Plains game bullets

[gregrn43]

My daughter and me are going to south Africa in the eastern cape next May for plains game hunt. Kudu, zebra, wildebeest, impala, and hartebeest is some of what we're after. I'm take my 300 win mag and my 30-06. My daughter is taking her .270 win and her 7mm-08. I'm working up loads for 180gr sciroccos in my win mag and 160gr scirocco in her 08. In my 06 I am gonna use either 165gr or 180gr partitions. In her .270 win I have worked up a very accurate load with Speer 150 grand slams. I am not new to hunting, I've hunted since I was a little boy. I am however, totally ignorant when it comes to hunting Africa. Its something I have always wanted to do. We are using Gracy travel to help us with tickets and gun permits. My question is my choice of bullets ok for what we are planning to hunt?

 

[Hogpatrol]

My 2¢, You're good to go. Good Luck!

 

[Kootenay Hunter]

I think you are 90% of the way there.
The largest/heartiest game you have are the Zebra and the Kudu, all the calibers mentioned are more than good enough for them.
On the bullet front I think you are almost there. I have done a bunch of hunting with siroccos, and with those weight to caliber bullets you are in the sectional density range of about .28, which is a good place to be for plains game. Partitions are also great for plains game, so no concerns there.

But I might not take the grand slams. Grand slams have a bad rep around here, and some of it is deserved. For that 270 I might go with either partitions, or a 150gr in accubond / a frame / northfork. Of those the northfork is the toughest, but the accubond will shoot flattest depending on the terrain you are hunting in.

Good luck and I hope you have a wonderful trip!

 

[375Fox]

I think you are fine on bullets. Bonded bullets are generally preferred though because the shot placement on African game is further forward on the shoulder not behind the shoulder like on North American game. However, you are taking a lot of similar cartridges. I’d choose 1 rifle each to bring. I’ve never had a scope or rifle fail on safari to justify bringing a backup plus outfitter or PH will always have a rental rifle if needed. Also, how old is your daughter? If not an adult, you can only carry 5 kg/11 lbs total ammo for both of you. It will add up fast with 4 rifles. You might also have an issue taking two 30 caliber rifles.

 

[gregrn43]

I think you are 90% of the way there.
The largest/heartiest game you have are the Zebra and the Kudu, all the calibers mentioned are more than good enough for them.
On the bullet front I think you are almost there. I have done a bunch of hunting with siroccos, and with those weight to caliber bullets you are in the sectional density range of about .28, which is a good place to be for plains game. Partitions are also great for plains game, so no concerns there.

But I might not take the grand slams. Grand slams have a bad rep around here, and some of it is deserved. For that 270 I might go with either partitions, or a 150gr in accubond / a frame / northfork. Of those the northfork is the toughest, but the accubond will shoot flattest depending on the terrain you are hunting in.

Good luck and I hope you have a wonderful trip!

Thanks for your advice.

 

[gregrn43]

I think you are fine on bullets. Bonded bullets are generally preferred though because the shot placement on African game is further forward on the shoulder not behind the shoulder like on North American game. However, you are taking a lot of similar cartridges. I’d choose 1 rifle each to bring. I’ve never had a scope or rifle fail on safari to justify bringing a backup plus outfitter or PH will always have a rental rifle if needed. Also, how old is your daughter? If not an adult, you can only carry 5 kg/11 lbs total ammo for both of you. It will add up fast with 4 rifles. You might also have an issue taking two 30 caliber rifles.

My daughter is 38. I thought about taking one rifle apiece. It would be less weight and maybe a little less hassle.

 

[Kevin375]

The Swift Scirocco II is a great plains game bullet ! I shot it in .300 Winchester magnum, and a little bit in 6.5 Creedmoor, and it always did a great work on everything in Africa.
Just read "The perfect shot" to know where are exactly vitals on the games you plan to hunt and you'll have a blast.

Here is a little feedback.

I used to shoot the Swift Scirocco II 180 gr in my .300 Winchester magnum.
I really like this combo that was very effective whatever the distance and I killed many animals from jackals up to giraffe without any problems.

This bonded bullet usually keeps a big weight retention and in my collection, usually they are above 70 %, and even 80 %, most of the time. The lightest one I have found has "only" kept 61 % of its initial weight but it was found in a red stag.

In comparison, the Nosler Accubond 180 gr that I used before tended to lose more of its weight. I have never seen one, in this diameter, which kept more than 65 % of its weight. Most of the time, it was 50 % or so...sometimes a bit less. But they never let me down, even on tough games like zebras. In my rifle, the Accubond seems less picky to the seating depth than the Scirocco but both provided me a great accuracy.

View attachment 637389
Bullets recovered in blue and black wildebeests, eland and burchell zebra.


View attachment 637388
Bullets recovered in 2 blue wildebeests : 84.30 % and 77.7 %


View attachment 637390
Bullets recovered in a giraffe

The first one, shot in the shoulder, was recovered under the skin in the opposite shoulder and it has kept 88.2% of its weight.
The other one, shot in the neck to finish it off, and that broke the spine, has kept 84.7%.

Unfortunately, I don't find them anymore where I am. Now I'm using Nosler Partition 220 gr.

