What is the best cartridge for plains game in your opinion? I am interested in hearing what you all have to say on this. I have never been to Africa so I have no opinion.

Christian,

I have only been to Africa once (last month) and I only shot 7 animals so I don't have much more experience than you do, but since you asked... IMO the best cartridge for PG is the one that YOU can shoot most accurately; for me that is a 300 RUM with a 180 gr Barnes TSX.

Regards,

Jason

I use a .416 rem mag. Never had a crip!

I have been there 6 times and have used 3 different calibers for plains game. I have used 7mm Rem Mag, .300 WM and 7mm Wby. I like them all. Use the gun that you shoot the best that is a .270 Win. or bigger. The 300 RUM is a good one but just a little too big to be comfortable to shoot a lot, my opinion. The short action cartridges allow you to take more ammo,but 50 - 60 rounds is all you will need. I have seen the 7mm-08 preform well. Just because you are looking to take 6-7 animals don't thimk that is all the shooting you will get. On one trip we had a 15 year old young man that took 35 animals, most at no expense, jackels, rock hyrex, baboon, spring hare. The .308 based cartridges are good. I wouldn't use a .260 Rem, but I have seen it work well. As always, bullet placement is the biggest factor.........Tom

My first is next year and I am taking a Sauer 90 in 8x68S and a Sauer 200 in 30/06 as a back up gun.

Not had a cripple yet in the states with either of them.

Your rifle that you are comfortable with, shoot well and trust.

Preferabbly at least a .30 cal or larger. (my preference, but there is nothing wrong with a .270 or 7mm).

No need for big thumpers on PG. I've had great sucess with .30-06 and 9.3x62. I love the 9.3, just because it plain works on PG.

Practice a LOT and be sure you can hit your mark. That way caliber is really of less importance.

Most importantly, have fun.....

Good luck.

I usually hunt PG in conjunction with DG so most of the time the hunting is done in bush country with shots within 200m.
For this, a 9.3mm is ideal.

I have used .25-06 Rem., 7mm Rem. Mag., .338 Win. Mag., .375 H&H Mag. and even .416 Rigby.

All of them did the job, as long as I did mine.

But I have to say that I really like the .338 Win. Mag. It would be my pick as the best pure PG rifle.

With 225 grain premium bullets, it will reach way out, if needed, and it will also hit with authority! No PG animal is too big for the .338.

On the last couple of trips, however, I took a .375 for PG, since it can do double duty as a PG rifle and also as a back up for whatever big bore DG rifle I have along.

Christian

It has to be at least a 375 magnum. Anything less and the animals will simply shrug it off and run away unharmed ... 416 or 458 is even better... seriously though... I'm kidding...

I am a big believer in the 270Win. There is not enough difference between it and the 30-06 to warrant a discussion... if you are a absolutely positively proficient with your 270 you are all set for any hoofed animal in the world. Don't let anyone convince you otherwise.

I'll second all those who reckon the best one is the one you shoot best with! Other than that more 30.06 and .308 ammo is sold here in South Africa than other calibres. If you bring one of these and your ammo doesn't make it there will always be a few boxes to be had. Ditto .375 or .270. JCHB

quote:

Originally posted by mrjulian_1970:
Christian

It has to be at least a 375 magnum. Anything less and the animals will simply shrug it off and run away unharmed ... 416 or 458 is even better... seriously though... I'm kidding...

I am a big believer in the 270Win. There is not enough difference between it and the 30-06 to warrant a discussion... if you are a absolutely positively proficient with your 270 you are all set for any hoofed animal in the world. Don't let anyone convince you otherwise.

Christian you are young and impressionable do not let this man influence you. Give the .270 to your mum or your sister (if you have one) and get yourself a proper gun.

Packing guns all over the World is not simple and easy, hence I believe in the one gun for everything approach. For Africa, that gun would be the .375 H&H or the like. I like the .375 H&H Ackley Improved, which will push a 300 gr bullet to 2900 fps. Thus, I'm legal for Cape Buffalo and can still reach out to 400 yds and beyond to kill plains game, if needed. Also, the .375 works nicely in North America. It can be loaded UP or DOWN to meet your needs.

Moreover, if I'm going to spend the time and money to go to Africa, I'm going to hunt Cape buffalo. Although one first-rate gun in .375 AI will do, if I were to take a second rifle, it would be another .375 AI so that I had a backup to the first.

Regards, AIU

Get a .338 with a decent recoil pad, load it with 210 grain Barnes Triple shock bullets, practice until you shoot it well.

In two plains game hunts I have taken 26 animals with the .338 and the 210 TSX. Not a single animal required tracking as none went far after the shot.

If you send me a pm I will send you some photos of game taken and of some of he recovered bullets. On both safaris my guides talked about the power of the rifle and the effect on game. One even borrowed it to shoot a Kudu for himself. .338 Win. Mag. is also really great on moose, elk, large bear, and even mule deer at longer distances. All of the 7mm and 300 mags work, just not as well and particularly if you are hunting Eland.

