What is your light Plains Game rifle (sub .30 cal)?

[Code4]

For those who have taken a sub .30 cal to Africa for PG

1) what was it
2) the scope you used
3) ammo you shot

Would you do it again ?

 

[Big5]

My daughter has accompanied me on a couple of hunts to Africa. She used a Sako rifle chambered in .270 Win. The rifle is topped with a 3-9x36 Swarovski and she was shooting Rem 130gr Core-Lokt ammunition.

She has been highly successful with that set-up by taking a variety of plains game including zebra and kudu on the upper end of size. She has also taken two leopards with that rifle.

She is an excellent shot and as with most hunting situations shot placement is crucial to success.

Surely she would do it again. Why argue with success.

 

[bluey]

my bow
the ammo was carbon express pile driver arrows with 125 grn rage broad heads
would I do it again .....does a one legged duck swim in circles.............

 

[Forrest]

I have made two trips to South Africa for plains game. Both trips used a .270 Winchester, 2x7 Leupold, and 150gr Nosler Partitions. Combo worked great.

 

[billc]

We took a remington model 700 in 257 weatherby mag. Had a 3.5 x18 x42 swarovski on it. Was using 100 grain ttsx or 100 grain a frame. Biggest animal we took was a kudu with a one shot kill at 100yds and he never took a step. Took a bushbuck at 300yds and a few springbucks at 250 to 3oo yds not one ever took a step.

 

[Witold Krzyżanowski]

1995, Namibia.
I used to use a rifle Mauser M98 in 30 06 with old Zeiss 4 x 32.
Cartridges from Sellier & Bellot with bullet soft point 180gr ( 11,3 g).
I took two Oryx antelope and Steenbok.
Witold

 

[Divernhunter]

My daughter used a 257Roberts with 120gr Swift A-Frame handloads. She took Red Hardebeest/Impala/Zebra/Worthog/Kudu and more all one shot no tracking kills.
I used a 338win mag using 225gr Swift A-Frame handloads. and had one animal I needed 2 shots for.
Next trip I will probably take the 338 and either the 257Weatherby with 120gr Swift A-Frames or my 264Win mag with 120 or 140gr Swift A-Frame handloads.

Would I take any of the sub 30cal back. YOU BET 100% I would.
Scopes used were Leupold 3X9X40 Duplex reticle or 3.5X10X40 Duplex reticle. The Weatherby will have a 4.5X14X40 Duplex reticle on it.

 

[enysse]

Winchester Model 70 Super Grade 7mm Rem Mag, 160 Swift A-Frame, Leupold VIII 3.5x10x 40 mm. But I may go to 270 Win or 243 Win in the future.

 

[browningbbr]

Winchester Model 70 Super Grade 7mm Rem Mag, 160 Swift A-Frame, Leupold VIII 3.5x10x 40 mm. But I may go to 270 Win or 243 Win in the future.

Eric - if you want to go the 243 route, consider the 6mm Remington cartridge. It's like a 243 Win on steroids. I built a varmint rifle on a 98 Mauser action with a Douglas no. 7 contour barrel and chambered it in 6mm Rem. I'm still breaking it in, but so far I love it. I'm hoping to go to SD with it this summer.

 

[K-man]

How about a .25/06 I didn't take it to Africa but it will drop all medium size game around here. I use a barnes ttsx 100grn or Nosler 110 grn. Shoots really flat out to 400 yds and beyond and is over 3200fps.

 

[lcq]

disposable remington 783 7mm mag 160 Premier a-frames, Steiner predator 2X10. flattened Zebra, BWB etc 1 shot. I'd bring it again

 

[Bruce]

25-06 with 100/110gr bullets is excellent for most PG in Africa. I first used one on a hunt with friends and work colleagues, where my friend brought along his treasured 25-06. I wasn't much impressed initially, but took it out to shoot some springbuck and blesbok... what a massive surprise.. very accurate and put them all done instantly. Later a nice Nyala was taken by my friend with this rifle.
My older son now owns his own 25-06, mounted with a Vortex variable scope and he has taken up to Gemsbok ( Oryx ) sized PG with one shot kills... great calibre indeed!!

 

[billrquimby]

After using a .30-06 for my first safari in 1983, I switched to a 7mm Remington Magnum shooting handloaded 175-grain Nosler Partitions for all my hunts down there since then. The rifle and ammo served me well for everything from grysbok to eland. Out of about two dozen different species, only kudu, gemsbok and eland required more than one shot.

Bill Quimby

 

[bassasdaindia]

my favorites depending on bush conditions and distance needed for the hunt at hand , and not in any numerical order :

- 6.5 x 55
- 7 x 57
- .270

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

My son used a 7x57 in RSA this past summer. I developed the load for him..... 140gr North Fork Bonded Cores "screaming" along at 2800 fps at the muzzle. Most impressive shot was on his zebra at roughly 125 yards. Frontal quartering too shot. Bullet entered somewhat towards the center of the animal's left shoulder, traveled across the top of the heart severing the major vessels, bullet came to rest just under the skin and rear of the animal's right shoulder. Zebra went down immediately then got up as the tracking dog closed in but went back down in 30 yards or so. Zebra was dead, he just didn't know it.

So yes, I'd use the caliber again on just about anything. An Eland would be about the only African game I'd be a bit hesitant to use it on.

 

[gillettehunter]

Dakota 7mm Rem mag. 160 gr accubonds at about 3050 fps. It did a very good job this last trip to Africa. Bruce

 

[Witold Krzyżanowski]

I agree with Phil.
Witold

 

[Bruce]

A correction to my previous reply on this thread... my son used 120gr bullets in his 2t5-06 on the hunt with springbuck, gemsbok ( Oryx) and not the 110gr as I originally said.
Regarding the eland hunting comment above, I have shot eland with a 270 and no problem, BUT again its all about accurate shot placement and having a decent shot opportunity.

 

[AZDAVE]

My wife has used her 7x57 custom mauser. The smallest I have taken over is a 9.3x74

 

[Witold Krzyżanowski]

For plains game I use 275Rigby.
Witold