My calibers for hunting in Africa

[Dr Ray]

Agree with you here Mark.

 

[Bushpig4Ever]

Aren‘t .308 for girls due to the low recoil and 30-06 for men?

 

[Pondoro]

I own a .308...an old Sako from the early eighties....for several reasons..
The .308 is perfect for red deer, wich we have in Norway...and if you pick your shots wisely it will dispatch moose too, though I prefer my .375H&H for them..

I also have a few thousand ex-mil. 7,62x51 NATO cartridges that luckily chamber in my rifle....cheap practise ammo for many years to come...and ammo to feed my M14 rifle if the shit hits the fan..


.308Win. in Africa..? Sure...I shot kudu and Burcells zebra with a lent Tikka T3 and shot 165 grain PMP ammo...worked fine..have given away Norma ammo with 180 grain Nosler Partition and the guys have nothing but praise using them on plains game up to but not including Eland..

 

[Von S.]

An "OLD" Sako from the early 80's?

Hahahaha.

 

[Dewald]

I saw and read this thread today only. What a circus.
There are three things I cannot tolerate.
1. People who look down on other people’s calibre of choice or nationality,
2. Italians, and
3. .308s

 

[WAB]

I saw and read this thread today only. What a circus.
There are three things I cannot tolerate.
1. People who look down on other people’s calibre of choice or nationality,
2. Italians, and
3. .308s

 

[tarbe]

I saw and read this thread today only. What a circus.
There are three things I cannot tolerate.
1. People who look down on other people’s calibre of choice or nationality,
2. Italians, and
3. .308s

Now that's damn funny!

 

[tarbe]

Isn’t the .308 Win getting a little close to the cut off date for your motto “don’t hunt with a cartridge that is younger than you”?
The .45-70, now there’s a proper DG cartridge!

It qualifies! .338 Win Mag...not so much.

 

[Royal27]

Now that's damn funny!

+1 !!!

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

I saw and read this thread today only. What a circus.
There are three things I cannot tolerate.
1. People who look down on other people’s calibre of choice or nationality,
2. Italians, and
3. .308s

 

[Newboomer]

I saw and read this thread today only. What a circus.
There are three things I cannot tolerate.
1. People who look down on other people’s calibre of choice or nationality,
2. Italians, and
3. .308s

That is GREAT!! I agree with #1, I'm ambivalent about #2, and I like my 308--for punching paper or ringing steel. Not for hunting.

 

[Ryan]

I walked away from this when it went South, then on the Z axis somewhere and finally something parabolic corksrewy. Now it's just much ado about nothing.

This thread has got to be a psychologist's dream.

 

[tarbe]

This thread has got to be a psychologist's dream.

Brickburn...whatdayathink?

 

[PeteG]

Brickburn...whatdayathink?

He’s still on page 3 shaking his head...

 

[sgt_zim]

Von, you are right, 400 yards is a long shot. I think the only time I've shot game at that distance was antelope hunting when I lived in Wyoming. I did make a couple longish shots on black bear (never griz) when I lived in Alaska, but never to 400. I like ringing steel at longer distances just because its fun. Most of my hunting these days is inside 100. Probably because I've become addicted to hunting buffalo in the brush. I did get a surprise on an eland this summer. We only had the head and neck to shoot at, I decided to go for a neck shot, which was successful. I was quite surprised to pace it off at 160. The size of the animal and the brush had me totally fooled on the distance. I will make an exception on long distance shots on vermin. I don't care how far a coyote is, if he's on my farm I'm slinging lead.

I have a similar exception for feral hogs.

That exception also applies to running animals - I'll shoot at a running hog or coyote, but actual game animals...anything more than a slow walk, and I just wait it out.

 

[sgt_zim]

Being a huge 308 Win fan, this thread is a little depressing to me. There are only two bullets I'd consider using to go past 300 yards on game animals, and that would only be at elevations above 1 mile - 180 gr Scirocco II and 180 gr Accubond.

7.62x51 is a good cartridge out to 1000 yards when the quarry walks upright on 2 legs, and in circumstances where a wound can be even better than an outright kill.

I've killed more deer and pigs with a 308 than I can count, and most of that has been under 100 yards. Even at 10K feet elevation, I wouldn't take a 500 yards shot on a mulie or white tail with a 308, and those are both generally well under 200 KG. At 500 yards, you'll get about the same performance out of a FMJ that you will out of any of the premiums.

 

[meigsbucks]

.308 will do all of your plains game. However, it is on the lighter side for eland, but has probably killed thousands of them. Just put a good bullet in the right place.

 

[Von S.]

That is GREAT!! I agree with #1, I'm ambivalent about #2, and I like my 308--for punching paper or ringing steel. Not for hunting.

Boomer,

If you don't like to use it for game, that's easy! Don't.

A deer shot in the neck or head with a 125 .ballistic tip moving at 3200 is an absolute gonner as are many animals.

Is the reason why you don't hunt with the ,,308 is because you think it's a weak round?

 

[WAB]

Boomer,

If you don't like to use it for game, that's easy! Don't.

A deer shot in the neck or head with a 125 .ballistic tip moving at 3200 is an absolute gonner as are many animals.

Is the reason why you don't hunt with the ,,308 is because you think it's a weak round?

I don’t use my .308 for game because it’s on an AR platform. I own ARs for vermin control and ringing steel. Is use bolt guns and single shots for game. My preference only, not a judgement. The .308 is a fine cartridge, I just done own one in a game rifle and am unlikely to given my fetish for the 7x57.

 

[Von S.]

WAB,

My old service buddy from Alabama is phenomenal with the bolt action 308 rifle I gave him along with the can of surplus ammo he swipes every year from my garage which he always outshoots me with.

He shoots everythiing with the 308, but has never been to
Africa. He said tat not knowing first hand what to bring he would probably use one of my 375's and enjoy what ammo he would be needing for free.