My first buffalo was taken with a .375 H&H. My August 2010 buffalo was taken with a ..458 Win Mag. For everything else I use the .338 Win Mag and it has never let me down.

338 Win mag with 225gr TSX.

With that load you should be able to bust 99% of all plainsgame from most angles.

quote:

Originally posted by Safari-Hunt:
338 Win mag with 225gr TSX.

With that load you should be able to bust 99% of all plainsgame from most angles.

I agree with you, and add to 300 Weatherby Magnum (I have two cartridges).

Oscar.

prior to WW II a lot of folks thought it was the 9.3 x 62 which at reasonable distances is prolly still in the mix!

330 Dakota with 250 gr Aframes...good for the little ones through eland, out in distance to your ability.
Bob

30-06 is very popular in south africa. you only need big bore for dangerous game. bigger is not always best when it comes to shooting shot what your shot best. size makes little difference when you have heart or brain shot something. and no animal know to ever walk the earth could tell you it the bullet that killed it was 180grains or 250grains. and they dang sure could not tell you the bullet speed either

I have only hunted plains game once.....I used a .300 H&H and 200 grain A-Frames....it was more than adequate!!!

I do plan a return visit some day.....and it will be with a M-70 push feed fwt in .30-06 and 180 grain A-Frames at 2700-2800 FPS.....I can see no reason for more gun and can see a lot of reasons for the FWT M-70.....

My PG rifle for Africa is going to be either my 7x57 Ruger #1 with 160 gr. Nosler Partitions (current favorite) or perhaps my "new" 300H&H - with who knows what kind of bullet. I dunno, I figure I'll hem and haw about it for months until I make the decision.

Either way should work just fine though.

IMO there is no "one" best cartridge out there. If you are hunting anything with the possible exception of eland the 270, 7 by 57, or up will work fine with proper bullets. After hunting eland this year and seeing how much muscle one has in its chest and shoulders I would/will/did opt for something larger than a 270/30-06 class.

My current preference is a 375H&H with 300 grain North Forks. A poor shot with it is still a poor shot, caliber will not make up for bad shooting. The 375 is also back up for my DG rifle if anything would happen to it.

300 Win Mag with 180-200gr premium bullets.I prefer Barnes X or North Forks. I've killed eland to oribi without a problem.Have fun!!

Christian,

I've used the 30-06, 300 Win Mag, 338 Win mag 375 H&H and 375 Weatherby on plains game. All worked well. I think when you get below the 30-06-308 Win. level of power you are going to have to pick your shots more carefully. Remember that some quite big and tough animals like eland, zebra and wildebeest could all be part of the bag on a plains game hunt.

Mark

338 WM is my choice

Good hunting

CF

There is no such thing as "best". Shot placement is everything and anything from 7X57 on up is OK as long as you know the limitations of you and your cartridge.

As you can read here, any mid-sized to large cartridge is the real answer to your question. The hunters here pick a certain round based on what they like to shoot, myself included. I'm a huge fan of the 375 H&H and typically that's my light rifle when I go over, so I can honestly say that has taken 90% of my plains game from Dik Dik to Eland. I have hauled a 30-06 and a 300WM over before, but still the 375 is what's in my hand most of the time.
As for the 375 not reaching out far enough, I've taken many animals beyond 300 yards, standing, shooting off sticks. Just know what your rifle and bullet will do at diffrent yardage.

I have used mostly a 300 Win Mag on hunts that were plains game only. On hunts that include dangerous game I used a 375 for plains game because that was the smallest rifle I would take. I like to take two rifles that provide for substituion in the evnt of a gun problem.
Christmas is right around the corner. I think a gift you will enjoy would be Craig Boddington's Safari Rifles. It is the answer to all the questions you have. If you go to Craig's web site to order, he will send you an autopgraphed copy. Good hunting!!!

It is my hope that I get to hunt Africa PG next summer and my plan is to take my 338-06. Haven't decided on a bullet yet but most likely the 200gr Accubond or 210gr Partition.

I used my 10.75 Mauser on impala to buff earlier this month and found it completely satisfactory. All shots inside of 150yds.

quote:

Originally posted by Blacktailer:
There is no such thing as "best". Shot placement is everything and anything from 7X57 on up is OK as long as you know the limitations of you and your cartridge.

I know my limitations, but what about when that animal moves at the last moment or you bullet touches that twig you didn't notice?
What I'm getting at is there are too many unforeseeable circumstances to rely on minimum calibres.
Another circumstance that can occur is when a Buffalo, hippo or Elephant become available at short notice at a price to good to refuse.
I think its better to be a tad over gunned for most plains game with something in the 9.3mm to 40cal range. And of course get use to shooting it.

quote:

Originally posted by Blacktailer:
There is no such thing as "best". Shot placement is everything and anything from 7X57 on up is OK as long as you know the limitations of you and your cartridge.

