Rocketeer77
Well-Known Member
Sent to me from South Africa my 243 wouldn't be much use on this!
Impressive animal
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med358-boise
Well-Known Member
They are. I took one in 2001. Used a Lazzeroni 8.59 Galaxy (Short Action 338 with a 580 case head ~ duplicates a 338 Win Mag) with Nosler 210 partitions.
Rocketeer77
Well-Known Member
I have a Husqvarna in 9.3 x 62 never used it in anger, shoots 286 grain partitions at 2400 fps. Beautiful quality rifle was going to make a 280AI with it, but that seemed like sacrilege 
med358-boise
Well-Known Member
well you would be betting about $2500 because in Africa if you hit an animal and don't recover it, you pay the trophy fee.
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Varmint Hunter
Well-Known Member
That gal looks familiar. I think she appears on TV from time to time.
Blacktailer
Well-Known Member
They don't go down like the typical whitetail. To give some perspective they are about the size of a Clydesdale, close to a ton. Sure fill up the back of a pickup!
Don't do it!I have a Husqvarna in 9.3 x 62 never used it in anger, shoots 286 grain partitions at 2400 fps. Beautiful quality rifle was going to make a 280AI with it, but that seemed like sacrilege
BallisticsGuy
Well-Known Member
.243 works just fine on them, just shoot them in the head.
I sort of jest... In reality of the 3 eland I've taken 2 were hit with body shots (both of those times I hit it in the heart) and one with a head shot. The head shot, a good size mature male, was the only one that went right down. One of the others (a large female) couldn't walk because I broke both shoulders with a .375Ruger but still took a poke in the bean to finally shut off the engine. The other (a large adolescent male) took a shot to the heart then walked 2km and then took an e-brake setter to the back leg and then took another shot to the chest before it piled up.
African game is made of much sterner stuff than north American game. You shoot a white tail or an elk in the chest and it won't go very far. If you shoot African game, especially wildebeest, in the chest it seems that you're just giving them extra air to run on and they often times go very surprisingly far before piling up. I now have as many head-shot harvests in Africa as I do body shots and will likely stick to headshots whenever I can. It's a lot less hassle.
I sort of jest... In reality of the 3 eland I've taken 2 were hit with body shots (both of those times I hit it in the heart) and one with a head shot. The head shot, a good size mature male, was the only one that went right down. One of the others (a large female) couldn't walk because I broke both shoulders with a .375Ruger but still took a poke in the bean to finally shut off the engine. The other (a large adolescent male) took a shot to the heart then walked 2km and then took an e-brake setter to the back leg and then took another shot to the chest before it piled up.
African game is made of much sterner stuff than north American game. You shoot a white tail or an elk in the chest and it won't go very far. If you shoot African game, especially wildebeest, in the chest it seems that you're just giving them extra air to run on and they often times go very surprisingly far before piling up. I now have as many head-shot harvests in Africa as I do body shots and will likely stick to headshots whenever I can. It's a lot less hassle.
Nice animal, 243 wouldn't be the logical caliber to shoot it with, but I have dropped some pretty tough customers with 224 cal and I have had some tough customers not drop with a 375 HH.
I was on the Kennedy Ranch several years ago on a Nilgai hunt, we hadn't had any luck the 1st & 2nd morning out, we were headed to camp and there were 3 huge bovine steers standing in pasture about a 150 yards off the road, they guide driving the truck stopped and told us if wanted to we could take one or all of the steers as they were wild and the ranch wanted to get rid of them. So I volunteered to take one, I'm shooting 375 H&H with 300 Gr Swift A-frame, the steer was quartering away slightly, and I put the bullet right behind the shoulder about 3/4 of the way down the shoulder, the steer didn't even flinch and took off, I took off chasing it through the brush and caught up to it finally and put another one in straight on just at the junction of the neck and the brisket, steer took off again, I caught up to it again, it was weak but still on all 4 shot it in the neck this time and it went down, but was not dead. I was out of bullets and had my 22 mag pistol and put 2 in the skull at point blank range before it succumbed, that was one tough animal for sure, and 2200 lbs.
We did get the Nilgai the next day
I was on the Kennedy Ranch several years ago on a Nilgai hunt, we hadn't had any luck the 1st & 2nd morning out, we were headed to camp and there were 3 huge bovine steers standing in pasture about a 150 yards off the road, they guide driving the truck stopped and told us if wanted to we could take one or all of the steers as they were wild and the ranch wanted to get rid of them. So I volunteered to take one, I'm shooting 375 H&H with 300 Gr Swift A-frame, the steer was quartering away slightly, and I put the bullet right behind the shoulder about 3/4 of the way down the shoulder, the steer didn't even flinch and took off, I took off chasing it through the brush and caught up to it finally and put another one in straight on just at the junction of the neck and the brisket, steer took off again, I caught up to it again, it was weak but still on all 4 shot it in the neck this time and it went down, but was not dead. I was out of bullets and had my 22 mag pistol and put 2 in the skull at point blank range before it succumbed, that was one tough animal for sure, and 2200 lbs.
We did get the Nilgai the next day
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Not a 243 but I built a 65 PRC for a buddy. He took it to Africa and shot factory 143 ELD-X's and nothing went more than 50 yards including the eland. I think he shot 10 animals. It was his first trip to Africa. His impression was not that the animals are tougher but that the vitals are not in the same place as North America game. He said they're more directly behind the shoulder and more difficult to get to. I'm headed to Africa next year for the first time.
You'll love it! Africa is so much fun.
In the words of my granddad "Always use enough gun".
