best bullet for plains game

[User00030]

hello im planning a trip to africa for plains game next may will be going for kudu gemsbok and impala what the best bullet choice i will be shooting my 7mm-08 i currently use a nosler partition 140 grain im betting this will be a good choice
just looking for some experience on what people have found good and not so
cheers
kris

 

[tusker]

Nosler partition great bullet.I used them on my trip last year. Not familiar with 7mm-08 but can you go a bit heavier,perhaps 165 grn?
Who are you going with and what are you hunting?
A very jealuss Tusker

 

[tjwaines]

You could try the 175gr Partition, but not quite as flat shooting as the 140gr. Depends what species and ranges your going to be shooting?

Tom

 

[JabaliHunter]

The partition is a good choice. I would personally choose the 160g Partition or Swift A-Frame, especially as you are hunting for gemsbok and kudu.

 

[dodgyrog]

I'd say a 7-08 is a tad undergunned? I would want a least a 30.06 or a 7mm Mag or 300 Win Mag.
I prefer a bullet around 180 grain (or more) as well.
When I went I was well over gunned with a 416 Rem Mag - very accurate and very effective. I took a Gemsbok at 320 yards with it (heart shot). The 350 gr Speer SP bullets didn't exit from Kudu, Gemsbok nor Zebra.
An American 'hunter' there at the same time took 15 rounds to kill a Gemsbok, mainly due to the fact he hadn't a clue and couldn't shoot a worth a damn. He had a .338 Win Mag SAKO rifle and Leupold scope, so no excuses there!

 

[User00030]

15 shots thats pretty poor shooting a classic example of to much gun for the shooter
i wish i could just take my 338 lap mag i use in the army but im afraid its a 7-08
looking at hogdens wesite i wouldnt be gaining much with a 7mm rem mag only 250 fps and i dont think at hunting ranges it will matter however the 300 win mag and 416 rem mag are a different story
i will try playing with RL17 i beleive i can get a 162 grain up to 2750fps

 

[trevor3683]

Hi have shot in Africa several times and have taken just about all the plains game species with 150 grain 308 nosler partition. On the hunt last year took 18 animals and 12 species in 9 days all 1 shot kills. The 7mm-08 with 140 grain nosler partition will be fine, good bullet placement is far better than a bigger bullet.

 

[tusker]

gr1ffter, what has your P.H. or agent advised,after all you are paying him and he should have the knowledge to advise you.When we booked our trip we were advised on caliber and bullets.IMHO you are paying lots of hard erned cash and i would rather get there with too much gun than not enough so that you can shoot with confidence no matter what the sicumstances. Personaly i would not step one foot in Africa with anything less than 30. cal.All the beasties out there are f$c&ing tough so for me it was 30-06 with 180 grn partitions.
Tusker

 

[User00030]

i will speak to the agent was just interested as theres alot of experience on this site all this is good info many thanks all

 

[tjwaines]

Have a look at using Hodgons Varget, supurb powder for 7mm08. I'll PM you the loads I use for 140's and 175's.

Tom

 

[smullery]

Kris,

Shot a lot of big Kudu, Wildebeest and Warthog with a 6.5 x 55 and 140 gr Nosler Partitions.

I now use a 9.3 x 62 and feel comfortable with it, that's what is important.

I still screw up on the close in "easy" shot. You know, the one where the bullet enters perfectly and exits through the far side front leg. Animal then runs off with only three working legs for miles. Only follow up shot is taken freehand when you've been running and are out of breath. Anywhere in the middle is good....

Keep your bullet slow enough to expand on the little ones, it will then do so in the big ones. Even a .375 will struggle to exit if it hits a Wildebeest's rib on the way in.

You can shoot your 7mm to your hearts content and if you feel comfortable on Roe and are happy that it would fell Red or Boar then you have your tool.

Stan

 

[sikamalc]

As with all hunting its where you put the bullet, and this applies more than most when it comes to African game as it can have the greatest of tenacity for life.

