Eland, is the .308 Winchester enough gun?

.308 has the same bullet as the .300 so its all about energy and placement if the 308 shoots a 165gr TSX and the .300 a hornady interlock 180gr at 3000fps on the large leg bone the 308 would win.

Anyway the 308 will kill an eland and I have shot a large eland cow with a 6.5x55 but I placed the bullet high double lung and had the perfect broadside shot. Unfortunately in bush areas where eland roam you don't get them to hang around and give you a broadside shot unless very lucky and that big leg bone is huge. So if you have limited time and cannot hold on untill the perfect shot is presented any calibre that can shoot at premium bullet at 2200fps and more and weighs at least 220gr would be good eland medicine.

What about using the 9.3x62? Over the past 18mths that I've started using one, I've found it's a great, low recoiling, cartridge in a standard length action with more than enough power to take eland. Look up it's history and you'll be amazed with what it has achieved using it's standard 286gr projectile (there are heavier): I even used mine to drop my cape buffalo with a single Woodleigh 286gr RNSN ast year!

Red Leg said:

A drop of blood and you pay the trophy fee. Why on earth then use a marginal caliber? I have killed two - a Livingstone and Cape - in neither case did I feel over gunned with a .375.

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I feel the same as Red Leg, I don't know what the minimum caliber I would use in a non DG area but it will most likely be a 375 while hunting DG. Having only shot one very large Livingstone Eland I smashed him quartering slightly on with a 300 gr Northfork SS, he took off and hit him a couple times with a NF CPS, still had to put a finisher in him. It was fairly open area so if he wasn't visible the whole time the first shot most likely did the job. The thing about Eland is you won't believe the sheer size of the animal till you walk up to him on the ground.

Big Dude

I weigh about 230 in the pic for reference, Eland are huge

neckdeep said:

View attachment 328038

I weigh about 230 in the pic for reference, Eland are huge

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Wow!! That's one heck of a trophy!!

Ryan said:

While an eland is a bit bigger I'd put them in the same class as a moose and the majority of moose dropped in Alaska each year are with either a 30-06 or .308. The two owners of the farm I hunted twice in Namibia carried a 30-06 and .308, and each claimed to have taken a few eland over the years with those. With a good 165-168+ grain monometal or 180+ grain bonded bullet within reasonable range of say 200 yards it will do the job properly if put in the right place.

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I spoke to my Newfoundland Outfitter about caliber needed for moose. I had a .270 but asked if I needed bigger. He said absolutely not. The bullet is the key. We are talking reasonable distances here and forget about shoulder shots. Go for the heart/lungs and avoid the heavy bone. He said more moose are killed in Newfoundland by residents every year with .303 British and seconded by a 30/30. You find the empty cartridges very often while hunting. We all know the .303 is a real dog too.

chonk34 said:

The primary lesson I learned on my African safari was that shot placement counts for everything. My dad shot his Eland in the right place with a 7mm Rem Mag and it dropped within 30 yards. Another guy we hunted with shot one in the wrong place with a .300 RUM and it ran up the mountain, down the other side, and may still be running today. The same was true of everything we hunted. A round in the heart and lungs dropped the animal quickly, and a misplaced shot meant tracking and follow-up shots.

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I saw the same on my Safari. I took 6 Plains Game animals from Kudu to Warthog. All 1 shot kills with my .308. Kept all shots under 125 yds. Several guys shooting magnum calibers had to get on the track with dogs and lost trophy fees. It's about the bullet and placement. A bad shot with a magnum caliber is still a bad shot.

archer36 said:

I spoke to my Newfoundland Outfitter about caliber needed for moose. I had a .270 but asked if I needed bigger. He said absolutely not. The bullet is the key. We are talking reasonable distances here and forget about shoulder shots. Go for the heart/lungs and avoid the heavy bone. He said more moose are killed in Newfoundland by residents every year with .303 British and seconded by a 30/30. You find the empty cartridges very often while hunting. We all know the .303 is a real dog too.

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My buddy and his son hunted in Newfoundland two hunting seasons ago. They brought with them their .45-70s , a .30-06 and my .338WM as a back up gun (why!). Anyway, the outfitter laughed at them for bringing the large caliber rifles and told them the locals use .30-30s. They ended up shooting two moose, one caribou and a small black bear ALL with my .338! Overkill using the .338? Maybe? BUT, the ONE shot at the bear was at 225 meters. Could everyone make that shot with a scoped .30-30? My point being, you may get only ONE shot at an Eland and it may be at 225 meters? I would much rather have my .338 in my hands at that time than my .270? I do love my buddy’s quote though, “When the .338 spoke, something died!”

CoElkHunter said:

My buddy and his son hunted in Newfoundland two hunting seasons ago. They brought with them their .45-70s , a .30-06 and my .338WM as a back up gun (why!). Anyway, the outfitter laughed at them for bringing the large caliber rifles and told them the locals use .30-30s. They ended up shooting two moose, one caribou and a small black bear ALL with my .338! Overkill using the .338? Maybe? BUT, the ONE shot at the bear was at 225 meters. Could everyone make that shot with a scoped .30-30? My point being, you may get only ONE shot at an Eland and it may be at 225 meters? I would much rather have my .338 in my hands at that time than my .270? I do love my buddy’s quote though, “When the .338 spoke, something died!”

