Nephew going to Africa and wants to know smallest caliber for kudu. Please tell your choice and why.

This one:


Did not care for the 300wsm that I was packing with the 168 TTSX.

Me, I'm not much of a 'smallest caliber' kind of guy. But, I would use my .257 wby with 100ttsx with out hesitation.

No matter what I say, someone is going to talk against it as being too weak or too powerful, but I'll be using my .300 Win. Mag. next time.

300 H&H my first choice, 30-06 second.

.300 Something (because longer shots are normal). If his PH says 100 yards is common, a 7mm Something (elk-sized animal).

We have used the 9.3x62, 7x57, 358 Win and 8x57 without issue.

Killed these 2 with a .30-06 using a 180 Nosler Partition handloads.

this one took a .375 270gr tsx in the chest, but I think an '06 with 180's would be more than plenty....take what you shoot well and have practiced with....practice shooting off sticks too....have a great time and don't forget to post pics!

Any rifle you would feel comfortable hunting Elk with. Kudu are like big deer and sometimes won't come out of the brush, shots can be near or far, depends on terrain. They are about the size of a cow elk so it usually depends on what else you might be hunting as far as rifle choice.

Go with what your PH recommends is always a good plan. Also check the regs. as some have minimum power in joules for different game.

As far as minimum caliber is concerned, a 260 with a 120 Speer and a muzzle velocity of 2750 worked for me on this one at about 400 yards. The same combo also worked very well on a black wildebeest at just under 300 yards.

Man, I love this thread. There are some really great looking Kudu pics posted here. If I could find my pics I would post them, but I think I lost them 2 computer crashes ago.

Bob

I've never seen one and or shot one but it sounds like they're about the size of a cow elk. That said, I'd be more than comfy lighting the torch on one with a 243 and a 85 TSX and or a 25/06 with a 115 Noz.

The 260 with a 120 NBT or 130 or 140 should do well also.

Place the bullet behind the front, wreck the lungs and they're not long for the world...

Dober

I'm with you Dober. I just talked to my buddy here who went over there for the third time. His wife whacked kudu, oryx, wildebeast, and hartebeast with a 7mm08 and 140 Swift A-Frames. He killed 13 animals up to eland size with a 7mag and 175 partitions. As you said...bullet placement !

Pretty tough for them to anywhere with the engine room taken out...grin

Personally, I'd love to whack and stack some critters over there via flight 53 TSX out of my 22/250.

Dober

I have a good friend in South Africa that invited me over to cull impala and blesbok. Turned me loose on 2 kudu bulls too. I shot them both with 120 Nosler BT's that I had been head shooting the cull animals with.

That wouldn't be my first choice of bullet in the 260 but is was very effective on those 2.

The advise to shoot the rifle you are comfortable with, use a good quality bullet, hit them right and you will be paying a trophy fee, dipping and shipping on a kudu.

I'm a believer in that caliber like boobs, the bigger the better. For kudu, the 7mm would be the minimum, but I prefer a 300 "prefer" being the operative word...

The most popular with the cullers in S & SW is probably the .243 win. and second is the .308. They take mostly head and neck shots as the meat and hides are sold.

I would pick something in the .270 class or larger for sport hunting.

I shot this 56" kudu on the second to last day of 12 day hunt hunt. We waited him out for about an hour. He finally came out of the thick stuff and started walking away from us at 150 yards. I shot him walking away with a 300 gr. Barnes out of my 375 H&H. The bullet went in throught the backs of the guts and through the front shoulder. I had the 375 because we were hunting buffalo too. My point is I would not spend $10,000 plus on an African trip which may be a once in a lifetime trip and carry a small caliber rifle. You may not get that perfect shot, especially from a spooky kudu. My minimum would be a 30-06.

As Dober said, Id feel fine with a .243 and a premium bullet....That said Ive never used a rifle that small on them, but have killed them with a 7x57, an 8x57, a .30-06,.300 Win mag, and a .375 H&H

Here is one that ate some dirt due to a 165 TSX from a 308 Win.

For the record, I wasn't about to play "what's the minimum" with this 59" kudu so I whacked him with a 300gr A Frame out of a 375. Yep the bigger-the-better-the-tighter-the-sweater strategy was applied!

