300 Norma Improved/230 Berger and Africa

[ericbc7]

Here's my best advice and I've hunted Africa six times and have shot over a hundred plains game animals. ONE had to take two shots and ranges were anywhere between 200 and 700. Have never used anything bigger than a 7mm shooting 168 Bergers HVLDs. Most were with 6.5s with 130 gr Bergers.

Don't listen to anyone who hasn't been to and hunted Africa.
Don't listen to anyone who HAS NOT shot Berger bullets in Africa (or anywhere else for that matter).
Don't listen to anyone who says Barnes bullets are the ticket in Africa.
Don't listen to what your PH has to say about bullet selection. Most in Africa are stuck in the cup & core philosophy because that's what grandad used.
Don't believe the myth that African plains game animals are tougher. Hit them in the right spot, they're going to die, quickly.
Don't listen to horror stories about taking wildcats and ammo being lost. This is EXTREMELY rare. Same goes for other horror stories related by people that have probably never hunted out of their home state but they "heard" about some guy who lost his ammo. Do your homework and use a travel agency that specializes in Africa hunting like Gracy Travel or Travel Express and get the meet & greet package. You'll breeze through the loops easier than you would in the states.
Get TSA/Pre-Global Traveler, same as above, it greases the skids.

Good luck but be forewarned, there is no worse hunting addiction than Africa.

I stand happily informed/corrected about the risk of losing custom ammo on the African continent

 

[smokepoler]

If you go with a buddy, you can take some of his ammo and let him take some of yours. That way, in the RARE event, one of you loses your checked bag (that's where your ammo will reside for the entire transit), you'll have ammo. Six trips to RSA and I have NEVER had SAPS check my ammo. The only thing they've checked is serial numbers on the receiver.

 

[vancewalker007]

I stand happily informed/corrected about the risk of losing custom ammo on the African continent

It's no big deal. The outfitter will have a bunch of rifles to borrow if that were to happen.

 

[smokepoler]

For plains game, they're usually equipped with the '06, .243W, 7x57, 7RM, 300WM and .375 H&H, depending on the hunters ability to handle recoil. At reasonable distances, the first two will work on just about everything.

 

[jfolanddvm]

One more affirmation for Bergers. Went to SA 2 yrs ago and between my son, FIL and myself, took 21 animals - everything from a 25 lb steenbok to a really large cape eland using nothing but bergers. Most were 180s out of a 7wsm. The only one that went any significant distance was, oddly enough, a grey duiker that was hit too far back. African antelope may be tougher than those in America, but they still die with a well placed Berger. On the other hand, on my first trip to SA, I shot a buffalo with a barnes TS out of a 375 HH. The first shot was broadside running left to right, the second was quartering away and the third was with him facing directly at me at 50 yards. First shot broke the right shoulder, went through the front of the lungs and ended up under the skin behind the left shoulder. The second bullet hit the last rib and then turned to skim along the entire rib cage to end up under the skin of the shoulder on the same side. The third went in just left of the sternum, through the top of the heart, and ended up in the rumen. The track of the second bullet was what surprised me - that a 300 gr TS at only about a 45 degree quartering angle would not even penetrate ribs. Bergers might not work for buffalo, but since they don't make them in a caliber which is legal for them, it's a decision I won't have to fret over much.

 

[mountainman56]

I waited 50+ years for my hunt and in an effort to have my bases covered I assumed everything would go wrong.
I carried the same caliber rifles as did my friend.
I loaded for all 4 rifles and made sure our ammo was interchangeable.
I checked with my PH to make sure a rifle would be available should I arrive without mine (you really only need one)
We both carried calibers for which ammo was available for in Africa (375 H&H and 300 Win) should we both manage to arrive without ours. Turned out this was a step we could have skipped had we wanted.
We spit our ammo up and packed it different luggage. (Some airlines allow only 5 kg of ammo.......that translates to about 11 lbs or about 4 boxes of well packaged magnum loads).
I packed a change of clothes in every piece of luggage in case some were lost.

