Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa What's your standard plains game rig ???

For those of you who hunt plains game relatively frequently, have you sorted out a standard rifle/scope/ammo combination that works for you? If so, let's hear the details.

Also, if you have established a standard shooting practice routine prior to a safari, let's hear the details of your program.


Thanks, RS

300WM Blaser K-95 pushing 168TSX about 2950. Z3 scope. Small, packs nice, and accurate.

30/06 Custom Pre-64, 168TSX, Z6 1.7-10x42 Everything I hit seems to die quickly w/o much drama.

Made 2 trips... My rifle was my old .300 WM with 200 gr. Partitions over a loaded of Re22.. Clean kills, few bullets recovered..

I use a Weatherby Mark X 257 Weatherby Magnum. 120 grain Nosler Partions or factory Federal Premiere 115 grain Trophy Bonded Bear Claw soft points. Wears a Swarovski 3-12 with 30mm main tube 50mm objective. That is my "light" gun. Taken everything from duiker to kudu with DRT 1 shot kills. I feel it is a perfect leopard gun. But, my all around plains game gun is my Winchester M70 Super Express in 375 H&H. Maybe not the ideal plains game rig but I shoot it well and love to use it in Africa. And quite often I am combo hunting that needs a versatile gun. 375 does it. Wears an old Red field 3-9 scope. As far as ammo goes, I have used all sorts of factory 270-300 grain loads. Plain Jane green box Remington Cor-lockt and Federal blue box as well. Used the Federal Trophy Bonded Bear Claw soft point and Hornady fmj. I know,... Factory ammo on a safari?? I work sick crazy hours and quite often don't have the time to workup a nice hand load. At least work allows me to sqweek out a few safaris. No B.S. those Corlokts are good plains game bullets IN THE 375 H&H. I wouldn't use them in a smaller super magnum. Common cup and core seperation or very small weight retention. Shot gemsbok with a "Texas heart shot" and the 270 gr. Went the entire length of the bull. Mangled up in his neck! No lead at all. Just copper jacket. Same can be said for Federals Hi-Shok. Soft points. For $60 they are fine. For practice shooting I do a few of the bench, then stand and shoot with an African style 3 prong shooting stick. Few boozoos give me a stupid look. Everybody else knows-safari hunter..And I always do a bit of the Ol' Harris bipod as well. My 375 has Leopold QR scope mounts so I even do a bit of open sight iron work. I truly love shooting with iron sights. Plus, I won't be a sucker when @#$$% hits the fan with my rifle being dropped, knocked over or whatever and out steps that 62 inch Kudu or 46 inch Sable.

Last few years it's been a BACO Winchester 70 Supergrade rebarreled to 300 H&H. 180 Partitions over H4831SC. Swaro 2,5-10x42 in DD Leupold mounts.

Been working on a 30-06 Featherweight in the same set-up but it hasn't quite jelled yet.

Paired with the 300 is a G series Model 70 in 375 H&H I built. Supergrade stock, Swaro 1.5-6x42 in DD mounts. 300 grain A Frames over H4350 or 270 A Frames, TSXs or Hornady Interlocks over Reloader 15, depending on what game is planned for.

Used a bunch over the years, this one worked as good as any, and better than most. Interarms /30-06 165-180 grain premiums, your choice. Leupold 1-4X

Kimber 8400 Montana in 300WSM. Leupold VX3 2.5-8x36 in Talley LW mounts. Handloads using CCI primers, Federal cases, RL17 and Barnes 168 TTSX.

Sure seems like the whole "killing African game" thing gets way overthunk. We're not curing cancer here, just killing critters that are mere mortals, just like every other big game animal. Use a good quality bullet out of a rifle you would normally use on any big game(and most importantly.....shoot very well!) Most importantly; place your shot where it needs to land, and you're done! We've used a 9.3x74R on the large end, and a 7-08 on the small end. Everything died. Have friends who have used many cartridges in between......same result. A reasonably constructed bullet placed with care. That's a standard plains game(or any big game) rig. Obviously, you don't want to hunt the larger PG like eland with .222. Just use some common sense and go for it.

