What's your favorite plains game to hunt in Africa and why?

Oh, Buffalo, for sure, if you consider them plains game.
 
Definitely, not blesbok.

They seem as dumb as a box of rocks.

When you find them, they just stand there and look at you.

When you shoot one, their friends just go back to grazing!


DG 015.jpg
 
Definitely, not blesbok.

They seem as dumb as a box of rocks.

When you find them, they just stand there and look at you.

When you shoot one, their friends just go back to grazing!


View attachment 453192


True. I only shoot blesboks today if I am asked to do it. However instead of using a rifle use bow & arrow or a spear. Perhaps it will stimulate the "inner hunter" more.

People don`t consider an impala for anything...but hunting an old ram on foot by your self in an area the old ram knows better gives you a challenge. You might not get him.
 
True. I only shoot blesboks today if I am asked to do it. However instead of using a rifle use bow & arrow or a spear. Perhaps it will stimulate the "inner hunter" more.

People don`t consider an impala for anything...but hunting an old ram on foot by your self in an area the old ram knows better gives you a challenge. You might not get him.
My first outfitter in Namibia complained about them in the same manner, pretty much to the point of hatred. That said it seems to vary a lot. I was able to get within 30-50 yards of them in the East Cape with a bow but things just never lined up right for a shot. So I'd say a rifle shot in that property might not be challenging. Another property nearby had some that spooked from us just driving past as I recall, and a property I hunted in the Limpopo last year had some wary ones too. We were trying to sneak in to some black wildebeest and got busted at a couple hundred yards by the blesbok with them who saw us and split without hesitation taking the wildbeest with them. Later we found some smaller groups of blesbok and I got one with my rifle. It wasn't the hardest stalk, but it also wasn't a gimme and the rest in the herd didn't stick around after the shot. I took one a couple days later with my bow on another property after a stalk that included belly crawling, a slow rise to my knees and a wait in the bushes until one made the wrong move, that's my profile pic. I'm proud of both.
 
The blesbok was the first African animal I took on my first African safari to Limpopo in 2007.

I was hopeful that the next 7 days of the trip would not be like hunting on a goat farm.

Thank goodness, it wasn't!

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Grz63 wrote on roklok's profile.
Hi Roklok
I read your post on Caprivi. Congratulations.
I plan to hunt there for buff in 2026 oct.
How was the land, very dry ? But à lot of buffs ?
Thank you / merci
Philippe
Fire Dog wrote on AfricaHunting.com's profile.
Chopped up the whole thing as I kept hitting the 240 character limit...
Found out the trigger word in the end... It was muzzle or velocity. dropped them and it posted.:)
Fire Dog wrote on AfricaHunting.com's profile.
2,822fps, ES 8.2
This compares favorably to 7 Rem Mag. with less powder & recoil.
Fire Dog wrote on AfricaHunting.com's profile.
*PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS FOR MY RIFLE, ALWAYS APPROACH A NEW LOAD CAUTIOUSLY!!*
Rifle is a Pierce long action, 32" 1:8.5 twist Swan{Au} barrel
{You will want a 1:8.5 to run the heavies but can get away with a 1:9}
Peterson .280AI brass, CCI 200 primers, 56.5gr of 4831SC, 184gr Berger Hybrid.
Fire Dog wrote on AfricaHunting.com's profile.
I know that this thread is more than a year old but as a new member I thought I would pass along my .280AI loading.
I am shooting F Open long range rather than hunting but here is what is working for me and I have managed a 198.14 at 800 meters.
That is for 20 shots. The 14 are X's which is a 5" circle.
 
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