Nilgai & Caliber requirments.

[Tarosean]

Anyone know of a ranch or outfitter that doesn't specifically require 300WM +?
I handload for 7mmRM, 30.06 and 308 and they have worked great for all of my Deer (Mulie) and Elk kills.

Ive read they are tough, but nothing that walks is bullet proof. Just seems like an odd caliber requirement.

 

[Reelthrill]

I have been looking into Nilgai hunts in S TX, and as you pointed out everyone seems to want the heavy caliber bullets. I did a search for Nilgai Hunts on Video, and saw there were some guys shooting with an outfitter using .223 and DRT bullets. You may want to try that search, I can't remember their name otherwise I would have put it here.

I am thinking of borrowing a neighbors 300WM as I can shoot it at the local range to become familiar with it. I also see that some outfitters allow you to rent one a 300WM for $50 per day.

 

[Mikewood]

I agree with Reelthrill. They should have rental guns for you to shoot. No need to buy one. But the point is ridiculous. They are not any tougher than an American elk and a 30-06 is plenty of either. I wonder if a 444 marlin or 45-70 would be acceptable... I would rather own a 375 H-H than another 300 winmag again. You might call and ask. I bet just about anyone will let you use your 7 mag. It's plenty of gun for Nilgai. But I bet you have to ask.


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[Hoji]

Am talking to a guy in deer camp that has hunted them. It seems that the combination of a very elastic hide and super dense muscle structure makes them difficult to kill cleanly with smaller calibers. I would go with a rental gun if they shoot down your 7mm mag.

 

[Tarosean]

No way would I invest time, money, etc. and bet it all on some unknown rental gun... Just not going to happen, unless my gun ended up in the wrong place and it was a true emergency i.e. shipping or customs issues. Course I wouldn't be faced with that driving in.

I am definitely not going to buy a 300WM just for it... although might look at bigger thumpers if forced to.. (i.e. 375HH)

 

[grasshopperglock]

Bull Nilgai have a dermal shield on the chest and neck. It's not so much a big cal that's needed. It's a cal that can penetrate the skin/animal deep enough to destroy organs.

 

[Dawico]

No way would I invest time, money, etc. and bet it all on some unknown rental gun... Just not going to happen, unless my gun ended up in the wrong place and it was a true emergency i.e. shipping or customs issues. Course I wouldn't be faced with that driving in.

I am definitely not going to buy a 300WM just for it... although might look at bigger thumpers if forced to.. (i.e. 375HH)

Test fire a rental gun before heading to the field and you would be fine.

But I have bought a new gun for lesser reasons.

 

[black_ice]

They are super tough critters and I wouldn't hunt them with anything less than a .300 win mag. The cows are much easier to kill than the bulls.


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[satx78247]

To All,

I suggest something at least as powerful as a .358WCF or 9.3x62mm Mauser.
(Everyone that I've talked to & that have taken a BIG bull says that rifles in the .30-06 class are definitely NOT enough gun.)

yours, satx

 

[baboon]

Blow off the nilgai & go shoot yourself an eland.

 

[Tarosean]

Blow off the nilgai & go shoot yourself an eland.

Im only interested in meat, not trophies. Never had Eland, so I cannot compare taste..

 

[baboon]

Im only interested in meat, not trophies. Never had Eland, so I cannot compare taste..

Ask the people where you are going to hunt nilgai if they have eland. If they do ask them for a comparison. Lots of meat on an eland.

 

[Apollo]

No way would I invest time, money, etc. and bet it all on some unknown rental gun... Just not going to happen, unless my gun ended up in the wrong place and it was a true emergency i.e. shipping or customs issues. Course I wouldn't be faced with that driving in.

I am definitely not going to buy a 300WM just for it... although might look at bigger thumpers if forced to.. (i.e. 375HH)

If you're going big get a 338 LM. They're stupid easy to load for and once fired brass is surprising cheap for a large Magnum. I pay about $1.50 per shot for my match ammo once everything is added up.

Ain't nothing walking away from a 275gr solid pushing 2850 fps. Or even a thin jacketed match bullet for that matter.

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[MikePotts]

It does taste pretty good, I get antelope nachos at a local (Kerrville) joint sometimes and they use Nilgai - very tasty

 

[Texasjack]

The last time I saw a nilgai it was a cow downed with 1 shot from a 7 mm Mauser. I'm convinced that most of the deer-range calibers would take one down, e.g., .308, .30-06, 7mm Mag, etc. Biggest problem is that you often have long shots, and so I can see why some folks would want you to use a larger caliber to make sure there was enough energy for a large and tough animal at long range. Also, requiring big calibers makes the hunt sound more difficult than it might actually be - and help keep the price up.

I would hate to pay all that money and wind up with a bad shot because I was using somebody's rental gun. (Would YOU rent out your best rifle? Me neither.) Maybe it's time to crack open that piggy bank and add a .300 WM to your collection. The recoil is very manageable and the performance is outstanding. Or go up to a .300 (or more) Weatherby.

 

[ed308]

I'm surprised no one mentioned a .300Blk. From everything I've read, it will kill any animal on this planet.

 

[Apollo]

I'm surprised no one mentioned a .300Blk. From everything I've read, it will kill any animal on this planet.

Ah yes, the mystical 300 BLK, capable of turning mall ninjas into Navy seals with just the swap of a barrel.

Some say the first round was formed from a drop of Chuck Norris' sweat fell on a .223 round and they reverse engineered the chambering from that.

I say, the heck with that. For the same price or less I can shoot 308win and get significantly better terminal ballistics.

I'll admit it is cool in supressed SBRs thought.

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[Maverick44]

I've seen plenty of used 458 Win Mags sell for decent prices (under $600). It seems a lot of people buy them thinking they want an "elephant gun" and then realize they don't know how to handle the recoil. I'd look into one of them, or go for the tried and true 375 H&H.

 

[TheDan]

I'm surprised no one mentioned a .300Blk. From everything I've read, it will kill any animal on this planet.

Yes, but only with a direct hit to the exhaust port.

 

[satx78247]

Tarosean,

IF you would accept some advice from me, may I suggest that you buy a "plain vanilla" .270WCF or .30-06 in your choice of styles & ship it to JES to be rebored/rechambered to 9.3x62 Mauser. = A 286 grain bullet at about 2400FPS is DEADLY on any game animal.
(You cannot kill an animal deader than dead.)

The old 9.3x62 has been used with great success for over a century on everything from coyotes/feral pigs to elephant.=
(Unlike the "big magnums" the old Mauser cartridge is an EXCELLENT KILLER & won't "kick your head off" It also is very easy to fire-form cases for the 9.3x62 from .30-06 cases that are CHEAP & available just about everywhere.)

My treasured 9.3x62 is a remodeled Remington Model 760 that JES "reformatted". - IMO, that rifle is FLAWLESS for hunting most everything that may bite, trample or eat you.
(NO, I'm not an employee of JES. Instead I'm "a charter member" of the JES Fan Club. = My 500.oo rifle cannot be bought, except from my estate & hopefully after a considerable number of years from now. )

Note: I like my 9.3x62mm so much that I'm about to send yet another 760 (that I bought "for peanuts", with a pitted .30-06 barrel) to JES to be remodeled into a .400 Brown-Whelen Improved.
(A rifle in that wildcat chambering is a "ballistic twin" of the "very well-regarded in Africa" .404 Jeffery's, is NOT a "hard kicker", is easy to make from .30-06 cases & is quite suitable to take any creature on Planet Earth out to 300M.)

just my OPINION, satx