African varmints/small bore silliness

[Berettadouble]

I've got concerns with running out of budget with time to spare on a 5-ish pg hugt for 10 days. Would a guy kill time with, say, a 223 along on anything? Varmint call and jackals?

Side note, would a guy be nuts taking a 223 with Barnes tsx after a springbok? It's a sentimental rig I bought in high school and it would be awesome to say I took it all the way to Africa 35+ years later.

Lest anyone worry, primary rifle is a 300 mag...

 

[DieJager]

Welkom to the forum. Where and what are you hunting? In stocked, high fenced areas it is certainly possible to burn through your budget in a 5 day period. But that depends entirely of what the budget it.

Jackals can be hunted but if you are specifically going to target them ask if there is a trophy fee or if it is for free. Not a lot of outfitters going to drive your around for 5 days shooting jackals for free. Although that also depends on what you hunt in those 5 previous days and what you've spend.

You can definitely use the 223 with the Barnes bullets even on game as large as springbok but that would be my limit. Blesbok, warthog etc would all be good in my opinion. That said you have a 300 mag with you. That would be my choice for the PG if I had to choose.

Also ask if you can cull some species.

 

[Berettadouble]

Welkom to the forum. Where and what are you hunting? In stocked, high fenced areas it is certainly possible to burn through your budget in a 5 day period. But that depends entirely of what the budget it.

Jackals can be hunted but if you are specifically going to target them ask if there is a trophy fee or if it is for free. Not a lot of outfitters going to drive your around for 5 days shooting jackals for free. Although that also depends on what you hunt in those 5 previous days and what you've spend.

You can definitely use the 223 with the Barnes bullets even on game as large as springbok but that would be my limit. Blesbok, warthog etc would all be good in my opinion. That said you have a 300 mag with you. That would be my choice for the PG if I had to choose.

Also ask if you can cull some species.

all good points, thank you.
I'm hunting Limpopo in my first safari.

 

[fourfive8]

Seems like a reasonable approach but may depend on numbers of jackals and if your PH enjoys hunting them. Some do and some would hunt them, without passion or interest, but only if the hunter insisted. They can get very wary, similar to coyotes, if they get hunted much. It’d be a good idea to ask your PH about their interest in hunting jackal before you go so you can get a feel about their interest. Once you get on the ground there, your PG interests may start changing and extra time for bonus species like jackal may become limited. The 223 with good bullet like the TSX will be fine for springbok sized antelope. Won't hurt to take the 223 but I wouldn’t push it past its capability even if unintended. An example might be… you’re out on foot setting up to call jackals or tracking a group of springbok with a big ram and the mother of all wildebeest or eland steps out!

 

[Muskox]

I think it depends.

Big outfits probably not. Smaller outfits might do that. Especially just cattle ranches that do some outfitting in Namibia.

 

[Hogpatrol]

Find a venue where springbok need to be culled and you can use your .223 until you run out of ammo.
Any decent bullet will work. I've killed them with a .17 Fireball. As far as jackals, can be scarce but I know of some RSA farms that pay shooters to get rid of them. Take that .223 and have fun!

Not my hunt but one of my venues. IIRC, 335 over two nights.