Over here, most hunters prefer something a bit bigger for sambar deer. They have a bit of a reputation for being a bit tough. The smaller cartridges will kill them but the problem is how far they will run before going down. Farm fringe sambar may run 50 to 100 metres over a paddock which is fine, but in the mountains, a sambar that runs 200 metres straight downhill in thick scrub and dogwood can be a real bugger to locate and literally take hours to find, if you are lucky.

Bigger cartridges with a little more power are generally used like 300 magnums, 325 WSM, 338 magnums and the big old slow thumpers like 35 Whelen and 9.3x62. The idea in the thick stuff is to anchor them on the spot. A deer that runs only 50 metres can still take a while to find. The .35 Whelen with 225gn Accubonds will anchor them on the spot........if hit through the chest. The same combo if hit six to eight inches too far back will see a sambar run 100 metres. You gotta put a hole through the vitals. The issue with the smaller calibres is that even if hit right, the sambar can make a death run.

On a side note, I never knew there were sambar in the States. I know Texas has some exotics but I've never heard of sambar.