The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting African Big Game Hunting .270 Winchester on PGGo | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
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I am new here so first I will say hello to everyone. I may be 13, but I am a member of several forums and I am not "thin skinned", so don't worry. So, my question is regarding the .270 Win on plainsgame. I have not booked a hunt in Africa but I am hoping to. I currently use a .270 Winchester and I am wondering if it would be enough for plains-game from Impala size to Kudu/Gemsbok size? I prefer 150 grain bullets so I do use a heavy bullet. I have talked to PH's and have some said it was fine and others didn't seem pleased, so this is why I am asking this. Is it a little too small or is it big enough for me to use? BTW, I am not a poor shot, but nor am I the best shot in the world. I have hit a White-Tail Deer at 175 yards (me + my dad paced the yardage) so this should show that I am not innacurate. | ||
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13 year olds don't book African trips, and are old enough to know proper grammar.  Ted Kennedy's car has killed more people than my guns | |||
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Bullet placement is far more important than what caliber you use. I've used the 270 on PG with 140 gr TSX and 150 gr Nosler Partitions and they worked just fine. Welcome to AR. Remember, forgivness is easier to get than permission. | |||
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Yes, it will work just fine. Shot placement and premium bullets are the two key ingredients. | |||
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Hi Christian, it is great you are preparing for Africa and asking good questions. For what it is worth, a few years ago, my then 12 year old son used a 7x57 for his first plains game safari and did just fine. Shot Placement is really key so practice, practice, practice & off of shooting sticks before you go as well.... best regards, mark | |||
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Should be fine on any species of plains game under 800 pounds. Practice your shooting,proper shot placement is the most important thing you can do to help yourself | |||
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Welcome Christian and good post. Your .270 will be fine. Your PH will know the limitations of you and your gun. Good luck on booking your plains game hunt. "If you are not working to protect hunting, then you are working to destroy it". Fred Bear | |||
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Howdy Christian, I remember day dreaming about hunting the green hills of Africa when I was a young man. Your .270 will do just fine but I'd like to wager that by the time you can afford to book a hunt to Africa that you've got few rifles besides your .270. | |||
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Christian, If you're about to book a hunt in Africa and can afford it, you can afford something a bit more than a 270. Nothing wrong with a 270, but there's not much room for error. I suggest being somewhat over-gunned than under-gunned. Africa is a too big an investment in time and resources to be unprepared for any situation in any manner. I just got back from Africa and harvested Cape buffalo, gemsbuck, eland, wildebeest (blue & black), impala, springbuck, sable and kudu. A 270 is perfect for Impala and Springbuck, but the other critters averaged 400 to 500 lbs. each, and the Eland and Cape buffalo were both closer to 1500 lbs. I wanted one gun for all, and I used a 375 H&H Ackley Improved (aka., 375 Weatherby) with 300 gr. Failsafe bullets. The average distance was 225 yards. A 375 H&H would also be more than enough gun for all those species, in fact .375 or larger is mandatory for the Cape buffalo. Like you, I started hunting big game young, and I was lucky to have a great Dad who was also a greater teacher. At 13 I could have handled a .375 H&H with a caring mentor; and, I assume you probably could too. But, if this is too big, I'd suggest at least a 300 Win Mag loaded with 180 or 200 gr. Nosler partitions or Accubonds. Let us know how you do? Regards, AIU | |||
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I know that. My dad would of course. | |||
