Hi guys ,
looking to do a hunt for Mountain zebra in the wild, not fenced.
Ive been told that shots could be 200-300m and that they are tuff.

Ive got a 300win mag with 180gr Barnes TSX'S OR A 338 WIN MAG WITH 225 TSX

your thoughts on the best outfit please.

Thanks

Sounds pretty much like a toss up to me.

I took mine in Namibia with a 338WM using 250 gr. Nosler Partitions.

I think either will do fine. I just happen to like bigger bores and heavy bullets in general for large African PG.

I suppose the correct answer to your question is, whichever one you shoot the best at longer ranges.

Good luck on your safari!

PS. Welcome to the forum.

quote:

338 WIN MAG WITH 225 TSX

Can't go wrong with the 338 Win Mag. and slightly heavier bullet weight which will not react as much to wind drift and light brush should you find yourself under such conditions.

My one and only was taken in Namibia with a 30.06 shooting Barnes TTSX 165 gn. No problem at all and about a 160 yards shot.
I hunted with Jan Du Plessis, Sebra Hunting Safaris. He was great to hunt with and I was very well looked after.
There are numerous good outfitters in Namibia and I think it worth making either direct enquiries or better, if this might be your first Namibia trip, contacting the hunt consultants who post here on AR.

That will be ample.
Took both mine with a .270 shooting 140 gr Barnes.
Bullet placement rules.

I took one in Namibia with a 308, they die when you shoot them in the right place.

Long shots are the norm.

The Khomas Mountains is a more scenic (though thorn infested place) to hunt them than hunting some place they are not native and have been introduced. That is where I shot mine.

There are tons of GOOD outfitters who have them.

A 300 will kill anyone that walks.

prepare for worst case scenario.
if you are omfotable shooting the larger diameter round "out there " then that would be my pick

http://namibianhuntingsafaris.com/

Top Shelf

In thinking about it, it is actually a really wonderful safari in the Khomas.

Bloody hard and stark place to hunt.

The things are about as switched on as animals get, and I think only baboons are more switched on.

They make a good Khomas combo, baboons, mt zebra, klipspringers and kudu. Most of the rest of the species in the Khomas are introduced to the area.

Those stallions have some big solid bones. Not doubting the 300 but i am with Oz,go the bigger 338, perfect medicine.


Regards
Stu

I killed on in Namibia in 2004 with a .338 and 225 grain TSXs at about 130 yards. Worked great. My dad killed his at about 80 yards with a .270 WSM shooting 140 grain TSXs. Also worked just fine. Neither bullet exited, but both animals died in short order - mine after tumbling down the hill he stood upon and Dad's after a mad dash through the mopane. I think either your .300 or your .338 will work fine, though I would take the .338 'cuz I like it!

I killed mine with a 286gr Oryx at 2360.

quote:

Originally posted by 2PIPE:
Hi guys ,
looking to do a hunt for Mountain zebra in the wild, not fenced.
Ive been told that shots could be 200-300m and that they are tuff.

Ive got a 300win mag with 180gr Barnes TSX'S OR A 338 WIN MAG WITH 225 TSX

your thoughts on the best outfit please.
Thanks

2Pipe: I hunted Namibia with my son and a friend with these guys: http://www.farm-nomtsas.com/ Albert is a wonderful guide, as well as being warm and witty. They hunt an excellent population of endemic mountain zebra (Hartman's) in the Naukaluft mountains -- a very wild and unfenced area.

The Mountain zebra, despite being very large in body, is a rather "soft" target. Unlike most game, they tend to sull and stop in a short way when wounded.

I happened to be shooting a .338 with 225 Nosler Partitions, but my companions were shooting a .300 Winchester and a .30-06, both with 180 Partitions. All rifles did just fine and we took five zebras amongst us.

The Mountain zebra is very wary, and the open country they reside in does tend to make for longer shots. Either of your rifles is fully adequate, so the answer to which to use lies in which you shoot the best -- and which shoots the best.

