The Nilgai that Got Away

Last winter I went Nilgai hunting with a buddy of mine. Both of us got shots at Nilgai. I completely missed. My buddy shot his at 150 yards with a 338 Win Mag using 250 grain Barnes bullets. This animal fell back, and buckled, then took off running like a wild mustang. We tracked this animal for four hours, finding bone, blood, and muscle. We never found him. We came back the next morning and tried to track him again, but after another four hours our guide called it, and that was it.

At this point I'm hesitant to go back for Nilgai because I saw the shot, and I saw the animal buckle, but when he left, he was gone. Does anyone have a picture or diagram to show me where these animals should be shot? Also, for those of you who have taken Nilgai, do you have any recommendations for guides or ranches?

Thanks

Break down the shoulders and lower third, the vitals on them are more forward and low compared to a whitetail. Neck shots work best IMO when possible. Double shot outfitters are the nilgia gurus.

I should have gone with Double Shot. He tried to get me to book with him but I had already put a deposit down somewhere else. My mistake. Hopefully he'll forgive me!

BBE84's advice=MONEY

Granted, I shot my cow in the head and she went no where except to the back of the truck .

Also, don't stop shooting till ur nilgai is down. Kinda like African dangerous game and water buffalo, minus the attacking part.

Good luck, they taste great and are a fun hunt.

Biggest mistake was using barns bullets. I understand they spend a ton of money marketing them, but they are just about the worse bullet I've ever come across. I fell for their marketing, but after shooting a few animals, I realized just how poorly they perform.

Eddie

Eddie,

I tend to agree with you for Nilgai. I think that the animal is so tough that the petals are shed rather quickly, leaving nothing but the solid portion of the bullet to continue to penetrate. If I were to do it again, I'd just go with a Nosler Partion or Swift A-Frame.

I pulled a Barnes out of the hid of a bull Oryx that my daughter shot with a 243 at about 90 yards and it had shed two of the four petals. The oryx was dead, but my daughter can really shoot. Oryx ain't no Nilgai though!

Congrats to your daughter on her Oryx. A .243 will kill an Oryx but I'd say that's a little light for the job. You can hunt and kill deer all day with a .22 but if the shot isn't perfect you have a problem. Just my .02

Sir, at the end of the day, it's all about shot placement. I shot a small cow oryx and a mid sized nilgai cow with a 22-250. Spine and head shots, respectively. Just mine (The purpose of this is just to share a story and viewpoint, not to start an Internet "baby fight" about and animal can't be too dead lol. )

Btw, Barnes really didn't work well? Huh, that's pretty surprising. My uncle shot his cow once perfectly, then took to what I said earlier-shoot till they're down. Emptied all 5 shots, with the fifth hitting the front leg because of lack of blind opening!! Lol. Granted it was a 30-06 BAR

I like the power points and plain Jane soft points(Hornady, Federal Premium). Of course, most of my rifle's other bullets are varmint type and wouldn't work well against thick skinned nilgai.

Good luck to you!

I shot a big bull where the neck meets the body. He was a bill bull and went straight down with a .300wsm using federal NP 165 grain.

I've been using Barnes only for many years with no issues so that is disturbing to hear. Nothing is perfect for sure, I run all my Barnes HOT and everything I've shot drops within yards.

Hope you and your buddy go back and get one.. Nilgai is number one on my hunting bucket list..

30-06 out too 300yrds has killed 7 nilgai this year shot placement is key!

Well, have to disagree with this...Barnes are good bullets...I have shot a good bit of game with them. I prefer northfork, or cutting edge bullets now but would use a TSX bullet on a nilgai without any qualms. Nilgai are tough, but not indestructible. I have seen taken with a 25-06 and 270 with good results....shot placement. I have seen them run with 375...shot placement...I will tell you my 375 ultra mag hammers the stuffing them out them.

Over gun much?

I have to agree that Barnes bullets are a good bullet. I use them in my muzzleloader and rifles. Not sure what happened with Eddie, but I would have no qualms using a Barnes bullet on any type of game.m

Hey bud sorry to hear about the one that got away! Unfortunately it happens with nilgai, and you are forgiven! LOL Earlier this year we had Mauser and Hornady and a few writers come down on a nilgai hunt to test their products with us and I will say one thing, the combo of the .300 win mag with a Hornady Superformace knocked them in the dirt. Same with the Mauser 9.3x62 with the Hornadys. We are now sponsored by Mauser and have both a .300 win mag and a 9.3x62 for our customers to use. However, Barnes has actually given us the most exit holes out of any other bullet. I would say 90% of the bulls shot with Barnes have given a heck of a blood trail and an animal laying within 50 yards! Let me know if you guys want to chase them again, its almost "Unoffical" Nilgai Season and we are ready!

On shot placement, their heart is protected by the thick shoulder. Ive seen multiple ones get shot with a .338 and all run being hit right in the shoulder. The best shot is quartered away and tuck it in right behind the shoulder to get the heart. However if broadside, hitting behind the shoulder and double lunging works out great! The shot placement on nilgai really bugs a lot of people and makes them over analyze where they need to aim forcing bad shots. A double lung with a good solid expanding bullet that will give an exit will give you a dead bull in a short trail.

Anybody that wants to try what I am saying, give me a call and we will put you on some bulls! LOL

Dang Chit, you sure are talking, er typing, a lot of "chit" about bullets and shot placement for one so young and inexperienced.

Not taking away from your experience but you might want to rein it in a little until your resume is a bit longer and more varied.

Hope the guys over at Mauser gave you a M03 to use, and not one of those crappy M12s... . All joking aside, they are good friends of mine. 9.3x62 should do the deal on them...could not think of a better selection for Nilgai.

Ed

if you found bone on the trail, i think the shot was lower than the should and in the leg. nilgai are tough but a bullet in the right spot and they are done quick. my go to round was the old fail safe winchester 180gr out of my 300 wsm. many a client went home with nilgai due to that combination.

my experience says this ^^^^

Adam, thanks for the knowledgeable advice. I appreciate the information on shot placement, and I'm glad to know that you have had success with the Barnes bullets as well. I'll definitely look you up when it comes time to go chase those critters again. Good hunting!

That is BS post of the year and it is only the 2nd day of year.

The Nilgai is no tougher than the animals in Africa and the Barnes bullet performed as expected all one shot kills from 7/08 including giraffe, kudu, gemsbok, black and blue wildebeest, waterbuck, warthog no sir not the bullet Barnes is a fine bullet.

We have a saying around here, "Once you go Barnes you never go back". I've never lost an animal using Barnes TTSX. I wouldn't hesitate to hunt anything with them.

This pretty much sums it up. Guys used to hunting WT usually put it too high and too far back.

Biggest thing is to stay in the scope and put another one in him if he even acts like he might get back up. Many stories of bulls dropping at the first shot then getting up and taking off, never to be recovered. Many bull skeletons tucked up in the brush near water holes where they eventually died as a result.

My favorite Nilgai load was a 225gr Accubond in .338 Win Mag. However, seldom had an exit hole.

I may be able to go on a hunt for a nilgai. Thoughts on using a 7MM Mag?

7MM Mag is a great round for nilgai. Will have no problem bringing one down! Just make sure your shot placement is good. They don't break down like deer when you shoot them in the shoulder. Occasionally they do but I've seen them run for miles with a .338 directly in the shoulder!