Thinking of using my Dakota 10 on a hunt for Kudu, Bushbuck and Warthog. What do you guys think. With a tough bullet is it enough gun?

Yes

No.

Yes. Just pick your shots wisely.

I'd go 120gr. TSX and poke it through the broadside.

We all know it could be done, but should it be done? I'm with Michael on this.

It will work if you do your part. Kudu are neither as big or as tough as an elk. While not a choice that allows you to take one from any angle, it will do fine with a premium bullet as long as you avoid hard quartering away and Texas heart shots.

Sure with a perfect shot but wouldn't be my choice. They are a big critter!

Frankly, I'd worry just as much about the bushbuck, but then I tend to overgun.

I would not hesitate on using it for one minute.

Use good bullets, and as always, make sure of your shot placement.

Thinking of Barnes 115 TSX or 100 TSX

On the one hand, I wonder WHY?

On the other hand, we've shot kudu, sable, zebra, and other stuff that was DRT with a 150 gr Nosler partition out of a .270, so if you're careful about shot placement and angle, why not?

African hunters seem to like heavier slower bullets for their game.

I killed a few pronghorns with a 25-06, and one forkie mule deer.

Personally I'd rather have a slower round with more bullet. As much as I like the 7mm Rem Mag, I'd rather have a 30-06 unless I knew every shot was going to be over 300 yards.

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African hunters seem to like heavier slower bullets for their game.

I am afraid I am one of the African hunters who does not agree with the above statement.

I like reasonable speed - speed that gives good penetration.

Excessive speed seems to lessen penetration, and so does excessively slow speed.

I hunt with a dakota 10 a fair amount although mine is in 7x57.

I will tell you that I shot my last Kudu with a perfect double lung shot broadside at 100 yards with a 7x57 using a nosler partition 175gr bullet that opened up perfectly with a muzzle velocity of 2437fps.

On every point from BC to mass to foot pounds of energy my bullet exceeds what you can muster with your 25-06. The kudu still ran 25 yards before he collapsed.

Add to this, your Dakota will not allow a rapid reload to put a second shot in since you must extract your shell and manually tuck another one in the single shot. This isn't promising for a 1-2 anchor/insurance approach.

It appears that the biggest bullet you can put in the 25-06 is a 120gr bullet. Not a great option for an animal of that size in my opinion.

I'd say the smallest I would use is a 6.5x55 swede with a 156-160gr bullet or a 7x57 with a 160gr bullet. That would be the floor for margin of error for me.

I blew my shot on a zebra with my trusty rifle and it was a lung/liver shot that got both lungs right at the diaphragm. I was only 8-12" back from the sergeant chevrons, right? That horse ran 250-300 yards before it expired. Barely a drop of blood every 20 yards. Because the shot was high the cavity filled making tracking for 5-6 trackers plus me and the PH a tricky job. That again was a 175gr 7x57 shot. Had that shot been with your 25-06 that animal would have expired 4-6 hours later 3 miles away, it would have been unrecovered that night and lions would have finished it via moonlight.

Life is too short to not have the right gun. Go get another dakota 10 to match the one you have in 7x57 or 30-06 or 300H&H and you'll have the sister gun you need for the bigger stuff.

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Originally posted by Saeed:

I like reasonable speed - speed that gives good penetration.

Excessive speed seems to lessen penetration, and so does excessively slow speed.

This sums up most bullet performance in a nutshell right here!!!!!

I would go for it. I killed a buffalo bull (Australian) with two chest shots from a .22-250 and Barnes TSX (55 grain) bullets. So a kudu with something bigger than that shouldn't present a problem. They are not renowned for being among the very toughest of African animal.

Use a tough bullet like a barnes tsx, place your shot correctly (not that this has to be said) and you'll have a dead kudu. You won't be able to take texas heart shots but you can definitely kill a kudu with it.

Also consider guys that he is going for ONE kudu not that he is going to kill several from which whatever position he might get a shot.

