Africa 2024 caliber

[S-3 Ranch]

We’re heading over and my buddy who has been a couple of time says just take my 270 or 308 , here’s the game on the target card
Kudu
Gemsbuck or Burchell Zebra
Blue Wildebeest or Black Wildebeest or Red Hartebeest
Blesbuck
Warthog
Impala

I’m wanting to bird hunt a couple of days so I need to pick one or rent a different caliber , any recommendations?

[Tom]

Zebra and Wildebeest are tough animals, the rest on your list are not. Many of these animals have been killed with a .308. I think .338 win mag is the ultimate plains game rifle though and is good for anything in north america as well.

[Drycreek3189]

A .308 with a premium bullet and perfect shot placement will kill anything on your list.

That said, the only experience I have with Africa is Tarzan movies and perfect shots ain’t always delivered. If it were me, I’d prefer at least a .300 Win Short Mag or .300 Win Mag. I like to shoot through both shoulders.

[RR 314]

The first three (lines/options) on this list are pretty tough animals. In my opinion the .375 H&H or .375 RUM is the perfect rifle for Africa. Never know when a PH will have a special offer on DG once there. That being said, I am headed over in two weeks with .458 Lott and .375 H&H.

Hire rifle from PH for game listed is likely a 30-06. 30-06 or .300 mag. of some variety would be best on some of your list, with proper bullets, but the .270 and .308 will kill.

[buck_wild]

I'd be min 300 mag +, 180 gr + on those larger animals. A 22-250 will kill them.....when everything is perfect. You can never be over gunned or the animal too dead

[RLUM]

3 trip over and I use a 375 Ruger Alaskan on all PG and step up to a 470NE for the dangerous stuff. You do not want to have to pass a shot on an animal because you do not have enough gun in your hand when you are miles away from the truck.

[BrianL]

I agree with the 300 WSM or regular 300. The trick isn't killing them, it is finding them after you shot. The 300 should give you and exit wound for tracking.

[diamond10x]

My brother went in 2022 and took his .270. Killed everything on your list, minus zebra, with 140gr HPBT gamekings. I wasn't there but I watched the videos his PH took and all were less than 40 yard track jobs, with the Gemsbok being the only one that he put two in.

[Old Bald Guy]

I have a like new Sako 338 Win Mag that you need. $900

[tgridley]

Your 308 will kill anything on your list, don't over think it.

[Trapper76]

308/270 will kill African plains game, but are on the light side. Keep in mind if dangerous game is present in the area you hunt, they can be I’ll mannered and have to be shot for self preservation. There will be some say that the danger is not likely enough to warrant a larger caliber, and that’s probably true if hunting from a hide overlooking a water hole. Hunting from foot tracking thru thick bush there’s a need for a big enough gun to take a shot that might not have the best angle. 338 win mag with a premium 200+ grain bullet is bad medicine for plans game and has some stopping power for the ones that mean you harm.

[geezer56]

35 Whelen, it will do anything the 308 or 30-06 will do, but better.

[snipermedic]

270 with a TTSX or quality bonded bullet. You get better ballistics with a 270.

[TxxAgg]

You are overthinking it.

[Tom]

Kudu are not tough animals. No dangerous game in South Africa will be where you are hunting...in most cases. Don't worry about long shots. Most of the animals you will stalk will see you and keep you at a distance of 100-200 yards. They are not like whitetail. and don't overthink it.

[WhiplashTX]

Better to take a rifle you have confidence in rather than an unknown with a little extra horsepower. Either one with Barnes or Partitions will easily get the job done. Study the anatomy, their vitals are further forward than our whitetails. I used a .280 with 160gr Partitions and a 60Lb bow and didn't have to track a single animal.

[trozy55]

Hunted SA last year and used the PHs guns. They all had 308 for plains game. I was able to take down a Roan, Sable, and Kudu without any issues. Biggest thing is make sure you know where you are shooting, they are tough animals and you won't be able to shoot them like animals here. Shot placement is key, literally one inch off and youll have a long trailing/tracking day ahead of you!

