300 Norma Improved/230 Berger and Africa

[vashooter]

Why not just take a 338?

 

[ROGER FOSTER]

Heading to Africa next year for plains game. Smallest being impala and largest an eland. Thinking about taking 300 Norma Improved that is dialed in with 230 gr Bergers at 2970 fps as a mild load.

I have read multiple places that PHs in Africa don't like Berger bullets to be used. Does anyone have any experience around Berger's in Africa especially the 230 hybrid? Would I be better off working up something different like maybe a 215 Hammer or something else?

I used a 300 WM Berger 210's shot 5 animals the largest was and Eland all dropped right where i shot them, the eland was about 1500 lbs. Berger work great when you put them in the vitals.

 

[Thomas Culver]

I was in somewhat the same situation last year. Went to SA this spring. Took my 28 and 6cm both shoot Berger hybrids exceptionally well but wasn't convinced they were the best bullet for Africa. Also took my 375 h&h. Sent the 28 and 375 to steve at hammer bullets. He did his work and both shot the hammers extremely well. Buddy of mine did the load work for the 6cm. Between the 3 of us hunters we killed 17 animals from jackal to eland and all were one shot kills. Longest shot was 376 shortest was 20. Ended up taking way too much ammunition lol. We did our part and put the bullets where they go and the bullets performed well. They aren't afraid to shoot thru the brush over there at all. That ended up being my deciding factor in the end not to take Berger's.

This.....I took my 6.5 CM with 124 HH's, and my 375 with off the shelf Barnes 300 grain. I shot 9 animals, 2 with the bow, 1 with the 6.5, and 6 with the 375. I chose to mainly use the 375 because of their willingness to call the shot through brush. My longest shot was my Kudu at 130 yards with the 375. He has staring straight at us and my guide asked if I felt comfortable taking a frontal shot. I did, and squeezed one off, he still rain about 60 yards even with 300 grains of 375 going through the heart.

My Sable was shot at 40 yards, he was walking away and turned around the backside of a bush and stopped. PH said to take the shot, so I squeezed off another shot from the 375 and Sable did a big donkey kick and ran about 40 yards. Shot was perfect, right behind the shoulder. I'm not sure why we here in the states are so paranoid about shooting through brush, but after that trip I will have the confidence to do so if required. That said, know the brush you're shooting through, thin branches is one thing. The first Sable I was on stood with a large branch right through his vitals and I couldn't get low enough to shoot under it or high enough to shoot over it.

I would also talk to your outfitter about what you're planning to bring and get his opinion. I did that on calibers, broadheads, and bullets before I went over. My thought process was I'm spending a lot of money on this trip, what's a little more when it comes to bullets and broadheads.

 

[bdyal1972]

There's no way I would shoot an animal I plan to eat with a lead bullet.

Lead bullets have worked fine for killing meat for 200 years

Do you have any idea how many lead bullets you need to eat to mess up your body?

Sounds awfully ignorant

 

[TangoOscarMike]

Whatever you decide, make sure that you take a look at and really study your targets anatomy. Your African animals vitals are further forward than American animals. If you shoot behind the shoulder you may end up in the guts. Most of your African animals should be shot above the front leg on a broadside shot. Whatever the angle, know where you need to put your projectile. It doesn't matter what bullet you use if you're sending them through the guts.

 

[Allen Kitts]

I as well as my (2) buddies hunted South African Plains game in May of 2018. We took 14 Animals total with the (2) Kudu Bulls being the largest. All shot with Berger bullets. Mine from a 6.5-284 (140 Grain Elite Hunters) and his with a 26 Nosler (130 grain VLD Hunters) and the last with a 7LRM with (180 Grain Hybrids). Not an animal lost not an animal that had to be tracked. IMO, If you take the time to get the right shot put the bullet where it belongs they will do the trick, no problem. I am going back in May of 2020, this time with a 300 PRC in hand and will be shooting 215 Grain Hybrids. Good Luck and post some pictures.

 

[Allen Kitts]

For your information my trip prior to this one I used 215s and they worked equally as well.

Ryan,
Was this out of your 300 PRC?

 

[vancewalker007]

Heading to Africa next year for plains game. Smallest being impala and largest an eland. Thinking about taking 300 Norma Improved that is dialed in with 230 gr Bergers at 2970 fps as a mild load.

I have read multiple places that PHs in Africa don't like Berger bullets to be used. Does anyone have any experience around Berger's in Africa especially the 230 hybrid? Would I be better off working up something different like maybe a 215 Hammer or something else?

If you shoot your 300 Norma precisely at the ranges your PH/Outfitter has told you you need to cover you will be ok with that bullet. If it were me I'd choose a bonded high BC bullet if high BC is what I needed. If my shots were going to be 300ish and less I would choose at least a bonded bullet because I cannot afford to loose an animal and would hedge my bet. But that's me, and maybe you have a different situation.

A note about hunting Africa. A precisely placed bullet is way more important than absolute power in Africa. When you pull the trigger and draw blood you just wrote a check.
So, be sure in your heart that you can be precise with that rifle off sticks standing up aiming at an animal you are unfamiliar with in a situation where your adrenaline is going to be pumping.

