JG26Irish_2
AH enthusiast
- Joined
- Aug 22, 2023
- Messages
- 311
- Reaction score
- 842
- Location
- United States
- Media
- 4
- Member of
- Bluegrass Safari Club
- Hunted
- RSA-Limpopo, KY, WV, TN, ND, SD, NM
I got a bone to pick and would welcome comments from both hunters with Nilgai hunting experience as well as PH/Guides since you lads get to see and hunt hundreds of animals each year and learn more about bullet and rifle performance in a month than most hunters can amass over a lifetime.
"What is a minimum acceptable cartridge for hunting Texas Nilgai?"
My son and I are booked on a Texas Nilgai hunt for next year down on the Gulf coast of Tejas. For those not familiar, the Nilgai is a large tough antelope, a native of India which was introduced to Texas via Kings Ranch about 100yrs ago and a robust free range herd of about 50,000 roam TX, making for a cool hunt of a big game critter that is both good to eat and challenging to hunt. They weigh up to 600-800lbs and possess good eyesight and hearing and tend to be easily spooked. Their thick hide limits the amount of a blood trail one can expect when compared to other North American big game. In my opinion, they are of the same size and toughness class as a Blue Wildebeest and are smaller than a North American Elk but with thicker hides. Close to a Kudu in manners and stealth. They look a lot like an Eland but are much smaller and more spooky.
With all this in mind, the outfitters who guide such hunts are strongly recommending hunters use enough gun. That makes sense. But, that is where I am running afoul of their advice. The outfitter we chose told us that the "Minimum" acceptable rifle would be the 300WM for Nilgai and bigger, such as 338 mag or 375HH was even better. His description of the animals made them sound like a bullet sponge that is very difficult to kill. A lot of that sounds like hyperbole to me.
I have two 375's and am fine using them to hunt Nilgai but the shots in Texas can be longer than 300y and to me a 7mm Mag would be a great (better?) choice for the longer open shots. The 7mm mag is effective on Elk, deer and any African PG we could hope to shoot up to Kudu, Zebra, Wildebeest and Eland. I have seen and read accounts of Nilgai being harvested with 7mm/08 as a minimum. I am simply wondering if these beasts are really that tough? I have hunted and killed Wildebeest and found them to be tenacious but with a well placed first shot, they still fall.
I mean a Wildebeest is tough and about the same size. Is a Nilgai tougher? The guide reminds me that these animals evolved to survive attacks by Bengal Tigers. Still, I think they are just being conservative or are pumping up the myth that the Nilgai is a very hard to kill beast. Or, possibly more likely, they are guiding a lot of hunters who cannot shoot well off sticks and often misplace their shots, so they want them to shoot very powerful rifles that will help to make up for lack of hunter skill to reduce long tracking jobs or lost animals. I am not an ace hunter, but I am a hell of a good shot. I am competent shooting from sticks and have taken PG in many situations and most were one shot kills. Most of them were taken with a lowly 308. Yet, to hunt Nilgai, I am expected to bring the cannon?? Really?
I see the same BS about American Bison. The guides try to liken them to the Cape Buffalo. I do not buy that nonsense one bit. The Bison is not a pussy cat but it is not really dangerous game either. It is large and tough but guys nearly wiped them out with black powder loaded 45-70 gov't loads 150yrs ago. So, back to Nilgai - What is the minimum cartridge needed to take Nilgai with acceptable reliability out to a range of 100-300y? My opinion is 30-06 or 7mm Mag with heavy for caliber bonded bullets, A-frames or Barnes TSX. Comments please.
"What is a minimum acceptable cartridge for hunting Texas Nilgai?"
My son and I are booked on a Texas Nilgai hunt for next year down on the Gulf coast of Tejas. For those not familiar, the Nilgai is a large tough antelope, a native of India which was introduced to Texas via Kings Ranch about 100yrs ago and a robust free range herd of about 50,000 roam TX, making for a cool hunt of a big game critter that is both good to eat and challenging to hunt. They weigh up to 600-800lbs and possess good eyesight and hearing and tend to be easily spooked. Their thick hide limits the amount of a blood trail one can expect when compared to other North American big game. In my opinion, they are of the same size and toughness class as a Blue Wildebeest and are smaller than a North American Elk but with thicker hides. Close to a Kudu in manners and stealth. They look a lot like an Eland but are much smaller and more spooky.
With all this in mind, the outfitters who guide such hunts are strongly recommending hunters use enough gun. That makes sense. But, that is where I am running afoul of their advice. The outfitter we chose told us that the "Minimum" acceptable rifle would be the 300WM for Nilgai and bigger, such as 338 mag or 375HH was even better. His description of the animals made them sound like a bullet sponge that is very difficult to kill. A lot of that sounds like hyperbole to me.
I have two 375's and am fine using them to hunt Nilgai but the shots in Texas can be longer than 300y and to me a 7mm Mag would be a great (better?) choice for the longer open shots. The 7mm mag is effective on Elk, deer and any African PG we could hope to shoot up to Kudu, Zebra, Wildebeest and Eland. I have seen and read accounts of Nilgai being harvested with 7mm/08 as a minimum. I am simply wondering if these beasts are really that tough? I have hunted and killed Wildebeest and found them to be tenacious but with a well placed first shot, they still fall.
I mean a Wildebeest is tough and about the same size. Is a Nilgai tougher? The guide reminds me that these animals evolved to survive attacks by Bengal Tigers. Still, I think they are just being conservative or are pumping up the myth that the Nilgai is a very hard to kill beast. Or, possibly more likely, they are guiding a lot of hunters who cannot shoot well off sticks and often misplace their shots, so they want them to shoot very powerful rifles that will help to make up for lack of hunter skill to reduce long tracking jobs or lost animals. I am not an ace hunter, but I am a hell of a good shot. I am competent shooting from sticks and have taken PG in many situations and most were one shot kills. Most of them were taken with a lowly 308. Yet, to hunt Nilgai, I am expected to bring the cannon?? Really?
I see the same BS about American Bison. The guides try to liken them to the Cape Buffalo. I do not buy that nonsense one bit. The Bison is not a pussy cat but it is not really dangerous game either. It is large and tough but guys nearly wiped them out with black powder loaded 45-70 gov't loads 150yrs ago. So, back to Nilgai - What is the minimum cartridge needed to take Nilgai with acceptable reliability out to a range of 100-300y? My opinion is 30-06 or 7mm Mag with heavy for caliber bonded bullets, A-frames or Barnes TSX. Comments please.
