Which for eland in Namibia?
7mm mag in CZ 550 lux 24”
30-06 FN j c Higgins 22” barrel
9.3x62 in Husqvarna large ring mauser. 24”
I can shoot all reasonably well.

Aaron,

My first choice would be the 9.3 but they'll all work with good premium bullets.

Mark

The longer barreled rifles tend to woks better on eland

We have shot eland with 300 Win Mag, 300 H&H, 338 Win Mag, 375 H&H and 416 Rem,....all of them with Barnes TSX bullets.

Of the 3 you have listed, I'd probably pick the 9.3, but all of them would do fine with a good bullet.

We had a guy in camp last june take a monster eland with a .30-06 using a barnes 180gr bullet. Seemed to do the trick just fine.

that said, its my plan to take a .35 whelen or my .375 H&H with me if/when I ever manage to add eland to "the list".. I think something shooting a bit heavier bullet (250-300gr) would make me a little more comfortable...

Although, our last PH tried very hard to convince my wife to take a cull eland (sickly) our last trip over with her .308 shooting 165gr TTSX.. he seemed to think it was plenty of gun for the job... She passed.. but thought about it pretty hard before deciding she wanted to keep chasing the zebra we were after at the time..

.375 H&H would be and was my preference. But of those on your list, the 9.3 would be my choice.

Jokes aside, we have shot many eland with 270 rifles.

Anything from the 260 Remington and similar cartridges and above will do.

All you have to do is put your bullets in the right place.

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Originally posted by Saeed:
Jokes aside, we have shot many eland with 270 rifles.

Anything from the 260 Remington and similar cartridges and above will do.

All you have to do is put your bullets in the right place.

That "all" or one "little thing" becomes everything. It also assumes the hunter actually knows "the right place" which with angling shots and massive shoulders may be a tough call for some. No offence intended to the original poster but what Saeed can do may not be a measure to apply to all hunters.

I do not believe an appropriate choice is a cartridge for when it all goes right, but rather one that will give you a better chance when things aren't quite perfect. Were that not the case we would hunt elephant with 6.5 Schoenauers and 7x57s.

Game departments are imperfect but minimum calibres had some basis in sense. Some also had a minimum for eland.

We all know you can't kill with a crappy shot or a miss, so choose the larger of those that you shoot well. The 9.3 would be my choice.

Eland are unaccommodating on poor shots or when the big shoulder bones are hit. I know this to be true. I've had a long day after an eland bull. Shoot a 7mm Rem if you are really fit and fancy a long jog.

I've used both 300 Win mag and 375 H&H, and they each went less than 100 yds. Eland are big but not bullet proof. Just be prepared for a long walk if you don't hit it good with whatever you use.

I have taken a grand total of one eland but it was an interesting experience. I was using a 375 H&H loaded with 300 grain Trophy Bonded factory Federal ammo. I shot him at about 175 yards and he went down like struck by lightning. When we got to him, he needed a finisher shot although he could not get up. I had aimed at the base of the neck and that's where the bullet went. The bullet was found flattened on the spine and looked like a silver dollar. It did not break the spine. It sure worked but after that lesson I decided to stay away from the big bones on an eland. My bull was huge and old but none the less I would want a tougher bullet if I ever repeated that shot.

9.3 is my "go to" gun for Eland.
if the shot is not perfect , perhaps only one lung is hit, then the larger diameter bullet will reduce your follow up.
sure you can kill them with a 222 in perfect conditions BUT in hunting circumstances it is prudent to prepare for the not so perfect situation

I'd pick the 9.3.

Perfect for the job IMHO, with little recoil, and you said you shoot them all reasonably well.

Good luck on your safari!

I shot one with a 72 pound bow a couple years ago. Made a good shot, heart. It was down in less than 50yards. I was quite surprised at the skin on that animal, it was very thin, thinner than a whitetail.
I wouldn’t think you need a real heavy caliber for them, but others have much more experience.

quote:

I wouldn’t think you need a real heavy caliber for them, but others have much more experience.

Eland is a rather "meaty" animal compared to other species of its size and the secret is correct choice of bullet; you want to avoid one which is too soft and which is likely to disintegrate on impact causing superficial damage which will result in a high-tailing Eland likely to be never seen again.

TSX, Nosler or Bear Claw would be the best bet as penetration and performance would produce better effects.

Should the shot get muffed for whatever reason and assuming the wound is not critical, it will get slowed by its weight and stop often to recuperate, giving you the possibility to send a second one home and seal the deal.

Any caliber from 7mm upwards gets the job done without too much fanfare.

A very big animal like eland just require a deep penetrating premium bullet from a reasonable caliber. Both 30/06 and 7mm mag are reasonable calibers for non-dangerous game and good for leopard too.

I've never shot an eland.

My choice would be my 9.3X62 with Lapua Mega, Norma or Woodleigh 286 gr or TSX 250 or 286 gr bullets. That is what I prepared for my aborted African safari.

If I was using a 7mm Mag I would definitely be using TSX 160gr or a 30'06 in 180 gr TSX.

I would keep away from light bullets in all calibers & definitely not the 232gr European bullets in 9.3X62.

quote:

Should the shot get muffed for whatever reason and assuming the wound is not critical, it will get slowed by its weight and stop often to recuperate, giving you the possibility to send a second one home and seal the deal.

Don't bank on it!

I'll put what I said differently. Body size of big bulls will often exceed buffalo. Shoulders (between which the vitals lie) are more massive. Legalities aside I would use what I consider appropriate for cleanly taking buffalo... not allowing for the fact that you may choose differently because buffalo can kill you. That may be 30-06. Your call.

Clearly I've had one specific eland impress me immensely.

quote:

Don't bank on it!

I've never lost one.