Was Hemmingway Right?

BARTFRNCS

AH enthusiast
Joined
Apr 28, 2011
Messages
304
Reaction score
44
Media
12
Hunting reports
Africa
1
Member of
RMEF DU SCI NRA
Hunted
CAR CANADA MEXICO USA RSA
Tell me your thoughts on 30/06 for kudu.
 
With a good 160 to 180gr bullet,excellent choice. I always used my .308 with 168gr bullets until I became a one-rifle (.375) hunter.
 
From my observations: Kudu are not heavily built animals. They appear tall and lanky. They have thin skin and there bones do not appear to be very heavy. A 30/06 is plenty of gun for Kudu. I know from personell experience they cant take an arrow buried into the oppisite shoulder :D
 
Well my thoughts have been posted here before and in my experience Thunder head has it right. They aren't that thick, tough or solid.

Hemingway was right and he also had a good safety margin. No doubt the .30-06 was also what he had at the time.
 
The 30-06 is fine for kudu. Go with a heavier bullet and you will be fine.
 
The 30-06 with good bullet selection is a great round for your use.
 
From my observations: Kudu are not heavily built animals. They appear tall and lanky. They have thin skin and there bones do not appear to be very heavy. A 30/06 is plenty of gun for Kudu. I know from personell experience they cant take an arrow buried into the oppisite shoulder :D

+1.
 
BARTFRNCS

The 30-06 is even an better round now than it was in Hemingway's day. With new bullets and powders it shoots flatter and penetrates deeper. I 've never felt under gunned with my '06. As for kudu I shot my last and largest kudu with a plain vanilla Mod 700 Remington 30-06 with the Federal 180 TSX load. One shot just piled him.

Mark
 
I killed mine with a .30-06 with a 180-grain NP. It went about 20 yards.
 
I have found the Kudu to be one of the softer animals to kill in Africa, much easier to put down or stop than say a bull elk, more on the order of a Mule Deer.

I have found the 02 with the 180 and 200 gr. Nosler partitions to be suitable for Eland in every respect.

Caliber has never been an issue with me, more important is proper bullet selection and bullet construction combined with proper placement is the key to success within reason..Thus my love affair with the 7x57 Mauser caliber. I have seen it used successfully on most African animals including elephant with heart shots.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
65,556
Messages
1,447,216
Members
136,888
Latest member
Chummachati
 

 

 

Latest profile posts

Woza it has been a busy few weeks!

Here below are the updated available dates for this the 2026 season

9-28 Feb open

21-25 March open

16-24 April is open

18-13 June is open this would awake time for kudu or Buffalo hunt!

9-19 July open will be very good for Kudu or Buffalo hunt!

14-30 September is open would be perfect time for late buffalo tracking hunt

October is wide open,

please contact me for more in
Woodcarver wrote on RAVEN ROCKS PRECISION's profile.
Just wanted to say thanks for the excellent customer service. Ordered some 9.3x62 brass and the delivery was a little short. An email through your website Contact Us link was replied to the next day with the tracking info for the correction. Good pricing coupled with great customer service will see returning customers every time. Thanks again!
No Promises wrote on swoobie's profile.
X5i scope is perfect - thanks for an easy transaction! Buy with confidence.
Made it to Augusta Georgia yesterday for a meeting, hunt bookings are looking good for 2026 and 2027, had a great time on our Alabama safari shot a rutting deer at 200 yards with 7mm PRC near Huntsville and then headed on to Butler Alabama and semi guided my first deer ever shot a very nice broken off 8 point with hunter there and spend a few days on 1100 acres hunting preserve awesome place!
Ray B wrote on JMJ888's profile.
I am righthanded, so not interested in the rifle, but I have a 375 RUM and 350 gr bullet loading data is very hard to come by. If you could reply with information regarding your loads I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you, Ray Boone, Leavenworth, WA
 
Top