Kudu and Caliber

[pilar]

Wife took hers with a 270WIN at 100 yards with 150 grain Swift A-Frame. One shot to the high neck hit the OFF switch...never took another step. That said, I wouldn't hesitate to use any thing from 6.5x55SE to 375H&H. It's shot placement that will win the race at the end of the day.
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Amen! It’s shot placement
It drives me nuts when everyone insists 300wm &180gr is minimum for hunting Nilgai here in Texas ( maybe for tourists hunters?)

 

[MRBlack]

280 Remington out of my Dakota 76 with 160gr Swift A-Frames. July 2021 in the Limpopo

 

[Tim Blackwell]

I've shot only two, one with a 30/06, one with a 300WSM, both with 180gn bullets. They have big lungs and are relatively easy to kill.

 

[Happy Myles]

I have killed several with a 300 Win Mag, one with a 375, one with a 338 Win Mag, one with a 6.5 x 284. All were one shot kills. 100 out to 200 yards not hard to kill.

 

[trperk1]

Thanks for the post trperk1! A 35 Whelen, 180gr TTSX FB is my caliber of choice. I was just curious to know what caliber individuals like or prefer. Maybe I should have done a poll.

Personally, I like using the firearms I'm used too. Creature of habit I guess. Last year I took by 30/06 Remington 700 I bought in 1985......why? That rifle is .5 MOA and I've hunted about everything with it.

 

[crossfire3006]

Wife took hers with a 270WIN at 100 yards with 150 grain Swift A-Frame. One shot to the high neck hit the OFF switch...never took another step. That said, I wouldn't hesitate to use any thing from 6.5x55SE to 375H&H. It's shot placement that will win the race at the end of the day.
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Beautiful Kudu, Congrats!

 

[Tanks]

.300 RUM did the trick.

 

[BeeMaa]

Amen! It’s shot placement
It drives me nuts when everyone insists 300wm &180gr is minimum for hunting Nilgai here in Texas ( maybe for tourists hunters?)

Not touching that statement with a 10 foot pole.

Beautiful Kudu, Congrats!

I'll let Mrs. BeeMaa know. The trophy sits above her chair.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

You're on the hunt for a trophy Kudu. What caliber are you using?

I shot one in 1983, so I'm not really an expert but I used my .30-06 with 180 grain Partitions.He died, but it took longer than I thought it should have and I was able to fire a second shot. Based on the results of more recent hunts, if I were to take another kudu, I would use my .300 Win Mag with a good 200 grain bonded bullet.

 

[dogcat1]

.243 and up... Have taken several with these. My favorite is .300 HH or .300 WM.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

You're on the hunt for a trophy Kudu. What caliber are you using?

@crossfire3006
To meet there's only one calibre
35 Whelen with a225gn accubond or Woodleigh

225gn accubond recovered in the ham after a frontal shot at 120yds. Full body penetration.

52" kudu
Bob

 

[SwampTrooper]

30-06 with 190 grain accubond long range. Shot placement was ideal and he went down after a short gallop of about fifty yards. Bullet exited the other shoulder. I found kudu to be pretty soft. Shot placement is everything.

 

[Bandera]

Going back in 2027 to hunt plains game in Namibia.
The Greater Southern Kudu and Gemsbok are on the list.
Thinking I will be taking my Ruger No.1 in 7mm mag.
The other possibility is the 375 Ruger with 270 grain bullets.

 

[318AE]

300 H&H may be the perfect round for kudu. Everything left and right of it works just fine.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

.338 Marlin Express and .300 Savage... .338 ME x 2, .300 Savage x 1

The .338 ME is never a bad answer.

 

[cmk]

Have only hunted one, and that was with a camp rifle in 300 WinMag, don't know which bullet, but fairly certain it was 180 grn cup and core. Distance was ~275 m / 300 yds. All went well, but I didn't land the bullet where I intended (combination of loaned gear, my very first hunting day in Africa and of course buck fever). The shot was a bit high and bit back (luckily they have a large lung area), and he took just a few steps and then fell over. Would not do the same again.

Preferably the next one(?) would be with my own 9.3x62 at half the distance, or less, if the terrain allows for it. NorthFork SS or Rhino Solid Shank in either 250 or 286 gn would do well, I believe.

 

[BeeMaa]

Going back in 2027 to hunt plains game in Namibia.
The Greater Southern Kudu and Gemsbok are on the list.
Thinking I will be taking my Ruger No.1 in 7mm mag.
The other possibility is the 375 Ruger with 270 grain bullets.

Either of those will have you covered. The bonus of the 375RUGER is you are also good if a trophy Cape buffalo happens to walk in front of you.

 

[Rare Breed]

Any reasonable “deer” caliber will do…

My wife took hers easily with a 168gr TTSX from a 308… a good friends daughter took a very nice one with a 243…

For me, personally, the 308 is my “all things” plains game caliber… anything from impala to wildebeest and zebra get a 308… eland and above get a 375…

I’m a 275 Rigby guy myself and have no problem using this caliber with my 175 grain bullets

 

[mdwest]

There’s a wonderful musgrave rifle in 7x57 that’s a camp gun at Bos en Dal… my wife and I both have used it to take a wide variety of game… if I didn’t already have multiple 308’s in the safe I’d very likely be a 7x57 guy myself…

Low recoil, great BC projectiles, easy to load for, and some beautiful rifles in that caliber (Rigby highland stalker comes to mind)… what’s not to like?!?!?!

I took my black wildebeest at a little more than 330 yards with the musgrave 7x57 mentioned above… its lights out accurate, and punches at several levels above its weight class..

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Thanks for the post trperk1! A 35 Whelen, 180gr TTSX FB is my caliber of choice. I was just curious to know what caliber individuals like or prefer. Maybe I should have done a poll.

@crossfire3006
In the Whelen load any premium 225grainer to 2,900fps and your good to go from 0-400+ yards.
Point shoot pick up
Bob