Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Nilgai- Hype or Hard to Kill?

I've heard and read numerous times that it takes a lot to convince a nilgai that are in fact dead.
I've always wondered how much truth there was to that, or if like other things that it was made a bit more than it really is. It seems as though everywhere that offers nilgai hunts recommends at least a big .300 with heavy premium bullets as the minimum for them.
So whats the real skinny on this?

They are very large animals. I know of only one friend who has taken one in south texas. He used a 300 Wby Mag. He shot him once at a bit less than 100 yds in the vitals. My friend said the nilgai flinched a bit and then walked 30 yds before laying down. He was dead by the time my friend got to him.

The roast was good.

Tom,

We collected a bunch with everything from .243s up to .338 Win Mags. Most were taken with .270s and .30-06s using handloads with Partitions. With a good bullet and proper placement, they aren't that hard to kill. They do have a very thick dermal shield that protects the neck and body back to just behind the shoulders. I have heard credible stories of cup and core factory loads failing to penetrate these dermal shields.

Most of the stories about all the lead that they can absorb comes from hunters whose guides encouraged them to shoot at spooked, and/or running animals. I have also talked to "experienced guides" at outdoor shows who assured me that I could expect no shots at less than 300 yards and that 450-500 was more likely to be the norm.

They are tough critters. It was not unusual to see bulls walking around with fairly large amounts of intestine hanging out of wounds inflicted by other bulls during fights. I can recall only one bull that we found dead that could have died from wounds inflicted by another bull.

Thanks for the insight Ben.
I have always believed they were as tough as their reputation, but as far as shooting suspected that it was a matter of bullet choice for the task at hand.
I recall an article from the early 90's when Winchester introduced the Black Talon line of ammo. In the article Wincheter took a number of gun writers to the King Ranch if I remember right. They took a number of animals like corsican rams, and deer etc., but what I remember most was they took several Nilgai using the Black Talon loads for the 10mm Auto.

Having also shot a few of them, I agree with Ben. IF your guide insisted on riding around and shooting em out of the truck, it could get to be a bit interesting. One that was already shot once, I took the task of finishing off with my 30-30 contender. Some 12 or 14 shots later, full of 170s, he died. But he was pumped. I was NOT happy to find that shots under 100 yards and behind the shield and shoulders through the lungs, often the bullet would make one lung and stop in the other maybe. I dont' think I ever had an exit wound on that one.

OTOH given a stand hunt, non alarmed animals, I'd think a 243 with controlled expansion would do just like it would on an elk.

I have seen some impressive hits with 338 mags and they only flinch a bit. The one round that put them down almost regardless, assuming good shot placement was a buddies 460 Wtby.

Me... if I wanted to take one home, I"d be thinking along the same lines as elk, and same choice of bullets and you should do fine.

I"ve eaten em when they were GREAT. And i've eaten em when the huisache just greened out again and they were bitter and horrible.

If I could find a cheap cow cull hunt somewhere in the winter, I"d go again.

Use a premium bullet in a 30-06 and place it right, a bit lower and more forward than a deer, and you will be fine. Use a typical " deer hunting bullet" and you could be in for a long day. Had a friend that hit one 5 times with a 30-06 and followed him for a while before he went down. Saw one hit point blank at about 5 yards with a 30-06 using a Trophy bonded bullet and it never exited broadside. I hit a bull with a Trophy bonded from my .280 and recovered under the hide on the off shoulder.

A couple of guides from the King Ranch were up here elk hunting season before last and I got to talk with them fairly extensively about Nilgai. Both said they'd never had any expanding bullet from any cartridge exit one. I was astounded. Can't verify it for myself, but that's what they both said and they've been in on the taking of hundreds.

They sound sort of tough to me.

I can't remember shooting through any mature bulls. We got some exits on cows and very young bulls, though. About what you would expect. We never had one that we didn't recover.

First off let me say that I've never been on a Nilgai hunt but personally know several who have. So, I'm going off their words not my experience.

I think some of the toughness comes from the style of how they're hunted. I believe there's a bit of high rack going on and that can lead to some less than perfecto shot placement.

When hunted from the ground I can't imagine them being any tougher to reduce to posession than an elk or any other decent sized critter.

Put a good bullet in a good spot and good things will happen.

I'd be willing to bet if I took a 25/06 and a 117 Noz that one would hit the terra firma quickly if I got to hunt it my way.

Dober

They have some very thick hide up front. I put one down with a .270 to the neck without an exit.

i have a friend who has hunted just about everything, still using the same 30-06. he took his nilgai on a ranch in texas with one 180gr partition.

Had a friend that hit one 5 times with a 30-06 and followed him for a while before he went down. Saw one hit point blank at about 5 yards with a 30-06 using a Trophy bonded bullet and it never exited broadside.

I have killed exactly two bulls, both taken with a 35 Whelen using the 250 gr Partition. One exited, one did not, both just behind the shoulder, near broadside shots at ~150 and ~200 yards. The nearer one was running and just tumbled at the shot dead. The other went about 25 yards and died. The runner was hunted via a "business"
hunt a number of years ago. And about a year later a box arrived, quite a surprise.

I'm looking to set up a Nilgai hunt in Texas this coming year.
My weapon of choice will be my .375 Ruger. Most folks offering Nilgai hunts seem to recommend .300 mags or larger. I have a .300 Wby., but am going to use the Ruger.

Why? 'Cause I want to.

Nice bull, Ed!

EdM,

Gotta love those 'business' hunts! I got invited on one of those some years ago, and took a blackbuck, an aoudad, and a wild turkey.

About 6 months later, a large crate arrived at my office, with two shoulder mounts, and a full body mount, strutting tom turkey!

Dont know how tough they may be, but do know I'd love to hammer one with my old 45 3-1/4" Sharps with a 500 gr flat nosed greaser.

Gunner

never hunted them, hell never seen one in person but one thing i picked up from the post is with a whole lot of rounds exits are the exception and not the rule....prolly part of the reason why they have a tough reputation, they do actually soak up the lead......definitely a critter you want to take an extra second on and make sure that bullet is going right where it needs to go....

And as big as they are, hope like hell there fit to eat.

Gunner

actually its one critter that ive heard pretty well unanimously that its good eating....only real exception ive heard is like rost said when they get to eating a certain bush at one time of the year....