Which Bullet Weight For Eland?

Vanguard2279

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I am taking two rifles on my hunt in April with Namibia Safari Corporation. They are:
New Ultra Light Arms M24 .338-06
Ruger Guide Gun .338 Win Mag.
The NULA will be loaded with a 210-grain Barnes TTSX at about 2775 fps and I hope to utilize this rifle for Springbok, Gemsbok, Warthog and Spotted Hyena. This bullet is accurate out of this rifle.
The Ruger will be used for Hartmann's Zebra and Eland.

The bigger question is what bullet weight should I use? I currently have an adequate load with a 250-grain Barnes TSX which shoots five rounds into 1.25" or less at about 2675 FPS. The 225-grain Barnes TTSX shoots under 1 MOA at about 2780 fps. I lean towards heavier bullets for any given game.

What would the learned gentlemen (and ladies) pick for a Cape Eland bull?
 
Why take two rifles of such similar ballistics? I have used a 338 06 in Africa and had no problem with zebra or wildebeast using a 210 gr Barnes TTSX. I have since used a 30 06 and see no difference in DRT over the 338 06. Take the one rifle you shoot the best with and do not overthink the subject..a good bullet in the right spot will do the job on an Eland from either....enjoy you trip. I would feel totally comfortable using a '06 on an Eland with a 200 or 220 grain Nosler, Swift, Northfork, Woodleigh or similar bonded bullet if I keep my shots under 200 yds m/l.
 
Both of those guns and bullet combos will work well on eland. No need to switch anything if your gun shoots them in that size group. I have used a 300 win mag with 180 ttsx and both eland ran less then 80yds. Your combo will do the job with the bullet placed at the right spot.
 
Barnes like speed, choose the 225gr, which also by your post is slightly more accurate and go hunt.
 
I have a "thing" about the ought-six based cartridges. I have a .25-06, a .270, a .280, a .30-06, a .338-06, and a .35 Whelen. Oddly on whitetail deer size game they are all about the same. I took the .35 Whelen on my first plains game hunt.

That said, I would use your .338 WM on eland and I would use the 250 grain bullet.
 
Either option will be just fine!
 
Gentlemen:
Thank you for the input. There are several reasons that I am taking two rifles and it's not just because I want to.

Ammo availability. I have yet to lose my ammo during transit, but it is something that I am always concerned about. This is a bigger issue when airlines require you to send ammo as a separate item. If something does happen, I doubt I will find .338-06 anywhere. I will most likely find .338 WM in Windhoek. While I don't mean to sound paranoid, I did show up in Newfoundland without the Ruger because somebody neglected(?) to put it on the plane from Vegas to Toronto. It eventually showed up, but it cost me 3/4 day of hunting.

I can't even come close to the .338 WM's velocity with the 250-grain Barnes in the .338-06. I'm somewhere 200-250 fps slower. When this odyssey began, I was going to take the .338-06 for myself and my .30-06 (a veteran of two safaris) for a friend. Eland wasn't on the table then. I used a 180-grain Hornady GMX quite successfully on a Burchell's Zebra in April. When the friend had to back out, I added the Eland and wanted a heavy bullet which would give me adequate penetration on such a large animal.

As I understand from people who have hunted with NSC, the shots can run particularly long. I'm zeroing both rifles at 200 yards and then every range session will be shooting off the sticks.
 
Makes sense.

The speeds you can get with a 250 grain bullet and various .33s are:

.318 Westly Richards - 2400 fps

.338-06 A Square - 2450 fps

.333 Jeffery - 2500 fps

.338 Win Mag - 2700 fps

.340 Weatherby - 2950 fps

.338 RUM - 2950 fps

.338 Lapua - 2950 fps

.338-378 Weatherby - 3050 fps
 
I am a little vague about velocities for a sad reason. I have a Magnetospeed chronograph. It's great. I love it. However, one day I nicked the end of it. It immediately began registering previously chrono'd loads 30-70 fps slower than they had been previously. Some loads I have to estimate like the 250-grain Barnes and the 210-grain TTSX. I just received a new Magnetospeed and will be taking it to the range this weekend.
 
vanguard,

i would use the 250's on the eland, and make the first shot perfect. if the 250's you are shooting will not operate at 2700 fps, you are going to be shooting too far. my suggestion is, don't.

have fun!
 