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If I would get to go I would probably buy a new rifle in .30-06, something like a Ruger or a Remington. BTW, We are not booked. I am just hoping that soon I will be able to go to Africa, it is something I have been dreaming of for 4 years. | |||
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Christian, My son’s first trip to RSA was at your age. We had a fabulous time together on that trip with father and son memories to last a lifetime. I hope you and your father will travel there soon! Regarding your rifle choice, this was the same caliber my son utilized with premium bullets heavy as you mentioned. For him, it proved to be a very good choice. He too is a very good shot. All his animals were one shot kills as I recall from 50 yards to 250 yards. The animals he killed included warthog, zebra, bushbuck, kudu, gemsbok, blesbok, and impala. He also killed a black mamba with his rifle as well. I can still hear the tracker yelling “Snake, mamba, shoot, snake, mamba, shoot! There may be other great rifle choices but from personal experience I can recommend your choice as one that will work well with good bullets and a straight shot. Shawn Joyce Diizche Safari Adventures P.O. Box 1445 Lincoln, CA 95648 E-mail: shawn.joyce@diizchesafariadventures.net Cell: (916) 804-3318 Shoot Straight, Live the Dream, and Keep Turning the Pages to Your Next Adventure!™ Website- www.DiizcheSafariAdventures.com Blog- http://diizchesafari.blogspot.com/ Twitter- http://twitter.com/DiizcheSafari YouTube- http://www.youtube.com/user/shawncjoyce Facebook- http://on.fb.me/gYytdn Instagram: diizchesafari_official | |||
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Christian, as others have said, you'll be fine with your .270. You're better off using a gun you're familiar with and which you shoot well, than to go get a new gun for this trip. Use good 150 grain bullets and you'll be fine. My family and I have taken a number of african plains game with .270s, ranging from warthogs, to kudu, sable, nyala and game as large as zebra. All were one shot kills, with the exception of a sable my wife shot, but that was totally due to her bullet placement. Where her first shot hit would have never killed the bull, though it did effectively ruin his love life had she not finished him with anotehr shot. We've always shot 150 grain nosler partitions and never had the slightest problem. Except for eland, you shouldn't feel undergunned with your .270 for any plains game. By the way, don't feel like you ever need to apologize for your grammar or spelling. Even at 13, you're way ahead of a number of our older posters! | |||
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Christian: I think you will do fine on game up to kudu and gemsbok with your .270 and a very good (Barnes TSX, Nosler Partition/E-tip, Hornady GMX etc.) 150-grain bullet. All you need to do is practice, practice, practice so that you can honestly tell yourself that you are in fact a very good shot. This practice cannot be off a bench rest. Do it offhand or from a field rest or from a set of sticks. Bench rest simply does not count, and don't ask me how I know ... Also have your parents get you a copy of "The Perfect Shot" by Dr. Kevin Robertson, an African hunter and a veterinarian. It will help you to visualize where you absolutely MUST place your bullet on the species you wish to hunt. I started dreaming about Africa when I was your age, thanks to a subscription from my grandmother to a magazine called Outdoor Life, and articles by a hunter named Jack O'Connor. I am sorry to say I waited more than 40 years to make my dream come true. I hope you can go before you are even of college age! And even though you are thick-skinned, don't let grumpy and uncalled-for comments by the poster named Doc discourage you. I know "trained" journalists who haven't your grammar skills. Very best to you, young man! Bill There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn’t. – John Green, author | |||
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Chris, Your 270 will do just fine...just practice with a pelletgun or 22 until you make it to Africa. I also dreamed of Africa when I was your age and made my 1st safari at age 43. I have been there 4 times now. Do good in school and keep your eyes on your dream. | |||
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Doc, What great words of wisdom and inspiration for a 13 year old! Great Job...