 

[Charlie64]

.

My wife has taken all of the animals that you mention with a .30-06, hence a question - why are you taking 4 rifles? Extra weight, extra time at SAPs, extra extra extra. With your .300 or .30-06 and her .270 you can take all the plains game in SA between you & more. Often less is more! Ps the bullets that you have worked up will do just fine. Just my thinking ....


.

 

[Doug3006]

You and your daughter are ready to hunt! Any one of those rifles, loaded with the bullets you’ve settled upon, will kill any of the game you’re seeking. Good call on using Gracy too.

 

[JG26Irish_2]

You all will love Africa. It is a magical place! Sciroccos are great in any caliber for PG. So are partitions. The overall best bullet performance I have experienced in Africa was with the 30cal Federal Fusion in 180g from a 308. Your 30-06 or 300wm would do the job great but I would not take them both. I used the 375HH for Blue Wildebeest and Kudu but your rifles are still enough to do the job. Kudu is no larger or tougher than an Elk.

I have also had really good results with the Barnes TSX and TTSX and honestly the SD's on the Barnes factory ammo are so good that I do not bother to reload. I am seeing std deviations of 2-4fps with most calibers. I cannot reload that well. Plus, I am not a huge fan of the copper monos but there is no denying that they work well in a wide range of situations.

When I went to Free State the PH said that 270 was the minimum caliber they would accept due to the open terrain and longer potential shots out to about 400y. I ended up taking my 7mm/08 since it shot better long range accuracy than my 270.

If it was me, I would suggest that you take the 30cal that you shoot best. Most shots will be inside of 250y. Take one load that is heavy for caliber in the 180g range. Leave the other rifle home and consider taking one more caliber in the 338 or 375 range? Not necessary but any excuse to buy another rifle is a good one. For daughter - same deal. Whichever one she shoots best at 200y should be the one to take and then pack one load only of the best ammo for it. I took a Black Wildebeest with my 7mm/08 using a 140g Barnes TSX from 314y. That was the longest shot. Eastern Cape should mostly be shorter shots with more cover to use on stalks.

Last year I tried to turn my hunt into a bullet research project and took four different loads for each rifle and ended up running out of the best loads and having to swap to other loads that were not as good. It was a mistake. One good load for each rifle is sufficient. Keep it Simple.

Get some quad sticks and a 22lr and practice shooting at tiny 1/2" tgts standing at about 35y. Do this once a week to start and every day as you get closer to the date of the Safari. Practice going from rifle on sling to mounting the sticks and taking the shot within 3-5 sec. That is about how much time you can hope for with a big bull Kudu before he sees you and melts into the bushveld. At first it is impossible but just practice and learn how to move smoothly and quickly into position. I like to use DumDum suckers cause a hit turns them to dust. This will save ammo on the big guns and build confidence. Hitting a 1/2" tgt at 35" is about the same as hitting a 3" KZ at about 200y.

 

[dchum]

My daughter is 38. I thought about taking one rifle apiece. It would be less weight and maybe a little less hassle.

Definitely just take one each.

 

[Velo Dog]

Greetings gregrn43,

Another vote for one rifle each.
As for calibers, any of the 4 you have will do well.

For my 2 penny’s worth I’d bring the .30-06 and 180 grain A-Frame if you can find them AND if they shoot straight in your particular rifle.
Or, the .300 Winchester with 200 grain.

Also, the old and much misunderstood these days, Nosler partition is a very good “plains game” bullet.
I used a .300 H&H Mauser and 4x scope, with 180 gr NP, @ around 2850 FPS, during my very first time to Namibia, about 20 years ago.
It was in the rather flat geography, sparse foliage - more open conditions of Southern Namibia.

My two longest shots were a few meters past 400 and a couple @ plus or minus 300 meters.
My shortest shot was about 50 meters.
Most shots were around 150 - 200 meters.
Largest animals taken were zebra and Kudu.
The bullets performed perfectly, except very destructive on a steinbok @ about 50 paces.
At the end of the day, I could have done that entire Safari with a .30-06 or 7x57 just as well.

Your daughter will do fine with her .270 and 150 grain bullets or, her 7MM-08 with 160 grain.
Again the A-Frame is my recommendation if you can find them and they are accurate in her chosen rifle.
Otherwise I recommend the NP if you can’t find A-Frames and if her rifle shoots the NP accurately.

My hunting companion on that first safari used a .270 with 2-7x scope and 140 hr A-Frames with perfect success.
Another friend of mine’s wife used her 7MM-08 in South Africa with 4x Scope and Norma 160 gr “Oryx” bullet.
She enjoyed perfect success.

I have no experience with the Scirocco bullet but it has a very good reputation in Africa and elsewhere, especially where longer shots sometimes happen.

Practice much with shooting sticks from standing position.
I prefer the simplest 2 legged ones but some prefer 3 or 4 legged ones.
As long as you can get consistent hits with whatever type used, that is what matters.

I recommend scopes that are not overly powerful and not overly complicated.
For hoofed critter hunting I prefer a simple 4x for almost all (almost all) conditions.
But in open country like you will be hunting in, a 6x is a fine choice.
(I’m not very sophisticated but I can lift heavy things).

