Just looking for some info.

My double (basically a flanged .30-06) is printing very well at 100 yards with 150gr bullets. I tried loading some 180gr and the point of impact moved up about 4" at 100 yards. Is the extra thirty grains of bullet weight worth the effort?? My Baikal can be re-regulated reasonably easy but if 150's will knock down anything I might shoot in Namibia next year, should I just leave well enough alone??

Thanks in advance,

Cole

What are you shooting ?? best, Mike

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Bailey:
What are you shooting ?? best, Mike

With any luck; zebra, warthog, kudu, gemsbok, and whatever else pops up!

I'd go with a 180 or heavier premium bullet. Penetration of the 150's can be very limited.

Have you considered the Cutting Edge Bullets that have an extensive thread in Big Bores? I'm sure the folks on the thread could offer some insight. From what I gather CEB's perform quite well and often a weights lighter than one would think necessary. You should duplicate this post over there.

Eric

Plains Game hunts in Namibia can call for relatively long shots. Unless you have a real reason to do so. I'd choose a bolt rifle in the 300 WM range if it was my hunt. Kudu, Eland, Wildebeast and Gesbok are pretty large critters.

Bwanacole, 150 normal constuction a bit light for Zebra, can you source any 150 grain Barnes TSX, otherwise as others have said, 180 grain better but for the other stuff on your list I think TSX would work if the bullet is in the right place, best

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Bailey:
Bwanacole, 150 normal constuction a bit light for Zebra, can you source any 150 grain Barnes TSX, otherwise as others have said, 180 grain better but for the other stuff on your list I think TSX would work if the bullet is in the right place, best

True words--Zebra are tough. I shot barnes x 180 grain bullets for some plains game I shot--it killed like a bolt of lighting, but would not go lighter--if eland is on your list I'd stick with 180's for sure in your 06.

Some kills with my '06 from last year taken with a Blaser R8 30-06 with 180 grain TSX bullets
Gemsbok:



Blue Wildebeest:





And I will say again if Eland is on your menu I'd step up to a 300 mag or a 338. I shot my Livingston this year with a 375 ultra--he was somewhere north of 2,000lbs, and my 300 grain hornady SN broke up like a 3rd grade relationship...had to shoot the poor guy 4 times.

Here is the aftermath..



And a cleaned up trophy pic

I wouldn´t use a .30-06 on an Eland but it´s not on his list, best

Thanks guys! I think I will keep playing around with the 180's...just because I can I am taking a Mauser M03 375H&H as well. I plan on doing some hunting in Damaraland and some near Etosha. The outfitter said (famous last words!) that the Estosha are shooting will be much shorter. I thought I would bring both guns. It would seem criminal to have a double and NOT bring it to Africa!

That close to Etosha, BwanaC, the farms are likely to have a mix of bushveld thorn and some fairly open vleis. Most shots are likely to be closer than 125 yards, but...

Sounds as if you are well armed for the venture.

Regards, Tim

Your 30-06 will do everything on your list, I`ve used mine 15+ times in Africa with 180gr RWS ammunition and when they became hard to get I used 165gr Federal, shot everything on your list and more.

Gents:
Are the Hornady 220-grain solids and softs still available? To me this would be THE .30-06 (or any .300) bullet for Africa.
Cheers,
Cal

Zebra and gemsbok are very tough and thick animals. I would go with 180 grain premium bullets.

Cal, 220 Hornady softs are still available. Just in case that ever changes, I've got about 1.5k stashed and another 500 NP 220 softs.

I've got 3 30-06s, a Baki double, a Ruger Express with integral quarter rib(sadly discontinued!) that loves the Hornadys, and a stainless ruger bolt. I used the 220 NP on a Kodiak brown bear two years ago. Just the other night I read of EH killing a rhino at 300 yards with a 220 solid (and open sights) in The Green Hills of Africa; an oldie but a goodie.

It's the only weight I use in 06, and my Baki likes my standard load of 53.5gn of I4831 for a bit over 2400 fps. Yours might like it too.
Best,
Bob

quote:

Originally posted by ELeeton:
Have you considered the Cutting Edge Bullets that have an extensive thread in Big Bores? I'm sure the folks on the thread could offer some insight. From what I gather CEB's perform quite well and often a weights lighter than one would think necessary. You should duplicate this post over there.

Eric

I just returned from Namibia. I used the CEB in a 30 06 for quite a few different animals for bait purposes. For the mid sized and small animals they worked great. I did shoot 4 gemsbuck,and i thought a larger weight bullet would have been better. I did recover 1 bullet. All others were complete pass thru.
The one that was recovered worked great and looks just like the picture in the big bore thread. In the past i have used TSX bullets with great success and just wanted to try the CEB.
I think if i were to do it again i would use the 180gr TSX on animals the size of a zebra, gemsbuck and kudu.

Omnivourous Bob, I am a huge fan of Hemingway but that story is a lot more fiction than fact methinks. It beggars belief that Percival would have allowed a client to shoot at a Rhino at 300 yds, best, Mike

quote:

Originally posted by Omnivorous_Bob:
I've got 3 30-06s, a Baki double, a Ruger Express with integral quarter rib(sadly discontinued!) that loves the Hornadys, and a stainless ruger bolt. I used the 220 NP on a Kodiak brown bear two years ago. Just the other night I read of EH killing a rhino at 300 yards with a 220 solid (and open sights) in The Green Hills of Africa; an oldie but a goodie.

It's the only weight I use in 06, and my Baki likes my standard load of 53.5gn of I4831 for a bit over 2400 fps. Yours might like it too.
Best,
Bob

Fantastic! Thanks!! Looks like I will have to buy some 220's. I love having an excuse to buy more bullets and shoot more