Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Boom-flop Nilgai

Thought some of the brethern here would get a kick outta this. One of the brothers who owns the ranch in Kenedy county where we hunt came up upon this bull today. Having never shot a nilgai he thought it time to bust one. Dunno the range, but it was a boom flop DRT , one shot with his trusty old #1 Mk III SMLE sporter he's had for years. Knowing him, Im sure it was the cheapest factory ammo he could find and it was probably 10-15 years old!

Very cool!

kaywoodie,

Fwiw, the old SMLE in .303 British has taken many an animal, LARGE/medium/small, over more than a CENTURY, including many elephants that were "shot on control".

Fwiw: My late Uncle Larry took the BIGGEST WT that I've ever seen with a "sporterized" SMLE (that he bought from Sears & Roebuck's "BIG BOOK" back in the late 1950s or early 1960s,) in the Fall of 1965, at he said 118 long steps. = GYD right there.

GOOD SHOT on that Nilgai bull, too. = FINE TASTING meat too.

yours, tex

Yeah! I bought my first #1 MkIII in 1970. Wifey and I got old son (Postoak Cowboy on the fire) one for Christmas i think When he was in 9th grade. I dunno how may deer he's culled with that rifle! He still has it. Young son is putting the finishing touches on a sporter he's trying to get to look a bit "Lee-Speed-ish"

They are cool old rifles for sure!!!

Little brother still hunts pigs with GrandDad's old sportarized MK III Enfield 303. Grandma ordered it through the Sears Catalog in the late 1950's or 60's I think. He likes the Sellior & Belliot soft point ammo.

Bob, I bet you have worked on an Enfield or two.

One or two, Neal.

chinstructor,

LOTS of us hunters started out with a CHEAP "sporterized" military rifle. = Mine was a 1893 Spanish Mauser in 7x57 that my dad paid 25 bucks for, (with a sling & scope) in 1960.
(In those long ago "DAZE", I could buy FMJ military rounds for about a nickle each. I pulled the bullet & replaced it with a JSP for hunting.)

WISHING that I had NOT sold it when I bought myself a "fancy" rifle, after I was "all grown up".

yours, tex.

Ha ha!!!!

Those Nilgais are damned good eating! I'd love to shoot one.

Tex!!!
Same here! Mom bought me an old Spanish M1916 7x57! Kilt my first deer with it! I still have it too! LOL ! Did a helluva sporterize job on it when a kid!

Pretty cool! I'd sure like to pop one some day. Have heard nothing but good, regarding their table fare.

Jeff

i remeber when I was 8 or 9 in 1968 or 1969 that the local Gibson's Discount stores here had old Mausers for sale for like maybe $15 to $20 bucks. They displayed them in the sporting goods isle in one of those old shiny galvanized trash cans. I remember Dad looking them all over to see which one was in the best shape.

akjeff,

I doubt that you'll ever hear anything but GOOD about that game meat. = Our volunteer "chef" at CIBOLO NATURAL CENTER makes "Invasive Species Chili" out of Nilgai, Axis & feral pork, which is THE BEST chili that I've ever had anywhere.
(I "plead guilty as charged" to going back for 3rds or 4ths.)

yours, tex

I busted a nilgai cow back in Dec 2016. Probably about 800-1000 yards or so from where this bull was shot. Im gonna tell you if you're wanting table fare go cow! I sure like the cows. But dont turn down a bull!! .

kaywoodie,

I hate to tell you about how many NICE military rifles that I "sporterized" (Read: RUINED), when I was in boarding school (1962-65) at the "Wood Crafts & Hobby Shop".
(I sometimes made as much as 12-15 bucks profit on each one, when I sold them to other cadets/staff. - IF I made 20.oo profit, I thought that I was RICH.)

Giant Discount Center often sold SMLE & Mausers back then for 8-12 bucks each.
(I once bought a Aussie Cadet musket in .310 for 7.99 plus postage by mail from Cherry's Sporting Goods in Chicago & had it converted to .32 Winchester Special for another 5 bucks at a local machinist's place. = Took a LOT of WT & Coyotes with it, too.)

yours, tex

Wow man that right there is about as cool as it gets! I love it!

Oh yes! How I remember the days of the bucket o' rifles!!!

I remember my old pards dad sayin' to us, "I dunno why y'all like them old army rifles! I broke my back in Germany layin' them things in a gutter for a Sherman tank to run over!"

Great critter killed with a Grand Old Rifle. Hard to beat a deal like that.

The good ole Days!

I took my first Nilgai bull with my Winchester 1895 .405 a few years ago. This past summer, my son and I each took eating size young bulls.
Here is mine with my .405 double rifle:

t

Simson Suhl. 405Double Rifle: