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I have booked a hunt with Mike Kibble in Namibia for 2008. My main rifle will be a 338/378 WBY Accumark firing 240 North Fork HG SP's. The largest animal taken will be a old stink bull Giraffe...............do you blokes have any other suggestions for projectiles in this cartridge for a Giraffe. NB: Posting; "use a 458 Lott etc" is a waste of time, as the rifle I will be using is the 338/378............. All suggestions on projectile type are welcomed!! Solid versus soft-TSX versus North Fork, versus Swift etc... Cheers. Verbera!, Iugula!, Iugula!!! Blair. | ||
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You should be just fine with the load you have. After the first shot get in a insurance shot if you need. These giraffe can cover a lot of ground pretty quick pretty fast. But shot placement is the key make sure you know where the heart is situated quite different to any other game. Frederik Cocquyt I always try to use enough gun but then sometimes a brainshot works just as good. | |||
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Blair I have shot 2 Giraffe, one with a 450 No2, and the other with a 9,3x74R. I assisted on a 3rd with my 450/400. I used only solids and I recommend you do the same. Do you plan to head shoot or body shoot? PS. Giraffe are a lot of fun to hunt. DOUBLE RIFLE SHOOTERS SOCIETY | |||
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Thanks SH. So noted. Any thoughts on a head shot................? Verbera!, Iugula!, Iugula!!! Blair. | |||
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N E 450, Depends on how the stalk winds up.......probably a body shot will be the most likely, I would imagine. Was thinking a Barnes Banded Solid might be handy? Verbera!, Iugula!, Iugula!!! Blair. | |||
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If you do get close enough you can easily go for a head or neck shot. The heart is just 3-5 times larger target. Giraffe hunting is not as easy as it seems a huge best in the open. But with your flat shooting rifle you should not have any problems going for head or neck. Frederik Cocquyt I always try to use enough gun but then sometimes a brainshot works just as good. | |||
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SH, The 240 NF appropriate for a head shot in your opinion? Cheers, Verbera!, Iugula!, Iugula!!! Blair. | |||
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Yes, no problem you dont have to drive the bullet trough feet of skull and bone like an elephant.  Frederik Cocquyt I always try to use enough gun but then sometimes a brainshot works just as good. | |||
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Cheers mate. Thanks for the advice  Verbera!, Iugula!, Iugula!!! Blair. | |||
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Use a .458 Lott   "...Them, they were Giants!" J.A. Hunter describing the early explorers and settlers of East Africa hunting is not about the killing but about the chase of the hunt.... Ortega Y Gasset | |||
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I would definately want to have some solids. I would try to find a solid load that hits as near as possible to my NF soft load. Or if you have the NF soft a fedw inches high at 100 the solids hitting close to the crisshairs at 100 yards. The North Fork Soft is an excellent choice. AS long as your solids are going at least 2200fps they give you all the penetration you need, ie they do not have to be as fast as your NF Soft. DOUBLE RIFLE SHOOTERS SOCIETY | |||
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Be careful with the head shot. A friend tried that shot and if it wasn't for the PH getting in a back up shot real quick he probably would have lost it. Depending on the angle you can get yourself in trouble. I used a 416 Rem on mine. Heart shot is not behind shoulder. So be sure and look at a placement book to be certain. Make great mounts. Save back skin as well Save skull as it is a great conversation piece. | |||
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Good luck with Jerry. Take this animal very seriously. I am unaware of your capabilities but I would not take a neck shot and would only take a brain shot if I was extremely confident in the situation. When shooting at heart keep shooting if he is on his feet. Shoot solids. If you can upgrade to the Lott do it. My close friends and I have shot 6 giraffe with only 3 recovered. The 3 recovered were body shot with large bore solids to the body. one of the lost ones was hit at least 7 times with .375. One other was shot 1 time with .470 and 2 times with .458 Win.. The only one I personally killed died from a single solid 500 gr. from a .458 Lott. | |||
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I will only use solids. Make sure about shot placement. Study the animal, the heart sits very high and well to the front. If you go for a "head"shot, it is not really a true headshot, you put your bullet centre in the neck just behind the skull, this will severe the spinal cord and the bull will drop, they have large necks. Make very sure of your shot, whether it is a heart lung shot or a high neck shot, they have tough skins and can go a very long way. I will use the heaviest solid available. Life is how you spend the time between hunting trips. Through Responsible Sustainable hunting we serve Conservation. Outfitter permit no. Limpopo ZA/LP/73984 PH permit no. Limpopo ZA/LP/81197 Jaco Human SA Hunting Experience jacohu@mweb.co.za www.sahuntexp.com | |||
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A last thaught, I will not consider a brain shot, their brains are very small compared to the size of their skulls. If you miss it you will be busy for a very long time to catch up with that bull. Life is how you spend the time between hunting trips. Through Responsible Sustainable hunting we serve Conservation. Outfitter permit no. Limpopo ZA/LP/73984 PH permit no. Limpopo ZA/LP/81197 Jaco Human SA Hunting Experience jacohu@mweb.co.za www.sahuntexp.com | |||
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Blair I have never shot a giraffe but a friend and very experienced hunter just came back from RSA where he shot a huge bull. The 250 NP from his 338 only pentrated one lung on a broadside shot. This indicates to me that the TSX or X is the only expending bullet up to the job. If you use solids remember you don't have the frontal area of larger solids so the wound channel may be quite small making precise shot placement extremely important. Personally I think a larger caliber with solids would be the prudent choice. Mark MARK H. YOUNG MARK'S EXCLUSIVE ADVENTURES 7094 Oakleigh Dr. Las Vegas, NV 89110 Office 702-848-1693 Cell, Whats App, Signal 307-250-1156 PREFERRED E-mail markttc@msn.com Website: myexclusiveadventures.com Skype: markhyhunter Check us out on https://www.facebook.com/pages...ures/627027353990716 | |||
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I took my old bull with a 225 barnes x launched from a 338 win mag (back before the triple shock was around) It was a very steady frontal heart shot and the bull went down in 10 quick leaps. (which took him well over 100 yards) He shuddered at the hit and staggered on the 4th and 6th leap and I was applying pressure on the trigger when he finally fell. The massive heart had a nicely cut barnes x type hole thru it that you could easily get 3 fingers in so it was hard to believe he stayed up as well as he did. Another old bull was taken the same week and it took an initial poor hit from a 300 and a magazine full of lead from a it and a 450 to finally anchor it. So I'm sold on a tough expandable bullet and good shot placement over bone smashing but in the end if one is leaving with a blood trail it might take some of both!   If you only have 8' ceilings and you cape them right you can get a full dining room rug and a ceiling high neck mount out of a big male! PS: I agree they are fun to hunt, its like stalking game with it havving the tree stand advantage! You can read some of the details of my giraffe hunt in the last 2/3rd of the 3rd column of the story I wrote @: Another Great Safari... Good Hunting Mike O | |||
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if it is this one those north forks should be best   577 BME 3"500 KILL ALL 358 GREMLIN 404-375 *we band of 45-70ers* (Founder) Single Shot Shooters Society S.S.S.S. (Founder) | |||
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here is a pic of the stink bull I took last July near the RSA-Zim border.. I used a Hill Country Inc. rifle in .300RUM with 200 grain Barnes bullets .. 1st shot was right on the money on a broadside shot.. Second shot was quartering away after he decided to put the afterburners on.. a tad far back, but still high in the lungs. 3rd shot was right above the base of the tail. This one dropped him like a sack o' potatoes.. I then went ahead and put one last one into him for insurance.. 4 shots all within about 80 yards. End result... one big animal on the ground!  | |||
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A friend of mine wanted to shoot a giraffe. We told him to be careful of his shot, and make sure he did not shoot too high. Despite this, he shot it far too high. The giraffe started running, and he started shooting at his wobbling head. He never hit it. The giraffe was making a beeline to the other concesstion, I had to spine it, and it dropped on the road seperating the two concessions! | |||
