Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa 6.5 mm in Africa?

This is to no one in particular but I found this thread very interesting due to the experience represented here. I did not find JJH's comments incinderary as it's difficult to fully communicate with words only--he was trying to make and emphasize a point.

I'm by no means an expert having been to Africa for hunting only once but it seems to me it boils down to percentages which a lot of things in life do. The point seems to be not what can a particular cartridge do but can it do it every time (or you pick your number).

I've made my way up the cartridge latter and now I'm on my way down again for hunting in NA but I would always listen to the voice of experience.

Jorge, do you feel a 300 mag would have penetrated significantly more than a 30-06?
I might also point out that Boddington's opinions have changed over the years, on elk rifles in particular.

Jorge,

I've shot quite a few big game animals with bullets of the same designed from both the .30-06 and .375. The bullets I have the most experience with in each cartridge are the 200-grain Nosler Partition in the .30-06 and the 300-grain Partition in the .375. If there's any difference in how deeply they penetrate I can't see it--except to perhaps give a slight edge to the 200 Partition.

I really can't say. All I can go on is my own limited experience and what knowledgeable guys like Craig and Mule Deer tell us and all I can tell you is there is a noticeable difference in what I have observed between an 06 and a 300 Weatherby. As to John's comment on the penetration of a 200gr 06 v a 300gr 375, all I can say is if John says so, it's good enough for me.

I'm going to see Craig in a few months and I'll make it a point to bring up this very topic and specifically his kudu story. j

I have never took a texas heart shot, so I cant say for certain either. However, I would suspect a 30-06 would penetrate deeper given like bullets and range, but the 300 would do more damage.

In penetration test done by Randy Garrett of Garrett Cartridges,the 300 grain Nosler Protected Point for the 45-70 at 2150 fps out penetrated the 300 grain Nosler out of the .375 H&H Magnum.


Jayco

He does not recommend it. he said to keep in mind all the animals that are taken in a cull for venison, are ALL head shots. he said for a foreign hunter that is most probably on a time limit, he would recommend nothing less than 30 caliber for an across the board plains game safari. with perfect shot placement the 6,5 mm would be enough most of the time. the question thus is are you satisfied with "... most of the time". if you are, then use the 6,5 for your safari. personally I love the 6mm's and the 6,5's, but again for a general plains game hunt with various animals available at short and long distances, I simply think there are better choices. I cant put it any simpler than this

The Garrett "tests" were let's just say optimized for the 45/70 and the fact two different bullts were used pretty much tells it all. At 2150 fps, what weight bullet was he using?

I don't see how the test could be optimized for the 45-70 when both the 45-70 and .375 H&H were shot into wet newsprint both using a 300 grain Nosler Partition,one a FP made for the 45-70 and the other,factory .375 H&H ammunition.

You might e-mail Randy and ask him about his test although he just sold Garrett Cartridges to Ashley Emerson.

Jayco

Your Sig line is hilarious.

If a 200 grain 30-06 and a 300 grain .375 will penetrate about equally, it would not surprise me if a similarly constructed 160 grain 6.5 would penetrate equally as well. The sectional density is about the same.

In the old days they didn't have premium bullet construction so they made up for it with moderate velocities to hold bullets together. The 160 grain bullet in the 6.5x54 and the 220 grain bullet in the 30-06 both went about 2400 fps and the muzzle and the .375 was only a shade faster.

I'm not at all convinced that the discussion based solely on penetration is the only consideration. Even if both cause the death of the animal, the one that bleeds you will find easily the one without a blood trail us up for grabs between the hunter and every starving predator in the bush.

Do your hunters ever shoot something that just falls over dead?

What fun is that?

Though there is no scientific evidence to back it, African game just seems tougher to put down. Not every time, there are plenty of bang flops, but then there are relatively good shots that not only don't anchor the animal, but they haul butt towards parts unknown and a long tracking job starts.

That then feeds the obsession for bigger guns and tougher bullets.

One of these days we are going to get you to part with some of that west Texas oil money you've been hoarding and check it out in person.

Ha! I'll go with you next time, how's that? I'm really, really wanting to go, no kdding.

I'll hold you to you word!!!!

I'm just being curious: when two calibers, like the 06 and the 375 both show similar results in penetration, and to a very large extent same for the 9.3, why is it then that the 375 is still considered the entry level caliber for DG hunting in most African countries?

Precisely, there's a message there....

Because the people that come from where the 06 was made did not make the rules, but the people who came from where the H & H was made did?

As mentioned, African game doe seem to sell themselves more dearly than something that has been eating from the corner of your crop for the last 5 years. Is bigger better? Probably. Does that mean a smaller one will not do the job? Doubtful. We could also pose if it would be more effective to hunt buffalo with something that has a lanyard, and the answer would be yes, but that doesn�t necessarily make it our first choice.

The British did not set the minimum cartridge size for DG