Great looking kudu, Jorge!

There are some great examples on this thread. Very inspiring!

Eric

Jorge,that is a GREAT BULL,was it killed in Zimbabwe?

338 Fed...compliments of the talents of Karnis.

You can kill anything with a 223, but do you really won't to play the minimum game? With the right angle a 243 will work out fine. But this is hunting where any thing that can go wrong will, I personally think I would like a little extra horse power to give a fairly heavy bullet plenty of penetration. So I'm thinking 7 or 300 Mag verity your choice. Of course any thing larger would not be out of place ether.

yessir, Zim Lowveldt with John Sharp.

Thanks!

I would take the prettiest rifle I have if I was you... makes for an awesome trophy picture...

Most countries have minimum caliber requirements for various classes of game. He needs to talk to his PH as to what he recommends. In my limited experience most will recommend rifles of 30 cal and up, but bullet placement counts for a lot of game.

I spoke with an African pro last night who said bring "anything"...as long as it was a 270.

This made me chuckle. Good analogy!!

My brother killed a nice one at close to 100 yards with one shot, no tracking with his 338 WinMag loaded with 175 TSX Barnes IIRC. I have a video of the kill, and it was classic. Dropped dead at the shot.

I have three that would work. 270 Win w/150 NPT or 130TTSX, 300 WBY w/200 NPT or 180TSX, 8x57 w/200NPT. All would do just fine up close or further.

400 Whelen. At least that's what I would take if I got to go to Africa.

Mart

caliber would be .308, and a 30-06 and 180gr partitions gets my vote.

This Kudu was taken in Namibia, with my .300 Wby. and 200 gr. Swift A-Frame bullet.
Were I to do Kudu again with a rifle, I would probably use the Barnes 165 gr. TSX.

LOVE the pics fellas!

They give you trouble at the airport if your headstamp does not match the chambering of your rifle. I didn't think you could get .400 Whelen stamped brass but your avatar apparently proves me wrong.

338 WM

Power and moderate recoil

Snake

.375H&H w/270gr TSX...cuz that is what I had in my hand at the time. Otherwise it would have been .30-06 w/168gr TTSX.

7mm-08 with a 140 TSX as a recommended minimum. I've killed them with a .30/06, .300 Win, .338 Win and .416 Rigby. All worked well. The key is precise shot placement. A gut shot kudu hit by a .416 is still a gut shot kudu. A heart shot kudu hit by a 7-08 is a dead kudu.

Avoid bullets that are too "frangible" such as ballistic tips. Mine have gone down to the Barnes TSX, Swift A-Frame and Nosler Partition. Couldn't tell any difference in terminal performance between them. All performed in an exemplary manner.

P.S. be sure to remind the trackers that "the liver goes to the kitchen", or it will disappear for sure.

Pretty pictures guys. My nephew will appreciate the advise. I thank you.

This was my first African animal, a Limpopo bull that fell from a 140 gr Ballistic Tip from my 7mm Rem mag...


And this Southern Cape bull fell seven years later from a 270 gr TSX from my .375 RUM...

About the same. huh?

Smart fella

A couple of posts on this thread have suggested kudu zre about the size of a cow elk. Well, not exactly. They're smallest in southern South Africa, where a really big bull of the Cape subspecies might weigh 500 pounds, but they average somewhat smaller. A thousand miles north of there, anywhere from Namibia to the Northern Province of RSA, and a big bull can be as large as a mature Montana bull elk, weighing 700 pounds or even more.

I've taken bull kudu with the 7x57, .30-06, 9.3x62 and .375 H&H, and all worked very well. The longest shot was on a big Cape bull at close to 400, and was made with a .30-06 and a 180-grain Nosler Partition, about as plain vanilla as it gets. He dropped right there with a shot through the shoulders.

All the other shots were between 75 and 250 yards, with the average 100-150. The range depends a lot on the terrain. Shots in the Cape are often across the steep canyons Afrikaaners call "kloofs," but a lot of kudu hunting further north is in thornbush on much more level ground.

Don't neglect to have him study the anatomy of the prey. Vital spots are different on a Kudu than on deer, etc. Get him a copy of "The Perfect Shot" to study, then study again.

