8mm rem mag for PG

[CO_mtnman]

So I am currently doing my proper preparation for my PG safari in june 2026 which is alot of shooting off sticks. I have narrowed down my rifle choices to 3 and I have been shooting them on a rotational basis. A remington cdl with times trigger and 26" barrel in 7mm rem mag shooting175gr north fork ss (and 160gr tsx since i am just about out of the 175s), a remington bdl with 24" barrel in 8mm rem mag shooting 200gr tsx at 2900 fps (which i wish was faster but the accuracy is there so I suppose it should be ok) and a sako av in 375 h&h shooting both 250gr cx and 275gr cutting edge safari raptors. My hunt is in the limpopo province and the animals are impala, springbok, blesbok, blue wildebeest, zebra and either a bushbuck or gemsbok. I know either of the 3 would be OK but I am having a hard time deciding which one i should lean into the most. I really like the 8mm rem mag but I am not happy with the muzzle velocity.

 

[Green Chile]

On the high end of things, the 8mm 200 TSX would only be going 150 fps faster than your loads. Your shots in Limpopo will not be long...well under 200 and probably under 100 yards. If you like the 8mm, take it and don't worry about it. There is a lot to be said for having confidence in the gun. Yours isn't slow. I don't like loading to the max on any cartridge so l would suggest leaving it as is, especially since you like the accuracy.

 

[shootist~]

Don't over think it. A 200 grain TSX (or TTSX if available), at 2,900 will work nicely. Especially if you have confidence in the accuracy.

 

[pilar]

8mm Remington mag is one of my favorite rounds, if it sledgehammers PG like it does
Nilgai , elk , deer , and has accuracy and confidence.it’s what I would take over a 7 RM

 

[Jay A Huminsky]

I've used my 325 WSM thre

So I am currently doing my proper preparation for my PG safari in june 2026 which is alot of shooting off sticks. I have narrowed down my rifle choices to 3 and I have been shooting them on a rotational basis. A remington cdl with times trigger and 26" barrel in 7mm rem mag shooting175gr north fork ss (and 160gr tsx since i am just about out of the 175s), a remington bdl with 24" barrel in 8mm rem mag shooting 200gr tsx at 2900 fps (which i wish was faster but the accuracy is there so I suppose it should be ok) and a sako av in 375 h&h shooting both 250gr cx and 275gr cutting edge safari raptors. My hunt is in the limpopo province and the animals are impala, springbok, blesbok, blue wildebeest, zebra and either a bushbuck or gemsbok. I know either of the 3 would be OK but I am having a hard time deciding which one i should lean into the most. I really like the 8mm rem mag but I am not happy with the

 

[CO_mtnman]

Perfect I'll start leaning into the 8mm more, so far my practice sessions consist of shooting off my bog pod death grip but I keep the claw loose to try and mimic typical shooting sticks, I shoot 1 round at 100 the quickly reload and take a shot at 200, reload and take a shot at 300 and I try and keep my splits under 5 seconds

 

[Green Chile]

That's good general rifle practice. The only 300+ yard shots I have seen in Limpopo were sniping baboons. I would also suggest thinking through your process of getting onto the sticks quickly and acquiring the target while the PH is making a decision. Make sure your shoes and rifle carry (sling) are quiet and don't squeak or crunch while walking (no hiking boots - too loud). Setup your binos so they don't interfere with getting on the sticks quickly. I just slide them under one arm and out of the way on the approach. Things like this will payoff even more than shooting at longer distances. You will probably get shots that are close and need to happen in 5 to 10 seconds.

 

[CO_mtnman]

That's great advice! I'll start bringing my binos with me to the range and start doing drills while wearing them. The only reason I've been doing the 300 yard shot is to try and mimic a back up shot on a fleeing animal

 

[Green Chile]

That's great advice! I'll start bringing my binos with me to the range and start doing drills while wearing them. The only reason I've been doing the 300 yard shot is to try and mimic a back up shot on a fleeing animal

It's not bad to practice but the odds are low that you would have a shot that far on follow-up in Limpopo. It's thick country depending on what time of year you go. There aren't a lot of places where you can see that far and even so, a good chance to shoot the wrong animal from that far out. Your first shot is the one that counts and it will be pretty close...usually under 100 yards.

 

[CO_mtnman]

Ok perfect I'll start to throw in some closer range targets

 

[Jay A Huminsky]

So I am currently doing my proper preparation for my PG safari in june 2026 which is alot of shooting off sticks. I have narrowed down my rifle choices to 3 and I have been shooting them on a rotational basis. A remington cdl with times trigger and 26" barrel in 7mm rem mag shooting175gr north fork ss (and 160gr tsx since i am just about out of the 175s), a remington bdl with 24" barrel in 8mm rem mag shooting 200gr tsx at 2900 fps (which i wish was faster but the accuracy is there so I suppose it should be ok) and a sako av in 375 h&h shooting both 250gr cx and 275gr cutting edge safari raptors. My hunt is in the limpopo province and the animals are impala, springbok, blesbok, blue wildebeest, zebra and either a bushbuck or gemsbok. I know either of the 3 would be OK but I am having a hard time deciding which one i should lean into the most. I really like the 8mm rem mag but I am not happy with the muzzle velocity.

I've used my 325WSM three trips for Plains game. My suggestion is sight in for 200 yards and everything from 50 yards to 230 yards will be within 1 1/2". The 200g TSX is a beast on everything.