On most of my African trips I have taken my 375 HH with my 270. A 270 will take most plains game no problem and I have always loaded 150g noslers and have not had a problem.

If you are hunting for Kudu, Bushbuck etc then a heavy slow bullet to punch through the undergrowth and deliver a weight is the ideal round.

But bullet placement on these beasts is vital. Having shot a few Gemsbok north and south of the Kalahari I can tell you that these are also one tough animal that will carry a badly placed shot a long way.

One word of caution keep well away from these animals if they are wounded, those horns will do you a lot of damage.

Enjoy and let us know how you get on.

Good luck

Sikamalc

 

[User00030]

many thanks for all your advice i spoke to ph he said just stick with normal load i use on deer which is a nosler 140 grain accubond i may however try the partition as its a little tougher and the same bc so will have the same characteristics
all your advice pretty much confirms what i thought that bullet placement is key with african plains game its always worth taking advice on somthing you have never done before and all my experience is with british deer species and lets face it even some large reds ive shot are not difficult to grass even with calibers like 243 but thats a different debate
thanks all

 

[smullery]

Kris,

Your Accubond is fine. Stick with it.

Stan

P.S. I'm down on 2nd July. My lads 18th pressie so I won't shoot much.

 

[User00030]

but if one day he sleeps in well it would be rude not to

 

[schmidtandbender]

Hi have shot in Africa several times and have taken just about all the plains game species with 150 grain 308 nosler partition. On the hunt last year took 18 animals and 12 species in 9 days all 1 shot kills. The 7mm-08 with 140 grain nosler partition will be fine, good bullet placement is far better than a bigger bullet.

+1

I hear and read so much nonsense about people saying this bullet and that bullet is not big enough for this animal or that animal.

I read an article a few weeks ago about an eskimo that shot a polar bear from up a tree and he killed it with one shot from a .22lr rifle. He got the bear at the back of the head and it stopped it in its tracks.

I shoot with a guy who zero's his .243win on sand bags and can produce .75groups at 100yds all day. But when he shoots off a bipod or sticks at live prey he cannot hit a barn door at 50yds. He is a prime example of someone who cannot shoot straight. He has just rang me to tell me he has put in for a variation for a 6.5 x 55 because he has had too many runners with the .243....... what utter nonsense.

If you can shoot straight and hit the heart and lungs of any animal it will drop on the spot......End Of !!!

 

[tusker]

Here,here, schmidtandbender, i asked my p.h. in Africa if a 243 would be alright,he said it would kill all the beasts i hunted with correct placment of the round.he said that he killed a Kudu with his 223 one shot through the heart. However i would want to use 30 cal. Its to far and too expencive to be trying out smaller cals.
Tusker.

 

[schmidtandbender]

Here,here, schmidtandbender, i asked my p.h. in Africa if a 243 would be alright,he said it would kill all the beasts i hunted with correct placment of the round.he said that he killed a Kudu with his 223 one shot through the heart. However i would want to use 30 cal. Its to far and too expencive to be trying out smaller cals.
Tusker.

I agree mate, I have a .308 on my ticket too for the bigger species when I get round to hunting for them. It will give me a great round for pig, African plains and punching paper at 1000yds.

 

[widows son]

Take sikamalc advice bigger the better,your 708 is not enough weapon your right about the .338lapmag it's still on the verge of small get a weapon from the outfitter save you hassle traveling .

Give Malcolm a bell he'll put you in the picture it's his bag

 

[stag1933]

I was over twice and took my 8X68S Weatherby Mk.5 the first time using the RWS 187gr H Mantel copper-hollow point bullet.
It killed everything perfectly but half-killed me with the first shot leaving me with the `ring of incompetence` on my forehead.
4195 foot/pounds of muzzle energy was `too much gun` for my feeble frame.

On my second visit I took a Sako .300 Win.Mag. using 180gr Nosler Partitions.
Again a good trip with beasts up to Kudu, Red Hartebeeste and Gemsbock dropped on the spot.

As previously stated by others these beasties are tough so use enough gun with well placed shots.

HWH.