Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Nilgai, How much gun is enough?

Yeah, that's better...

Ole Elmer would probably mess his pants if he came face to face with a blue bull...

DF

The trick is getting someone to ramrod this expedition. I nominate Roger (stxhunter). He knows the inshore islands really well, and is more than passing conversant with the King Ranch as well. If we're gonna do an inland exotic hunt (which may make a lot more sense if we've got a crew of more than 4) there are a lot of ranches we can book with. The big advantage of a ranch hunt is that there's usually young "guides" who can do the heavy lifting.

Well, after my last nilgai hunt I'm buyin' a .505 Gibbs...

Good ideas!

Ordinance of that magnitude, gunner's your man...

His .505 Gibbs, IIRC, is a rebored .416R. He actually shot out the Rigby barrel, killing rocks and 'dillers on his OK ranch...

How many do you know who can say they shot out a DG, heavy rifle...

Yeah, Doc, you sure thinking like a Texican...

DF

A .505 Gibbs!

Ive gotta get you guys into stunt shooting. I already know a .223AI is all thats needed for Scimitar Oryx, so Im thinking a .243 oughta be top end for Nilgai....

I've been planning a return bout with nilgai ever since I failed to bring home meat from a 1998 hunt on the King Ranch.

The trophy pinned to my wall is a live-oak leaf wrapped around some nilgai lung tissue. We picked it up off the ground about 150 yards from where I shot the bull.

If any plans for a multi-person hunt congeal, I'd like to be considered as a participant.

Thanks.
--Bob

Yeah, Poobs, IIRC the .243 is your "big" gun...

DF

It is...and if they'd let me, Id use the 'heavy' 100 grain bullet in it!


Actually what Im interested in is a meat cow, and Ive killed critters bigger than those with a 100 grain .243...

223 not even AI will work wiht proper bullet and shot placement... IMHO.

Its not what I'd choose to start with if after a good bull. If only after a cow I wouldn't have any issues using it at all.

Kinda what I thought Jeff...

But the Texans think Nilgai are bulletproof and usually require you to use .300 mags on up.


WTF?

If your Texican guide insists, .300 Mag or more, you gonna be a real party pooper showing up with your .243, even with those heavy, premium 100 gr. bullets...

He may not know you're a stunt shooter...

DF

I have a .30-06 I can use.....( borrow it from Ingewife) if they want bigger than that I guess I wont be hunting with them.

I guess you'd need to use gunner approved, genuine 200 gr. Partitions...

I think you could convince even those Texicans guides that a stunt shooter like yourself, armed with an '06, is one dangerous dude...

DF

It won't take much convincing when he shows up in his leopard skin thong... Just sayin..

Schitt....all I really need is that thong and my Randall knife....

I shot my "meat cow" with a 140 gr Accubond, MV of 3200 fps, so I doubt that a .243 100 gr bullet @ 3000 fps would fail to collect your meat.

But truth to tell, I haven't cared all that much for the flavor of nilgai, either the cow I shot or the bull a friend shot and shared with me. The meat is really bland compared to our common North American species of deer and antelope... kinda like veal, I'd describe it. Which is not to say it's bad, I just prefer something with bit more of a game flavor.

Just my humble.

Odd you mention that Doc...Ive had quite a bit of Nilgai ( that JB killed) and he has killed both cows and bulls, and he flatly stated the bull is the better eating of the two...

At any rate due to time, logistics and price , getting a nilgai isn't on my priority list.

The bull is a lot bigger than the cow, never ate a cow. The bull is good eating, IMO. You must take care of the meat as I posted earlier.

To me, Nilgai is better than WT, maybe not quite as good as elk, but not much is.

Gotta cook it right.

DF