When I hunted the Khomas highlands I wound up shooting a Burchell's zebra on a low fence cattle ranch (Uncle Stephen's) at 300 yards with my 375 H&H using the 300 grain TSX.

I'm going to the Erongo Mts. next year to chase Kudu, Gemsbok and Mt Zebra and will take the same gun with the 250 grain TTSX.

I shot mine with my 325 WSM, along with 4 gemsbok. All went down using the 200 grain accubonds. Go with your 338. I've also shot Burchells using the 300 WSM with 180 grain Trophy Bondeds and that combination worked well.

I have shot all seven of my zebras (including Hartmann's) with .338 Win. Mag., .375 H&H Mag. and a couple of .416s.

No drama, except for one that turned and bolted just as I shot him with a .375. I hit him with a glancing bullet too far forward and we had to chase him down. I ultimately had to drop him at few yards as he charged me. 100% true story. I am not kidding. I was charged by a zebra. If you hit them wrong, they can be amazingly tenacious.

All of the rest of them were one shot kills.

Thanks everyone for your replies.
I will shoot both and see which I'm more comfortable with.
So I gather the average shot distance 200-300yds?

the wife and I killed ours with a 30-06 with a Barnes 180gr TTSX bullet. Mine was around 60 yards and hers 125 yards.

Another vote for Jan Du Plessis, Sebra Hunting Safaris, for real Free Range MT Zebra, it can be easy if you catch them watering on the flat land & grueling if chasing them in the Hills, dont have to shoot a long way in the Mountains but could help if your not fit enough to stalk & keep tracking them .

Shot mine with 9.3X62 & 286gr NP at 100-130yds still a 300yd outfit !

I really like that hunt in Namibia, around 200 meters for me if I recall correct.

I killed mine with Kowas Safaris, using my 7mm Rem Mag and 160 Accubonds. Shot him right through the shoulder. He stumbled around for about 30 yds and fell over.

I think my last was at around 270mtrs. They can be a testing stalk esp when they team up with baboons on the high ground.

I shot a Hartmann's mountain zebra with Jan du Plessis in 2013. I used a .338 Win. with a 225 gr. Barnes TSX. It took two shots at about 250 yards. I hit it too far back with the first shot.

Make no mistake about it. Most Hartmann's Zebra hunts are physical, but worth it!

I shot 6 last year with a 7mm Rem mag using Barns 140gr.TTSX handloads. The shots were 50 yards to 326 yards. If you want info about the outfitter PM me.

In my humble opinion there is none better than John Wambach, You need to be fit though. He does very unique hunts for those Zebra!

Another great outfitter is John at Westfalen Safaris.

quote:

Originally posted by 2PIPE:
Thanks everyone for your replies.
I will shoot both and see which I'm more comfortable with.
So I gather the average shot distance 200-300yds?

Where I hunted in the Erongo mountains the owners, rightly IMHO, wouldn’t allow you to hunt until the Zebras had returned to the mountains from their watering points. Apparently the trails they use in those mountains are decades old so the clever trick was to get high, figure out which general direction they were ambling and then get ahead of them using the terrain. We frequently got to under 200 m this way. They are wary, have exceptional eyesight and the open terrain is to their advantage. You will be surprised how difficult it can be to spot them in the sparse arid landscape.
Without doubt my favourite African hunt to date. Enjoy and please write up a report when you return.

Which rifle is easier to carry - that is your answer. If you are doing it right it should be a few long walks up hills. I have used from 300 WM to 375 H&H for them, I definitely preferred the 300 WM, as it was a lot lighter to carry. Shots ranged from VERY close to slightly over 400 yards, used 180 TSX with great effect. Consider carrying ranging binoculars also, knowing the precise range to target helps a lot on the longer pokes.

One thing about these Hartmann's, when they are spooked they do not just go over the hill, they don't just go to the next county, they change states! You'll usually get one shot at a herd, and that is that, they are not sticking around for you to get it together for the next try. All in all, one of the most satisfying hunts you should ever do, very tough!

Took mine with a .300 Weatherby Mag. using 180 gr Barnes TSX at around 185 yards.