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Yes, you may get only one shot, but if you can't do it well then it doesn't matter. A lot of people do not shoot magnum calibers well.

Shot mine with a .338WM, seen another shot just as dead with a .25-06

For my first plains game trip to Africa, I asked my PH about rifles and we reviewed the list of mine.
He said any of mine would do the job and asked which was my favorite deer rifle ?
It was a scoped pre 64 M70 FW in .308 that I had shot for more then 20 years. Then he told me that with good 180 grain bullets the .308 would take any African plains game and some DG (leopard, crocks, etc) . He was right.
I later learned that he grew up in northern Limpopo on a large family farm shooting game with
(... wait for it ! ) a .308; lots of game, including multiple eland.

He also knew the terrain where we would be hunting and that most shots would be less than 100 yards; he was right again. My buddy on that hunt shot a single shot .30-06 with 180 grain bullets and took 10 trophies with no problems; all one shot kills. That has been his primary big game rifle for decades.

I also agree with those that have relevant experience and still believe that proper bullets and shot placement are more important than caliber or the brand name on the rifle.

My son killed his bull with his .308W with a broadside shot. First shot was right in the middle of the shoulder. I've no doubt that shot alone would have killed the eland. But as you know you follow up until the animal is down.

We left the truck pursuing a kudu. It was the last day of the hunt and my .375 was along in the truck even though I was done hunting. For a moment I thought as we walked away from the truck that I should bring my rifle, but left it. Once the kudu hunt became an eland hunt, I wished I had that rifle to let my son use.

The .308W got it done and given the right shot presentation and a proper bullet, I guess I'd do it again. But I'd very much prefer at least my .300WM or my .375.

crs said:

For my first plains game trip to Africa, I asked my PH about rifles and we reviewed the list of mine.
He said any of mine would do the job and asked which was my favorite deer rifle ?
It was a scoped pre 64 M70 FW in .308 that I had shot for more then 20 years. Then he told me that with good 180 grain bullets the .308 would take any African plains game and some DG (leopard, crocks, etc) . He was right.
I later learned that he grew up in northern Limpopo on a large family farm shooting game with
(... wait for it ! ) a .308; lots of game, including multiple eland.

He also knew the terrain where we would be hunting and that most shots would be less than 100 yards; he was right again. My buddy on that hunt shot a single shot .30-06 with 180 grain bullets and took 10 trophies with no problems; all one shot kills. That has been his primary big game rifle for decades.

I also agree with those that have relevant experience and still believe that proper bullets and shot placement are more important than caliber or the brand name on the rifle.

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I was shooting 180 gr also, Nosler Partitions. My moose hunting outfitter recommended them.

Yes, no, maybe, perhaps, it depends...

Eland - is the .308 Winchester enough gun?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, we all know: with the right bullet in the right place etc. etc. With the right bullet (which should be a given) and with the perfect shot placement (which is a hope) then, heck yes a .308 will do. For that matter a .223 will do too... and on buff and elephant too...

But this is not the right question...

Eland - is the .308 Winchester enough gun for any reasonable shot in any reasonable circumstance?

Heck no!

Because life happens, Eland (or anything else for that matter) are not always shot under perfect circumstances. We will continue to take the right bullet for granted (insert here the bullet of your choice: A Frame, TSX, NP, Peregrin, Northfork, Bear Claw, etc.), but we will now insert real life happenings in the hunt: last hour on the last day (hello pressure!); dense bush (hello unforeseen twig on the bullet's way!); Eland never stop (hello imperfect shot!); quartering presentation (hello monstrous bones and 2,000 lbs of meat to penetrate!), etc. etc.

My own question in return to your friend's question Quaticman, is: how much of a gambler is he?

Shooting an Eland with a .308 is not the riskiest proposition that can be heard - he could have asked about the .243 - but it fits squarely in gambling territory. Some times you win, some times you loose. We, of course, always hear about the lucky winners, but there are many losers, and just because your neighbor won $5,000 in Las Vegas on his last trip does not mean you too will win $5,000 on your next trip, does it...

I shot both Moose and Eland (essentially similar animals from a hunting perspective) with a .340 Wby and 250 gr Nosler Partition, and based on my own experience, I would still recommend a .33 mag (.388 Win, .340 Wby, .338 RUM, .338 Lapua, etc.) with 225 gr TTSX as a reasonable caliber for any reasonable shot in any reasonable circumstance on Eland and Moose. Or a reasonably close equivalent, e.g. a .300 mag with 200 or 220 gr premium bullet on the lower side, or a .375 H&H with 235 to 270 gr premium bullet on the upper side, etc.

.308 on Eland? Do you have a spare tire in your vehicle? Do you have insurance on your house? etc. I am told that a number of folks don't bother with such and live happily ever after. God bless them! Maybe your friend is one of these, because this is what we are talking about here... It CAN work. But WILL it work?

