Is Africa game more difficult to kill than animals from the rest of the world...Yes or NO?

NO, I don't think Africa game is any different, than any other animals. If you look at the biological make-up of the game....it is bones and tissue or just cells. I think each animal has it different characteristics, but in the end, they are not that different. I think some of the game over there has thicker skin...like a elephant. And some of them have huge body mass that takes a bigger caliber and bullet...but in the end it's not all that different.

I agree 100%. But there is a mystique to sell. I better upgrade my rifle before I return, it is only a 30-06.

Originally Posted by enysse

NO, I don't think Africa game is any different, than any other animals. If you look at the biological make-up of the game....it is bones and tissue or just cells. I think each animal has it different characteristics, but in the end, they are not that different. I think some of the game over there has thicker skin...like a elephant. And some of them have huge body mass that takes a bigger caliber and bullet...but in the end it's not all that different.

You couldn't answer this question any better!

Agree, much too much is made of the bullet proofness of African game. Of course we dont have Cape buffalo, lion, ele's and what not here and yes they are tough and hard to kill. If they lived in the US or Canada they would be hard to kill there too.

... I've been saying that since my first trip ....

NO!!!
Big bullets kill big things faster than little bullets. There just as dead in the end though. I laugh when i hear someone say a .375 H&H is not enough for elephant. For a long time the british .303 was the weapon of choice.

I think in general African plains game are not tougher. The cats are relatively fragile and soft skinned. Buffalo can take some punishment if your first shot is not proper and their adrenaline kicks in. Elephant are tough because of their shear size.

I would hunt elephant with a 375 but think it is on the small side. I never realized the 303 was the weapon of choice for elephant. Keep laughing but one day if you hunt elephant and your trophy fee is running off or your PH really is the one who kills your elephant because the brain shot was not perfect it may not be so funny.

I think the only difference is that the animals are more nervous because they are much lower on the food chain & there are many more predators than most other places. Half of the problem is hunters use to small of calibers on these animals. Bert you don't need any more gun than a 30/06 for hunting plains game. They do a heck of a job! Shot placement is the key! Practice, Practice, Practice!!!

I saw a Gemsbok shot with a 300 WSM, A-Frame bullet, run more than 100 meters into really thick bush in the Limpopo.

When we visited the skinnig shed, we were shown its heart with a large hole through it.

Obviously, african game are very easy to kill !

The same can be said of deer and elk. Animals no matter where they reside dont always drop to the shot. Heart shot animals often run over 100 yards. Nothing new there.

I would agree. With the exception of elephant and buffalo, they all die the same. They just require a larger bullet. Well placed shots will kill any animal. A .22 will kill any animal on this planet. You may have to put the gun to its head but it will die.

About the only 100 percent way to drop a animal is to severe the spinal cord or a brain shot. Even if the spinal cord is cut, the animal may need a fatal shot to put it down for good. Heart shots usually guarantee a animal will not go more than 250 yards and it will be dead...99+ percent of the time.

Originally Posted by Calhoun

I think the only difference is that the animals are more nervous because they are much lower on the food chain & there are many more predators than most other places. Half of the problem is hunters use to small of calibers on these animals. Bert you don't need any more gun than a 30/06 for hunting plains game. They do a heck of a job! Shot placement is the key! Practice, Practice, Practice!!!

I think my sarcasm didn't come through. I was trying to make fun of the people who say that you need an extra powerful rifle because African game is so tough. I'll be using my 30-06 as always. It will work as well as it did last year!