What are the toughest plains game animals??

[Buffalo1]

I am an avid bowhunter. Every African plains game animal that I lost or had to track and take down with a rifle was due to poor arrow shot placement. Most of my bad hits were caused by "rushing my shot."
My animal sizes have ranged from Tiny 10 to Eland. I've taken close to 20 African species with a bow and arrow. I am somewhat experienced on the subject. As Walt Whitman once said, "If you can do it, it ain't braggin !"

 

[Andrew62]

Hey Marius, which bullets would you suggest? Its pretty hard to find swift bullets right now over here

I've been a huge Barnes fans for many years, this past year, for whatever reason, I decided to use Hornady DGX on a cape buffalo, it was a one shot kill, buffalo didn't go 30 yards!! I'm headed to Cameroon in March and I will take the balance of those Hornady DGX for this buffalo hunt as well. Given I have a ton of Barnes 300 grain TSX for my .375H&H I'll use them, but again, the DGX's worked great.

 

[Tally-Ho HUNTING SAFARIS]

Zebra is the animal I've seen lost the most. That being said they don't seem to run far when they're sick unlike Eland or WB.

thi thing about a zebra, based on experience, doesnt matter where u hit in the body, he is going to die.
so if you have a track and can keep a track you will find it . if you know the shot isnt great give it an hour or 2 then go and u will almost always find it within a hundred metres or so

 

[Hunter-Habib]

1) Wildebeest

2)Water buck

3) Sable

4) Kudu

5) Zebra

I want to say eland too, but I’ve been fortunate enough to never need more than one shot for tackling them. Even when using my 7x57mm Mauser. Just pure luck, I guess.

 

[Hunt anything]

Which ever one you put the bullet in the wrong spot, when the adrenaline gets up they are all pretty tough except maybe kudu.

 

[archer36]

They are all tough, especially if not hit perfectly. Some of the toughest animals are Whitetail Deer in North America. I spent many hours tracking them if not perfectly hit.

 

[Ragman]

Some of the toughest animals are Whitetail Deer in North America. I spent many hours tracking them if not perfectly hit.

Yep. Me too.

 

[MTA]

I've been a huge Barnes fans for many years, this past year, for whatever reason, I decided to use Hornady DGX on a cape buffalo, it was a one shot kill, buffalo didn't go 30 yards!! I'm headed to Cameroon in March and I will take the balance of those Hornady DGX for this buffalo hunt as well. Given I have a ton of Barnes 300 grain TSX for my .375H&H I'll use them, but again, the DGX's worked great.

Glad it worked out for you! Interlocks were my go to whitetail bullet for Texas for awhile. Fairly gruesome blood trails were the norm from a mild load of h4895 and an 180gr interlock btsp.

One day I want to be at the point where I am selecting dangerous game bullets but I think I have a few years to go before that happens

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I'm a new hunter. Just wondering which plains game animals are the hardest to bring down. From my experience, I think it might be blue wildebeest??

@StevenQ718
I shot impala,kudu, zebra, black wildebeest and oryx. I used a 35 Whelen loaded with 225gn accubond, 225gn Woodleigh PPSP and 250gr Hornady round nose. All were one shot kills. I personally didn't think they were tough to kill. Right bullet in the right spot in an adequate caliber and they will die quickly.
My son used a 308 Winchester loaded with 150gn accubonds and 140gn outer edge. 2 animals a red heartebeast and a warth hog running flat out needed 2 shots. Bullet placement was slightly off with the first shot on each but the second shot finished them quickly.
Neither of us found plains game any harder to kill than what we had shot at home. As I said put a properly constructed bullet in an adequate caliber in the right spot and you will not have a problem. African game ain't armour plated.
Bob

 

[TERMINATOR]

I'm a new hunter. Just wondering which plains game animals are the hardest to bring down. From my experience, I think it might be blue wildebeest??

Zebra gets my vote

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I actually don't think that you can pick one.

I have seen heart shot animals go 100+yards after being hit. I have also seen them drop in their tracks. So if you ask the hunter that had one go 100 yards he'll say that the animal that he shot is a tough animal. The hunter who had one drop in it's tracks will say that there is no problem. So who's right?

I had a black wildebeest go 50 yards, I had a blue wildebeest drop in it's tracks, so is the black wildebeest harder to kill than the blue wildebeest? I had a kudu drop in his tracks and another one go for a mile or more with the same hit through the lungs, which one is tougher.

I also had a bleastbuck take three hits to put him down, my next one dropped in his tracks.

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All were shot with the same bullets out of the same rifle at various distances.