On my one and only Kudu, I hunted an area that was thick, with scattered semi open areas. The Kudu stayed out of the open areas, and never showed themselves in the open. We scared one with the truck that ran across the dirt road, and instantly ran into the brush. I had one shot at a Kudu the entire safari, and it came in a spot where all I could see was the Kudu's face and horns. I had to aim below the face, and hope the bullet made it through the brush. I was fortunate that it did, as the bull was a 54 inch stud of a bull. I was shooting a 160 grain Nosler partition out of my 7mag. Maybe a 120gr 25 cal would have done the same thing, maybe not. Do you want to take the chance? Guess it all depends on whether or not you have already taken a Kudu, and whether you plan on hunting them again. Either way, good luck.

I've killed a dozen er so deer with a .22lr, dosen't make the .22lr a deer cartridge. A 25/06 isn't a good choice for kudu just because it can kill one under perfect conditions.

Last kudu bull I killed was 50 yards turning away as he walked right to left. I aimed at the offside leg and hit him behind the ribs on the left side, bullet stopped under the skin on the right shoulder. A second bullet straight up the rear put him down. This was with a 375H&H and 300gr Partitions.

So a .25-06 shooting a 120gr bullet at 3000 fps is not acceptable for large plains game but a .270 Win shooting a 130gr bullet at 3000 fps is a perfect plains game cartridge.

OK, got it.

If a .25-06 is not enough gun for plains game then I would suggest a .450 Rigby with solids.

Given the number of elk killed with a 270, I reckon it will work, but a premium bullet in the right place is paramount.

Having killed four kudu and having seen their reactions to fatal hits with a 375 (twice) and a 416 (twice), I think the 25-06 is on the light side.

i've shot more than my share of kudu but with nothing less than a 270. they all died but the one hit with a 150 partition had to be tracked for awhile. would i use a 25 - no will it do it yes with proper placement, but on the other hand it give a great reason to go buy a new gun

This sort of argument reminds me of an old gun writer.

He used to say the 243 Winchester is marginal for deer, but he happily recommends the 357 Magnum for deer??!!

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

African hunters seem to like heavier slower bullets for their game.

I am afraid I am one of the African hunters who does not agree with the above statement.

I like reasonable speed - speed that gives good penetration.

Excessive speed seems to lessen penetration, and so does excessively slow speed.

Unless excessive speed is associated with small for caliber monos, like the TSX/TTSX, GMX, or Nosler E-Tip. The faster the better iwith these.

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Unless excessive speed is associated with small for caliber monos, like the TSX/TTSX, GMX, or Nosler E-Tip. The faster the better iwith these.

Monos are the one bullet that handles excessive speed well but even they will have compromised penetration at very high velocity hits. If you are going to recover a mono metal it's likely from a very very close range hit....like a finishing shot on a downed animal.

Better use a premium bullet and only take perfectly broadside shots in my opinion. I saw a guy make a pretty good quartering away shot with a &STW last week. It killed the kudu, but no blood, and it went a ways and only great tracking found it. I think that load with 140 gr accubonds was too hot. He couldn't get a broadside shot. I guess unless it is the only gun one has an option of using, I don't know why you would choose it for this application. What if you see a 60-incher and can only get a quartering to shot? Wouldn't it be nice to have a .30 cal or larger with a 180-225 gr premium bullet. Again, it will do the job but surely not optimum.

I'm sure it would work but if you have a larger caliber option I would use it.

If it's an injury issue or something that requires you to use something with less recoil then go for it!

Hunting a kudu with a 25-06 is better than not hunting a kudu at all!

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Originally posted by sheephunterab:

quote:

Unless excessive speed is associated with small for caliber monos, like the TSX/TTSX, GMX, or Nosler E-Tip. The faster the better iwith these.

Monos are the one bullet that handles excessive speed well but even they will have compromised penetration at very high velocity hits. If you are going to recover a mono metal it's likely from a very very close range hit....like a finishing shot on a downed animal.

This applies to our own Walterhog bullets and the original Barnes X.

300 grain .375.

Best penetration is around 2750-2850 foster.

Penetration dropped dramatically at 3150 fps.

Rsm458Lott, It will work fine. Use a good bullet. There are some "heavyweight" hunters here that say so too.

In the African farms, arouund christmas season when all the traveling hunters have gone home, the fathers take the youngsters out with 243 and 222 to hunt/cull plains game. Many Kudu and Wildebeest are killed nicely with 243 rifles used by good shots with decent bullets.