[muzzlebrake]

I loaded ammo for two of my friends that have been over twice for plains game.
Both carried their 300 RUM and I loaded Barnes TSX 180's for them. The only bullet recovered and the only animal they said took another step was a Zebra. Brought the recovered bullet back and it still weighed 180 grains. They both said the animals over there have a tenacity for life like no other place on earth.
The PH had them practice some shooting baboons off a cliff at 400+ yards. They enjoyed that. Each one was allowed to bring 50 rounds each into the country. No one came home with any leftover ammo.

[Smokeater]

Just about blew snot in my coffee! He said-shooting baboons off a cliff!lol

[LWD]

Don't overthink it. Either with well-constructed bullets will be fine. If you don't have a .338 or .375, well now's a good time to get one!

[HTOWN]

308 or 270 all day with any of those animals.
Don't over think it. Would it be nice to have a 300 win or bigger, sure. But you'll knock them all down with what you have.

[rjtkdplus]

We killed most of what's on your list and a couple of Sable last summer with 7-08, 120 grain TSX and 30-06 with 150 grain Cor Lokt. Your 270 or 308 will work just fine. Shot placement is the key.

[S-3 Ranch]

I will load or order some barns TTSX 130 270 or 178 terminal accent 308, I see the sweet spot on PG is point of the shoulder for heart & lung shots , behind shoulder is a gut shot

[az2tx]

If you are hunting SA it is a lot like hunting S Texas, not really wild and being concerned about dangerous game is not really an issue.

I've hunted there 9 times and only for 3 days in SA when my kids were 7 and 10 yrs old, we then went to Botswana. I much preferred hunting in truly wild area's of Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe , and Botswana. Zimbabwe was paradise back in the late 80's

The plains game you mentioned is not hard to kill and a Win 270 or 308 well placed shot with a good bullet will put them down.

Have fun on your trip

[Jagter]

Either your 308 or 270 will do just fine. Take the one you like shooting the best.

[muzzlebrake]

Originally Posted by Smokeater

Just about blew snot in my coffee! He said-shooting baboons off a cliff!lol

He said the boons roosted high up on some rocky cliff ledges and they would go out at daybreak to shoot some when they started climbing down to go search for food. Them baboon skull mounts were awesome with teeth bigger than a javelina. Said they were hard critters to sneak up on and Boons were a shoot on sight free animal that didn't count against your package.

[bowhuntermac]

For that list, 308 is plenty. My son killed gemsbok, zebra, blue wildebeast, black wildebeast, hartebeast, crocodile, impala, and warthog with 165 grain accubonds this past summer. Everything was a one shot kill.

[Sackett]

Summon Jack O’Connor and Col Townsend Wheelen and take your .270, if it’s “Interesting” 👍

[trophy8]

Originally Posted by Sackett

Summon Jack O’Connor and Col Townsend Wheelen and take your .270, if it’s “Interesting” 👍

https://blog.bookyourhunt.com/karamo...n-words/?amp=1

[RifleBowPistol]

I have never been, known multiple people who have. The animals at the top of your list, most guys seem to use 7mm Rem Mag and up, to 300 or 340 Weatherbys for. The animals on the lower part of your list, don’t require anything big at all. If I was taking only one gun, I would consider something like a 30-06, to a 300 Weatherby, a 7mm Rem Mag would be a good option. The bigger stuff on your list, I would want 7mm, to a 30 caliber bullet in the 175 gr. to 180 gr. range. An Accubond bullet would be fine in that weight range, from those guns. You could use a Partition, it would just loose some longer range velocity. I don’t think they do much shooting past 200 yards over there anyway. A Partition would not hurt performance much. A 180 gr. Accubond out of an 30-06, would be going slow enough to penetrate, very deep from any angle on the largest stuff on your list, would not have to worry about the bullet blowing up. But then it would still give you decent expansion on the smaller stuff.