My experience. I used the 180gr Barnes TTSX in a 300 WSM that I had a lot of confidence in to hunt in the Limpopo Provence. The longest shot we had was about 250 yards on a Blesbok. In other regions shots can stretch out. Next Aug we will be hunting the Free State where shots can stretch to 500 yards. We will likely be shooting the Swift Sciroccos for that hunt from travel rifles in 300 Win Mag.

Good luck, once you go you'll go again. It's a sickness there is no cure for.

 

[INVICTUS]

Heading to Africa next year for plains game. Smallest being impala and largest an eland. Thinking about taking 300 Norma Improved that is dialed in with 230 gr Bergers at 2970 fps as a mild load.

I have read multiple places that PHs in Africa don't like Berger bullets to be used. Does anyone have any experience around Berger's in Africa especially the 230 hybrid? Would I be better off working up something different like maybe a 215 Hammer or something else?

Everyone has their own opinion. Mine is that if the gun likes it, then Berger is a pretty good bullet. If there is one considerably better I'd like to know what it is . Most of the major manufactures are pretty close these days .

 

[Bret GRAVELINE Graveline]

I haven't read the entire thread so if this has been covered my apology, I've traveled to the dark continent four time, I spent the better part of our summer they're hunting season one year, I was apprehending to be a ph for plains game, I was not cut out to be a ph, to many nambi pambi city dwelling hunters that were only interested in killing nothing but gold medal animal rather than enjoying the hunt, I watched hunters walk up to a animal with tape measure in hand to let the tape inform them if they were happy or not, and if they weren't they'd head to the vehicle and pout, not for me, the ph i studied for had been doing it for over 20 years at that time, one of our clients had shot a eland with a 33-378 weatherby using 200 grain nosler bt's it took several hits to be put down, would not have been my first choice, the photos told then me then that in all his years only one client had put down and a eland with one shot, that client had been shooting a old 3006. The thing one needs to clearly understand about Africa hunting is that if you wound a animal you just bought it, even the smallest amount of blood drawn and even if it's beleaved the animal will survive you must pay the trophy fees, depending on just what and where you are hunting for paying the fee and taking up the chase for a chance at a second animal may not be a option, and since you may not get the perfect shoot at the perfect angle the right bullet is high critical, I've never used a hammer bullet or seen it used so I won't offer a opinion, I am a true believer in the Barnes x bullet I've harvested well over a hundred head of big game animals with the barnes bullets and over two hundred with a little of just about everything else, I've had more one shot kills with dead in they're tracks with the barnes, the Barnes will kill animals where fail.

 

[Zuma]

PH's that I have hunted with on 8 Safaris like and even prefer the Nosler Partitions. Sounds like the eland is your biggest antelope. They can run over 2000 pounds. The .338 was a very wise suggestion. For smaller African game the .300 WM is a good choice but dial back the bullet weight to 150 or 180 gr. Plus both these calibers are readily available in Africa in case your ammo luggage doesn't make it to Africa.
Have a great safari.

 

[Eagleye242]

I like to have the option to shoot an animal even if the presentation is not perfect. (read broadside) That means I want a bullet that will go through bone reliably and still reach the vitals. For this, the Bergers are not my first choice, and I would not be taking them to Africa with me. If you do not mind sacrificing a bit of BC, the A-Frames or Nosler Partitions are ideal. The Swift Scirocco II is one tough bullet, and gives you back some BC. I have no experience with the Hammers, so cannot comment. The Barnes TTSX is a very good monumental, but becomes unreliable once velocity has diminished. Just my personal experience. I am now 74, and have hunted all my life, taking all manner of game, and using many different bullets to do so. I stand by my observations. Dave.

 

[John Polk]

Heading to Africa next year for plains game. Smallest being impala and largest an eland. Thinking about taking 300 Norma Improved that is dialed in with 230 gr Bergers at 2970 fps as a mild load.

I have read multiple places that PHs in Africa don't like Berger bullets to be used. Does anyone have any experience around Berger's in Africa especially the 230 hybrid? Would I be better off working up something different like maybe a 215 Hammer or something else?

I think you would be better served by a.338 Winchester magnum or a .340 Weatherby. While the ranges are not long African animals art for very tough. I would base my judgment on what should be used on

 

[tooth doc]

Heading to Africa next year for plains game. Smallest being impala and largest an eland. Thinking about taking 300 Norma Improved that is dialed in with 230 gr Bergers at 2970 fps as a mild load.

I have read multiple places that PHs in Africa don't like Berger bullets to be used. Does anyone have any experience around Berger's in Africa especially the 230 hybrid? Would I be better off working up something different like maybe a 215 Hammer or something else?

Have hunted SA 20 times, headed again on 29th of nov. I have used mostly barnes in my 300wsm, 375 rum, 257 baker, 260 rem, 458 lott. Have used berger in my 7 wsm because that is what its dialed for , for lr comp. Haved used it for 4 trips with 168 bergers, never failed. Up to and including eland at 568 yds. Put it in right place, it will make you smile!