Caliber recommendations

[Trentmullikin]

Headed to the eastern cape in 2026. I've been looking at getting either a 300 wm or a 338 wm. I will be putting a suppresor on it. Was going to zero at 200yds. What are the groups thoughts and opinions? Thanks to all who respond.

 

[CBeck]

Plains game only? ….300wm

 

[Trentmullikin]

Plains game only? ….300wm

Yes

 

[Letzhunt]

Unless you have other plans later for the 338 I would stick with a 30 cal. Anything from the .308 Win, 30-06 , 300 wm, 300 PRC, or my favorite 300 Wby Mag. The logical is the 300 WM as ammo is easily available.
You can do it all with a 7mm also. The 338 isn't large enough for dangerous game and not needed even for the largest plains game like eland or tough animals like zebra and wildebeest.
Also the 200 yard zero is antiquated. Put a scope with a dial turret and sight dead on at 100. If you want a 200 yard zero then dial that and put a small tag on your scope as a reminder. 40 to 350 is common shot distance.
Use quality bullets that are either Barnes type or bonded core. African animals are all tough. Shoot them through the shoulders with a good bullet.

 

[Safari Dave]

The suppressor will work best with the .30 caliber, and you will find it too be much more useful back home.

No need for a .338 for PG...

 

[Trentmullikin]

Unless you have other plans later for the 338 I would stick with a 30 cal. Anything from the .308 Win, 30-06 , 300 wm, 300 PRC, or my favorite 300 Wby Mag. The logical is the 300 WM as ammo is easily available.
You can do it all with a 7mm also. The 338 isn't large enough for dangerous game and not needed even for the largest plains game like eland or tough animals like zebra and wildebeest.
Also the 200 yard zero is antiquated. Put a scope with a dial turret and sight dead on at 100. If you want a 200 yard zero then dial that and put a small tag on your scope as a reminder. 40 to 350 is common shot distance.
Use quality bullets that are either Barnes type or bonded core. African animals are all tough. Shoot them through the shoulders with a good bullet.

What brand of scope do you recommend? I only shoot hornady as far as ammo even in my lever guns since they came out with ammo for it.

 

[Trentmullikin]

The suppressor will work best with the .30 caliber, and you will find it too be much more useful back home.

No need for a .338 for PG...

Only reason I was look at the 338 I used the outfitters last year that had a can on it fell in love only suppressed gun I've shot. I've never shot a 300 but read some articles that said 300 was a good option also. When I talked to guy at gun shop he was saying that the 338 suppresses better than the 300. Definitely more rifle and suppresor options in .300 for sure. Why do you say .30 suppresses better?

 

[USN]

35 whelen or 300 win mag. Skip the 338

 

[CBeck]

Worth reading

Thread 'Best All Around Caliber for Plains Game'

Mar 26, 2025

Love to know what everyone else thinks but... I have hunted a lot, globally, and I am not into gimmick calibers, wildcats, and I am not a fan of shooting everything on the planet with a 6.5 Needmoor... in all of my hunting experience I found that I could take just about everything in terms of plains game with a .300 Winchester Magnum.
My resume includes taking over 300 big game animals with the .300 Winchester Magnum and a 180 Gr Barnes TTSX bullet... Including some of Alaska's biggest bears.
And in Africa I was incredibly impressed with how my combination of rifle and ammo worked...

• PENDLETON AMMUNITION
• Replies: 56
• Forum: Firearms & ammunition

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[Happy Myles]

What are you currently using here in the States? For plains game you may shoot better with what you are used to shooting

 

[Trentmullikin]

What are you currently using here in the States? For plains game you may shoot better with what you are used your shooting

.35 remington

 

[Letzhunt]

Lots of good scopes to choose from these days as well as good guns. I'm a Nightforce guy myself as they are tough as hell. Zeiss, high end Leupold or Swarovski. Meopta is also good and more affordable. Most quality brands will handle a 300 wm recoil. Many may recommend Vortex but I would stay clear unless going top end in that brand. Far too many failures. My last Safari I took a custom 300 Wby Mag with a Nightforce NX8 4-32x50. Way more magnification than needed but this is my all purpose long range rifle. The NX8 2.5-20X50 I like better but it is short to mount on a long action so you typically need slightly higher rings.

 

[375Fox]

300 win. It’s what I used in eastern cape in 2020 and will again in 2 years. I use 2 rifles for hunting Africa. A 300 win and 375 H&H depending on the hunt. They cover all the options I see. With a 338 you lose the factory ammo and bullet options of a 300 and not as flat shooting, but also unnecessarily large for PG but not legal for DG. The 300 win is a better choice.

For scopes it’s really personal preference most will hold up to 300 win recoil. I like a Leupold 2-10 with no CDS dials. I’d prefer to sight in a rifle with any ammo and know the proper hold over rather than be limited to one ammo and trust the scope to adjust properly every time.

 

[375Fox]

What brand of scope do you recommend? I only shoot hornady as far as ammo even in my lever guns since they came out with ammo for it.

Something to keep in mind. The shot placement on African game is further forward than North American game. Shot placement is actually on the shoulder not behind it so a bullet has to go through some bone. Hornady doesn’t really make bullets I’d trust on kudu, eland, zebra, or larger PG. They don’t have bonded options and might break up on bone at 300 win velocities. Something like a Nosler Accubond, Federal Terminal Assent, or Norma Oryx are good options for softer bonded bullets that will lose some mass but still get penetration. Bullets like Barnes TSX or Swift A Frames are very tough bullets that will reliably penetrate deep but you might not get a big reaction on the animal. Lots of bullet discussions on here.

 

[Green Chile]

That's easy...300 win mag and 180 TSX. Get a good scope and practice on the sticks.

 

[DLSJR]

What are you currently using here in the States? For plains game you may shoot better with what you are used to shooting

And this is perhaps the very best advice you can receive.

If it was me, I’d be taking a .338. But it’d be for exactly the reason Happy Miles states. I hunt more with my .338 than any other rifle. It’s served me well on my African hunts, as well as here at home.

 

[FlyGuy]

For E.Cape Plains Game... 300WM, but don't forget about the 7mm RM or the 280AI.
A good quality bullet is more important than the calibre or cartridge.

 

[Tug]

If you like to reload, pick the 300 WSM, it would have the same performance with way less powder, less recoil and better barrel life. New brass from Lapua. There are a lot of things to like about the 300 WSM now.

 

[BeeMaa]

Keep it simple and stick to common cartridges. 7RM, 30-06 and 300WM are excellent choices. The typical NA whitetail rifle would get the job done without breaking the bank. Premium bullets like the Barnes TTSX and Swift A-Frame will sort things out nicely.

If you already have a 338WM, it would be OK as well. But I wouldn't go out and purchase a rifle in this particular cartridge with Africa in mind. I believe there are better choices.

If you are looking at some of the larger PG like eland and giraffe, I'd give serious consideration to a 375H&H. Paired up with 300 grain Barnes TSX or Swift A-Frames will make your PH will be very happy.

 

[CBH Australia]

Keep it simple and stick to common cartridges. 7RM, 30-06 and 300WM are excellent choices. The typical NA whitetail rifle would get the job done without breaking the bank. Premium bullets like the Barnes TTSX and Swift A-Frame will sort things out nicely.

If you already have a 338WM, it would be OK as well. But I wouldn't go out and purchase a rifle in this particular cartridge with Africa in mind. I believe there are better choices.

If you are looking at some of the larger PG like eland and giraffe, I'd give serious consideration to a 375H&H. Paired up with 300 grain Barnes TSX or Swift A-Frames will make your PH will be very happy.

About time you consider a .280a.i.