Is there a perfect plains game calibre?

[perttime]

Time of flight and the animal moves 300 is a fair range imho on the Karoo .........but closer is always better .....

In Scandinavia, people shoot moving full size Moose targets at 75 and 100 meters for sport and hunting practice. Usually the paper target has some hits outside the actual Moose profile.

 

[Newboomer]

Many will work perfectly well, but not be ideal for a particular situation that you might end up in. Apparently, 7mm might not be quite enough bullet for some animals in some situations. Or, so some say.

I've used 7mm mag on everything from zebra and blue wildebeest down to springbok and had one shot kills with Barnes 168g TSX.

 

[Pierre DUFFORT]

9.3x62 does everything you need with modern bullets. If not convinced, take a 8x68S or 300 W Mag, but they has a narrower spentrum of efficiency.
Just my opinion, probably because my two 9.3x62 fit me perfectly.

 

[IvW]

There is no perfect PG rifle for all.

What you will hunt and where you will hunt will determine the best choice as well as the shooters competence with that specific firearm

The good old 375 H&H is the best choice if hunting larger plains game and if there is any thoughts of DG included.

Another great choice using 200 gr bullets would be a 300. I prefer the 300 H&H. The 338 WM and the 8 x 68 S are also superb choices.

If you cannot handle the above then anything from about a 6.5 mm and up that you are competent with and use appropriate bullets in would be the best choice. Just be aware that there are caliber limitations in certain countries even for PG.

Good bullet in the right place will kill although a bigger bullet in the same place is better.

 

[BeeMaa]

Good bullet in the right place will kill although a bigger bullet in the same place is better.

There is a saying among hot rodders that goes "There's no replacement for displacement".
This is kinda along the same lines.

 

[greyfox]

Just ran across this thread:

Is there a PERFECT deer rifle? Is there a PERFECT rifle or caliber for hunting Alaska?
Is there a PERFECT rifle or caliber for deer in Texas? What if I cross the border into Mexico? Does the rifle/caliber perfect-ness lose something?

There is LOTS of PERFECTION, rather a 7mm or a 270, a 308 or a 300 mag (of various varieties). Choose what works FOR YOU, take the PH advice on caliber, etc,

From my limited hunting, any 270/7mm/308 caliber for plains game and a 375 or 416 and you're hunting the WORLD, add a 12 gauge, a 22 LR and a 223/22-250 then there's no NEED to buy other rifles.

the search for the PERFECT rifle/caliber/cartridge/scope, etc is marketing, the businesses getting us to by tools and toys instead of tickets and services (outfitters, Professional Hunters, taxidermy, etc...)

 

[greyfox]

PERFECT classic:
7X57 (275 Rigby)
300 H&H
8X57


Been doing it since the advent of blackpowder - killed them then, the animals haven't changed.

 

[Velo Dog]

My preference is the .375 H&H, since some “plains game” are very large and can occasionally be amazingly tough.
It is suitable even for 3,000 pound giraffe, if one is interested in hunting them.
Plus it shoots plenty flat enough for things like springbok, gemsbok and black wildebees, out in the open flats, where they seem to prefer spending their time.
Generally speaking it is every bit as accurate as most any other hunting rifle cartridge.
Furthermore on small critters, it is not as distructive of edible meat and skins for taxidermy as smaller, faster calibers are.
I shot a baboon with one and the exit hole was not much larger than the entrance hole.

That said, I’d be quite happy to use any one of the following calibers, for any and all the various species and sub species of African antelopes, hogs, zebras, vermin and such.

.375 H&H
.300 H&H
9.3x62
.35 Whelen
.338-06
.338 Winchester

 

[greyfox]

Velo, I've shot 2 pigs and one deer with mine (It has not been to Africa - YET) The entrance hole is about the size of my smallest finger (pinky) the exit was slightly larger with minimal meat damage.
My theory is by time the bullet thinks about expanding, it's already through the animal!! I'm in Coastal Georgia, USA, our deer are, for the most part, rather small.

I'd gladly take my 375 H&H to Africa for anything, but I wouldn't call it PERFECT plains game rifle; for that title would be either my 300 Win MAg or 7mm Rem Mag (Or my son's 270...) Every animal save the Blesbok (bad shot on my part) every animal was a one shot kill.

 

[WAB]

If eland are on the menu I’d use a .375 H&H or 9.3x62. Another consideration is brush. You may have no choice but to shoot through grass and/or brush. The 300 gr .375 or .286 gr 9.3 bullets give you a much greater chance of success than your high velocity whiz bang super killer.

 

[BeeMaa]

The 300 gr .375 or .286 gr 9.3 bullets give you a much greater chance of success than your high velocity whiz bang super killer.

"whiz bang super killer" gave me a chuckle.
Tortoise and the hare story in there somewhere...

 

[jduckhunter]

The perfect plains game caliber for me was and is 338 WM, to be more specific my trusty old 338 WM that I have used for over 30 years. With 225 gr and 250 gr bullets she and I took 11 critters with 11 bullets, anything from jackals to eland. I know the 338 WM isn't for everyone, the recoil is a little sharp but for me the results are worth the small amount of pain.

 

[WAB]

The perfect plains game caliber for me was and is 338 WM, to be more specific my trusty old 338 WM that I have used for over 30 years. With 225 gr and 250 gr bullets she and I took 11 critters with 11 bullets, anything from jackals to eland. I know the 338 WM isn't for everyone, the recoil is a little sharp but for me the results are worth the small amount of pain.

Great caliber. I find the .375 H&H more shootable, but that could be rifle design more than anything.

 

[jduckhunter]

Great caliber. I find the .375 H&H more shootable, but that could be rifle design more than anything.

Your right the 338 recoil is pretty heavy and sharp compared to the 375 which feels just as heavy but not nearly as sharp. If that makes sense.

 

[WAB]

Your right the 338 recoil is pretty heavy and sharp compared to the 375 which feels just as heavy but not nearly as sharp. If that makes sense.

Makes sense to me. I do find a significant difference.

 

[Newboomer]

I've used 7mm mag on everything from zebra and blue wildebeest down to springbok and had one shot kills with Barnes 168g TSX.

Correction on Barnes 168 g TSX. should be 160 g. Barnes doesn't make a 168 g in 7RM. 168 is a 308 bullet.

 

[BeeMaa]

Great caliber. I find the .375 H&H more shootable, but that could be rifle design more than anything.

I agree with you here, it's the fit of the rifle to the shooter that can make a real difference.

Your right the 338 recoil is pretty heavy and sharp compared to the 375 which feels just as heavy but not nearly as sharp. If that makes sense.

Makes sense to me. I do find a significant difference.

However I also find a difference.
The 338WM seems to have more recoil velocity making it feel sharper than the 375.
The 375H&H has more recoil energy, but is spread out over a relatively longer time, making it feel more like a shove.
Combine this with the fact that a 375 rifle typically weighs more than a 338 and there you have the REAL difference in how it feels.

 

[Aleks]

Perfect pg cartridge is .300 win mag with the right bullets.

 

[Von S.]

Perfect pg cartridge is .300 win mag with the right bullets.

OK!

So Aleks,

When you shot your eland did it's size make you start to second guess the use of the 300?

 

[IvW]

Perfect pg cartridge is .300 win mag with the right bullets.

Great choice so is the 300 H&H..