MauserK98

I've shot both a Hartman's and a Burchells with my 375 H&H with 260 gr. AccuBonds. My partner shot two with a 338 WM, and our other friend shot hers with a 300 WM. If you can shoot them well, the bigger guns tend to remove errors from the equation!

I shot two mountain zebra and two plains zebra in Khomas with my .300WM and the 165gn TTSX. All one shot kills. The mountain zebra were at 250 and 383 yds. Take a rangefinder.

Thanks all for the information, it's most helpful.
I'll take my Leica rangefinder binos as well.

How many days would you need in the Mountain areas to be successful?

I have shot between 30 and 40 zebras, all with the 30-06. Shot most of them with 180 grain A-frame, but shot 6 in a row one day with 180 grain Remington Core Lokt Ultra. Also shot some with 180 grain NBT. All of the zebra died quickly. A well placed shot behind the shoulder, destroying the lungs will work every time. All of these are cull zebras in different areas.

One final recommendation.

Ask the cook to fix you some backstraps from the Zebra.

I shot mine at Westfalen Safaris and John's wife Julianna cooked them over the barbeque.

In my 66 years on this planet, I have never eaten better meat. NEVER!!

quote:

Originally posted by surefire7:
One final recommendation.

Ask the cook to fix you some backstraps from the Zebra.

I shot mine at Westfalen Safaris and John's wife Julianna cooked them over the barbeque.

In my 66 years on this planet, I have never eaten better meat. NEVER!!

Zebra is indeed great eating

quote:

Originally posted by 2PIPE:
Hi guys ,
looking to do a hunt for Mountain zebra in the wild, not fenced.
Ive been told that shots could be 200-300m and that they are tuff.

Ive got a 300win mag with 180gr Barnes TSX'S OR A 338 WIN MAG WITH 225 TSX

your thoughts on the best outfit please.

Thanks

I have to concur with "Dale" and "30-06 king" above with their recommendation of Jan de Plessis of Sebra Hunting Safaris, near Kamanjab, Namibia. I've hunted with Jan FOUR TIMES so far (2012, 2013, 2015 and 2017). I've published Hunting Reports on all 4 trips here on AR. Here is a picture of a beautiful Mountain Zebra I shot hunting with Jan in 2012. I used a Winchester Model 70 in .300 WSM shooting 165 grain Sierra GameKing handloads. The zebra went about 50 yards after the shot and keeled right over.

Ive killed Zebra with a number of calibers from the 7x57 up to a 450-400 double..They all kill them if you stick the bullet where it should be..

My long range pick for Mountain Zebra would be your .338 Win..I like it because recoil is fairly mild and it kills exceptionally well, My second choice usually ends up being a 30-06 for no other reason than it normally works quite well...but there is a difference between the 06 and a 338, the 338 is the better caliber. Just my pick, yours may be your 300 Win. and that's not wrong its a grand calier with 200 gr. Noslers or Accubonds.

Probably the best answer over all is shoot all the gun you can tolerate recoil wise is usually the best idea..Keeping in mind that a wounded Zebra is a lost trophy fee in most cases..

quote:

Originally posted by ozhunter:

quote:

Originally posted by surefire7:
One final recommendation.

Ask the cook to fix you some backstraps from the Zebra.

I shot mine at Westfalen Safaris and John's wife Julianna cooked them over the barbeque.

In my 66 years on this planet, I have never eaten better meat. NEVER!!

Zebra is indeed great eating

And it makes very fine biltong.

I killed mine in the Torra Conservancy a few years back. Used a borrowed rifle, a .270 I think. It was hand-loaded with some awful, too light Sierra non-premium bullet that expanded way too rapidly if you hit a big animal in the wrong place. I hit it in the right place. It went about 50 yards. Bullet placement is far more important than caliber. Its more important than bullet construction. That said, if I was comfortable shooting the 338, that's what I would use.

Torra has lots of Mt. Zebra. It also has gemsbok, ostrich, springbok and some kudu. That's about it, except for the occasional elephant and black rhino. I'd recommend it for you zebra hunt.

https://savannahsafarisnamibia.net/