Jeff

Thanks Dad.

Forgive my simplistic post. I'll try to be more dramatic next time.......

For last 18 trips...270 Win. M700 Ti, NULA M24, M78 Sportsman.

Mostly used 130 TTSX but before them I used TSX, Swift Scirroco & A frame, FailSafe and others. Would be very happy with nothing other than TTSX for plains game.

Leupold 3x9...three different models.

Easy peasy....

.30/06 and 180 gr Nosler Partitions.

7Magnificent, 160AB's.

First trip RSA June 2013 used Win. 70 in .300 WBY,220 gr. Partition at 2870fps.Kudu very dead from 240 yd.,impala.warthog,no problem.Tough going away shot on zebra from 150 yd. glad I had the horsepower,penetrated 3-4 ft. of high rib cage and animal still went 120 yd.Also took a very nice cape buffalo bull.
Second trip RSA July 2016,decided to go the classic route.Custom stocked P64 Win. 70 in .270,handloaded with 140 gr. Barnes TSX at 3000 fps.One shot kill on zebra from 60 yd.Shooting through the edge of light brush on waterbuck,dead after 40 yd. dash.Wildebeest at 100 yd. down but required a finisher after it regained it's feet(somehow).Gemsbok shot too high and too far back had to be tracked 200 yd. for the finisher. Yes, the P64's are better!
Satisfactory performance from both rounds but do like the extra wallop of the bigger cartridge.Can't stress enough that shot placement is the most important factor!
Would like to return again for sable and croc and maybe another buff.Planning to take a .35 Brown-Whelan with 250 gr. Partitions for the smaller ones.
Best of Luck on your trip!

300Weatherby MK V De Luxe with 180gr TTSXs or Nosler Partitions. Both in 180gr.

300 Weatherby, Leopold 4.5-14x, B&C Reptile, 168 gr TTSX

Weekly practice off the sticks with reduced power cast bullets, and frequent off hand practice at home with a pellet rifle

Normally a custom Remington Model 721 .300 H&H.....but lately I don't take any rifles to Africa....it's simply a lot easier to just rent the outfitter's gun.....usually a .30-06 and a .30-06 is actually all that's needed

I don't have a favourite because I've only hunted African plains game once. But my PH supplied his personal rifle for me to use, as he does with many of his clients. That rifle was also used extensively for culling on his property. It has killed several hundred head of game. The PH says this is ideal for him and his clients:
Sako AV deluxe 30-06 with Swarovski 3-9 x 40 scope, and a suppressor. Shooting handholds with Barnes TSX 168 gr. bullets at about 2850 fps. He uses it on everything up to Eland in size.

Doesn't matter much. Any 30-06 or .300 magnum with 165 or 180 grain premium bullets works fine. 3-9X variable scope.

Preparation? Verify zero and shoot 20 or 30 shots offhand.

SAKO Classic in 375 H&H topped with a Leica ER 2.5-10 x42 Scope and firing Norma Oryx 300 Grain bullets. Anything bigger, firing off Norma 350 Grain Woodleighs. Prepared to lawfully shoot anything, other then locals.

Depends on what other game is on the menu during the safari.

Have used the following with good success:

1. Dakota African Model 76 in .416 Rigby. Swarovski 1.5-6x42. 400 grain Swift A-Frame. Multiple PG animals. Also accounted for buff and lion.

2. Custom Pre-'64 Winchester Model 70 in .338 Winchester. Swarovski Z6i 1.7-10x42. 225 grain Nosler Partition. Multiple PG animals. Also accounted for a leopard and an eland.

3. Winchester Custom Shop M70 in .300 Win Mag. Zeiss 2.5-10x42. 200 grain Swift A-Frame. Multiple PG animals..

4. Winchester Model 70 in .30/06. Leupold 2.5-10x42. 180 grain TSX. (PH's loaner rifle. used to shoot bait animals).

5. Custom Mauser M98 in 300 H&H. Zeiss 2.5-10x42. Forget which ammunition was used. Multiple PG animals.

All worked well.

