Due to a bout with a sore shoulder (probably burcitus) and a can that is not doing what I desire on my 375 I have decided to load up my 30/06 for Nilgai hunting.
I'm leaning toward a 200 gr. Nosler Partition but might use a bonded bullet if anyone can suggest one that performs better than a 200 gr. Nosler out of a 30/06.
Nilgai are notoriously hard to put down. But of course they are not totally bullet proof. A good blood trail would be highly desireable, hunt is in very thick, heavy brush along the Rio Grande River.

Just my opinion, but you aren't going to get any different performance out of any of the bonded offerings except for the Swift A-frame.

If you are looking for a tougher bullet, Swift, or all copper. Barnes, GMX, or E-tip in a 180gr size. Those are your best mix of mushroom and penetration, IMO.

The Swift is bonded and the partition is further forward leaving a heavier driving shank compared to the Nosler Part.

All that said, the Nosler will do the job just fine in my opinion.

Jeremy

My only problem with the Nosler Partition is that they tend to leave small exit wounds minimizing blood trails. The lead blows off of the front and the remainder of the jacket folds back tight against the shank and makes the exit wound not much larger than a full metal jacket.
I don't like any of the plastic tipped bullets as I have not been able to get straight line terminal penetration. (4 elk).
I'll probably wind up using a Trophy Bonded Bear Claw or a Swift A-frame if I can get them to shoot good. I'd like to hear from somebody that has used one of the spitzer bonded bullets out of a 30/06. I have always hunted with the larger calibers from 300 Win Mag on up. I'm being forced to downsize due to age and physical problems. I don't have much time. This is plan "B".

I'm sure no expert since I've only taken one. Took it with a 7mm 160gr accubond at 3000fps. He ran maybe 20yds.

I might do that. I just returned from my yearly cow elk meat hunt on the Vermejo Park Ranch and I always take more ammo than I need so I have plenty of 160 NPT left over. They are loaded to 3,000 fps also.
Although I really prefer my 30/06 to the 7 mag. I used the 7 mag because my 30/06 wasn't threaded for my can. But my gunsmith said I would have my /06 back, threaded by Sunday. So, I'll be good to go with either one.
PS. Even though I live down here where Nilgai run wild and are fairly numerous, I haven't killed one yet due to a lack of land access. I can't see paying $3,000.00 to hunt an animal with 6" horns. I now have a friend who will just let me hunt.
I just checked on hunt prices, currently running $4,000.00

My first nilgai was knocked of his feet with a heart lung shot from 180 grain Nosler partition in an 06. He got up and ran about 600 yards with his herd. No blood trail no animal found. Since then I taken neck shots with rifles less than .375. The hide is very thick and tends to cover the entry and/or exit holes, in my experience.
Good luck, a tough animal and great on the table.

Lawdog, that's what I've always been told. Outfitters down here want their hunters to shoot .375 H&H for the most part.

I only hunt with one bullet in my 30/06 - barnes 180 grain tsx. I am pretty sure it will work great on Nilgai.

I need to go shoot a nilgai one of these days.

Mike

Barnes TTSX.

I can't get the plastic tipped bullets to give me straight line terminal penetration. I'm done with them. I've had AccuBonds turn 90* in soft tissue. No more plastic tipped bullets for me.

Ive shot a number of Nilgai on the King Ranch in Texas over the years as my son lived in Corpus Christi and that's close...

I have shot Nilgai with a 30-06 and the 180 and 200 gr. bullets..They run a hell of along ways most of the time..

The Nilgai is the toughest damn animal on earth IMO and the bigger the gun the better..I have had good luck with my .338 Win..but you better stick the bullet in the engine, No room for mistakes...They are impressive..The foreman told me lots of them are wounded and if you wound one you pay, most of the time. I shot one with my .338 breaking his front shoulder, the bullet exited his last rib leaving a big hole, got both lungs and a bit of the heart, Found him the next day several miles away..They allowed me another inasmuch they felt like it wasn't my shooting..BTW, great meat.