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Gentlemen, Thanks for all the input and bloody good stories from you blokes I must admit I was leaning towards a TSX if using a soft instead of the 240 NF or solids in lieu. Saeed, I heard about a shot you made on an eland from Dion Van Niekirk, I have no doubt that giraffe was a dead bull running  Verbera!, Iugula!, Iugula!!! Blair. | |||
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Nice taxidermy, Mike Verbera!, Iugula!, Iugula!!! Blair. | |||
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Is that a blow up doll?, Boomy  Verbera!, Iugula!, Iugula!!! Blair. | |||
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Verbera!, Iugula!, Iugula!!! Blair. | |||
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Blair, I would give the woodleigh 300 gr or are the 310 gr softs a go that big case will still drive them at 2700 fps I reckon maybe more deep penetration and good expansion you shall have " P.S. I know nothing of hunting African game so thats just what I would load if I had your gun and trip | |||
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Dion is being too kind. He might have forgotten to mention that they were 20 eland bulls standing together. I just aimed in the middle of the lot, and luckily hit one! Twice! | |||
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Looks like some of the women I've seen waddling across the parking lot at Wal-Mart...  Jason "Chance favors the prepared mind." | |||
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BLAIR You may loose your petals with the tsx, at those velocaties, try the nosler e tip it should be avaliable by then,still think the north fork is the way to go at those speeds its INDISTRUCTABLE... Daniel | |||
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Daniel, Good suggestion. Thanks mate. Cheers. Verbera!, Iugula!, Iugula!!! Blair. | |||
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PC, I was thinking about the Woddleigh's but was unsure as to whether the jacket would be heavy enough. They certainly have the SD! Verbera!, Iugula!, Iugula!!! Blair. | |||
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Dion did mention it was a very long way............................................ Verbera!, Iugula!, Iugula!!! Blair. | |||
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Blair Woodleighs expand to a very large diameter. I wouold be concerned about their penetration from your rifle. The NF Softs are a great bullet, I might use one for my first shot, but I would think about solids for the follow ups. DOUBLE RIFLE SHOOTERS SOCIETY | |||
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My pal in Namibia uses a .338 win for about everything. I had sent him some speer 275 grain bullets at one time. He used those on a big bull. Heart shot, it ran 30 yds and fell, he put another into the back of the skull for insurance at 10 yds. He couldnt find the bullet as it went on into the guts, but said the hole in the heart was impressive. | |||
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TSJ, That does bring to mind perhaps using the 275 A-Frame...................with solids for back up. Hmm........ Verbera!, Iugula!, Iugula!!! Blair. | |||
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I think you should shoot it in the chest with 240 gr north forks to see what happens. | |||
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Dan, I'm up for that.........what do you predict will happen, assuming I put the bullet in the correct part of the chest? Verbera!, Iugula!, Iugula!!! Blair. | |||
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If you miss the shoulder blade and hit the lungs, the giraffe will run 50 to 100 yards and drop. If you hit the shoulder blade, all bets are off with that light bullet. | |||
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300 grain Woodleigh soft (blue nose). | |||
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Fair enough Duly noted. Verbera!, Iugula!, Iugula!!! Blair. | |||
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.338 solids are fantastic penetrators. A giraffe has thicker skin and heavier bones (BY FAR) than a Cape Buffalo. While I am unfamiliar with Northforks I still think it is bordering on foolhardy to use anything but solids on giraffe. I have been in on many many giraffe kills - and a couple of woundings as well, I once walked 2 full days on blood spoor and never saw the animal once. It was hit 3 times, twice with a .375 and once with a .458 WM. To be sure shot placement is first, BUT penetration to the vitals is a must. Experiment on a big giraffe bull at the peril of your feet and your wallet. | |||
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The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting African Big Game Hunting Giraffe-Which Bullet with a 338/378?
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