My recommendation, based on personal experience, is any rifle from .30/06 through .416 with a very high quality scope and premium ammunition. First criteria should be how well you shoot that particular rifle. Second criteria should be what animals are on the menu. If you have a pet .270 that you shoot well, bring it. Ditto for a .308, .280, 7mm-08 or 7x57. I imagine a .375 or 9.3x62 would also perform admirably, but I have never brought one to Africa personally.

Another thing to consider is where you will be hunting. If you are on a PG hunt, but the area is also populated by DG, I would bring at least .375 with a soft up and solids down. If you get an unexpected charge by a buff or an elephant, you will want more in your hands than a .30/06. You can always eject the soft and quickly chamber a solid.

Am planning on a PG hunt next June (2018) in a non DG area.. Will either bring a BACO Winchester M70 super grade featherweight in 7x57 Mauser (Swarovski Z3 2.5-10x42), a custom M98 in .30/06 (Zeiss 2.5-10x42) or a Blaser R93 in .30/06 (Zeiss 2.5-10x42). Working up loads now, focusing on loads built around Woodleigh Weldcore bullets. None of these rifles has been to Africa previously. This will be a PG only hunt.

RS,

As you know, I went to Namibia in 2015. My rifle of choice, for plains game, was a Remington 700 in .338 Win Mag. That was its second trip and with 210 gr Barnes TSX, I managed to take over 25 head of plains game. It was very adequate from guinea hen (neck shot) to eland. Thank you for setting me up with Hunters Namibia Safaris. We still keep in touch with Marina. She is a wonderful woman.

donsm70

I have used or have seen first hand over 150 plains game shot in last 3 years with:
30-06, 300 win, 338 win, 7 mag, 300 ultra, 375 ultra, 375 H&H, & 458 win
Scopes either leupold or Swarovski
Bullets either TSX, TTSX, Bergers, or Accubonds All different weights. Even PPU cup and core loaded ammo when ran out one trip

My conclusion is they all work when put in the right place.
But the combo I have been the happiest with is these two.

300 win shooting 180 ttsx (Barnes vortex factory loads for most) with a 3x9 or 4x12 Leupold VX3
That's the combo I tell everyone I send that ask what Is the gun to take.

Now after all I have seen the perfect combo in my mind is a 338 win with 200 gr Accubonds with leupold 3x9 with LR duplex
Used this combo as well as 2 other guys with me accounted for 44 head from duiker to Eland almost all 1 shot kills and most had pass thrus under 300 yards. Had kills from 8 yards to 463 yards.

But next trip I am going to use 338-06 with 200 gr E tips and see what happens had alot of luck with this combo here.

I somehow; accidentally became a .375 for everything guy. The rifles change though.

It wasn't planned that way, I just wanted to shoot an animal or two , and settled
Into "if it iaint broke, don't fix it" mode.

7mm Rem Mag 160 NP

8mm Hatari Mag with 200 TSX

Truth is since I almost always do buff on safari, I've been using the 9.3 x 62 with 250g TSX on everything. If I was doing RSA or Nambia, I'd go with 7mm Rem mag

Same thing I use here, old, beat up Ruger MKII 7x57 and a nice FN .338 WM

.325 WSM M70 Z6 2-12
either 200 gr Swift A frame or 180 gr Barnes TSX

no surprise it works well.

Mostly I just use a 375, or whatever is good for the heaviest game I intend to hunt or may bump into.

Only been to Africa once, but used the standard I use for most things here. MRC1999 in 300winmag, Edge stock, Kahles KX3-10×50 scope. Shooting 168gr TTSX. No complaints.

Were I to setup strictly plains game rifles they'd be my M-70 300 H&H firing 220 gr Partitions at 2750 or an old favorite 338 WM firing the 250 gr A-Frames at the same speed, 25 pound Steenbok to 1 ton Eland, all would be covered nicely.

