Is the 30-06 adequate for zebra?

[Cam Moon]

Ok, now that I my feedback on Zebra....
I'm one to say that shot placement is 100% more important than caliber. I've hunted Deer, Moose, Elk etc. as many would call "under-gunned". And to me a 30.06 should should be more than adequate! But as it turns out I am a dunce that made a less than perfect shot on a Zebra and found out the hard way just how tough they are! If it would have been a Deer, Pronghorn, or something like that I'm 99.9% positive it would have been down in seconds, but not the case with this Zebra. I don't think that a larger caliber is a substitute for shot placement, but a bit more gun I think would have certainly helped in this scenario. The problem is, that I know that (like many) I shoot better with lower recoil, so more gun may not have been better for me. My lesson learned..... With Zebra shot placement is VERY important. Close is not good enough. Hit that Chevron or don't pull the trigger.

 

[meigsbucks]

I used a 180gr Barnes TSX out of an ‘06on this zebra in Namibia.

 

[Gemsbok45]

Go get em!

 

[BeeMaa]

Ok, now that I my feedback on Zebra....
I'm one to say that shot placement is 100% more important than caliber. I've hunted Deer, Moose, Elk etc. as many would call "under-gunned". And to me a 30.06 should should be more than adequate! But as it turns out I am a dunce that made a less than perfect shot on a Zebra and found out the hard way just how tough they are! If it would have been a Deer, Pronghorn, or something like that I'm 99.9% positive it would have been down in seconds, but not the case with this Zebra. I don't think that a larger caliber is a substitute for shot placement, but a bit more gun I think would have certainly helped in this scenario. The problem is, that I know that (like many) I shoot better with lower recoil, so more gun may not have been better for me. My lesson learned..... With Zebra shot placement is VERY important. Close is not good enough. Hit that Chevron or don't pull the trigger.

You don't loose point for choosing a larger caliber.
Used a 375H&H on mine...still ran 100 yards.
Wasn't a problem for the taxidermist at all.

 

[Newboomer]

Got mine with a 7RM Barnes 160gr TSX. Also a waterbuck, black and blue wildebeest, nyala,and hartebeest. All one shot kills and none went more than 50 yards. I'd say 06 is plenty adequate.

 

[shark_za]

Leave the light 150gr 30-06 bullets at home and it will do fine.
Unless you use Mono bullets I guess.

 

[Sika98k]

Perfectly. Shot placement is King.

 

[johnnyblues]

Yep! But as stated it’s all about shot placement in hunting.

 

[Philip Glass]

I ask this as I plan on going on a plains game safari in Namibia in a few year's time, hopefully soon. Hartmann's zebra is at the top of my list for the trophies I'd like to take. I've been watching many videos on hunting zebra and I'm amazed by how tough they are. Is the 30-06 adequate or would it be better to upgrade to a 375?

We all love the ‘06. I grew up with it. I’ve taken one to Africa. The problem is on the longer shots. You just need a flatter shooting gun IMO. The zebra, contrary to popular opinion, is of the toughest of all PG animals.
You know if you breathe the word .375 we are going to say YES TAKE THE .375! Seriously though the more I shoot my .375’s the more I love them. I also over time have realized they are not too much gun for most PG.
I’ll tell you a mtn zebra story quickly. I was leopard hunting in Namibia and of course needing bait. I took a shot at a mtn zebra with my .375 Ruger and he went down fairly quickly. On closer inspection my bullet had hit a small limb and the bullet entered sideways. Of course it was a .375 so it still did the job. What if it was one of the small popular long range calibers, what would have happened? It’s all about shot placement right?
Philip

 

[Philip Glass]

Marksmanship is everything... If you can't consistent take Game with a Single Shot(Stationary... A Moving Target is a different matter), then you should spend more time on the Shooting Range... I love .30-06... Don't get me wrong, it's a favourite for North American Game, for good reason... One reason I give .375 H&H the edge, is that there are circumstances, where whilst one is in pursuit o' one species, one could be attacked by another more dangerous species... I've always preferred to carry a Caliber that will drop larger or more dangerous game than I'm after, for peace o' mind... One other thing to consider, if one's shot strays slightly off target, with the more powerful round, you can still get a clean kill... Changing to a larger Caliber, certainly won't make you a better shot, but it can increase your chances o' still killing the animal, if for whatever reason your shot strays a wee bit from the spot you intended to hit(I.E. If the animal moves)... Once again, my personal opinion, not necessarily that o' anyone else...

