The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting African Big Game Hunting 240 WeatherbyMagnum in Africa; whats it good For?Go | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
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Entertaining idea of a first time to Africa, with a specifiic cartridge in mind. Lets say one has a .240wm-85tsx3500mv, I am not savy to all that roams Africa,so would like to ask what species can one confidently take, out to say 250yds? Just after some not too expensive animals,that still offer an enjoyable challenge hunt. The idea is to have a good time, not neccessarily come back with the biggest recordbook creature a 240wm has ever taken. | ||
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warthog impala springbok blesbok steinbok duiker ______________________ I'm not a great hunter...just a guy who loves to hunt. | |||
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I know two experienced PH's (Hartmut Freyer of Gauss Hunting / Namibia & Ernst Schulz /Tanzania Game Trackers ) that have used the 240 Weatherby on hundreds of critters including a bunch of gemsbok and kudu. They like the Barnes bullets and of course their shot placement is excellent. They also have big bores for big stuff but like the .240 to ride around with them in the bakkie. My son and I borrowed one of their .240's to shoot several warthogs (which isn't really that much of a feat). | |||
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The .240 is a fine choice for animals typically under 400 pounds......and Africa has a lot of them. It'll even work for bigger animals but I'm an old fart and prefer a bigger bullet when the target goes over 400 pounds. /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// "Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery." Winston Churchill | |||
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For animals generally available in South Africa you can confidently add to this list: Bontebuck Vaal rhebuck Suni Oribi Mountain reedbuck Red duiker Blue duiker Cape Grysbok Sharpes' grysbok Caracal All smaller cats Black backed jackall All other jackalls Porcupine Hyrax Springhare Mongooses of many types Spurwinged goose Egyptian goose Losts of ducks and of course red knobbed coot! Pied crow Large number of other varmints; feathered and furred. Color variants of springbok, blesbok and others More that I'm forgetting now???? Yes, stray dogs and veral cats. Once you have proven to me that you can really shoot your rifle well and know the general idea of good shot placement on a number of animals listed above, I'll be willing to let you have a go at quite a few larger ones, like bushbuck, black wildebeest, red hartebeest and reedbuck plus a few more. It is also true that such a rifle can, in the right hands and with the right bullets, take many even bigger animals. But why do it if there are perfectly good bigger calibers for those bigger species? I can really place a hunter who is a reasonable shot and has an accurate 240WM in a possition to shoot a large number of species at various locations and at very reasonable costs! In good hunting. Andrew McLaren Andrew McLaren Professional Hunter and Hunting Outfitter since 1974. http://www.mclarensafaris.com The home page to go to for custom planning of ethical and affordable hunting of plains game in South Africa! Enquire about any South African hunting directly from andrew@mclarensafaris.com After a few years of participation on forums, I have learned that: One can cure: Lack of knowledge – by instruction. Lack of skills – by practice. Lack of experience – by time doing it. One cannot cure: Stupidity – nothing helps! Anti hunting sentiments – nothing helps! Put-‘n-Take Outfitters – money rules! My very long ago ancestors needed and loved to eat meat. Today I still hunt! | |||
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Sure is. Perfect in fact with the right bullet  Verbera!, Iugula!, Iugula!!! Blair. | |||
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Well, it's time to fan the flames. The .240 Weatherby is a varmint cartridge designed with US varmints in mind. IMHO it is an extremely poor choice for Africa. Now...I better get into my asbestos suit, huh? DC300 | |||
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I'm kinda with DC300. I don't own a 240WM, and the only story I know concerning a 240 Weatherby in Africa concerns a Zebra that was bought and paid for and never seen again after being shot with a 240 Weatherby. The PH asked the hunter to put the rifle away, and stick with his 300 Weatherby. If one was doing a "tiny 10" hunt or an African varmint hunt, the 240 Weatherby should be OK. But, as noted earlier, I don't own and have never hunted with a 240 Weatherby, so take my opinion for what it's worth. | |||
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As stated, with the proper bullets, the right guy shooting the 6mm will be deadly on anything smaller that a wildebeast! The main value to the 6mm cartridges os velocity, and percise bullet placement, because of their extreme accuracy potentual. I wouldn't hesitate to take anything smaller than an eland as far as antalope go, but I have shot thousands of rounds with verious 6mm chamberings, and can place my shots where I want them. Would I reccomend the 240 Wby for Africa? NO! as long as there is a better rifle for the spread you are hunting, I'd tend to go bigger for the average Joe, but if you can shoot the rifle, and use a 100 gr Nosler Partition, at around 3000 fps up, then do your thing! In Africa, my light rifle is either a 375 H&H, or a 9.3X74R double, or 9.3X62 bolt, and those three are not only capable, but are legal, in lots of places for even dangerous game, but have fine down range power, and you never know what might jump out of the weeds in Africa, or Alaska. ....Mac >>>===(x)===> MacD37, ...and DUGABOY1 DRSS Charter member "If I die today, I've had a life well spent, for I've been to see the Elephant, and smelled the smoke of Africa!"~ME 1982 Hands of Old Elmer Keith  | |||
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Baboons, baboons and more baboons. Jackals too but that's generally short range work. Wouldn't use it on anything I intended to mount. Russ Gould - Whitworth Arms LLC BigfiveHQ.com, Large Calibers and African Safaris Doublegunhq.com, Fine English, American and German Double Rifles and Shotguns VH2Q.com, Varmint Rifles and Gear | |||
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Ah yes - a dedicated baboon rifle! Why didn't I think of that! I have a gap in my gun cabinet that I didn't even know I had. | |||
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I would say get into one with a double layer and get in quick. The .240 Weatherby Magnum will kill dead and right now more game in Africa than I care to list here. Although there's a pretty good list posted above in this thread. As with all rifle calibers: Good bullets are the key. Mike Wilderness is my cathedral, and hunting is my prayer. | |||
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Not too familiar with the .240WM but I've taken quite a range of PG with a .243win using high quality 100gn SP, bullet placement is more important than size for most PG (with the exception of the very largest/toughest, blue wildebeest, eland etc.) unless your shooting in an area where your planning to take DG or might encounter DG I think your .240 WM would suffice. Though Africa is the perfect place for all those traditional calibres, such as .300 H&H, .375 H&H or larger. | |||
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So will a spear and poison but there are better ways. DC300 | |||
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The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting African Big Game Hunting 240 WeatherbyMagnum in Africa; whats it good For?
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