Quinton
AH member
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2013
- Messages
- 41
- Reaction score
- 22
- Location
- Cape Town, South Africa
- Member of
- NHSA, GOSA(South Africa) GOAN (Namibia)
- Hunted
- Namibia, South Africa
Good day all.
I'd like to hear your thoughts on ammunition for the above mentioned calibers since I am taking over a few rifles from my father.
He has stopped hunting a few years ago and for that matter was was never really an avid hunter. He only did so begrudgingly to provide provisions for the farm.
Despite my love of shooting, I have only recently taken a keener interest in hunting, having shot only a few animals in Namibia, Eastern Cape and the Karoo over the past 20 years.
My reasons for hunting are primarily for ethically sourced meat and the experience hunting and it's for this reason that I seek advice.
Since these three rifles have proven themselves to be arguably good at hunting the types of game mentioned above and below, and overlap in many aspects with regards to in-the-field performance, I seek your practical advise as a starting point with regards to application, meat damage, distances etc. Ideally I'd like to get to the point where I can familiarise myself with a single load per rifle and use it to its best advantage.
At present all three guns are zeroed to 200m/218.7yards.
The rifles in questions are:
.270 Winchester (Winchester Model 70/Leupold 3-9x40mm, All Weather, Mid 90's)
This rifle was bought and used very successfully for taking Hartmann's Zebra and Oryx (Gemsbok) in mountainous terrain at distances often beyond 300 meters/328yards. I intend to use it for springbok to zebra sized animals at long distances in Namibia and the Karoo. It has done very well with 130gr. Winchester ammunition even on the notoriously tough donkeys, so I intend to stick with the weight at least.
.300 Winchester Magnum (Ruger M77 Hawkeye Standard/Leupold 3-9x40mm)
This rifle was used for similar purposes as and was later replaced by the .270 as the day to day farm rifle due to the latter's ability to take a beating without too much cosmetic scarring whilst riding in the open Jeep. I intend to use it for Zebra, Oryx and up to Eland sized game and generally for hunting where distances tend to go over the 200meter/yard mark. It has known and loved Remington 180gr. bullets.
.308 Winchester (1960's Mauser action, British barrel, the name escapes me A. Rosenthal assembled/Zeiss scope)
This rifle has taken its fair share of oryx, kudu, zebra and springbok over the years and I intend to use it for the above as well as warthog and feral pig and perhaps eland. This is probably the rifle I'd take along for bushveld hunts and when anticipating shorter distances and match it with ammunition with this purpose in mind. Thinking 165gr. 180gr. It has done well with Norma's Oryx.
I am have fired many shots with these rifles and I'm quite comfortable with the recoil as well as groupings over distances. For now I'll be using over the counter ammunition but would ideally like to start reloading. Given the above info, gentlemen, your thoughts please.
I'd like to hear your thoughts on ammunition for the above mentioned calibers since I am taking over a few rifles from my father.
He has stopped hunting a few years ago and for that matter was was never really an avid hunter. He only did so begrudgingly to provide provisions for the farm.
Despite my love of shooting, I have only recently taken a keener interest in hunting, having shot only a few animals in Namibia, Eastern Cape and the Karoo over the past 20 years.
My reasons for hunting are primarily for ethically sourced meat and the experience hunting and it's for this reason that I seek advice.
Since these three rifles have proven themselves to be arguably good at hunting the types of game mentioned above and below, and overlap in many aspects with regards to in-the-field performance, I seek your practical advise as a starting point with regards to application, meat damage, distances etc. Ideally I'd like to get to the point where I can familiarise myself with a single load per rifle and use it to its best advantage.
At present all three guns are zeroed to 200m/218.7yards.
The rifles in questions are:
.270 Winchester (Winchester Model 70/Leupold 3-9x40mm, All Weather, Mid 90's)
This rifle was bought and used very successfully for taking Hartmann's Zebra and Oryx (Gemsbok) in mountainous terrain at distances often beyond 300 meters/328yards. I intend to use it for springbok to zebra sized animals at long distances in Namibia and the Karoo. It has done very well with 130gr. Winchester ammunition even on the notoriously tough donkeys, so I intend to stick with the weight at least.
.300 Winchester Magnum (Ruger M77 Hawkeye Standard/Leupold 3-9x40mm)
This rifle was used for similar purposes as and was later replaced by the .270 as the day to day farm rifle due to the latter's ability to take a beating without too much cosmetic scarring whilst riding in the open Jeep. I intend to use it for Zebra, Oryx and up to Eland sized game and generally for hunting where distances tend to go over the 200meter/yard mark. It has known and loved Remington 180gr. bullets.
.308 Winchester (1960's Mauser action, British barrel, the name escapes me A. Rosenthal assembled/Zeiss scope)
This rifle has taken its fair share of oryx, kudu, zebra and springbok over the years and I intend to use it for the above as well as warthog and feral pig and perhaps eland. This is probably the rifle I'd take along for bushveld hunts and when anticipating shorter distances and match it with ammunition with this purpose in mind. Thinking 165gr. 180gr. It has done well with Norma's Oryx.
I am have fired many shots with these rifles and I'm quite comfortable with the recoil as well as groupings over distances. For now I'll be using over the counter ammunition but would ideally like to start reloading. Given the above info, gentlemen, your thoughts please.