Only been once, but a model 70 300 H&H, 180gr TTSX, Leupold vx3 2.5-8 worked perfectly. Have a matching 375 H&H that will be going next year for buffalo and whatever PG we run into.

I shot close to 600 rounds through various rifles off of sticks and bog pods to get ready. Close to 300 of those rounds through the 300 H&H. I also did a lot of dry firing exercises.

For next year, plan on shooting mostly the 375 and a 9.3x64 Brenneke that are making the trip. Same routine, mostly off of sticks, but will probably mess around with some extended ranges ( out to 800) just for fun.

Have plenty of Hornady spire points for practice, will use moderate loads. With plans to switch to full power TSX loads closer to the hunt.

If there was a perfect rifle/scope combo, you sir, hit the jackpot!

I don't have one. I have used the 9.3x62, 7x57, 358 Win and 8x57. Next trip it will be a 416 Remington.

That sounds like sound advice. Especially the 338 part.. I'll bet a 210 partition would work quite handily in the 338wm on plains game as well...

I haven't been yet but when I go I will be carrying a Browning High Power Safari Grade in .300 H&H Magnum with a Leupold FX-II 6x36 scope in Talley QD mounts

Amen to that!

Not an expert having only been once recently but my battery was mod70 Super express 375 270 grain tsx I shot steenbok, impala,Jackal, and Oryx with it. I also took my beloved pre64 mod 70 fwt 270 130 grain TTSXs and took a Springbuck with that. I couldn't go to Africa and not take the 375 or my 270 for my first trip.

Yes, I'm quite bitten and already planning my next trip and my plan is to take my pre64 model 70 300 H&H using 180 grin TSX hopefully for Kudu, wildebeest,hartebeest and whatever trips my trigger that presents itself. I would feel perfectly comfortable carrying an 30 06 as well.

I just have to say that sounds awesome. Good luck on your next trip!!

Thanks BSA! Yes, I'm afraid Africa has gotten to me.

I only went once, I used a CZ UHR 300 win mag and my dad used a 300 weatherby mag.

Obviously, there are lots of combos that work. But the PH told me not to change a thing.

My 300 H&H load for the 180 TTSX is only running 2910fps. Not much faster than a modern 30-06 load. I went with the H&H for the panache. Never intended to try and hotrod it. That is what a Weatherby or RUM would be for, if so desired.

You will not be disappointed in the performance.

I'm also one of those 375 H&H for everything guys. On four trips to Africa, my left handed Model 70 with a 2.5-8X Leupold on top has taken everything from steenbok to buffalo. I brought a 300 WSM on my first trip but have left the second gun at home ever since.

Us three need to go over for a giant mixed bag plains game hunt, or better still sign on to a cull hunting campaign and thoroughly test these theories.

Everyone knows "pics and video or it didn't happen" ! ;]

That would be bad azzed my friend.

Show Nuff!

You boys would be amazed at how well a 45-70 Sharps shooting cast lead paper patched bullets works on them. Flabbergasted, even. Three trips to the Eastern cape, twenty plus animals from 196 to 537 yards. Most of it on dvd. Look up "Black powder zebra kill" on youtube.

used a 10# Pre-64 M70 300 H&H the first time...and a 6.5# 7mm RMag the second.

Any good medium will do the job nicely. Although I would recommend something in the .338+ category if you want to go after Eland. My Eland did take two shots from the 7mm RM.

My next Safari I am likely to take a 9.3. But that will be more than a few years away.

Model 70 7x57 Mauser. It just kills $hit!

Mike

I would have loved to have been there to witness all those hunts with you, 20+ dead animals and only one recovered bullet is a testament of a Sharps Rifles capabilities in the hands of one that can shoot them and utilize the barrel ladder sights effectively, never mind a one shot kill on a Springbok at 537 yards.

I've used a 300 Win Mag with 200gr. A-Frames, a .375 with 300gr. TSXs, a .270 with 150gr. SPs (camp gun), and a 7x57 with 175gr. Partitions. All worked fine with the exception of the .270 on a black wildebeest which failed to penetrate due to the cup & core bullets-- got the job done but it took a couple of shots.