I shot my first Nilgai on the King Ranch on the Chicago Pasture in I think, 1989. They served Nilgai tamales as an appetizer before dinner. One guy had shot a big bull the next day. When they asked him how he wanted it processed he responded "make tamales out of all of it".The tamales were very good, I think they were about 30% pork as the Nilgail has very lean meat. Now we are talking about an animal that weighs up to 600 pounds. Figure you get 350 pounds of meat after it's butchered, add 100 pounds off pork. My guess is a tamale has about 2 ounces of meat in it. You do the math. Answer a truck load off tamales.

quote:

Originally posted by swampshooter:
I can't get the plastic tipped bullets to give me straight line terminal penetration. I'm done with them. I've had AccuBonds turn 90* in soft tissue. No more plastic tipped bullets for me.

I had a 400 grain .416 TSX turn 90 degrees in a buffalo once. Sometimes *stuff happens.

Suggest you might check out www.northforkbullets.com They have excellent .308
weights ranging from 150 to 200 grain that do
an excellent job on large game. My wife used
250 gr NFs to take 11 large African animals with a .35 Whelen (all one shot kills). These bullets stay together and penetrate deep, most shots leave a good exit wound also. Good hunting

Tetonka
DRSS

People say they are tough, I have never shot one. I have killed 20 animals that size in Africa, Australia and North America. Including zebras which I consider to be the toughest animal I have ever shot.

Pronghorn antelope at 100 pounds if you hit them badly are the toughest animal I have ever seen. I have been told that nilgai are similarly nuts.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by swampshooter:
I can't get the plastic tipped bullets to give me straight line terminal penetration. I'm done with them. I've had AccuBonds turn 90* in soft tissue. No more plastic tipped bullets for me.[

If you don't like a bullet with a plastic tip use the Barnes TSX bullet. The 180 gr TSX will penetrate./QUOTE]

The only nilgai I've seen killed was by one of our hosts on the King Ranch. He shot it with a 100 grain factory Coreloct from a .25-06. It fell within thirty steps. Shot was to the thorax.

A nilgai is similar in size and tenacity to an elk. But neither of them go far with disfunctional heart or lungs. Any bullet from any gun that penetrates adequately to reach the vitals and then expands adequately to cause sufficient trauma to the heart/lungs will put your nilgai on the dinner table -- and hopefully that dinner table belongs to someone else. I've attempted to eat some of that stuff and would just about as soon try to eat a boiled saddle horn.

quote:

Even though I live down here where Nilgai run wild and are fairly numerous, I haven't killed one yet due to a lack of land access. I can't see paying $3,000.00 to hunt an animal with 6" horns. I now have a friend who will just let me hunt.
I just checked on hunt prices, currently running $4,000.00

Damn! For another $500 you could shoot a Gemsbok, Wildebeest or Zebra. Or for $500 less you could shoot two common exotics. Didn't know they had gotten that high.

W e l l, I have been V E R Y fortunate and killed Nilgai w/ a 7 x 57, 30/06 & 338 WM using the NP & TBBC .
They are tough ! I have Never had a complete pass through---even at close range .I have seen them shot well and not recovered .
I examined several that had been shot where the neck Meets the shoulder. I copied it . It worked---well !
In the 06 , I used the 180 TBBC . It's in my recovered collection !
Happy New Year and good luck .
BTW , they eat great !

Ever thought about using the Woodleigh 240gr 30-06 bullet? 56.5 gr N560 will run it about 2650 fps...should be a thumper!

Another vote for the TSX. Either 180 or 168, whichever shoots better for you.

Your leaning the right way, a 200 grain Nosler partition or the 200 grain Swift a-frame if you put the right zip code on it they will do the job.

The toughness of the Nilgai is the thickness of their skin, at least that's my opinion, and Ive shot a number of them..Im not surprised a shot to the "throax" killed a Nilgai, Brain and spine shots kill them also!!

That said, they can be very hard to kill and at times they seem impossible with lighter calibers, but to each his own and I will continue to use my .338 Win. just to be safe.

Work up:

WW brass
61 grs RL-22
200 gr Partition
CCI-250 or Fed 215
COL 3.320"
Vel 2703 fps, pre-64 M-70 24" barrel
.766" for three at 100 yards

Done that many times, usually have 5 or 6 boxes loaded up with that load. You can use more powder than that!

Yup, hence me not making my "Hellbender" load public.

I have killed several cows and bulls with a 308 and 168gr TSX's. They are tough with very elastic hide, blood trails are scant with almost all calibers. An '06 with 180gr TSX will achieve the results you desire.

KNOW THEIR ANATOMY!!!!!

Perry

B-A-R-N-E-S

Zeke