Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Zebra

In my limited experience, zebra is usually a top choice of African animals to be pursued, and taken. Looking through my old notes, I realized I had shot fourteen zebra. More than half of these were not shot as trophies, but rather as meat for the local councils. (Usually, zebra or buffalo were requested by the councils for celebrations.) Since I had shot a good number of these animals, I discovered I had shot three with a .308Win, three with a .375H&H, and three with a .416Taylor. Now I don't have a lot of empirical data, only three each shot using these three different calibers. The rifles were model 70's. Factory ammunition for the .308Win was Federal Premium 180gr Nosler partition. Factory ammunition for the.375H&H was Barnes X 270gr . Hand loaded 400gr Swift A-Frame for the .416 Taylor.

Consider the following: All nine of these zebra were not running, and were virtually broadside, shot placement was on the "sergeant" stripe, distance between 80-100yds. Obviously, these nine zebra were shot in different locations, on different days.

Results: Two of the zebra shot with the .308Win fell within ten yards of where they were shot, the third flinched, and took three steps, stumbled, and fell over. The three zebra shot with the .375H&H fell within twenty yards. Two of the zebra shot with the .416Taylor dropped in their tracks, and one ran about fifty yards, and fell dead. None of these nine zebra required a follow-up killing shot.

Which of these rifle/bullet combinations was the most effective? The results were the same for each combination. Best choice...you be the judge.

Bullet placement was/is the great equalizer. Bell had it figured out a long time ago.

Look on youtube under "Black powder zebra kill"to see what a hard cast flatnosed 480 grain bullet at 1244 fps from a 45-70 will do. Top of the chevron at 161 yards with iron barrel buck horn sights.

Good info, thanks for sharing.

I'm curious what you shot the other 5 zebra with?

The other zebra were shot with a .270Win (2) .284 (1) .30-06 (1) and .338WM (1) .270-160gr NP, .284 (?) .30-06 mil ball, and .338 250 NP

Sharpsguy, hell of a shot on your zebra! I’ve only killed 3 White tails with my Shiloh #1 sporter, all with cast bullets and black powder. All 3 died quickly, but not like the zebra in the video!

Youtube may have pulled the video re: "Black powder zebra kill" That title didn't show in the youtube index.

It’s still there “ black powder zebra hunt with Bill Bagwell”

I haven't killed as many zebra as TSIBINDI Has, but I have killed three. Two with a Shiloh Sharps in 45 2 7/8, and one with the 45-70 in the video. the other two were shot with a 511 grain round nosed paper patched bullet at 1382 fps. One of these went 10 yards and the other about 20. The 45-70 zebra is the only zebra I have on video.

It's kind of amazing (well, not really) how supposedly extra-tough African plains game dies if they're shot in the right place with a bullet that penetrates sufficiently.

One thing about the Sharps--with traditional loads, you WILL get penetration. On my first trip with my 45-2 7/8, I shot two kudu, a black wildebeast and then a blue wildebeast at 312 yards. I had one shot kills and complete pass through penetration on all of them. Up comes the zebra, and the PH says that this one's gonna break your string of pass throughs. I shot the stallion quartering to me at 96 yards square on the on side shoulder, and the bullet exited his off side flank just in front of the ham. After two trips with the 45 2 7/8, I decided to take one of my Sharps in 45-70. I thought I would give up some penetration, but that didn't prove to be the case. The 45-70 shot all the way through everything as well, and I have yet to recover a bullet either here or in Africa on game shooting a Sharps. Works for me.

Very interesting--but not surprised!

My experience on zebra, including my own animals and those of hunting partners I witnessed, involves four countries and zebra of various sizes and two species. Have not seen any particular difference in how they stop bullets compared to other plains-game animals of about the same size.

In Tanzania shot a Burchell's at around 80-100 yards with a 9.3x62, 286-grain Partition at around 2500, quartering slightly on, so put it into the top of the chevron. At the shot, a tree around 15" in diameter 12-15 yards behind the zebra dropped a bunch of leaves--and the stallion staggered 25 yards before falling. Found where the bullet bounced off the tree, tearing a hole in the bark, with what looked like blood in the hole. Turned out it was a "bloodwood" tree, a variety of teak with red sap.

The only bullets I've seen recovered from zebra were either angled a long way through the body, or expanded very widely.

Interesting that the Zebra shot in RSA by my hunting partner with his 30-06 was a one shot kill and the meat was sent a meat market in Thabazimbi; it was not kept and consumed on the farm property where we stayed and where there were considerable staff. Is the meat not good to eat?

We ate steaks from the blue Wildebeest we shot and it was very tasty.

Btw, though there were many opportunities, I have not shot a Zebra. They look too much like the Welsh ponies on our farm.