I agree

 

[Red Leg]

We all love the ‘06. I grew up with it. I’ve taken one to Africa. The problem is on the longer shots. You just need a flatter shooting gun IMO. The zebra, contrary to popular opinion, is of the toughest of all PG animals.
You know if you breathe the word .375 we are going to say YES TAKE THE .375! Seriously though the more I shoot my .375’s the more I love them. I also over time have realized they are not too much gun for most PG.
I’ll tell you a mtn zebra story quickly. I was leopard hunting in Namibia and of course needing bait. I took a shot at a mtn zebra with my .375 Ruger and he went down fairly quickly. On closer inspection my bullet had hit a small limb and the bullet entered sideways. Of course it was a .375 so it still did the job. What if it was one of the small popular long range calibers, what would have happened? It’s all about shot placement right?
Philip

Had the same thing happen years ago with a blue wildebeest. A 300 gr bullet spinning sideways was still remarkably lethal.

 

[Witold Krzyżanowski]

I agree

+1

 

[Safari Dave]

I was with 6 PH's in camp in Limpopo RSA a few years ago (where we were hunting everything from duiker to eland) and ask the question "What rifle would you want your clients to bring to Africa?"


Every single one of them said a 30/06.

A couple said they would add a 375 H&H, if the client could bring a second rifle.

 

[leslie hetrick]

my friend with his zebra, shot with a 3006. didn,t go 50 yards.

 

[flatwater bill]

When I first hunted Namibia....shortly after it came to existance, my PH said to me in broken English........"Kudu and Hartebeeste, not so tough..., Oryx and zebra...very tough"......good words.....................FWB

 

[CBH Australia]

Thank you for all your responses and apologies if my question was silly lol

No, it's not an insult. He is enabling any desire you may be harboring to purchase a new rifle.

Not a silly question if you don’t know.

I have not hunted Zebra or fired a .30-06. I’ve read of many succesfully using a .308 with good projectiles and shot placement.

Yes, he was encouraging you but a new rifle. In just 2 years here my new friends have “enabled me” to hunt South Africa and buy a couple of rifles and build another. You won’t find many trying to insult anyone unless you are talking shit. It is mostly a friendly forum and sometimes the humour differs across the globe but ask anything , people will help or share an opinion. Someone recently said it a very Gentlemen’ly sort of site.

Questions like should I buy another rifle will receive a prompt and assertive yes, so that might be a silly question.

6.5cm talk may lead to terms like Man Bun and Latte being used in a response. My opinion is it’s not a hunting rifle, it could be but it’s best attributes come out for target work and teasing those who tend to trend.

 

[Cam Moon]

You won’t find many trying to insult anyone unless you are talking shit. It is mostly a friendly forum and sometimes the humour differs across the globe but ask anything , people will help or share an opinion. Someone recently said it a very Gentlemen’ly sort of site.

+1

 

[leslie hetrick]

one of the zebras i shot, i only had the cz 550 in .375 H&H in hand when the zebra gave me a quick shot. it went right down, but i think a 3006 would have killed this zebra too.

 

[CBH Australia]

one of the zebras i shot, i only had the cz 550 in .375 H&H in hand when the zebra gave me a quick shot. it went right down, but i think a 3006 would have killed this zebra too.

View attachment 382029

And being over gunned does not hurt either, it saves running home to get the old Ought-six if a nice specimen turns up when you were looking for something else.

You can also buy Zebra skins at the Johannesburg airport quite cheap if you need a spare. I’m kicking myself that I didn’t grab one as I have a space for it.

 

[crs]

Since I had no interest in shooting striped horse (we raise Welsh Ponies on our farm) , I sat in the truck and watched giraffe fight over a fence and other game while my buddy and his 30-06 went out and killed a Zebra. They had already made a nice 100+ yard kill on big waterbuck, so the Zebra was another ho- hum shot.

It was interesting to me that the rancher sold the Zebra carcass to a Butcher in Thabazimbi for processing and sale. Who eats Zebra?