O.K., this post is kind of an addendum to the earlier post I had made entitled "Guns for Africa". My friend and I have been talking and it looks like we will attempt to hunt 'the dark continent' in a couple of years.
Having said that, I've been checking some websites. We are planning on doing plains game only (for our first hunt...who knows, we might go back!
) and the species list contains the following: Kudu, Gemsbok (Oryx), wildebeest, Red Harebeest, Zebra, springbok, and steenbok. I realize that the smaller antelope will fold readily to my trusty '06, but I am wondering if the bigger antelope (kudu, oryx, ect.) ...........would my .30-06 with 200 grain Nosler partitions be up to the job? I really
don't want to have to buy a bigger rifle; I am a bit recoil sensetive. The above mentioned load I have worked up will shoot a 1/2" group at 100 yards from a bench.
Some of the stuff I've read on other sites makes it seem that the .338 is
minimum. Some of the websites say "30 cal minimum", but I don't know if they are talking 30 caliber magnums, or something along the lines of the .308/30-06.
There is also a lot of crap out there.....a lot of the '.375 H&H minimum" opinions are from people who have
never been to Africa, let alone hunted there.
I don't want to go and look foolish....or worse yet, loose a wounded animal. I guess I"m also intimidated by the potential recoil of the bigger guns....does a .338 kick much more than my slug guns?
At any rate, thanks for taking a look at this post and expressing an opinion.