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The hardiest even-toed herbivore on the planet in my opinion
One regularly reads reports by gun writers and US hunters who had visited and hunted here that Africa animals are "tough". For prospective hunters after any one of the 10 elk-size antelope out here the advice invariably is to bring a .338 Win Mag or at least a .300 Win Mag. These reports fail to mention that by far the most popular big game calibre in Africa is the .308W, followed by the 30-06, 7x64 Brenneke and 7x57 Mauser.
These reports also fail to state that if you shoot your gemsbok at 250 yards with your .300 Win Mag the bullet performance would have been the same as a 30-06 from 233 yards, or a .308W from 224 yards.
Elk are much hardier and physically stronger than kudu or wildebeest, a fact I know from experience. There is no kudu or any other Africa game animal that will keep up with an elk running up the 10,000 ft above seal evel mountain slopes of Colorado. Strong legs, unmatched stamina, big muscle groups - and an immense life-energy to grow that bony antler structure on its head in just a few months. Its fitness and physical stamina is astounding. That is what tough means. Why then do US hunters say Africa animals are tougher?
It is because the typical US shot placement misses the heart on a gemsbok or kudu or wildebeest - and often the lungs too. And when only the lungs of Africa game are hit the damage to critical life sustaining systems is small.
Having gutted and quartered a fair number of mule deer and elk in Colorado, and of course many kudu, wildebeest, eland, blesbok, springbok and other large and medium game in South Africa, three aspects of their respective anatomies have become evident to me. (The physiology of these are discussed further down):
1. The heart is exactly in the same position in all of them: low in the chest, protected by the upper legs and shoulder bones on the sides, and the breastbone underneath.
2. In most of them immediately to the rear of the heart at the same level there is no critical organ.
3. In Africa game the lungs slope up in an arc from the heart to the rear, whereas both mule deer and elk - but particularly in the latter - have a far bigger mass of lung to the rear and upwards than their equivalent weight Africa counter parts.
The typical US "behind the shoulder" side-on shot in all of them leaves a distinct possibility of losing the animal in brush country, with very little blood spoor and no indication of physical discomfort. At best the diaphragm may be damaged which causes frequent resting but no impediment of brain (and therefore heart) function. In Colorado I experience this mostly with muzzle loader hunters aiming centre mass and underestimating the bullet drop.
The higher elevations and therefor lower air density that elk and mule deer live in during the hot summer months demand much better lung function and therefor their higher volume of lung. This has the downside for them that a bullet with very rapid expansion and therefor rapid slow-down and fragmentation (Nosler Ballistic Tip) destroys a considerable amount of lung alveoli if it enters side-on into the lung mass.
This degrading in lung function is the cause why lung shot animals in North America go down much quicker. In Africa because of the greater mass of shoulder skin, sinew, bone and muscle tissue to be withstood by the bullet on the way to heart the required strongly constructed bullets zip through the unprotected areas behind the shoulder with little lung damage.
The smaller lung volume arcing away upwards and to the rear of Africa game combined to their lower elevation habitat makes them far less dependent on a supercharged air supply and lung shots cause them to live much longer. This is the reason why a direct heart shot on Africa game is what is required - of course with a bullet that can withstand the impact forces of the skin and sinew and bone and muscle that protect the heart. Nosler Ballistic Tips or too light bullets simply are not a good choice for this.
Look at the buffalo below: Any lung shot is dangerous as he may live for hours. ANY shot behind the extended line of the rear of the front leg is a very dangerous placement. This is what get hunters and casual wanderers killed as he will live for weeks.
Even when shooting the dainty springbok below, heed the advice of your guide.
Indeed amazing - more so when in the other forum a regular member in a rather negative tone asks how can I advocate to shoot through the shoulder (like we do here) when everyone knows the heart-lung area is the place to aim for...
I wonder if he had ever cut open any animal to see the heart lung area is protected by the shoulder bones. :-)
I find it remarkable how many hunters go afeield ithout learning/studying their prey's anatomy. While each and every animal is a law unto itself, much grief can be avoided by actually knowing where the vitals reside. Call me crazy...w
I just returned from SA & Namibia, (and even called and spoke with Andries while I was in JoBerg).
I used the 30-06 and took 20 animals using three different bullets comprised of 180 gr Horandy RN, Federal Factory 175 gr EDGE- TLR ammo, and Remington Factory 180 gr Ultra Bonded Core Lokts.
I made very deliberate Heart- lung shots, and every one of the animals were dead by the time I walked up to them. I recovered 2 of the Hornady bullets, 2 of the Remingtons, and 1 of the Federals, all of which looked quite well expanded and retained weight.
Just remember, "any" bullet the right place, beats a bigger more expensive bullet in the wrong place.
Oh... maybe it needs to be said too: Shooting accuracy from a bench over a secure rest with front and rear adjustments, and no time constraint on the shooter does not at all relate to hunting accuracy in the field, even when a concession is made to shoot off the back of a truck for hunters with a walking impediment.
The hunter coming to Africa must be able to hit a 4" target every time from a makeshift rest at 200 yards, a 2" target at 100 yrds, and a 4" target at 80 yards off hand, standing. There is nothing that makes a hunter more lucky than practice. Most rifles are inherently capable of 1" accuracy at 200 yards and hunters need to exploit that ability.
For hunting dangerous game please prove to your guide that you can walk up with your .458 Lott / .375 Ruger / .416 Remington Magnum / .375 H&H three times in succession to 40 yards of a 4" bright orange trap clay and hit it with the first shot.
Also keep in mind that there is no bright orange mark on the Cape buffalo´s skin...
The above post may have been written in a moment of deja vu - it certainly was prophetic and will be for years to come.
Dedicated websites exist for American hunters coming to Africa about anatomy and shot placement. His local PH will take pains to explain where the heart is (on all Africa and USA game it is exactly between the two shoulder bones just above the breast bone) - and where on the outside of the animal the bullet must go to reach it. When the moment of trigger truth comes the majority of hunters from the USA either ignore or forget that good advice and put their bullets behind the shoulder, or too high, or way too far to the rear. With luck a high shot may cut the pulmonary artery but hoping for lucky shots when hunting in Africa is not the way to do it.
A blue wildebeest / eland / kudu / gemsbok / blesbok / waterbuck / red hartebeest with a behind the shoulder shot will run until he finds the darkest, thickest thorn bush and hide in the shade until he suffers and dies later that day, or depending on where the bullet actually went he will die many days later from thirst.
Hunting alone on public land in the USA wounded animals are regularly left to die and the prevailing ethic is to just get another one to attach the tag to. I observe this virtually on a daily basis in Colorado and Wyoming. In Africa poor shooting will simply result that the hunter and his outfitter will never be allowed to hunt on the property again. This is the sad risk the outfitter / PH faces when shots are missed by the visiting hunter and / or the animal is hit several times away from the heart and an inordinate amount of time and energy is expended to find the beast and put it out of its misery.
A bullet's home is where the heart is - please use the best (sturdiest) bullet you can afford and send it there.