Waidmannsheil,
Velo Dog.

 

[Hogpatrol]

Two gun guy here. When your one and only goes TU and you have to shoot off sticks with a camp gun with a 20 lb trigger, you'll be a "Wish I Had". BTDT and YMMV.

 

[Ryan]

I wouldn't change a thing. All quality bullets that will do the job well if they are. Personally I only took one rifle for Plains Game, a 30-06, until I needed a Dangerous game caliber. But if you want to take two for whatever reason go for it

 

[Doug3006]

I go back and forth on the topic of taking multiple guns. Sometimes I fall in with the “all you need” crowd and advise taking just one rifle per hunter. Cost, convenience and need are all on the side of taking just one. But then I look at my collection of plains-game-suitable rifles and don’t have the heart to take just one. “Need is a relative thing these days, it borders on desire”. Or so says Jimmy Buffett.

 

[375Fox]

Two gun guy here. When your one and only goes TU and you have to shoot off sticks with a camp gun with a 20 lb trigger, you'll be a "Wish I Had". BTDT and YMMV.

What would be the circumstance you had to use a camp gun? I’ve never had or seen a rifle fail in field. I have seen them not arrive after travel. I’ve also only seen one terrible camp gun. Most are the PH’s personal rifles they rent out.

 

[gregrn43]

You all will love Africa. It is a magical place! Sciroccos are great in any caliber for PG. So are partitions. The overall best bullet performance I have experienced in Africa was with the 30cal Federal Fusion in 180g from a 308. Your 30-06 or 300wm would do the job great but I would not take them both. I used the 375HH for Blue Wildebeest and Kudu but your rifles are still enough to do the job. Kudu is no larger or tougher than an Elk.

I have also had really good results with the Barnes TSX and TTSX and honestly the SD's on the Barnes factory ammo are so good that I do not bother to reload. I am seeing std deviations of 2-4fps with most calibers. I cannot reload that well. Plus, I am not a huge fan of the copper monos but there is no denying that they work well in a wide range of situations.

When I went to Free State the PH said that 270 was the minimum caliber they would accept due to the open terrain and longer potential shots out to about 400y. I ended up taking my 7mm/08 since it shot better long range accuracy than my 270.

If it was me, I would suggest that you take the 30cal that you shoot best. Most shots will be inside of 250y. Take one load that is heavy for caliber in the 180g range. Leave the other rifle home and consider taking one more caliber in the 338 or 375 range? Not necessary but any excuse to buy another rifle is a good one. For daughter - same deal. Whichever one she shoots best at 200y should be the one to take and then pack one load only of the best ammo for it. I took a Black Wildebeest with my 7mm/08 using a 140g Barnes TSX from 314y. That was the longest shot. Eastern Cape should mostly be shorter shots with more cover to use on stalks.

Last year I tried to turn my hunt into a bullet research project and took four different loads for each rifle and ended up running out of the best loads and having to swap to other loads that were not as good. It was a mistake. One good load for each rifle is sufficient. Keep it Simple.

Get some quad sticks and a 22lr and practice shooting at tiny 1/2" tgts standing at about 35y. Do this once a week to start and every day as you get closer to the date of the Safari. Practice going from rifle on sling to mounting the sticks and taking the shot within 3-5 sec. That is about how much time you can hope for with a big bull Kudu before he sees you and melts into the bushveld. At first it is impossible but just practice and learn how to move smoothly and quickly into position. I like to use DumDum suckers cause a hit turns them to dust. This will save ammo on the big guns and build confidence. Hitting a 1/2" tgt at 35" is about the same as hitting a 3" KZ at about 200y.

View attachment 778409

I really appreciate the advice. I've been shooting off a tripod and quad stick with bigger rifles and .22 mag. Also I do lots of dry firing with the tripod and quad sticks.

 

[dchum]

I really appreciate the advice. I've been shooting off a tripod and quad stick with bigger rifles and .22 mag. Also I do lots of dry firing with the tripod and quad sticks.

Good on ya!

Who are yall hunting with in EC? Don’t pass on a nice EC bushbuck

 

[Hogpatrol]

What would be the circumstance you had to use a camp gun? I’ve never had or seen a rifle fail in field. I have seen them not arrive after travel. I’ve also only seen one terrible camp gun. Most are the PH’s personal rifles they rent out.

A well known, dependable aftermarket trigger went south. Had already shot twenty rounds. Fortunately, my PH/Outfitter had a Timney from a rifle he no longer owned and the tools to change it. Last trip, I took two extra triggers. Like anything else mechanical, use them enough and sooner or later, something will fail.

 

[Nosler guy]

I'm in the keep it simple - travel light club. One gun a piece when we do father / daughter.

As for camp guns - I'd check with your guy and see what he's got. We used outfitter's rifles on three hunts, just to keep things simple - there sure weren't any 20 pound triggers, or any of the scary stuff some guys like to talk about. Ruger MarkII's at the one place, with Leupold's and the other time a custom Mauser, wearing a Schmidt & Bender - that rifle took the African experience to a whole nother level.