I am not advocating 243 for Kudu. I am just offering a perspective. Brian

Lots of good advice. I would like to know the terrain and vegetation of the hunting area. I believe that to be a determining factor of what to shoot. I don't care what cartridge anyone shoots it is shot placement that counts. If your going to be in relatively open country, have good trackers and understanding PH, go for it.
I have dropped Kudu with 30-06 and 375 H&H. In both instances these were frontal shots and well placed. Still had to do some tracking. When traveling to Africa or anywhere for that matter I like to use a rifle that regardless of location ammo is readily available. As we all know Murphy can show a up loose your luggage and ruin a hunt. Just saying...

Lots of 25-06 Fed. Premium and PMP ammo in South Africa. (I don't know what bullet PMP uses. Fed prem is very good of course. They might use Swift bullet for their 25-06. Not sure.) Brian

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:


Best penetration is around 2750-2850 foster.

Penetration dropped dramatically at 3150 fps.

Actually best penetration is at much lower speeds but then expansion is compromised....the reason for the greater penetration. I like impact velocities for mono metals in the 2200-2800fps range for the optimum combination of penetration and expansion. There is some wiggle room on either side of the range for sure though. I recently put a finishing shot in a kudu at about 10 feet with .375 250 grain at around 2,850fps. It stayed in the kudu. The original shot from 160 yards was a pass through!

Rsm458Lott,

With your 115 TSX you'll get the job done but like others have said why not use something more appropriate for the heavy cover you may find the kudu and bushbuck in. Personally I think you'd be better served with even a 30-06 and premium 180 gr bullet. If you were hunting open country like the Eastern Cape for springbok, blesbok etc your 25-06 would probably be perfect.

Mark

One can surely kill one if everything goes right. I have to ask why? Why take the risk? There is the risk of having to pay a trophy fee on a animal not recovered. There is the risk of having to spend a significant amount of time following a wounded kudu. I would not do it.

This past deer season, I went to my place to hunt one Friday morning. When I went load my rifle, I realized that I had grabbed my 243 instead of my 270 when I left home. These rifles happen to be identical. Not to worry, I had a 223 at the camp. I grabbed it and took off. A rather large 10 point showed up less than 20 yards away. Hell yes, I thought. I squeezed the trigger. I could see the bullet hit. The deer ran off. I waited about a half hour and got down. I never found the deer. I found the tracks. I found blood but never a deer. Live and learn.

Yes, it will work. I've taken a 25.06 to Africa (Namibia) and had fun with it, but I used it on Springbok and such sized animals. I use it a lot here in the US for antelope and deer.

I have two lady friends who use it, successfully, for their elk hunting here in Colorado.

Having said that, I think back to a Kudu that I took in Zimbabwe with a 375 H&H, 300 gr. TBB bullets. I hit him right on the shoulder, a perfect heart/double lung shot. He ran about 150 yards and piled up. When we got to him, my PH remarked how the round had completely 'jellified' both shoulders, yet he had gone that distance. I remember thinking to myself that this Kudu, at least, was not as 'soft' as some people say they are.

Of course, this is a sample of one. Others here will tell of tales of Elk or Kudu shot with a 25.06 that dropped instantly to the shot. So, you make whatever conclusion makes sense to you.

My choice? Well, I guess I've already demostrated that I chose a heavier rifle, but I am not saying that a 375 is needed either. Far from it. It's just what I had in my hands at the moment, as I was also hunting Buffalo. If you have a bigger rifle than a 25.06, I'd take it. If not, pick your shot and go have fun! Good hunting to you.

Can there be that much difference in. 130 grain 270 and a 120 in a 25 06 in performance on game?

IMO, no.

If you want to hunt with it, do so.

I think it will work just fine with a bit of logic in what shots you take.

Ian ordinarily a big gun/heavy bullet guy, but a .25-06 with good bullets is every bit as good as a 6.5 or light bullet .270.

Use the monometal bullets or an A frame and kill stuff.

Take a good bullet, and shoot the warthog, then the bushbuck. If you then feel it didn't kill well, you can always borrow your outfitters .308 or 30-06. But go for it! I shot mine with a Barnes 250X in a 35 Whelen Improved at 2550fps. He was looking at me in the bush, I hit him in the hollow of the neck/brisket junction and found the bullet in his flank.

You seem to have your mind made up RSM so go for it. Physics says if you make a perfect shot it will die...there's no argument there. If you don't, it's your money so ultimately your call.