we stalk from above.

Thank you for your post, it sounds interesting, later I will check your web site.

 

[308W]

I know I need more experience dealing with certain types of people

I'm sure you are right, first of all you need the bases of education, It's indispensable to deal with civilized people.

 

[Spooksar]

For a person that asked for people’s opinions on if your caliber choices are suitable to hunt African Antelope, you sure don’t seem to want to listen to any opinions that don’t follow your pre-conceived ideas. Why did you bother to start this thread other then to pick fights with people

 

[308W]

For a person that asked for people’s opinions on if your caliber choices are suitable to hunt African Antelope, you sure don’t seem to want to listen to any opinions that don’t follow your pre-conceived ideas. Why did you bother to start this thread other then to pick fights with people

Did you read all thread or not?

I received many interesting answer from many people I have to thank them.
But... some of them didn't understand what was asking and continued to talk about samething else.
Two big misunderstanding:

1) a lot of them continue to talking about big game, but I never been interested in it;

2) shooting distances, I mentioned shoting until 500 meters, and some of them forget "until" and continue to discuss about this long range.

On the last pages some troll appear with provocations and insultes, I can't tollerate this stupid and rude behavoir.

Of course!

 

[WAB]

I'm sure you are right, first of all you need the bases of education, It's indispensable to deal with civilized people.

OK 300W, you are out of line. It’s fine to disagree, it’s even ok to ask for advice and ignore it. This post is not ok. We are all friends here. We don’t always agree but we try to be respectful in our disagreements. I suggest that you try to do likewise or find somewhere else to insult people.

 

[Pondoro]

I'm sure you are right, first of all you need the bases of education, It's indispensable to deal with civilized people.

Well you see....some of us do not suffer fools gladly...

 

[WAB]

Still a hell of a shot!

You know what they say Von, ‘even a blind squirrel finds an acorn now and then’!

 

[308W]

OK 300W, you are out of line. It’s fine to disagree, it’s even ok to ask for advice and ignore it. This post is not ok. We are all friends here. We don’t always agree but we try to be respectful in our disagreements. I suggest that you try to do likewise or find somewhere else to insult people.

I can undertand your point of view and agree with you, but... you are late of 2-3 pages, haven't you seen all the stupid provocations and insults arrived before? Did you prefer to keep silence? Why?

 

[Spooksar]

Did you read all thread or not?

I received many interesting answer from many people I have to thank them.
But... some of them didn't understand what was asking and continued to talk about samething else.
Two big misunderstanding:

1) a lot of them continue to talking about big game, but I never been interested in it;

2) shooting distances, I mentioned shoting until 500 meters, and some of them forget "until" and continue to discuss about this long range.

On the last pages some troll appear with provocations and insultes, I can't tollerate this stupid and rude behavoir.

Of course!

Yes I’ve read all the post, in the first few replies very experienced hunters are tell you that a 308 Winchester will do for Africa, but that you need to rethink the distance you need to shoot at. Your reply to this was you think 500 M is ok.

Also your comment that you will change from a 308 when you loose 3 antelope, tells people you are not a true hunter. To a true hunter 1 lost animal is one to many. As hunters our commitment to the animal is to dispatch it as cleanly and quickly as possible. Your comments in my opinion do not put you in this category.

 

[flat8]

This is the thread that won't die! I'll throw in my 2 cents. On my only trip to hunt in Africa, I shot everything from a Steenbok to a Kudu with a .30-06. The Kudu dropped instantly from 150 yards. It was a frontal shot, and best I could tell the bullet flew high and severed his spinal cord just where the neck joins the shoulder. Conversely, a blue wildebeest took 200 grains to the lungs from 250 yards and ran 5K - seriously FIVE kilometers - with a vapor of blood in his wake before we recovered him. He was still on his feet stopping up a cloud of dust at the Jack Russell that tracked him before he went down with a final close-range frontal shot to his heart. I'm not exaggerating when I say that the toughness of that animal was supernatural.

So how does that add to this conversation? I think what the OP was asking was if a .308 would do it for a single-gun hunt in Africa for antelope. In my admittedly very limited experience, I would say it would without question . . . with one huge caveat. I would't take a shot beyond 200 yards at any of the larger antelopes in Africa with a .308. But that's me - and I won't fire past 275 yards at anything. I know my limits. I may kill the animal, but that would just be luck, and the animal deserves more than me trying to be lucky.

If I go back to Africa (maybe 2019, hopefully 2020) I will probably just bring a .375H&H and be done with it.

