Killing game in the USA or Africa is about the same. It's the recovery that is always the issue. When you take about 2/3 of the game in the last hour of light finding what you shoot before you go back to camp is quite important.
There are a lot of hungry meat eaters living in Africa. Most are not picky about where they start to chew, and most worry something bigger is coming right behind them. So they rip away what they can and scurry off to devour it. Then sneak back in to rip off another chunk.
Certainly that animal was dead from whatever your choice of cartridge, from .223 on up. Dead is dead, but the evidence trail that is left for you to locate that dead critter is another story! Not many herd animals you shoot in the USA, and fewer yet that live in dusty conditions that will settle over every drop of blood.
When 30-50 animals spook and run at the shot there are thousands of tracks but only one set was left by the punctured animal. Now try and find that set and the blood that identifies which way it went through the bush and where it lays dead.
It's gonna be several hundred to several thousand bucks when you pull that trigger and hit something. Whether or not you find it is not relevant. You are paying for it. This is not catch and release fishing to see how big a fish you can land on light line.
There is nothing wrong with with a calling your good shot and a quick kill using a smaller gun. However it's my experience most shots will be quick and quartering away in low light leaving some level of possible error. Passing those shots leaves you with far lower opportunity.
I've taken out lots of sub 30 caliber hunters. We have also had plenty of hunters with larger then 30 caliber. It's not my own single opinion on this, it's well accepted that more game is lost by smaller calibers then larger. That line in the sand has to be made somewhere right?
The 375HH is minimum for DG, some folks argue it and some know better then this? It is nevertheless where the experts over decades of experience have settled at for this "line in the sand". Much can be said for the 30 caliber diameter for blood trails. There must be a base line or minimum for acceptable blood. Where do we suggest that falls? It's clear to us and most everyone else in Southern Africa that 30 caliber is that level.
It's nearly 20% bigger then the 7mm, put another way if you think 20% is nothing to sneeze at....... want a 20% pay cut? would like 20% more MPG? Would you like a 20% pay raise? Would you like to be 20% richer? Would you like a 20% discount on your next safari?
20% is a lot to consider, 1/5th bigger!
Wouldn't a .338-cal be even better?
