Zerstoerer
Member
What to use for Oryx?
What range is likely, what caliber/bullet weight has worked?
Thanks
What range is likely, what caliber/bullet weight has worked?
Thanks
Best caliber for Oryx/Gemsbock ?
- Thread starter Zerstoerer
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Oryx are tough and they tend to be in open country. They can be tough to sneak up on. 300 yard shots are not uncommon on Oryx in the Kalahari or at White Sands in NM which is very Kalahari like.
I killed my 38" bull At White Sands NM in 1995. I shot him at about 150 yards with .30-06 using 180 TBBC bullets. The first round broke his on shoulder and double lunged him. he went down at the shot then got up and tri-podded for about 200 yards before going down again . I had to shoot him twice more to kill him. They are TOUGH. I guided my brother on his in about 1998 he also used the 180 gr TBBC in a .30-06 and killed his at about 75 yards on the run placing two bullets within about an inch of each other off hand as I've seen him do so often on running game at various unbelievable ranges. It's uncanny I don't know how he does it.
The Oryx is one of the few antelope in Africa which lions will steer clear of as a lion generally can't beat an oryx in fight. There are documented cases of one or two lions being killed by a single oryx in mortal combat. They are to be taken very seriously when wounded. A wounded cornered oryx is to be considered highly dangerous. Men have been and continue to be killed by these "swordsmen" of the Kalahari when approaching one that is not dead yet do so from behind never walk up to a downed oryx from the front. Even if you think it's dead better safe than sorry.
To answer your question about rifles here is where a good 180 gr bullet out of a .30-06 or a .300 mag are about prefect. Of course the various .338's using 225 gr or 250 are a very sound choice as is a .375 shooting 270 gr bullets. A 7MM using good 160 gr or heavier bullets would work just fine as well. Just keep your max distance to about 300 and you'll be fine. I wouldn't shoot further than this as these are big tough critter that take alot of killing and very precise shot placement.
If you shoot an oryx behind the shoulder you have gut shot him. you MUST shoot them in the shoulder putting the bullet in line with the front leg. Oryx are built like no other animal I've seen besides a Giraffe. Thier lungs sit on top of their heart and forward of the shoulder line. Their diaphragm is located directly in line with the back of the shoulder line. If you shoot them with a North American type placement behind the shoulder you have just messed up big time.
Are you hunting them in America or Africa?
In WSMR, NM you'll be hunting Oryxia Oryxia Kalahari which is I believe the largest of the oryx. In Africa you may well be hunting the fringed ear oryx which is a bit smaller in body and horn. On a game ranch in Texas you could be hunting the scimitar horned oryx which is now extinct in the wild as far as I know. There is one other type of oryx as well which I can't remember at the moment but I wouldn't think it important. They are all tough.
Good luck.
I killed my 38" bull At White Sands NM in 1995. I shot him at about 150 yards with .30-06 using 180 TBBC bullets. The first round broke his on shoulder and double lunged him. he went down at the shot then got up and tri-podded for about 200 yards before going down again . I had to shoot him twice more to kill him. They are TOUGH. I guided my brother on his in about 1998 he also used the 180 gr TBBC in a .30-06 and killed his at about 75 yards on the run placing two bullets within about an inch of each other off hand as I've seen him do so often on running game at various unbelievable ranges. It's uncanny I don't know how he does it.
The Oryx is one of the few antelope in Africa which lions will steer clear of as a lion generally can't beat an oryx in fight. There are documented cases of one or two lions being killed by a single oryx in mortal combat. They are to be taken very seriously when wounded. A wounded cornered oryx is to be considered highly dangerous. Men have been and continue to be killed by these "swordsmen" of the Kalahari when approaching one that is not dead yet do so from behind never walk up to a downed oryx from the front. Even if you think it's dead better safe than sorry.
To answer your question about rifles here is where a good 180 gr bullet out of a .30-06 or a .300 mag are about prefect. Of course the various .338's using 225 gr or 250 are a very sound choice as is a .375 shooting 270 gr bullets. A 7MM using good 160 gr or heavier bullets would work just fine as well. Just keep your max distance to about 300 and you'll be fine. I wouldn't shoot further than this as these are big tough critter that take alot of killing and very precise shot placement.
If you shoot an oryx behind the shoulder you have gut shot him. you MUST shoot them in the shoulder putting the bullet in line with the front leg. Oryx are built like no other animal I've seen besides a Giraffe. Thier lungs sit on top of their heart and forward of the shoulder line. Their diaphragm is located directly in line with the back of the shoulder line. If you shoot them with a North American type placement behind the shoulder you have just messed up big time.
Are you hunting them in America or Africa?
In WSMR, NM you'll be hunting Oryxia Oryxia Kalahari which is I believe the largest of the oryx. In Africa you may well be hunting the fringed ear oryx which is a bit smaller in body and horn. On a game ranch in Texas you could be hunting the scimitar horned oryx which is now extinct in the wild as far as I know. There is one other type of oryx as well which I can't remember at the moment but I wouldn't think it important. They are all tough.
Good luck.
Zerstoerer
Member
H&H Hunter,
thank you very much for this excellent post.