My eland ran about ten yards and stopped. He was dead on his feet shot through the heart......he just didn’t know it. The rifle was a 300 WinMag with 180 grain Winchester Ballistic Silver Tip ammo. Either of Your 338 roles will be just fine.
 
I used a 338win mag with 225gr Swift A-Frames on both of my trips. I took an Eland/Zebra/Kudu/Black Wildebeest and more on this trip with it. I used a 257W with 120gr A-Frames and 100gr TTSX bullets for smaller stuff this time.
First trip I used the same 338 and load for everything.
Both trips all were one shot kills except for 2 animals that I did a poor shot placement. Follow up shot took care of them.

To be honest I like the A-Frames better.
 
I am taking two rifles on my hunt in April with Namibia Safari Corporation. They are:
New Ultra Light Arms M24 .338-06
Ruger Guide Gun .338 Win Mag.
The NULA will be loaded with a 210-grain Barnes TTSX at about 2775 fps and I hope to utilize this rifle for Springbok, Gemsbok, Warthog and Spotted Hyena. This bullet is accurate out of this rifle.
The Ruger will be used for Hartmann's Zebra and Eland.

The bigger question is what bullet weight should I use? I currently have an adequate load with a 250-grain Barnes TSX which shoots five rounds into 1.25" or less at about 2675 FPS. The 225-grain Barnes TTSX shoots under 1 MOA at about 2780 fps. I lean towards heavier bullets for any given game.

What would the learned gentlemen (and ladies) pick for a Cape Eland bull?
I think I'd take one gun and worry more about my boots.
 
Makes sense.

The speeds you can get with a 250 grain bullet and various .33s are:

.318 Westly Richards - 2400 fps

.338-06 A Square - 2450 fps

.333 Jeffery - 2500 fps

.338 Win Mag - 2700 fps

.340 Weatherby - 2950 fps

.338 RUM - 2950 fps

.338 Lapua - 2950 fps

.338-378 Weatherby - 3050 fps
@postoak
35 Whelen 250 grain 2,700.
Bob
 
Over the decades have taken a half dozen eland Using 180 grain TSX and 200 Grain Nosler partition in a 300 Win Mag and one with a 338 Win Mag using 250 Grain TSX. All one shot kills, none moved more than two steps.
 
Given the choices of the 338-06 and 338WM (or both).
I'd stick with just one rifle and the 338WM Guide Gun.
Good ammo availability and bullet selection.
Excellent rifle for carrying in the bush as well.

You certainly have enough gun either way you decide.
Just stick with premium bullets.
Barnes, Swift A-Frames and Norma Oryx come to mind.
There are other premium bullets out there.
These are just the ones I have experience with and trust.

I took mine with a 375H&H and 300 grain SAF's.
Two recovered bullets from the Eland.
1608903788485.png
 
Given the choices of the 338-06 and 338WM (or both).
I'd stick with just one rifle and the 338WM Guide Gun.
Good ammo availability and bullet selection.
Excellent rifle for carrying in the bush as well.

You certainly have enough gun either way you decide.
Just stick with premium bullets.
Barnes, Swift A-Frames and Norma Oryx come to mind.
There are other premium bullets out there.
These are just the ones I have experience with and trust.

I took mine with a 375H&H and 300 grain SAF's.
Two recovered bullets from the Eland.
View attachment 381150
Were these rounds hand loads from the .375? Would you mind sharing the speed from these rounds if known...they look like they performed very well.
 
This was store bought ammo, I do not reload.
Loaded by Swift, 375H&H with the 300 grain SAF bullet.
Nothing extraordinary about it.
With the exception of the extraordinary results.
 

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