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

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.