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Your 270 is just fine...take the $750 you would spend on a new rifle and scope and shoot more animals... The 270 is used every year to take 100s of elk and dozens of moose. Africa maybe a magical place for a hunter's heart and soul but African Plains game are neither magical or bullet proof. A 150 grn 270 will penetrate like you can't believe and if you put on through both lungs you will kill any Plains Game on the planet. Mike Legistine actu quod scripsi? Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.  What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | |||
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Christian, Welcome to the forum. The 270 will do just fine for any plains game. I have used various 270 rifles to shoot severel hundred African game animals. Ranging from greysbuck to eland. never felt I needed anything bigger. As mentioned previously. Bullet placement and using premium bullets are more important than caliber size. | |||
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Christian, Welcome aboard! I can only agree with all the above posters. Your .270 will do just fine. 150 gr. nosler partitions will do just fine. Good luck on pursuing your adventure. I sure wish I could have made my 1st trip back in my teens or 20s. Mad Dog | |||
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I also hope we go there soon! I love the .270 Winchester because it is a cartridge I shoot well with. I don't shoot as well with the .30-06 as I do with the .270 Win at the range. I don't shoot poorly with the .30-06, just not as well. | |||
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I agree. I would rather use a .270 Win that I am used too, than a .30-06 that I am not. I know my .270 Win very well.... I play around with it all of the time (of course I always check to make sure it isn't loaded) so I know it very well. | |||
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You'll be fine Christian, Adam and I went to Africa a couple of months ago. He used a .270 and I used a 30.06. Buggered If I could see a difference between the 150 grain .270 and the 180 grain 30 cal on the plains game we shot. More detail here: hunt report | |||
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I have practiced more with a .22 L.R than any other cartridge. My dad bought me a Crickett .22 L.R when I was about 5 years old. My dad said that I've probably fired around 2,000 (yes 2,000) rds of .22. I always shoot 25-50 rounds at every range visit so that is how I have fired so much .22 L.R. I currently have over 400 rounds of .22 L.R waitingto be fired at the range or at varmints! | |||
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SYes, it has killed its fair share of Elk and Moose! In fact, me and my dad are hoping to go to Colorado for Elk this year or next year, I would be taking the .270 with 150 grainers if it happens. | |||
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Dea All, I have a question. Of those who have posted on this thread - what caliber do you use when you hunt plains game in Africa? Regards, AIU | |||
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I shoot a 338 Win Mag, AND a 270 Win most of the time. Remember, forgivness is easier to get than permission. | |||
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I have built a 30/404 for my own plains game hunting. Which I have only used once. I have not been plains game hunting since that time. The reason for this was that on my first plains game hunt in South Africa, I had a 375/404 and a 270/404 Short. I found that there really was no reason for me to use a 375/404 for plains game at all. As the 270/404 Short performed as well as I had wished it to. We shot quite a number of animals with it, including an eland at over 500 yards. I found that some shots can be quite far across canyons in some parts of South Africa. Hence my decision to build a 30/404. This one has a 27 inch barrel, and shoots 180 grain bullets at between 3430-3480 fps. Depending on the make of bullet. | |||
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.223 Rem .280/7mm Express .375 H&H 12 ga (varmints, waterfowl & upland birds) Gray Ghost Hunting Safaris http://grayghostsafaris.com Phone: 615-860-4333 Email: hunts@grayghostsafaris.com NRA Benefactor DSC Professional Member SCI Member RMEF Life Member NWTF Guardian Life Sponsor NAHC Life Member Rowland Ward - SCI Scorer Took the wife the Eastern Cape for her first hunt: http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6881000262 Hunting in the Stormberg, Winterberg and Hankey Mountains of the Eastern Cape 2018 http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/4801073142 Hunting the Eastern Cape, RSA May 22nd - June 15th 2007 http://forums.accuratereloadin...=810104007#810104007 16 Days in Zimbabwe: Leopard, plains game, fowl and more: http://forums.accuratereloadin...=212108409#212108409 Natal: Rhino, Croc, Nyala, Bushbuck and more http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6341092311 Recent hunt in the Eastern Cape, August 2010: Pics added http://forums.accuratereloadin...261039941#9261039941 10 days in the Stormberg Mountains http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/7781081322 Back in the Stormberg Mountains with friends: May-June 2017 http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6001078232 "Peace is that brief glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading" - Thomas Jefferson Every morning the Zebra wakes up knowing it must outrun the fastest Lion if it wants to stay alive. Every morning the Lion wakes up knowing it must outrun the slowest Zebra or it will starve. It makes no difference if you are a Zebra or a Lion; when the Sun comes up in Africa, you must wake up running...... "If you're being chased by a Lion, you don't have to be faster than the Lion, you just have to be faster than the person next to you." | |||