I've shot a few zebra but am no expert, by far. What i was told is that the plains zebra is not very good because of the large amount of yellow fat in the animal. The mountain zebra I shot had none of that, had a reputation for being excellent table fare (thanks Ingwe) and I found that to be true. The meat looked more like pork.

What I can say for certain is my mountain zebra hunt was one of my favorite hunts I've done in 5 trips over there.

Two Zebras, with with a 375 H&H Model 70 and 300gr Swift Aframes. Both one shot, both DRT.

Have only taken one zebra, a Hartmann's Mountain Zebra, in the mountains of Namibia. A 200 gr. Swift A-Frame out of my .300 Weatherby landed on the 'chevron' at the shoulder, and the stallion was DRT and all 4 hooves in the air. One of the quickest kills I ever made with the .300.

JG,

I've eaten plenty of "plains" (Burchell's) zebras in various African countries, and it's always been good--but have also encountered many people who won't eat it, and not just safari clients but African natives.

Went on a big cull hunt on a huge ranch in 2007 in RSA, and the vast majority of the meat went to a market in Kimberley. They could NOT, however, sell any of the zebra meat to the locals (black or white)--until somebody came up with the brilliant marketing idea of calling it "zeebok" instead, as if it came from another sort of antelope "bok." It then became VERY popular, especially after word got around town about how great zeebok meat tastes.

Over the past 15yrs, I've taken a couple of dozen of of each. A couple of the Hartmann's Mountain were trophies and the rest, mountain and planes were culls - some head shots, some broadside and a couple of Texas heart shots.

308Win with 150gr TSX @2950fps - some head shots so expected results. Most were broadside, mostly because the way they will bolt away a hundred meters or so, stop and turn broadside to see if you, or anything else, is following them. All broadside shots thru the shoulders were all pass thru out to 200m. Never took shots beyond that - personal choice.

30/06 with 180 Speer Grand Slams @ 2625fps - Same results as the 308. Put thru the vital triangle and they don't go very far - maybe 100m max.

Majority culls have been with those two above.

375 Ruger with 270gr TSX and 300gr Hornady soft RN @ 2750fps and 2630fps. Same, same. Only difference was the visual reaction to the impact was very obvious, especially with the 300gr softs. I did shoot one client wounded (gut shot) mountain zebra with 270gr TSX with a going away Texas heart shot and the bullet stopped just above the heart and messed up the arteries well enough.

45/70 and 450Marlin in both lever guns, bolt actions with 300gr TTSX, 350gr TSX, Remington 405's, 330gr Barnes Banned Solid (discontinued), 325gr CEB Solids. 425gr Cast Performance WFN. Not going to list all the velocities, but they were all between 95%-98% of published max
loads. Only one that was recovered was the 300gr TTSX out of a Siamese Mauser. I was very surprised. The wound channel was huge and it did get to the heart but didn't reach the off-side chest wall. Visible reaction at impact was like it was tassed with a stun gun and and couldn't move for a few seconds. It had only just started to stumble away by the time the second shot hit and put it down. The 330gr BBS was just something to try. Animal didn't even flinch. We watched the bullet hit way down the hillside and with the echo off the mountains and boulders, it just took one or two steps while looking around and then just collapsed. I wasn't even sure I'd hit it until it dropped.

As far as eating/taste goes - I've eaten fillets of both and zebra is some very fine eating. While I didn't have them side by side on the same plate, they were both pretty much seasoned and cooked the same way over a braai and they've always been excellent. Now, there are some PH's who don't LIKE to eat it themselves and IF you've been in the skinning shed or butchery you'll maybe have seen why. They have a propensity for being susceptible to botflies inside the nose and roundworms in the abdominal cavity. NEITHER have any impact or effect on the meat itself but to see either while butchering can be a bit....off putting to the appetite, so some PH's just choose to move them to the market unless the client specifically ASKS to have some.

Zebra may be my favorite African animal to hunt. They have always in my experience been alert and fun to stalk. Plus there's something joyous about shooting a horse given all the times I've been stepped on, bitten, pushed into a tree, cactus or thorn bush, etc. Mine have been taken with .30-06 or .300 mags all with one shot each. The meat is possibly the best wild game I've eaten and the zebras I've eaten have always had red meat like an African antelope or NA deer. It seems that the zebras I've eaten had a little more fat than many wild game animals and were always tender with great flavor.

I have eaten both the Hartmsanns and the Burchells zebra, and hunted and killed both. Zebra are ALWAYS an interesting hunt, right next to Kudu, and always fine table fare! One of my favorites!

Johnny, we need to go hunting again! and compare nites!

