Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Best caliber and rifle type for plains game

30/06 or 300mag with 180gr bullets is all anyone needs to shoot any plains game species...in any of the various African countries,IMO. If you want to get kicked and feel nostalgic then pick a 375, but it won't kill them a darned bit better than a 30/06 or similar.

Thanks for all of the replies. I see that the 30-06 and the 375 are among the most common. The 30-06 was really a suprise to me, I would have thought a .338 would have been mentioned.

As far as where I will hunt or what will be hunted has yet to be determined. (probably Kudu,Impala)

Do I need to bring a second rifle and why?

If my rifle arrives and my ammo does not, could I purchase ammo in Africa?

More than likely a bolt gun will be used.

Regards,
Radar

One of the greatest myths in hunting is the extra-toughness of African plains game, one reason the .30-06 was mentioned so often. Another is that a .30-06 with good bullets is plenty for any non-dangerous game in North America as well. And a third is that good .30-06 ammo can be found anywhere in Africa ammunition can be purchased--and often PH's have a good supply as well.

No need to bring an extra rifle, but an extra scope is sometimes handy. Even if you don't need it, it makes a great tip for the PH.

Ammo availability will be largely dependant on the cartridge you choose. Things like 270 Win., 30.06, 300 Win. Mag., and 375 H&H will be pretty common in Africa. Ammo for 35 Whelen and a lot of the .338's will be less plentiful. Certain metrics - 7x57, 7x64 Brenneke, 8x57, and 9.3x62 should be fairly easy to find due to the European influence there.

Provided Plains Game is the only thing you're after, the .30-06 is probably the most versatile cartridge for Africa and should work well for you in nearly all situations. At the risk of beating a dead horse, shot placement in Africa (just like anywhere else) will be the most important factor. The only PG species I'd be reluctant to use the .30-06 on would be Eland and Giraffe, and that's just a personal thing. Because there is such a wide variety of '.06 bullet weights and types, you shouldn't have too much of a problem tailoring the loads you'll use on the game and location.

About 25 years ago, Mike378 quoted the late Sydney gunsmith Don Black, when he said that "if it is not a .270 or a .375, it is just for fun". I am sure many here would agree with that or a varient therof.

I personally prefer the 7x57 and the .30/06 over the .270 and although I prefer .458 caliber rifles over the .375 caliber, I have perpetual lust for a .375 as long as it is the right rifle for me.

As I said before and have written before, we live in the most furtunate time historically for the abundance or quality bullets and powders that make what ever cartridge we select, a better and more versatile performer than at any previous time in history.

I think too much emphasis is made on the engine and not the mode of transportation in that there is too little argument offered on rifle design and function and even more necessary than that in my view, fit.

When we talk about shotguns, fit is always part of the conversation. Why so little attention to fit when it comes to a serious or dedicated hunting rifle?

I own rifle with standard LOP as do you. Many and most are 13+inches. I have 2 rifles that haev 14 inch LOP and they fit me much better, especially for stand up shooting. for prone shooting across the prairies, sure, the shorter LOP is fine as it is with a heavy coat or jacket in colder weather.

But, there is argument for both in a single gun rack.

JW

That is interesting...Bill Steigers of Bitterroot Bullets told me,and others, pretty much the same thing...how much has changed?

Well, both cartridges-the '06 and the 375 H&H-are a kind of "statesmen" among their respective same-caliber bretheren. Neither flashy, nor sexy; not the fastest, or most powerful but simply, well-balanced, shootable, and very competent cartridges. And they are even better now with the very good bullets we have.

Someone mentioned reloading and yes I am an avid reloader and have been for years. Not sure about bringing handloads especially if they are lost in transit.
What brands of ammo are available in Africa?
One would think the rifle would be tested with various ammo brands that are available in Africa that can be be bought in the U.S. as well.
Most of the time Murphy's Law follows me around and I like to eliminate any possibilities.

Regards,
Radar

With baggage charges on airlines today, I'd try and stick to one gun As JB said an extra scope can be handy.........

You can buy the common calibres (but not in premium loadings) and a lot of metrics in the RSA and Namibia as factory ammo.

Baseball, Mom, and Apple Pie.

Baseball: bolt action.
Mom: .30-06.
Apple pie: Leupold 3x9.

318 Westley Richards in a Farquhrson single shot. Or a 350 Rigby which is about the same as the 35 Whelen ballistically.

Anything over a 308 would be fine, if Eland, Zebra, Roan or Wildebeest are on the agenda a .338 WM would be nice too.

Kimber 300 wsm and 257 wby will be making the trip

Those two should be great....boolits?

Ingwe

In 2005 in Mozambique & SA, I took a .300WM (and .416 Rigby for buffalo) with 200gr Swift A-Frames.

2008 in Zambia, was 7mm RM (and .416 RM for buffalo) with 160gr Swift A-Frames.

I could not see any difference between 7mm & .300.

For Namibia 2010(for PG) should I take two rifles? Or maybe just a .338WM? Gemsbuck & Hartebeest, maybe Eland

What about a 7mm-08 and a .35Whelen for a 2-gun PG trip?

When I spent a month in RSA on a big cull hunt in 2007, I took a very similar combo, a 7x57 and a 9.3x62, which worked very well.

But another buy on the same hunt (who doesn't shoot as much as I do) brought exactly the same combination. It turned out that he couldn't shoot his 9.3x62 very well on game, due to recoil, though he did OK sighting-in.

Admirably, he admitted this, both to himself and me, and after the first couple of days used his 7x57 exclusively. Among other animaks, he took both gemsbok and blue wildebeest quite neatly with one 7mm bullet apiece.

Thank you sir--point re: .35W recoil well-taken! I have great confidence in my 7-08.

Yep, Radar, don't over-think it even though the planning is a large part of the fun. A good rifle in about any cartridge mentioned here that you can shoot well with and that works here for up to elk should do fine.

Personally, I wouldn't worry about a 2nd rifle but as JB mentioned somewhere, an extra scope, would be wise.

I was told and firmly bellieve the best accessory to the hunt is a two foot high pile of brass that has been shot in realistic practice.
Randy

168 TTSX and either 100 TTSX or 100 Scirocco II. Which would be better from the 257 do you think?