Next time I'll either take my .300 H&H with 200gr. Partitions and/or my 6.5x54 M-S with 156gr. Oryxs.

Just like any game animal, put a good bullet through the heart/lungs of a kudu/gemsbox/impala/warthog and it will die.

Gunner, I wish you could have seen it. The first animal was a kudu at 302 yards, one shot complete pass through and down and done. I think the PH and staff thought it was just luck. Then I shot through a black wildebeast from his bung hole and exited his chest after I broke both of his front shoulders and knocked him down at 225 yards, and sort of got their attention. When I killed a springbok at 327 yards on the laser, they frankly went nuts. One shot, first shot, and he just collapsed. To me, the most revealing shot was on a blue wildebeast at 312 yards- At least the effect of the 512 grain cast lead bullet on the animal. Watching the hit on the dvd, the animal just shudders and you can see a quiver run through his whole body on a high shoulder shot. Almost like every thing just turned to jelly, and then you see the bullet throw up dirt on the other side of the animal and he goes straight down. There's more, but yeah, I have the African Virus, and I think about it every day.

Watching the two dvds gives one an understanding how these Sharps rifles were able to kill bison at extended range, and having killed several bison with a Sharps, that experience made my choice of rifle for Africa an easy one. The 45 caliber Sharps did not disappoint--it has really carried the mail on all three trips. I hope I can go again.

First four hunts, a 338 Win Mag. with different loads. Last year a rented Sauer 202 in 300 Win Mag. and this year a rented Winchester 70 XTR in 270 with PMP 150 grains bullets. They all worked on plains game.

On close stuff, Savage 99 in 300 Savage, open sights, Barnes TSX, 150 Grain

On long shots

Ruger M77, 300WM, Zeiss Diavari 2.5-10x52. Barnes TSX, 180 Grain

I use a LWT Christensen Arms 300 WSM with 180 grain Nosler PPTs at about 2975 fps. I use it for many of my hunts so I'm very familiar with it and shoot it well.

There are other good choices, this is the one that has worked for me on PG up to eland, so I trust it and it works for me.

It would depend on your definition of "Plains Game". If Eland or Roan are on the Menu, the requirements are a bit different from the smaller antelopes.
For the former I would suggest something with .300 in its title as a minimum.
For the others, the Old Man, my son and I used .223, 7x57, .300Win and .375. They all worked.

30-06, 168 grain barnes (vor-tx factory is great if accurate in your rifle), any scope that covers 3-6 power (2-10, 3-9, whatever). On scope I look for 40/42 objective and high quality glass more than magnification.

Only been once and used a 338 Win Mag mod 70 with 210 grain partitions, 2.5-8 X 36 Leupold. Mostly set on 2.5. Worked very well on 8 animals.

Pretty much what I intend to take next year.

Three safaris, M70 built by Gene Simillion, 30-06, shooting barnes Vor-tx factory ammo `168 TTSX. JJHack recommends this exact load and in my personal experience it works well at short (100 yds)and long range (300 yds)on any size of PG. Could do a 300Wm with the same bullet going a bit faster, but not needed.

I'll estimate 1000 animals have fallen to that combination from my rifle alone. As it is a loaned rifle to visiting hunters and an average hunter shoots 6-8 animals per hunt. You can see the resolution is high. Not a few good situations or perfect conditions, but rather whatever is available. The results are proven.

165 grain tsx at 2800 plus MV is a very good proven choice.

Mrs Blacktailer uses a Kimber Super America in 308. She has used it up to zebra. She lets me borrow it for plains game. Of course when an opportunity presents itself, whatever is in your hands is what to use so I've also taken warthog with the 375. It's handy that they share the M70 type action and safety so there is no need to think about which rifle is being carried at the time.

Pre 64 338-06 w/210 TTSX

.300 WM with 200 gr. Part..

I've only used two, the same two that have been with me on five safari's. The first is a M70 .375 H&H out of the Win custom shop and the second is an M70 in 7x57.

Mike

LOL!! I just saw that I already replied to this. Getting old sucks!