The one I could shoot the best. Actually, I would have probably used my 9.3x62. But then again, I doubt I would shoot a zebra being it looks too much like Flicka or is that Trigger I'm thinking about. I'm wierd like that.

Filaman:
You may change your mind about not wanting to shoot a zebra once you have the opportunity to actually hunt them. You may be put off by my description of "broadside at 80-100yds." This may sound as though these animals are easily approached, waiting to be shot. Believe me, these animals are "switched on" and alert to impending danger. They won't hesitate to rush off at the first inkling of some unknown odor, sound, or sight that they can't at the time, identify. After the dust settles, and your tracker has the spoor, your P/H will summon you to "Follow me," and now the hunt begins. IMO, zebra are worthy of the time/effort to hunt them to success. After all, what would an African safari be without a beautiful zebra skin rug adorning your trophy room floor?

Go to Africa, take your 9.3x62, and include zebra on you trophy list. You'll be glad you did.

My apologies for coming off as a Bunny Hugger. But thinking about it, it is a horse or related to them. However, I realize that if I went there and hunted them my outlook would change. Believe me, I'm no Bunny Hugger. I'm a hunter and I love to eat at least some of what I shoot. I will keep what you said in mind and I promise you that if I ever get an opportunity I will go for it.

...no need to apologize. I didn't get the impression you were opposed to hunting. There are many folks who can't seem to separate horse from zebra, and have no desire to hunt them because of the similarity. It is their choice, and their time/money.

Hunt hard, life's short

Thanks. I'll get over it. Like I said, if given the opportunity to hunt them I would probably go for it in a heart beat.

Aside from tasting good, zebra come with a printed target, unlike horses....

Actually, what really gives me a thrill is the thought of Cape Buffalo. I don't think I'd get a thrill over killing Dumbo, but the thought of shooting the mighty Buff does click my clock. But if I do I want nothing smaller than a .458 Win. if not something larger.

Ain't that the truth! They do make a pretty rug.

I think it is local preferences. I shot a zebra in the Eastern Cape. For whatever reason it was taken to the food bank/soup kitchen. They shipped it to SE Asia, said the locals would not eat zebra. Interestingly, the local blacks do not eat warthog. Again preference and when I shot mine, I picked up on perhaps some mysticism? The trackers said they were afraid of the dead warthog. They helped load it and skin it, but they would not eat it.

I've read several people who think zebra is great.

Filaman and et al - no one should have to apologize for not having a desire to shoot any particular species of game. Just because a species is "legal" to hunt, doesn't mean we all "have to" shoot them. At the same time, I have absolutely nothing against anyone else enjoying "the hunt" of any legally huntable species via any legally allowable method.

Personally, I have no desire to hunt cape buffalo. Growing up on a farm and being "put over the fence" by any number of mean bulls or even a few cows with calves, a CB is just another "cow". However, my wife and I did do an Asiatic water buffalo cull hunt in Australia's NT a few years ago and killed a boat load of culls. The difference, at least in my mind is, there they are an "invasive species" and once you see the ecological damage they do to the tidal flood plains, it makes sense.

I have no personal desire to hunt a leopard. While I love the baiting, checking and refreshing baits for clients, I don't have a personal desire to shoot one. Same with elephant. I love tracking/chasing them to get them to move away from or off a property and have been up close and personal "bluff charged" a couple of times, I have no personal desire to shoot one.

Same goes for a whole list of various PG species. Love to see them in the bush and up in the mountains, but just don't have a personal desire to shoot them.

Likewise for bear, moose and any number of American species. Not against anyone else perusing them, just not my personal desire.

I'd still like to hunt red stag in Scotland and/or maybe Romania and might try that in Scotland late this year.

I had a similar attitude about Zebra before my first African hunt. Why shoot a horse?

My mind quickly changed after pursuing them them with my hunting partner and his subsequent taking a huge stallion. I have since shot two and would not pass up the challenge of hunting another zebra.

They are also fantastic table fare.

I've shot literally hundreds of pigs, so I have zero desire for warthogs. I also don't care a thing in the world about buffalo, big cats, hippos, elephants, or any of the little antelope.

AB2506: There is a possibility your trackers were/are Muslim. They consider pigs dirty animals. I was with a skinner in Zim years ago who would not eat warthog. He was Muslim. He would gut, and skin them, but would not eat the meat. Unlike his mates...they had NO problem consuming warthog.

M3taco: I'm curious...just exactly how did you manage to move elephant? And, was your method successful in preventing the elephant returning?

The only times we've "moved" elephant have been at my friend's place in Namibia.