African game are no tougher than any equal sized game anywhere in the world, despite the stories. Put a quality bullet through the engine compartment and they will expire promptly, I promise you.
Take whatever the hell bullet you're the most comfortable with, as long as it has decent penetration and will retain some weight it will get the job done.
DO take enough rifle. My father once shot a moose with a 243....that does NOT make it a moose rifle!......you get my drift

My hunt was extremely successful and I could not have hoped for more. All my luggage, all my ammo and both rifles arrived unscathed. I harvested 9 beautiful specimens, from buffalo to bushbuck, in 14 days. There is however sometimes the unforeseen. My hunt came very close to being ruined by one simple thing, my beautiful bride it turns out is terrified of elephants. The fact that we were charged 6 times in 3 days did nothing to alleviate that. I envisioned a stroke as her blood pressure got so high she suffered from headaches and nose bleeds. I thought I was going to either have to leave her in camp, a very boring choice for her to say the least, or send her home. It all worked out eventually with an understanding PH, some re-routing and short stays for her at the main camp where they waited on her hand and foot, while we drove through what she called "the elephant gauntlet"

Let me emphasize what others have already warned about. The day after I got home I started suffering from P.A.S. (post Africa syndrome). This is very serious and detrimental to your bank account. I seriously doubt there has every been one hunter who went to Africa who didn't at least dream about returning.

You will enjoy it! It is an experience like no other and I wish you all the luck.

 

[werth338]

Just getting back to computer and catching up with all the post. Great advice and plenty to think about bullets, new rifle(I was just telling my wife I needed a rifle for Africa so I will reference the advice in the post). Thanks everyone for the info and thoughts. Will post pics around July 4th.

 

[Aoudad shooter1975]

I have hunted all over southern tier Africa..Zambia, South Africa, Botswana...shots tend to be fairly short or stalkable to sane distances--except in the Karoo or or places in South Africa (free-state). I shot some of the first Hornady DGX bullets and found out they were crap...I have shot a few bergers at African game...they worked but I prefer a tougher bullet..I have used some accubonds and have been happy...I have probably taken more game with gamekings and interlock bullets combined..and have been very happy..enjoy your First trip...there is nothing like it!!! I went to get it out of my system and have been back 6 times....again...enjoy!!!!

 

[John 264]

elkaholic,

Congrats on the success.

That means there is about 150 grains of lead somewhere in that elk.

I think that you should eat your cage free egg and all the rest of your organic **** and I will out live you and the rest of you liberal **** tards

 

[cjl2010]

 

[AggieHunter]

Sir, I have been to Africa 4 times since 2006. I have shot over 250 animals w/2 different rifles. 280 Ack Imp w/a 140 grain Accubond bullet & a 300 Weatherby Improved w/a 165 Sierra flatbase bullet. The largest was a Sable and the most important was a leopard. I have never had to shoot twice at an animal. The shortest shot was at the sable at 75 yards. The bullet went into the left shoulder and came to rest in the right shoulder. Most PH's like the concept of "slow and go". They like Accubond and Barnes, big cavities and lots of internal damage. I shot a Gemsbok with my 280 AI and 140 Grain Accubond at 250 yards uphill. he walked 3 steps and fell. see the bullet that we recovered from the Oryx. Also see the bullet we recovered from the Leopard. Shot placement

 

[Allen Kitts]

Well I haven't seen anyone post anything on here about the Hornady ELD-X bullets and there results with them in Africa. Anyone care to chime in?

 

[AggieHunter]

significantly more important than anything else. If you can shoot bullets into a 1" circle at 100 yards on a standing tripod, you won't worry about the bullet you are shooting.

 

[TangoOscarMike]

On the other hand, on my first trip to SA, I shot a buffalo with a barnes TS out of a 375 HH. The first shot was broadside running left to right, the second was quartering away and the third was with him facing directly at me at 50 yards. First shot broke the right shoulder, went through the front of the lungs and ended up under the skin behind the left shoulder.

This to me is ideal bullet performance. If I shoot an animal and the bullet breaks the front shoulder (important to locomotion) travels through both lungs (vital tissue destruction) and does not exit by just a fraction of inch (imparting every foot pound of energy into the critter)...I am so happy that I am pooping my pants. You can't ask for a bullet to do anything better than this. I wish that I got this exact performance out of every bullet that I sent into a shoulder.