Confirmed. Two weeks out to Zim with the 416 Rem Mag for buffalo, sable, bushbuck and ???

SWEET! and yes on the ???????????????, any exceptional trophy that shows will be quickly added to the TF pay list.

I think a .30-06 or .300 that you shoot well with tough 180-grain bullets are what I would recommend. The PH we hunted with this year recommended .300 Win Mag with the same Barnes Vortex 180 TTSX that NTO recommended in this thread. These days I mainly hunt with custom FN Mausers in Brown or High Tech stocks or a Blaser R8, which are a great set up for the money if you can find the models witout a detachable trigger for around $2k. A M70, M77, Tikka and a lot of other rifles work also.

A few things I have learned about rifles and ammo on my African trips:

-Bring a rifle that you shoot well and shoot it enough to work out feeding issues (intentionally cycle and practice shooting quickly from the shoulder to see if you can create a feeding issue).
-Know where said rifle shoots with both a cold and warm barrel. I had a rifle I took that would clover leaf, but I hadn't shot it enough to realize that on a cold barrel it was 3-4" high and as much left every time. This plus having the gun sighted in 2.5" high at 100 made for a long day of chasing a badly hit Oryx on a 200 yard shot.
-I have hunted Limpopo and Namibia. The PH's there have recommended a 100 yard zero or maybe 1" high, which seems to work well in that country.
- I used to like light rifles but am realizing I shoot better with more barrel weight, especially off of sticks. I am trending to heavier rifles. Most of my trips we have probably walked five miles per day or so in sandy, rocky country. I am good with carrying a 9-pound rifle on five-mile hikes, especially if I have a sling.
-Order some shooting sticks from the place out of Ohio that makes African-style sticks and take them out and shoot on 5-10 occasions before the hunt at ranges from 100-300 yards. Study shot placement and get targets of African animals and use those for practice.
-PHs will often emphasize heavy, tough bullets such as Barnes. Listen to them. I think the hides of many African animals are tougher than NA equivalents and that muscle and bone structure may be as well. My father, myself and daughters, and friends that have hunted with us have caught a much higher percentage of tough bullets like TSXs than we have had go through. As an example this year, I had a 180 TTSX not penetrate to the lungs on a slight quartering shot on an Oryx and had the same bullet on a Blesbock (about the size of a Whitetail) not go through on a broadside shot.

Have fun in Africa.

You sure you have enough gun for that Bushbuck?

LOL, I've heard the Bushbuck will charge ya if you don't hit him hard enough!

Part 1 A Merkl DR in 9.3X74R 250 swift bullets with a leupold 1.5-5 scope with German #1 reticule.
Part 2 Range is on the way home from work. Stopped 3-4 times a week. Fired four shots off hand at 50 yards, let barell cool repeated for 4 more shots. Other days practiced off sticks at 100 yards. Never more than 8 shots per visit. Did that for 2 months. Practice pays off more than fire stick choice.

In 25 plus years as a PH one of the worst injuries I've ever seen was from a bushbuck that was shot poorly and tracked into thick bush. It decided to come for the PH and tracker. He hit the PH with one horn right into the thigh on the PH. That PH bled so bad the client and I had considered he might actually die. We were hunting in a rather civilized area near the town of Elisrass which had a good hospital at the time for the power plant.

I've seen more then one bush buck and several Nyala charge hunters and PH's over the years. They don't have the same "romantic" DG reputation of the typical DG species. However, they are not to be fooled with when wounded and cornered! Another horrible injury was from a zebra that bit the PH's fingers when he reached to pull the head out of the brush to see the quality of the mane. The Zebra crushed the fingers of his hand so badly they looked like he may lose them. He was fixed up and is still a PH today.

Never underestimate animals that have to fight for survival every single day!

Good to know Jim. I knew not to phobic with a zebra or a bushbuck, but I didn't know that about Nyala.

Gemsbok and Sable aren't something to mess with either if they have an ounce of life left in them...never heard of one chagrinning , but they'll swing those horns if you are close enough.....