 

[308W]

@308W , The .308Win will take any of the animals on the plains game list.

I have a look on your web site, congrats!
One of the best I have seen in these days. Next days I'm going to check it better.

 

[308W]

Yes I’ve read all the post,

You have lost your time, because you don't understand what we write.
Good Luck

 

[Von S.]

Mister 308,

If somehow, someway at any time you feel that I have beschmirched you please accept my humble and heartfelt apologies.

Believe me or not most of the guys here really do have only the best intentions for you in both hunting luck and physical well being with their suggestions, some of who I believe you are frustrating to no good end.

Maybe instead of going after PG you can switch gears and jump in with both feet into a big 5 hunt and load with 125 Nosler ballistic tips out of your ,308. Oh! And make me your executive theatrical agent where I already have the pay per view sewn up for all hunting footage.

Are you in?

 

[308W]

I'll throw in my 2 cents. On my only trip to hunt in Africa, I shot everything from a Steenbok to a Kudu with a .30-06.

If I go back to Africa (maybe 2019, hopefully 2020) I will probably just bring a .375H&H and be done with it.

Thank you for your post.

When did you do your ony trip?
Why did you decide to use 30-06? No body told you before tu use 375?

 

[Spooksar]

You have lost your time, because you don't understand what we write.
Good Luck

I fully understand what you are writing, maybe you need to go and reread your threads

 

[flat8]

Thank you for your post.

When did you do your ony trip?
Why did you decide to use 30-06? No body told you before tu use 375?

That hunt was way back in 2006.

I took my .30-06 for two reasons. First, it was the most powerful rifle I had at the time and I was a pretty good shot with it. In addition, my PH advised it was a better choice for Africa than my then (and still) personal favorite - the .270 Winchester. Watching how far the blue wildebeest I mentioned in my previous post ran after a decent hit, I can affirm that he was right - a .270 wasn't the best tool for the larger plains game.

As for a .375H&H being my choice next time around . . . Well, that trip will include buffalo and .375H&H is the starting point. Second, although I've got a .416 Rem and a .458 Lott in the safe, I shoot the .375H&H much better.

But, if I were going back for just antelope, I'd now probably reach for my .300 Win Mag if I were in an open area. If I were going to an area with thicker cover, I'd probably use it as an excuse to buy a .35 Whelen!

 

[WAB]

That hunt was way back in 2006.

I took my .30-06 for two reasons. First, it was the most powerful rifle I had at the time and I was a pretty good shot with it. In addition, my PH advised it was a better choice for Africa than my then (and still) personal favorite - the .270 Winchester. Watching how far the blue wildebeest I mentioned in my previous post ran after a decent hit, I can affirm that he was right - a .270 wasn't the best tool for the larger plains game.

As for a .375H&H being my choice next time around . . . Well, that trip will include buffalo and .375H&H is the starting point. Second, although I've got a .416 Rem and a .458 Lott in the safe, I shoot the .375H&H much better.

But, if I were going back for just antelope, I'd now probably reach for my .300 Win Mag if I were in an open area. If I were going to an area with thicker cover, I'd probably use it as an excuse to buy a .35 Whelen!

Another reason to go with a .375 is the thought that sometimes you bump into something big that is not happy with you. You can go through an old post I put on after our 2016 hunt in Zim. By buddy, his wife and PH were subject to an unprovoked charge by an elephant cow. The PH tried to stop the charge but his gun did not go off. The elephant put him to the ground and then went for my friend. He dropped her at point blank range. We both decided that we were done trotting around the bush with a light rifle after that one. Obviously this is not an issue on many of the ranch areas in RSA and Namibia, but that not typically where we hunt.

 

[flat8]

Another reason to go with a .375 is the thought that sometimes you bump into something big that is not happy with you. You can go through an old post I put on after our 2016 hunt in Zim. By buddy, his wife and PH were subject to an unprovoked charge by an elephant cow. The PH tried to stop the charge but his gun did not go off. The elephant put him to the ground and then went for my friend. He dropped her at point blank range. We both decided that we were done trotting around the bush with a light rifle after that one. Obviously this is not an issue on many of the ranch areas in RSA and Namibia, but that not typically where we hunt.

Wow! Can you PM that thread?

 

[WAB]

Wow! Can you PM that thread?

You have surpassed my technical capabilities. Search for Bliksem. It should pop up.

 

[IvW]

https://www.africahunting.com/threads/zimbabwe-bliksem.40682/