I have made friends with someone who has acess to WSMR and I will put in for Oryx from now until forever. A trip to SA/Botswana is also planned but I don't know when it will happen.
I had thought about a T/C Pro Hunter in .375H&H with an extra 7mm Rem Mgn. barrel, walking around in Africa I think a .375H&H would be the better choice.
Your info about shot placement is priceless, thanks for taking the time to write.
thank you very much for this excellent post.
I have made friends with someone who has acess to WSMR and I will put in for Oryx from now until forever. A trip to SA/Botswana is also planned but I don't know when it will happen.
I had thought about a T/C Pro Hunter in .375H&H with an extra 7mm Rem Mgn. barrel, walking around in Africa I think a .375H&H would be the better choice.
Your info about shot placement is priceless, thanks for taking the time to write.
sumpnz
Member
H&H - I have an open invitation to go hunting in SA if I can scrounge up the airfare and any other required fees. Are Oryx common to the farms near Cape Town that the white folks still own? Besides oryx what sort of game would you expect to encounter there? I now have a CZ 550 in 9.3mm so I know that should be good for all but DG. Would you recommend that if I get the chance to go that I stick with the 286gr Partitions at 2400fps that I got with the gun, or should I try to crank up the horsepower, or switch to Barnes (and should I load solids or TSX's, 250gr or 286gr).
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Sumpz,
As far as what game you'll find on a particular game farm, Chances are you'll find kudu, impala, blessbok, wildebeest both blue and black, zebera, springbok, and possibly inyala. As far as gemsbok (Oryx) go you'd have to verify with the farm if they have them or not as the cape is not traditional habitat for gemsbok. There is a good chance however that they've been trans located to the farm as many game farms have done so with the gemsbok around South Africa.
Your 9.3 with the Noslers will be just great on anything you will be hunting in the cape.
If you want to use the TSX I'd go with the 286 and I wouldn't use any solids unless you are planning on hunting DG. The 9.3 is DG legal in South Africa and Zimbabwe.
sumpnz
Member
H&H - Thanks for the info. I really hope to get over there one of these days.
In South Africa and Namibia, the .270 is the generally-recommended caliber for gemsbok in the Kalahari. As you're aware, it's flat-shooting which is valauble when your ranges for gemsbok can be 300-600 yards. I've found the 130-150 gr weight to be ideal (not that I'm an expert - I've only taken a single gemsbok which was at just under 400 yards).
30 caliber
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I am planning on using .303 British with either 180 grain or 200 grain bullets for oryx hunt in New Mexico. I also have the option of .30-06 with 180 grain bullet. Opinions on which would be better? Thanks.
Art Eatman
Moderator In Memoriam
If you're equally comfortable with either rifle, I'd say to take the '06. It has a bit more Oomph to it.
Art
Art
351 WINCHESTER
Member
Any of you guy's know what's the most popular rifle in Africa?
WRONG! The .22 magnum. For camp meat of course.
With the right bullet and placement you can do fine with the likes of a .243, 270, 30-06 etc. When I want to kill something I usually take an older rifle that's seen it's fair share of clean kills. It's action is as smooth as silk, relaible to the hilt and I know her limitations.
WRONG! The .22 magnum. For camp meat of course.
With the right bullet and placement you can do fine with the likes of a .243, 270, 30-06 etc. When I want to kill something I usually take an older rifle that's seen it's fair share of clean kills. It's action is as smooth as silk, relaible to the hilt and I know her limitations.
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I've spent a fair amount of time in several African countries Zimbabwe, Tanzania, and South Africa.
I've never seen a .22 mag in any camp or any village anywhere in those countries. I've sure seen some old beater 12 ga. Greeners though.
Gordon
Member
I'm taking in August this year a .375 H&H in a Brown Precision Remington SS 700 , I shoot this gun extensively on anything bigger than blacktail deer and am not intimidated by it in the least . I plan on taking 80 Barnes 270 grain Triple shock loads , which the Leupold 2.5x8 VariX 3 is sighted in for. I will be hunting Impala, Gemsbuck,wildebeast and warthog. I will not be spending the $8000 extra for buff, being I took mine in 1976! My extra gun will probably be my 1969 Weatherby .300 which I took on my first Safari (1976) . It will have 180 grain Nosler Partition ammo that worked so well the first time. I have a Kalispell gun case to ship the rifles, a VERY important item, along with a good couple sets of Steiner Binocs (and an extra Lupold Vari X 2 3-9 with rings that will work on either rifle).
. I plan on taking 80 Barnes 270 grain Triple shock loads , which the Leupold 2.5x8 VariX 3 is sighted in for. I will be hunting Impala, Gemsbuck,wildebeast and warthog. I will not be spending the $8000 extra for buff, being I took mine in 1976! My extra gun will probably be my 1969 Weatherby .300 which I took on my first Safari (1976) . It will have 180 grain Nosler Partition ammo that worked so well the first time. I have a Kalispell gun case to ship the rifles, a VERY important item, along with a good couple sets of Steiner Binocs (and an extra Lupold Vari X 2 3-9 with rings that will work on either rifle).
Gordon
Member
double tap- I'm excited I thought I was going in May 2008!
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