First time was in 2012 at Jan's father's, who owns the farm adjoining Jan's. He called Jan and said he had three elephant hanging around the home site keeping the workers from going out to check on the cattle. He asked if Jan would come and "move them off". He, Jan, asked if we wanted to come along - "absolutely". Loaded up and cut thru the 2-track over to his father's farm.

Sure enough, there under the acacia trees were three bull elephant, not more that 300m from the homestead back gate. It was an old bull and two younger "askaris" (guards) bulls. We, all three, had solids in our rifles and my wife and I held back 50-75m from Jan while he initially approached the bulls yelling and waving his arms. When he got to maybe 50m and he could see the elephant were looking at him, he simply fired a shot in the air way above their heads, but with the muzzle in their direction. That got them moving away. From then on, it was just a bit of a foot chase to keep them moving way. We pushed/followed them for the rest of the afternoon - maybe 10K. When they slowed to feed, we'd just whistle another shot over them.



The second time was a couple of years later, again at one of Jan's father's farms on the other side of Jan. Three different elephant there had been hanging around a water tank/trough for several days, keeping the cattle from drinking. Same drill, only this time we got there in the morning and pushed them off the same way. Only thing different was this area had less trees and a bit more open so, once they got moving, they pretty much kept moving (fast) and we never again got to within more than 1K of them. They knew we were behind them and never stopped to feed longer then a few minutes and quickly moved off again. We pushed them all day and all the way across Jan's father's farm and nearly all the way across to the next farm over from it as well.

In that part of NW Namibia the elephant are very nomadic. Normally, they never stay in one area for more than just a day or two. They know where all the man-made water holes are and simply move around feeding between them over a several million sq. kilometer area. In the case of the first ones, it was late Aug and they were in the river bottom next to Jan's father's place eating the seed pods from a species of acacia tree. They had food and water from the cattle tank and had been hanging out there for nearly a week. Not sure why the second group hung around that waterhole for several days. Jan said the way they moved and stayed well ahead of us, that group had been shot at or likely had an elephant killed from that group in the not to distant past.

Zebra shish kebab. It was delicious

After a handful of trips there my last was in Namibia. My PH suggested mountain zebra before we hunted. Offered it as likely the most difficult hunt of the trip. It was a proper mountain hunt. The tracker said, "perfect shot".

Very nice mountain zebra Ed. And it looks like is was "family" event too. Great times and great memories!! I think your shot was maybe 1/8" to high!!

The most humbling thing to me about hunting the Namibian mountains is how effortlessly the game moves up, down and all around and how much we "humans" struggle. Unless you just sit at a waterhole, you will "earn" your zebra stripes!

I was one of the I’m not interested in shooting a horse group until a friend of mine needed a zebra cape.

It was my first trip to Africa and part of it was hunting Hartman’s zebra south of Etosha with Byseewah. It was a great trip and the zebra hunt was outstanding. I would gladly hunt zebra again. I found the meat very tasty.

I have shot 7. I shot a Burchell with a Bow. And 6 Hartsmann's with a & 7mm Rem Mag. Two facing me in the chest. One high sholder shot. And three in the front shoulder. The high shoulder shot dropped him immediately. The others ran off!!!

M3Taco:
Interesting story about your 2012 encounter with elephants at Jan’s father’s place. I was there right after you and the elephants had actually destroyed a bunch of acacia trees very close to Lourens’ house. I asked Jan if a tornado had blown the trees over and he said no, the elephants had pushed them over to get at fresh green leaves and seed pods. Jan actually obtained a permit to shoot a problem elephant and Jan asked me if I wanted to shoot one. I passed on the chance.

Speaking of Zebras, I shot a beauty on Jan’s Ranch in 2012, and we brought the whole butchered Zebra to the Himba AIDS orphanage in Kamanjab. It made me feel good to help feed those poor kids without parents. When I returned to Jan’s in 2013, I brought home my Zebra rug and Euro Mounts from the prior year as Excess Baggage and I think I paid only $75 in fees versus $500+ to ship it. You were most helpful in teaching me the required paperwork to clear US Customs myself- Thanks.

I have shot 3 of each. There is no comparison. A buff is simply a big cow unless you screw up and hit him badly. Then it’s your own fault if the follow up gets dicey. An elephant, generally shot inside 25-30 yards and often much closer is a whole different kettle of fish. Wounded buff generally run off, then charge on the follow up. A wounded elephant(you missed the brain) may run but is just as likely to charge from VERY close range. There is simply nothing as exciting as working in close on a group of elephants and braining him. It gets really tense if his companions decide to take offense......As an aside, I have used .375 H&H on all 6 with no problems. It’s not the bore size or ft.lbs. of energy that matters, it’s bullet placement.

I’ve arrowed two, one in Zim and one in SA.
Zim one went 200 yards, and dead.
SA one about 80 yards and dead.