Which leads us to

Red Leg said:

A drop of blood and you pay the trophy fee. Why on earth then use a marginal caliber? I have killed two - a Livingstone and Cape - in neither case did I feel over gunned with a .375.

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Just my $0.02...

One Day... said:

Yes, no, maybe, perhaps, it depends...

Eland - is the .308 Winchester enough gun?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, we all know: with the right bullet in the right place etc. etc. With the right bullet (which should be a given) and with the perfect shot placement (which is a hope) then, heck yes a .308 will do. For that matter a .223 will do too... and on buff and elephant too...

But this is not the right question...

Eland - is the .308 Winchester enough gun for any reasonable shot in any reasonable circumstance?

Heck no!

Because life happens, Eland (or anything else for that matter) are not always shot under perfect circumstances. We will continue to take the right bullet for granted (insert here the bullet of your choice: A Frame, TSX, NP, Peregrin, Northfork, Bear Claw, etc.), but we will now insert real life happenings in the hunt: last hour on the last day (hello pressure!); dense bush (hello unforeseen twig on the bullet's way!); Eland never stop (hello imperfect shot!); quartering presentation (hello monstrous bones and 2,000 lbs of meat to penetrate!), etc. etc.

My own question in return to your friend's question Quaticman, is: how much of a gambler are you?

Shooting an Eland with a .308 is not the riskiest proposition that can be heard - he could have asked about the .243 - but it fits squarely in gambling territory. Some times you win, some times you loose. We, of course, always hear about the lucky winners, but there are many losers, and just because your neighbor won $5,000 in Las Vegas on his last trip does not mean you too will win $5,000 on your next trip, does it...

I shot both Moose and Eland (essentially similar animals from a hunting perspective) with a .340 Wby and 250 gr Nosler Partition, and based on my own experience, I would still recommend a .33 mag (.388 Win, .340 Wby, .338 RUM, .338 Lapua, etc.) with 225 gr TTSX as a reasonable caliber for any reasonable shot in any reasonable circumstance on Eland and Moose. Or a reasonably close equivalent, e.g. a .300 mag with 200 or 220 gr premium bullet on the lower side, or a .375 H&H with 235 to 270 gr premium bullet on the upper side, etc.

.308 on Eland? Do you have a spare tire in your vehicle? Do you have insurance on your house? etc. I am told that a number of folks don't bother with such and live happily ever after. God bless them! Maybe your friend is one of these, because this is what we are talking about here...

Just my $0.02...

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Believe me, I am no expert but are you claiming a "bad" shot with a "magnum" caliber is "insurance"?

I think he’s saying that a bone which might stop a 308 bullet, probably won’t stop a 338 or 375 bullet.

archer36 said:

Believe me, I am no expert but are you claiming a "bad" shot with a "magnum" caliber is "insurance"?

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I am typically not responding to this type of post; they are generally either not serious, or just pure provocation. Because it is Sunday, and you point out your own lack of experience, I am going to assume that you just misread what I wrote
Your interpretation is completely erroneous. I did not say that, nor can anyone reasonably interpret that I said that. Read my post again. I will simply point out that less than 100% broadside shots are not bad shots. They are shots that need to be taken with reasonable calibers. Quartering in on Eland through the shoulder is a good shot, but you sure need more than a .308 to do it responsibly. Gut shooting an Eland is a bad shot, and indeed a .458 Lott would still not make it a good shot, but this was not what I was discussing
'nough said

archer36 said:

Believe me, I am no expert but are you claiming a "bad" shot with a "magnum" caliber is "insurance"?

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I saved the answer , @One Day has already done it.

Luckily there is a minimum caliber requirement for some game species , otherwise I am afraid some would try to shoot buffaloes and elephants with the cartridge 308 Win or similar.

archer36 said:

Yes, you may get only one shot, but if you can't do it well then it doesn't matter. A lot of people do not shoot magnum calibers well.

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Your absolutely right on both accounts in my opinion. If one wants to use a standard caliber like a .270 or .308 and shoots it well, then use it! You’ll just have to be cognizant of the distance and angle of the shot. Remember, many ranchers, local hunters, outfitters, etc. , have TIME on their side to choose when and where to shoot an animal? That Eland today at 300 meters, is somewhere else next week at 100 meters or less. Many times, since they’re familiar with the hunting area, they’ll know where an animal(s) are headed or will be at a certain time of the day. Sometimes it works, sometimes the animals have their own ideas where they want to be? Where I hunt elk on public land, I have a good idea where they SHOULD be in the morning, but it’s 50/50 or less. Too many factors involved, not the least of which are the other hunters! Often times you can miss them by minutes, and often times they’re running after being spooked. Point being, being a local hunter, time is on my side to a certain extent for that perfect shot at a reasonable distance. I can hunt another time. I figure if I ever am able to hunt PG in Africa, time will be on the animals side. That’s why I’ll use a larger caliber with a heavier bullet to have a better chance at maybe my ONLY shot killing a larger animal at distance. I don’t enjoy following blood trails especially if there’s no snow on the ground.