@JimP
As you said every animal reacts differently when shot even if shot in the same spot with the same caliber, bullet etc. Even the humble bunny. I've had a rabbit with half its body missing make it 10 yards to its Warren. While others that don't even appear to have been hit just flop down dead on the spot.
As I said every animal reacts differently to being shot it doesn't mean they are hard to kill. Hit them properly and they will die, some just haven't read the script and take a bit longer than others.
Just my opinion
Bob

 

[Boyd Brooks]

@StevenQ718
I shot impala,kudu, zebra, black wildebeest and oryx. I used a 35 Whelen loaded with 225gn accubond, 225gn Woodleigh PPSP and 250gr Hornady round nose. All were one shot kills. I personally didn't think they were tough to kill. Right bullet in the right spot in an adequate caliber and they will die quickly.
My son used a 308 Winchester loaded with 150gn accubonds and 140gn outer edge. 2 animals a red heartebeast and a warth hog running flat out needed 2 shots. Bullet placement was slightly off with the first shot on each but the second shot finished them quickly.
Neither of us found plains game any harder to kill than what we had shot at home. As I said put a properly constructed bullet in an adequate caliber in the right spot and you will not have a problem. African game ain't armour plated.
Bob

I don’t think there is anything on the planet that won’t fall to a well placed shot with a 35 Whelen hurling a 250 projectile.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I don’t think there is anything on the planet that won’t fall to a well placed shot with a 35 Whelen hurling a 250 projectile.

@Boyd Brooks
Or a 275g or 310gn Woodleigh.
I'm going to give some 310gn Woodleigh RNSPs a go on some mean scrub bulls this year. I will be starting them off at 2,400fps out of my Whelen. I will report back on how they worked.
Bob

 

[Scott CWO]

@Boyd Brooks
Or a 275g or 310gn Woodleigh.
I'm going to give some 310gn Woodleigh RNSPs a go on some mean scrub bulls this year. I will be starting them off at 2,400fps out of my Whelen. I will report back on how they worked.
Bob

Oh come on @Bob Nelson 35Whelen the 35 Squeelen doesn’t get the job done! I’ve seen buffalo shot with it near the coast of South Africa and watched when they ran to the ocean and swam to Australia and when they got to Australia their horn shape was affected by the salt water!

 

[Peterwho]

Dear Mr Scott

We in Australia are concerned you are drinking your own salt water. It can lead to hallucinations of the type you are reporting.

Kind regards

 

[Boyd Brooks]

@Boyd Brooks
Or a 275g or 310gn Woodleigh.
I'm going to give some 310gn Woodleigh RNSPs a go on some mean scrub bulls this year. I will be starting them off at 2,400fps out of my Whelen. I will report back on how they worked.
Bob

More muzzle energy than a 300gr 375H&H at 2400 fps!

 

[Traveler1]

What about the warthog. Long story straight to the ending...
I had a wounded warthog run down his hole. So I follow it and fired my last shot from my 7mm down the hole. As, I was grabbing another round from ammo pouch on my belt it blasted out the hole. I dropped the 7mm to ground and pulled my 44 blackhawk from my shoulder holster. As he was charging/running straight for I was backing up. I fanned my single action Clint Eastwood style. I put four shots in the bridge of his nose between his tusks at 1.5 paces, the fifth shot between his eyes at 1 pace and blew his tusk off at 0 paces with the six shot as I jumping out the way. I don't believe any other plains game, except maybe the zebra or eland could take the four 300 grains slugs to the face and keep coming. Everyone else was laughing back at the truck, I was a little pissed to say the least. After cleaned my shorts and took a breath I cracked a smile as well. Mind you I was only fourteen at the time. Side note: I (my dad) bought me a Freedom Arms 454 Causal when got back the States and I never carried a 44 again.

 

[shark_za]

Wildebeest do seem to have a bigger will to live.
But I also think its because the shape of the body tempts you to shoot in a sub-optimal spot compared to anything else.

 

[russ473]

1. Blue Wildebeest
2. Waterbuck/Zebra
3. Sable

2 & 3 can be interchanged, depending on the individual animal.

Agreed with this list and add Roan.

 

[Sika98k]

Wildebeest do seem to have a bigger will to live.
But I also think its because the shape of the body tempts you to shoot in a sub-optimal spot compared to anything else.

Good point here. My first time hunting oryx I will confess to having made a horlicks of a couple of shots. We tend to be a nation of meat hunters and shots on deer are ideally placed on the Atlas joint or just behind the shoulder 1/3 up the body to minimise meat damage.
African antelopes anatomy is somewhat different in that the heart and lungs are further forward.
”The Perfect Shot” makes for great reading for anyone contemplating a trip to Africa.