Best hunting rilfe for south african bushveld on game upto kudu size??

[rockjock]

Hi Guys...just want everybodys opinion...I have been shooting and hunting for the last 10 years but both my rifles are more suited for hunting plains game (7mm Rem Mag and .243). I am looking at getting a calibre which is well suited for hunting kudu sized game in the bush but also something that is economical to reload and shoot and doesnt waste too much meat...I have a few ideas of my own but looking for some more input before I buy....

Any advise

[equitas]

.308 ........... is that short and sweet enough

[Freakazoid]

Oh shit, here we go again......

[MyLani]

308 or 30-06.
Even a 7x57

[Dirk777]

30-od 6. Phone a friend, or,.. that's my final.. my personal opinion.

[driepootx]

I stick with my capable calibres from .270 to .30 in standard form (no magnums) for most game in SA.

With the 2 rifles you already have you can make them suitable for all hunting conditions with premium bullets (preferably monolithic - lead free = not poisoning yourself). Meat damage is much less and you can use one bullet for all your hunting.

Look at the attached photos of a warthog shot with my 243 using 85gr Spartan bullets at 3000fps. Distance was 100m. Less than 1 kilo of meat was discarded.

[414gates]

Meat damage is a function of bullet type, weight and velocity.

Monolithic solids reduce meat damage across the range of velocity per weight of bullet.

Impala solids tend to produce a caliber size wound channel.

GSCustom FN bullets expand slightly, expansion is proportional to velocity.

I've not loaded the Frontier monolithics yet, but the Phalanx seem equivalent to the GSCustom FN.

[shark_za]

Some things are like peanut butter and jam, they just go together.

Springbok and .243
Kudu and .30-06

[Messor]

Best hunting rifle for SA's bushveld, slow and heavy, 375, you have the rest, no need for 30-06 or 308.

[Wesley]

I agree. Go 375 and load it for all the bigger animals you would like to shoot.