One my one hunt I used a 35 Whelen on the kudu which was more than necessary (but I brought it as eland was also on the list). The PHs opined around the campfire that anything from a 270 on up works fine on kudu, although they particularly like to see their hunters use an '06 with partitions. They had yet to get much witnessing of Barnes bullets, etc.

7x57

Nice Kudu Ingwe,is that 7x57 a custom military mauser?

...................First off. I`ve never killed a kudu because I haven`t been to Africa yet.

But if I were your nephew, I would be asking what the better calibers would be for kudu rather than asking what would be the smallest caliber for kudu.

Using the right bullet, a 223 (if legal to use over there for kudu) will kill a kudu.

Curious to know why your nephew is thinking "minimum" caliber.

Everyone has their own preferences or standards for minimum caliber usage for different game. Some or many will agree, while some or many won`t agree.

But if given the choice as a minimum caliber for kudu, the 25 caliber would be my minimum caliber pick.

But with a 30, a 338 and 375 calibers at my hunting disposal, I won`t be going out and getting a 25 caliber for any future kudu hunt.

Great pic!

Dober

I have limited first hand experience, 3 kudu to be precise.
The PH reckoned a bull would weigh in about the 900lb mark (Namibia).
Used Woodleigh PP's 180 grain 3006, 200grain 300 Mag and 225 grain 338WM.
Saw little difference in performance between the 06 and the 300, neither existed on side on shots, looked to have done about the same damage on the inside.
There was a significant visible difference when hit with the 338, the 225g at 2900fps exited, big holes, lots of blood.
If he can handle the recoil I'd suggest a 338WM.

The reason I worded it as minimum caliber is because he wants something he would be comfortable to use in ohio or ky also. Also I wanted him to know that he does not need a 375 that he would never use again. He thinks he wants a 700 in 280 rem. I think that would be a good choice, wanted your opinions. Also the bad typing is due to typing on a blackberry. We will use a weekend to match a bullet to the rifle. What bullets do you suggest?

I have far from a lot of experience on Kudu but I have shot a few. I would pick a rifle I was familiar with, could shoot well, pick a good quality bullet and go hunting.

If I had to go to my safe and pick a rifle I would pick my 30-338, shooting Hornady 180 Interlocks and go hunting.

Lots of folks would pick a Barnes or Nosler but the Hornady has NEVER let me down as long as I did my part. Tell the boy to not over think this. Just shoot a LOT and have fun. It doesn't get any more fun than Africa.

We all want pics when he returns I bet.

All hail the Poobah.....! Wow what a great pic!

I hunt most critters with a win 70 280 I guess I cant go kudu hunting nobody has ever shot one with the 280 it must not work.....

I have been to the DARK Continent 9 times and believe for your Kudu , Wildebeestes ,Elands , all that is needed is a cal. that you would use to take a large western mule deer . I have seen them taken with 308,270, 30-06, 260 ,7mm mag ,7x57 . Do not take a unfamiliar rifle , and practice , practice . Use good bullets , I used nothing but Barnes , a little bit of advice do not let a PH rush you into taking a shot , only shoot when you are ready , in any case if you draw blood you still pay whether you get to put him in the truck or not . Another tip is to make some shooting sticks out of bamboo , at least your height or a little longer and secure the end with wraps of bike inner tube . Learn how to adjust them under pressure and practice with them . Have a nice trip . KUDU1

30-06 w/168gr Barnes TTSX

.30-06 because it's plenty.

With my vast experience of one trip and one Kudu--- 30-06, 180 partition.

Of course.............what else..............dumb ass!!!

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/newsletters/May_2009.html

For me it is a .375 because it is pretty much the do it all cartridge for African game. I always expect dangerous game, the .375s work for that in the typical PH and client scenarios. when you encounter a kudu, just put the bullet in the right place and you will have reduced him to possession as it were .

I have used the .375 H&H (multiple rifles), the .376 Steyr, and just now my .375 is a .375 Ruger.

I recall a Man/Magnum artricle abotu 15 years ago that posed a similar question. The African folks that wrote in figured the .300 H&H was probably one minimum for them IIRC.

jim