I have been invited to go on a Nilgai hunt next weekend. Need some advice as although I have seen them in the wild, I have never shot at one. Understand they are very hard to knock down and due to their thick skin, don’t leave much of a blood trail.

My question relates to shot placement. I will be using my 338 WM with 210 gr Nosler partition bullets. No time to work up another load but I expect these to work if placed correctly. Range will be around 200 yds or more. Mostly more as cover is sparse due to low rainfall this year.

I hope to take a cow. This will be a meat hunt. So I don’t want a bunch of blood shot meat. But if I have to shoot one in the shoulder to avoid losing it, I will shoot the shoulder. Now, what part of the shoulder? One third of the way down from the top of the back in line with the leg or in front of the leg to hit the spine. Or half way down.

You guys that have shot Nilgai, tell me where the spine is in the shoulder. Please relate it’s location to the top of the back. And where I should aim to hit it. Mule Deer posted something about the location of the spine one time in the past but I have searched and searched but could not fine it. I believe he said one third of the way down from the top of the back would hit the spine on most animals. Don’t know if that will work on Nilgai.

Thanks for reading this. Please help if you can.

I shot a bull down on the Yuturia Ranch a few years back. Used a .375 H & H Mag. I popped him in the shoulder. He went down after a short walk.

The meat is the best

The one nilgai that I have shot dropped in his tracks with a .264WM. Everyones different.

Thanks for the help. Anyone else have any info?

Gayne, where on the shoulder did you hit him? And what vitals were hit?

Sounds like you spined him. Is that right Bwana1? Where did you hit him?

Thanks again,

Richard

I've shot two on the King Ranch in South Texas. Suckers are incredibly fleet and athletic for their size. They also have very keen hearing and I assume a decent sense of smell, so no smoking payote whilst in the blind or on the stock.

Kidding aside; a great animal to hunt if you like shootin big guns, or you plan to, have gone to, or regularly go to Africa. I used my old 350 remington mag that I have always used as my go-to elk gun, and it functioned wonderfully. I also used a 300 weatherby on a longer shot.

There's really no such thing as too much gun for these guys as long as you can shoot it straight and as long as you can shoot it straight at reasonable distance. I don't know where you are going, but some shots can be at distance.

Going back to what I was saying earlier, A Nligai hunt is a great opportunity to get real creative with your gun because the animal is so large, and no one will look at you funny for showing up with a 416 like they would at a deer hunt.

Some selections I'd like to try (some of these may be good for one area, and not another depending on terrain; I'm ot including the overly obvious like the standard 30 and 338 cals though they may be the most practical)-

405 win, 358 win, 348 win, 350 remy mag, 35 Whelen, 358 norma, 9.3x62 (my favorite decision second only to...), 9.3x64 Brenneke, 9.3x74, 450/400, 375 Ruger and H&H, 404 Jeffery, all the 416's, and on up from there is you've got a scope on it... well, at least a scope was necessary for me in my particular circumstances.
I think the ideal rifle, or rather the rifle I would most want to use would be a either a 9.3x62 or a 9.3x64 with a preference for the sixty four millimeter simply because long shots are often required and the 64 has more get up and shoots a bit flatter. I also think the 358 norma or Alaskan or 376 steyr or 35 Whelen imp.. really any 35 cal with a bit more juice than the 358 win would be great.

Guess I forgot the 45/70/90/110

Three of us each used a .375H&H/RUM as per the guides request. Shot on shoulder one third up into body. One dropped to the shot, one ran 25 yards and the third took two shots. I class them as a tough and wary animal that is fun to hunt and great eating.

Thanks guys for all your help.


I will be back in a week and let you know how I did.

We will be calling Turkeys as well as hunting Nilgai.

See ya,

Richard

Whar the f..k is a nilgai?A confused spaniard

Diego,

A Nilgai is an indian antelope introduced in the States many years ago, just like the chital deer (axis axis).

They roam free in Texas and it seems they are quite tough to bring down...

The males are also known as "blue bulls"



Saludos
Lorenzo

I would hunt that. (Yikes ... I don't mean to shoot at the smiling face.)

They aren't all over Texas, just the area aroung the King Ranch.

Turk1961

I am a confirmed Nilgai hunting freak and have shot 14 of them of the years. I mostly use a .378 Weatherby Magnum, but I have used a .416 and even a .460 Weatherby on them. You cannot possible use to much gun on them nor will you overpower one. The first two I ever shot went down with one shot and I thought there was nothing to it, boy was I wrong. They are unbelievably tough for their size. The guides have told me that if you want to spine shoot one you will have to come down about 10 to 12 inches down from the hump on their back to hit the spine. I am not that good of a shot so I just try to hit them in the shoulders. They have thick skin and do not bleed good after a hit so its imperative to put the first shot in a good spot and keep shooting until they go down, mostly due to the thick brush. I went to high once trying to spine one and almost lost him if it was not for back up shots from me and the guide. They are a blast to hunt and hard to stalk up on and the meat is fantastic!

Good luck

WLA

I've shot 2 this year both with my 7x57 using 160gr TSX's. One in the neck dropped on the spot the other I shot heart lung not hitting the shoulder bone as she was perfectly broadside. She wound up running about 200 yards with no lungs and she bled very little, which is normal. Aim low in the shoulder, heart shot not lungs and try to break a bone. The cows are tough and REALLY weary. Nilgai are the preferred table fare of the bengal tiger so you can imagine their set of senses. Your shots do not have to be far, they are stalkable and I encourage you to do so as it is very rewarding when you get one down.

Perry

Where are you hunting and who are you hunting with?

Perry