Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Eland caliber=260 Rem?

Yep, and it's largely because some people are so attached to their opinions that these kinds of discussions are like some drugs, highly addictive..

Jorge,

Based on what I've read (I haven't hunted large bears or lions, either), ideal is probably the same as "adequate" for the large majority of people, or said another way "adequate" is ideal for many people.

You may be in the 20% or so at one end of the spectrum who shoots large bores well and likes doing so enough to work at practicing to do so. There might be 10 to 20% of the population at the other end of the spectrum who, for a variety of reasons, even with the best training and coaching couldn't shoot large bores adequately. Then you have the 60% to 70% of us in the middle who might be able to shoot large bores well if we really applied ourselves, but (a) don't have any interest in shooting African bovines or elephants (and therefore don't have any need to shoot large bores) and (b) realize that we still shoot smaller cartridges better than larger cartridges even with considerable practice and don't actually need mega magnums for the deer and even elk that we might hunt.

For deer I like the 257 Weatherby and should I ever hunt elk, it would depend on the terrain and the ranges involved but an 06 I think would be just about perfect and it ranges were longer one of the 300s. Speaking of 300s, that's probably what I would call a good eland caliber with good bullets. I'm not a believer in overkill by any stretch of the imagination, but as a few have stated here, those kinds of hunts are expensive as well as the trophy fees and I do believe one should shoot the largest caliber they can handle.

I am NOT being critical....

Your statements give a very practical answer or explanation for a lot of people.

I have a few friends (not critical) that fit into that category.

I don't consider MYSELF a big bore shooter. 1 338 WM hurt and 1 375 HH was NOT nearly as punishing. From 8mm RM down I don't have any problems. Especially with a stock that fits me.

EVERYBODY does not have to shoot big boomers...

EVERYBODY does not NEED to shoot mild cartridges.

EVERYBODY has CHOICES.

+1

I spent half a day tracking an eland do to some poor shooting on my part. I was shooting a 300 Win Mag with 180 gr Swift A Frames. While I was planning on using a 416 Rem Mag with 350 gr Swift A Frames, in this instance it would have made little difference. My shot was high, but thankfully it did make for a good blood trail. I don't think a 50 BMG would have made a difference.

Point being, in this case caliber would not have made a difference, good shooting would have made all the difference in the world

For what it's worth

OK, let's put this stupid [bleep] debate to an end once and for all. A .260 aint' enough gun, take a .338 Win Mag or a .375 H&H and put it on its face in the dirt.

Nuff said!

I like a couple of others here actually HAVE hunted nearly all of the worlds Large and or dangerous game and most of the big game in the US and have taken more than one trophy specimen of most. The 260 is an OK deer cartridge, thats it. There are much better ones (257WBY comes immediately to mind) but it is a nice mild round for most folks taking most shots one would get at a deer. Simple as that. From there, it is highly adviseble to go up in rifle caliber and power as one can without sacrificing good shot placement.

Also well said, and right on the money.

Hear, hear! Well, errrrrr, except for those pesky facts, where I've taken Livingstone and Giant (Lord Derby) quite handily with the 7 Rem Mag, Dad and I each common Cape with the .300 Win, and Dad a second with the .270 Win.

Also saw my best friend and business partner, the most experienced and finest hunter I'm ever to know, flub one a bit back on a Giant with a .330 Dakota, to finish him the next afternoon with my pet 7 Rem...

Yeah, gee, it's not like a .338-.375 cartridge has never wounded an eland.

I've hunted a little here and there, and seen plenty of game from trophy deer to eland shot around the edges with various magnums from the .300's up. The hunters were using powerful rifles because they'd been told they HAD TO in order not to wound game--and then wounded game anyway.

A couple of years ago on this forum some guy was asking if his .30-06 was enough for plains game. He'd heard so much about how tough African animals are that he was afraid .30-06 bullets would barely get through the skin.

This argument appears so frequently on the Campfire that we should have some sort of icon that anyone can use to flag it, warning rational people away from the thread.

Apart from all the killing everyone does....

is there an angled shot you wouldn't take with the 260 & appropriate bullet, that you would take with a larger caliber and appropriate bullet--or does modern bullet construction account for that?

That's the thing when you ask what "would you use"
On my last trip to Africa I took a 375 and 308. The 375 for me to try the 270 TSX and the 308 for my kids. This was the eastern cape of SA so not your typical selection for calibers. We made shots up to 450 yards but what I used would not be what you think you would use in the Eastern Cape which is more wide open. Had I not been taking the kids I would not have taken the 308 which is funny to say because it worked so dang well.
Having kids has taught me allot about not overthinking my caliber choices for hunting.
Rifle looneyism over times causes blurry vision

None of the 3 PH's I know would have allowed the shot with a .260 Rem regardless of shot distance. They all have a .30 caliber minimum on Eland. On my trip in 2009 I took my Eland with a .338 Winchester loaded with 225gr A-frames.

Load your .300 H&H with 200gr A-frames and you should be just fine.

Yes, but for some of us Campfire regulars who read and absorb as much as we can from the experiences of hunters who have killed numerous animals, these kind of threads still have some useful information. I for one appreciate being able to be a "witness" to some of the hunts that people like Dogzapper tell about.

Just have to learn to separate the wheat from the chaff...

Separating the wheat from the chaff is easy..

If JB, or Dogzapper, or me wrote it...its Gospel.....










Two out of three ain't bad!

I've hunted eland several times as part of general bag safaris, and have never carried a smaller rifle than a 338 when doing so. That was based on the advice of the PHs I hunted with. A couple years ago I hunted them in South Africa. My PH said I could use a .270 if that was the only rifle we brought, but that bigger would be much better. He also told me that we'd have to be very careful in shot selection if I chose to use a .270.

What I don't understand is, if you can take more than just a light rifle, why would you even consider using a .260, .270 or 7mm for eland? Sure, it can be done, but this is a case where bigger definitely is better. At least .30 caliber, and .338 or .375 is much better.

Well I take it that the lady in question collected her Eland, Seems to me that its all a moot point, its the cartridge she shot and shot well and killed her eland with it. As far as it goes with me, its your time and money, shot what ever cartridge/ rifle /scope you want. These days I am more incline to just hunt rather than split hairs.

Excellent point!

Because it's all about the YOU, right?