Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Nilgai

Anyone ever hunted them?

What cal and shot placement is needed?

Are they good eating?

thinking about going to hunt them.

I know nothing about them.

any suggestions or advice is welcome

I have hunted them, and am heading out in the morning to hunt them again.

Only one Ive killed so far was with a .30-06 and 180 gr NPT...DRT

Next one will be killed with a .275 Rigby

The meat is absolutely second to none..unique flavor and excellent.

Deep south Texas is pretty much where they are.( NOT Africa)

You might try this in the general big game forum

Better than axis?

Ive killed a couple and help skin and butcher a bunch more. Last one I shot was with a
.30 US Army (30/40 Krag). Saw six nice animals on my last trip south. One monster bull. Just didn’t feel like messing with one. May shoot another some day.

As Ingwe says, South Texas is the place to go. They are a pretty tough critter.


Damn good eatin’ but very little respect for high fences

Yeah, they go under a fence like a hog. Good photo.

They are good eating.

DF

yes

Nilgai, Are very hard on fences, they will push barb wire down and push box wire up, they will make a hole under high fence you can drive a 4 wheeler thru, they are good eating with young cows being the best eating, but most bulls are good eating also.some people call them S. Texas, Elk, Your deer rifle will work fine a well placed shot will kill them. find a place here you can spot and stalk them, some of these so called guide's down here want to chase them with a truck and slam on the brakes and try to shoot them, usually turns into a cluster f------. Rio7

So, what’s a good working price to shoot one, fair chase hunt?

You can pretty well plan on $3500 + or -

Cheaper than a Texas whitetail, I guess. Got some cash in my old age. This sounds like a good option to add to the list.

Thanks.

And, better eating.

DF

Rio7 is spot on. Cows taste the bestus!!!

I have hunted them twice many years ago on a large ranch right around the King/Kennedy ranches. Freebie corporate trips. I used my old Ruger M77 RS 35 Whelen and the 250 gr Partition. One was thumped running full bore and did cart wheels at the shot. All luck...

I actually prefer eating the bulls to the cows, even the big trophy bulls, as they have more flavor--though bull meat generally requires some aging to become tender. But both are great.

They're about the size of elk, but can indeed be killed with "deer rifles," though the hide over the front end of the bulls is VERY thick, as it is in many other big game animals with sharp horns, to protect them while fighting other bulls. The smallest cartridge I've taken them with was the .270 WSM, using thre140-grain Fail Safe, which I used on a cow and a mature (but not huge) bull. On that hunt several hunting companions used the same cartridge and bullet to take 28 other nilgai, half bulls and half cows. It worked fine--as would any similar caliber cartridge.

After hunting nilgai several times I came to the conclusion that they acquired such a reputation for being hard to kill for two reasons: The early popular method was to drive around until you jumped them, then shoot them on the run, which did not enhance bullet placement. Also a lot of cup-and-core bullets were used, which often "over-expanded" on the thick chest hide.

Great info!

I'll probably take my 35 whelen with my cast bullets and a 308 as a backup.

So for shot placement, like a typical deer? or should there be a 'better' spot to aim for?

Land cut south tx. 270, 130gr corelokt


some other land cut pics, state land but only accessible by boat.

Don't get too alarmed if you go through the Border Patrol check point.When I was going back home with one in my ice chests,the dog at the check point was getting really excited by the smell of the meat.He was jumping up and down beside my truck.The agent ask what I had in the ice chests and I told him a nilgai.He said I think my dog likes your nilgai.They do have thick hide,even the membrane around the muscles can be thick,so a good bullet and good shot placement is the key.I killed mine with a 300 Win Mag and a 165gr Interbond with no problem.Some ranches require a 300 Win Mag or greater so check before you go.

This is why Im going after a bull this time. John talked me into it. I shot a cow before and the meat was bland ...which apparently is how most Americans like their meat. The meat from Nilgai bulls John has given me I felt was far superior.

Little jealous here.......hope you have a great hunt Tom.

Yup. Best of luck.