[Walker]

I wouldn't go to the trouble of taking my own gun/guns. Ask your outfitter to loan or rent you whatever he recommends.

[Buff]

! have never gun hunted over there but have been dozens of times with a bow, I like Trad bows and Trad guns. I would take a 757 Mauser for the smaller stuff and a 375 H&H for the bigger

[buckhunter1999]

You are going to Africa, have fun with it. Buy a new gun lol

[The4Cs]

My dad shot his Kudu 4 times with a 300WBY Magnum, all 4 hit “kill zone”. He still jumped a fence and ran about 40 more yards before he gave up the ghost!!


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[kd350]

300 win mag with 180 gr sst. That’s the second gun we used over there; they called it the hammer for a reason. the first was a 308 with some psp and it worked with perfect shots, but I wasn’t a fan. My wildebeest took it and never stopped

[WyoBull]

I used my 7mm RUM hand loaded with Barnes 160 gr TSX bullets on my last trip over there.
13 plains game animals were taken with that rifle, all of them in the OP’s list except for the Impala plus a few other species.
A 308 or 270 is plenty of gun with the right bullet. The most important thing is bullet placement, bullet placement and bullet placement.


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[Phillip Fields]

I've only been over a couple times and I used a longbow. If I was going rifle hunting I would take my .375 H&H and if I could find one, a .300H&H.

[m714]

Used my PH's 1980's era Sauer bolt action rifle in 30-06 and took Sable (110 yards) and Kudu (280 yards) with single shot right where he told me to shoot. 300WM will give more margin for error.

When I head back I'll be taking a 375 H&H only because Eland is on the table. Other caliber will be 6.5 PRC as I'm after some smaller game and possible further distances.

[aggieman08]

300 win mag is the perfect plains game rifle.

[RR 314]

Originally Posted by Walker

I wouldn't go to the trouble of taking my own gun/guns. Ask your outfitter to loan or rent you whatever he recommends.

Taking your own rifle(s) is a quarter of the fun. . I have used PH rifles before, but especially for dangerous game there is more confidence (and satisfaction) in using your own gun. Headed over this weekend and the money/hassle on bringing in my .458 Lott with my load/ammunition and LOP is worth it!

Depending on the outfitter/PH, their camp rifles may be awesome with great glass or could be a rusted/pitted mess with a Tasco 3x9 with loose crosshairs. I have seen it both ways.

[Wayspr]

I’ve never hunter Africa but if I did, I’d would want something bigger than 308 or 270 especially for the bigger animals on your list. I’d be taking a 300 win mag at a minimum.

[RR 314]

Just got the case down and put a final wipe down on ol’ painless. .458 Lott DGR rifle from AHR is ready to go! To the OP, again, taking your own rifle is part of the fun!

[Zen Archery]

I’d use whatever PH and buddy suggest. Depending on where you are going many shots aren’t that long. Just use right bullet and know where vitals are and you’re good to go.

[Trapper76]

Originally Posted by RR 314

Just got the case down and put a final wipe down on ol’ painless. .458 Lott DGR rifle from AHR is ready to go! To the OP, again, taking your own rifle is part of the fun!

That’s getting business done in style!! Very nice rifle,, with some thump!

[chrisk]

Originally Posted by RR 314

Just got the case down and put a final wipe down on ol’ painless. .458 Lott DGR rifle from AHR is ready to go! To the OP, again, taking your own rifle is part of the fun!

Wow, that thing is beautiful

[muzzlebrake]

I had the displeasure of shooting a Merkel 458 Lott one time. Only took me 2 rounds to get my itch scratched. Glad I was standing and not sitting at a bench.

[tdwinklr]

the OP is talking Plains game, people. Not dangerous game.

[RR 314]

Originally Posted by tdwinklr

the OP is talking Plains game, people. Not dangerous game.

I just told him part of the experience was to bring your own gun. I did not tell him to bring a Lott or T-Rex.