Today, we just got back from a Nilgai hunt. I set up hunts for my son and my father. Both hunts went perfectly.

My son used a 375 H&H with 300 grain Barnes TSX.
- Shoulder lung shot from 160 yards. The nilgai ran about 20 yards.

My father used a 300 Win Mag with 180 grain Barnes TSX.
- Double lung shot from 125 yards. The TSX bullet was found in the off side skin, & was a perfect mushroom. The nilgai ran about 20 yards before expiring.

A lot of outfitters require hunters to use at least a 300 Win Mag. The problem is the brush is very, very thick. During our hunt we saw areas with brush so dense, you would have to enter on your hands and knees. Tracking on wounded Nilgai in the thick brush would be extremely difficult, if not impossible. So the guides want the Nilgai anchored after the shot.

It was a fun hunt.

My take is sure a 270 or 30-06 will kill a Nilgai, but if your a tad off, that bull will make a lot of tracks and could be lost and guess who pays the bill..Id use all the gun I could shoot accurately on them or on any paying hunt..Just good business..Nothing is gained by using too light a caliber except silly bragging rights unless you just don't know any better..I did all that before I knew better and at a price.

If it happens in the next year or so, I will be bringing my
.338 win mag and probably my 300 Weatherby

For me, I would use in the following order:

358 STA
35 Whelen
338 WM
375 HH/Ruger
7mm STW

I would even use a 270 Win if left to my own devices. Any 300 WM with either bonded or partition style bullet in 180 or 200 grain take your pick is fine for elk, moose, eland, then nilgi are in trouble.

They top out at about 600 pounds.

everyone forgot to mention that they are always running, even when they go into the bush - they can slide under a fence at nearly full speed...

the calves hit the ground running at 20 MPH and only get faster

the ONLY time I had a slow walk shot was on a massive bull -- but we had only signed up for cows .. but he was glorious

quote:

Originally posted by Baldhunter:
This is where this outfitter likes to shoot them
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=509Oq7FuEIc

Very good shot placement, which by the way is the perfect shot placement for moose and other animals. Animal broadside, shot just behind the leg, low and above the brisket (shoot at the heart, or just low through the center of the lungs).

I only hunt moose and have figured already that shooting the shoulder or neck are the worst shots, at least for me. I prefer this kind of shot placement from my .338WM rifle loaded with 225-grain TTSX:
http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/ind...fm?adfg=hunting.shot

quote:

Where should the crosshairs be located for a double lung shot?
On a broadside shot, place the horizontal crosshairs about 1/3 of the distance from the bottom of the chest to the top of the back. Place the vertical crosshair directly behind the near side front leg.

On the quartering away shot place the vertical crosshair on the opposite side front leg and the horizontal crosshair one-third of the way up from the bottom of the chest.

>.338 Lapua....

I would have thought the proper gun was obvious... 6.5 creedmore!
I have guided a number of women on moose hunts. The 6-7 that used 7-08's and 150 grn corlok's all had one shot kills.
Take a good shot at any animal and they die, what is used is secondary.

I've always heard take their shoulders out. Apparently the brush in South Texas is a big change from other places. Difficult to see how the brush is on videos but I can imagine if they come out of the grass or sendero and get in the thick stuff it is not fun going through looking for them.

"Take a good shot at any animal and they die, what is used is secondary." +1

There are many variables when hunting Nilgai and much of it depends on the terrain and vegetation.

WRT rifles, I know a guy that has take some with his 45-70 and appropriate bullets. In fact, he took a Blue Bull at 150 yards with one shot-bang flop.

I have taken a few with my .405 WCF and none were running and we were hunting in heavy mesquite cover such as this:


In more open terrain, longer shots may be required. I suspect that if you are bouncing around in a pickup or UTV, the animals will be running, so,,,.
My son took one with his .458 Socom at less than 50 yards, and it shot through the animal - DRT. My .405 and .45-90 always shoot through. I reckon my .308 will too, just never used it on Nilgai.

PS, as an afterthought- No Outfitter tells me what rifle to use - period - in Texas or Africa! If they do not like my rifle, no hunt; settled before booking.

Also, Nilgai have high shoulder blades and a shot there is wasted. A shot hitting the shoulder joint is devastating. Learn anatomy.

375 H+H was my choice.

If the big animal is standing broadside,put the cross hair on his leg and come up 1/3, get the lungs and heart and it really puts them down, but will ruin one or both shoulders.. I like a double lung shot close to the pump about as well as any other shot, neck and brain shots can be a disaster with just a tad off shot, break a jaw or miss the jugler or spine on a neck shot..I only use then on close shots..shoulder shots allow for mistakes one degree or another..I like the 338 Win on Nilgai, and no mistake using a 375. My son had great luck with the 45-90 Win. 86. one shot and down for the count..break that shoulder and you don't have to crawl thru too much thorn brush..I believe the Nilgai is the toughest and hardest to knock down of any of the 4 legged critters.

The mention of brush in Nilgai territory failed to bring to the readers attention, that every stick leaf of flower in So. Texas has thorns that grab and hold you captive until you can make bond, and you will need a new shirt every day if you hunt in there..The reason blinds are so popular..

A. Don't book with an outfitter that tells you what caliber/cartridge to use.
B. Don't take shoulder shots to "Break them down"
C. Know the anatomy of what you're hunting
D. Know your rifle and be confident with it with any shot you may be presented with

A perfect shot with a .243 is better than a bad hit with a 300 Mag.
Shoot what your comfortable with using an appropriate bullet.

Good luck on your hunt

I’m headed down there in a couple weeks for Nilgai and Scimitar horned oryx.

I’m planning on using my .318 WR on them, but will bring another rifle along- either my .300 RUM or .375 H&H.

Need to shoot something other than a dingo with the WR, which is actually a custom I brought from Mike Fell.

I will see if it’s enough gun...

I'm curious what the meat compares to, taste and texture?

I used my .318 with 250 grain Woodleigh handloads on plains game in Tanzania up to and including Zebra. You will be well armed on your hunt!

PPU has .330 dia. bullets for the 8 mm Hungarian
cheap. Make practice ammo less expensive.

To my taste very much like lean beef.
Excellent on the table. Best if cooked with a moist technique.

quote:

Originally posted by tetonka:
35 Whelen with 250 gr. North Forks is a good
choice. A really big bull will weigh between
6-7 hundred pounds. They are quite wary and
don't stay still for a shot too long. Shots
will be 50-300 yds. Most guides won't let you
shoot farther than that. Also any of the others calibers mentioned above 30 cal will work
with proper shot placement. I prefer a heavy
constructed bullet to one that will blow up
near the surface. 250 -300 gr. premium bullets will do the job. Practice, practice and more practice.
Good Hunting

Tetonka
DRSS

YEP - any 225+ gr 35W bullet

So where do you aim to break one down and have it drop and be done? Is the heart low like the Eland? Or aim higher and shatter the scapula

The first elk I killed I shot in the neck right behind/below the base of the skull.

That was a 60ish yard shot.

The shoulder blades look very pronounced and would crack the spine as well.

The meat of the Nilgai is excellent, compares to beef, or to Eland, and as good as elk IMO. The cows are, as one would suspect, the better eating...Every time my son and I went to the King Ranch we shot a bull and a cow. Back then Nilgai were $600 and cows Nilgai were $300, and my steers on irregated pasture were 30 to 35 Cents per pound best I recall. but then I remember 16.5 cent cattle and new PU,s for $1500..

Shit Ray, $1500 is about what my farm PU is worth now!