Eland, is the .308 Winchester enough gun?

[Quaticman]

I was recently asked if the .308 Winchester was an adequate choice for hunting Eland. In my opinion it is probably ok under perfect conditions however I believe there are better options available. Would not something along the lines of a .338 Winchester magnum not be more suitable or perhaps a 9.3 x 62 Mauser or even the venerable .375 H & H?
What are your thoughts?

 

[Wyatt Smith]

For what an eland cost, I wouldn’t take a 308.

 

[Tanks]

I wouldn't shoot Elk with a .308 and an Eland is about 50% heavier and bigger. I'd say .300 Win Mag minimum.

 

[Hank2211]

An eland is a big animal, but it doesn't have giraffe or hippo skin. I've taken eland with both a .300 Win Mag as well as a .375 H&H. I can't say that I've seen enough of a difference between the two to suggest that a .300 might be a bit light. So I'd be just as comfortable taking the shot with the .300 as with the .375.

As for the .308, it's a bit lighter still than the .300, but I don't think I'd worry about it. If you put a .308 bullet and a .375 bullet in the same place on an eland, it's just as dead. On the other hand, if you don't put either one in the right place, I'm not sure you have a better chance of recovery with the .375 - this is an animal that can run all day when wounded.

Having said that, I'm always a fan of using whatever you're most comfortable with so long as it's legal and ethical. In my view, the .308 meets both those tests, so if you don't want the kick of the .338 or bigger, or even the .300, the .308 is a good bet. On the other hand, if you're looking for an opportunity to use the 9.3x62 or the .375 (and I often am looking for an opportunity to use something bigger from the cabinet), then you should do that!

 

[Dr Ray]

Why shortcut the rifle for an expensive hunt. 300 or 338 I suggest or bigger.

 

[85Tecate]

I've taken one with a 7mm Mag and the other with a 30-06 (partition bullets both times). Both one shot kills and furthest went 40yds. I think you'd be fine with anything .270 and larger.

 

[Philip Glass]

I was recently asked if the .308 Winchester was an adequate choice for hunting Eland. In my opinion it is probably ok under perfect conditions however I believe there are better options available. Would not something along the lines of a .338 Winchester magnum not be more suitable or perhaps a 9.3 x 62 Mauser or even the venerable .375 H & H?
What are your thoughts?

.375 is the all around gun for Africa. Get one and know it well and you will never go wrong. Eland and Zebra are two of the PG that you simply need more than a deer gun. Yes it’s best to go on safari with a gun you know but if your going more than once why not get to know a .375 in the beginning?

 

[Quaticman]

Why shortcut the rifle for an expensive hunt. 300 or 338 I suggest or bigger.

I am asking for a friend. If I personally were hunting Eland I would use my .338 RUM launcing a 250 grain Swift A-Frame at +/- 3,000 fps.

 

[YancyW]

Even if I thought it was enough gun, I would never miss the chance to buy a new rifle for the hunt.

 

[chonk34]

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.

 

[Hogpatrol]

What's the expected distance for the shot? If you need to reach out to 300 or further, I'd want a bit more cartridge. Having said that, shot placement trumps caliber and cartridge.

 

[Art Lambart II]

Please tell your friend no, a 308 is not adequate for Eland. Your recommendation of a mid bore rifle is spot on a 9.3x62 or a 375 H&H would be perfect.

 

[chonk34]

For what it's worth, Dr. Kevin Robertson says that the .270, .308, and .30-06 are too small for Eland, although they can be deadly with correct placement. He also recommends against the 7mm. His recommendation is a .375 H&H or .375 Ruger, and the 9.3x62mm. - Paraphrased from The Perfect Shot II.

 

[Ryan]

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.

 

[CoElkHunter]

Why shortcut the rifle for an expensive hunt. 300 or 338 I suggest or bigger.

+1

 

[CoElkHunter]

I think the distance a larger animal may be taken with the smaller calibers plays a significant role whether they are “sufficient “ calibers? I’ve personally seen elk shot with a .270 (one at 75 yds) and .308 Win (one at 200 yds and three at less than 100yds). NOT all one shot kills. I prefer my .338 WM for elk and haven’t shot any game larger than an elk. But the Eland looks BIG and HEAVY to me? At fairly close range a .270 or .308 MAY work? But I would prefer something in a larger caliber for a heavy (thick bodied) animal like that, especially at longer distances? My two centavos!

 

[meigsbucks]

A good bullet from a .308 in the right place will take an eland however eland are huge. I’d lean toward a bigger gun. I used a .338 RUM with a 225 gr Swift A/F and it performed well.

 

[Dr Ray]

I think the distance a larger animal may be taken with the smaller calibers plays a significant role whether they are “sufficient “ calibers? I’ve personally seen elk shot with a .270 (one at 75 yds) and .308 Win (one at 200 yds and three at less than 100yds). NOT all one shot kills. I prefer my .338 WM for elk and haven’t shot any game larger than an elk. But the Eland looks BIG and HEAVY to me? At fairly close range a .270 or .308 MAY work? But I would prefer something in a larger caliber for a heavy (thick bodied) animal like that, especially at longer distances? My two centavos!

And I would argue that it’s a risk to use a 308 on a big animal especially for reasonably long shots.
If you wound an eland and lose it then you’ll never forgive yourself. Use a bigger caliber with lots much crunch factor.

 

[Red Leg]

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.

 

[flatwater bill]

In thick stuff, at short range and difficult angle....too small.
At a water hole.....no problem.........same animal, vastly different requirements.......FWB