I would confidently start at .260rem/6.5x55 and go up in bore/power, as you desire or require.
6.5 140gn 2800mv is nothing to ignore if used within its range/capability.
after that, I dont feel I would ever need more than a 30/06, 300mag, 8x68s with a 150-160gn monometal.

My 300 Win Mag has served me well on two trips thus far. Once using the old 180 gr Nosler Partition Golds and the last using the 180 gr Barnes TSX bullets.

.308 win - for flatter shooting the 7x64
Both in nice light accurate rifles that you can comfortably carry.
Zero at 150m and then test at 75 and 200 and 300.

Now some advice though as this is far more important that what rifle you are shooting.

When you arrive in Africa. Give your PH a little laminated peice of paper with the hold over and under and explain it to him. At the same time give him a Leica range finder and teach him how to use it. Then you tell him that you would like him to range anything beyond 75yards for you and keep doing it before asking you to fire.
Also when you arrive, take out your copy of "The perfect shot" and explain to the PH what you think on the shoulder means. That way he will not try and paint any visual pictures for you when the seconds are ticking but rather say, "Springbuck Ram - 200m - Moving Right to left - 3rd from the left. When he stops shoot him on the shoulder. Aim straight no wind. You hold over 1 dot on your Milldot scope as you are shooting 150Gr monometal bullets. To be sure you go for the upper third of the lung as it gives you margin for error should you tense at the shot and pull your point of aim down with the trigger.

Buy some shooting sticks in the US, together with a buddy practice with him as the PH. Get him to spot something whilst in front of you walking , he then sets the sticks, steps to the side and ranges whilst you settle on the sticks. Get comfortable with resting the rifle on the sticks and then grabbing them at the fork and picking the whole lot up and shifting direction. If you can do this on the fly while the PH is still focused on getting you an animal you will be able to shoot far more accurately and quickly. When you meet your PH show him what you have practiced and explain what you are comfortable doing and what your maximum range is that you want to be shooting. Don't ever shoot further than you have practiced for or know you can handle, you will just end up getting cheated out of a trophy

If you are comfortable with the process at the time of the shot you will shoot accurately. I have filmed some clients with crap PH's that drag some poor guy out into the field without much more than a hello at the airport. They then bugger up the first stalk and the client ends up thinking its his fault for missing or wounding when in fact it is the PH's fault for not getting the client settled in properly.

Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance - The 5 P's works every time

Sage advice from Ian.

But it does not reply to the question. My reply is: The rifle & cartride combination with which you can (after following Ian's advice)let at least about 100 grains of remaining bullet pass through the top of the heart with the greatest regularity.

In good hunting! Enjoy your planning, preparation and actual safari!

Andrew McLaren

Well said Andrew.
+1 for adequate weight retention and penetration regardless of caliber on given species at intended range.
And that should open up a suitable hornets nest with regards to bullet performance.
Bit like those bees at Kings Park yesterday.

The .338 WM with 225gr TTSX's (3000fps mv) worked fine for me. 27" Kreiger barrel(#5 taper), sako action, most shots were 200 to 300 yards. I would use that combo again without hesitation.

I talked with my PH quite a bit about rifle cartridges that he's seen and what works and what don't. Basically, what has already been said, shoot the biggest cartridge that you can effectively shoot. He's seen guys with 25-06's put down more game than those with big ultra mags. He seemed to honestly like the 338's, it sounded like he liked the 325 wsm, as well. I think bullet construction and shot placement means more than anything, no matter what you're shooting.

There's lots of great cartridges. I recently took a .300 Weatherby Mag and a .375 and both did fine. However, the PH had a camp gun that got used almost everyday by some of the europeans and some Americans who didn't want the hassle of bringing a rifle. The camp gun was a Mauser 660 chambered for 8x68S and it killed everything it needed to. The PH's only complaint was that the ammo was expensive.

What is the best car for driving to the mall?

In bushveld, I would go with something like:
.30-06 with bonded 180gr;
.300Win Mag with 200gr A-frame;
.338Win mag with 250gr (if you handle the recoil);
9,3x62 with 286gr; or
.375 with 270gr or 300gr
All of these calibres should be readily available in most places if your ammo doesn't show up (maybe the .338 less so?). There is alot to be said for the latter 2 if you are hunting in a DG area.

If you are hunting in more open terrain e.g. Namibia, then I would look at:
.300 Win Mag with 180gr to 200gr; or the 8x68S

If you want an interesting read on the subject, I suggest you pick up a copy of Rifles for Africa by Gregor Woods from Safari Press.

Its a start - hope it helps!

My bottom line.

Anything you already own and shoot well between .30 and .375 cal. using modern ammunition, manufacturer and bullet type not particularly relevant.