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The .270 will work perfectly as long as your bullet placement is right. I have killed many plains game animals in Africa with the .270 and 140 grain bullets. No need to buy a new rifle.  | |||
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Sort of disagree and I have seen more plains game wounded in Africa with the .270 then any other caliber. Some may also disagree but African game is a far tougher than any American specie. ROYAL KAFUE LTD Email - kafueroyal@gmail.com Tel/Whatsapp (00260) 975315144 Instagram - kafueroyal | |||
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Your 270 with a good hard bullet will work just fine on plainsgame. My wife and daughter both use 7mm Mauser, which is loaded below 270 ballistics specs, and they have killed plainsgame up to and including Kudu. Last year my wife wanted to shoot a zebra so she used my 30-06 loaded with 150 grain bullets. One shot kill. You don't need a cannon to take down plainsgame. Elephant Hunter, Double Rifle Shooter Society, NRA Lifetime Member, Ten Safaris, in RSA, Namibia, Zimbabwe | |||
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Hi Christian. With the experience of ten safaris, I'd suggest that the 270 is too light for eland unless you can get a very good presentation. A side-on, perfectly placed shot will do the job, but many shots in Africa are necessarily somewhat hurried. A bit of advice: Buy (or ask for one for Christmas) a nice leather bound journal and start recording your hunting experiences. It will be of great value for information as well as pleasant reading in the future. Imagine yourself much older, say 60 (Yes, you will be 60 some day), and reading of your early hunts. Best of luck. | |||
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People should be told not to use bullets designed for white tailed deer for their safari bullets. A lot of people don't know that there are huge differences in bullet designs. Elephant Hunter, Double Rifle Shooter Society, NRA Lifetime Member, Ten Safaris, in RSA, Namibia, Zimbabwe | |||
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I noticed that they are tougher, the point as far I was concerned was that the Impala that would retain a 150 grain .270 bullet on a quartering shot, would also retain a 180 grain bullet from my '06. My hunting partner and I were both using conventional bullets though. Were the majority of wounding you saw with the 130 grain bullet in the .270 and would that number compare to the instances of 30 cal users with 150 grain bullets? Regards, A | |||
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I've killed 50+ big game animals with my 7mmRemMag using 160gr Accubond, Barnes TSX, Nosler Partition, and Trophy Bonded Tipped Bullets. I now only use the 160gr TB Tipped Bullet sinc I think it's the best of the bunch. The biggest animal killed was a huge Eland at 50 yards and the bullet was recovered intact under the skin on the off side. I also shot a big Zebra in the chest at 100 or so yards and the bullet was lodged in the hip bone after 4 feet of penetration. Remember, at these ranges the bullet was still traveling at high velocity, so I think you couldn't ask for more out of a bullet. With that said, this load groups 1/2 inch at 100 yards. I have also taken a Baboon with it at 516 yards. Who could ask for more?? | |||
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Firstly Welcome to AR Christian In response to your question regarding the 270....,I having a fair few years of experience under my belt,including a 7 year old using the same caliber to harvest many plains game animals in Botswana,have these few words for you........ITS NOT THE SIZE OF THE PACKAGE,ITS THE ADDRESS THAT ITS SENT TO................shoot straight,dream big and enjoy young man. | |||
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To be honest I cannot be certain and generally I have no interest in ballistics, just what works. For the thirteen year old I would suggest something a little heavier. Maybe the 30,06 he has been using is not fitting him proper or has another fault? My very first rifle was a 30.06 and I have owned and sold on many rifles but not this one. ROYAL KAFUE LTD Email - kafueroyal@gmail.com Tel/Whatsapp (00260) 975315144 Instagram - kafueroyal | |||
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The .270 is not to blame for this, poor bullet choice is. I bet that a good portion of those wounded animals where the result of 130 grain bullets. You can't tell me a good 150 grain wouldn't kill any Kudu or Gemsbok. It has killed plenty of Moose here in America and they are tougher than any 500-600 pund Gemsbok. | |||
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I didn't include Eland in my Impala-Kudu/Gemsbok range. I would wait until I'm older when I can handle something bigger than .30-06 to tackle Eland. I have shot a .375 H&H (Hornady 270 grain) previously and it didn't really bother me so maybe I can handle something like that... But why risk wounding an animal because I flinched because of anticipation of recoil? | |||
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The .30-06 I had been using had a fault. That is why I have a .270, I traded the .30-06 off. | |||
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