Got invited on a Nilgai hunt at the King Ranch. Pretty fired up.

Anyhow, the title says it all...

My deer rifle is a 20-inch barrel .308, so though I'm certain it could kill one, I'd like a little more range and power.

Anyone have reservations on using the venerable 30-06 on a Nilgai?

the guides at the Mariposa Recommend a .300 mag of some sort. King Ranch used to have a min. restriction of 7mm rem. if I remember correctly.

Imo a .308 is gonna be light, load up a .30-06 with a 180 grain Barnes or Partition and you should be fine.

From what I've been told, running shots are the norm on the King ranch, most are hunted out of top drives.

It will do fine. Just select a heavy bullet for deeper penetration. A 180 grain Nosler Accubond has worked will in a 300 WM on Nalgai. For the 30-06, a 220 RN or 200 grain Accubond would be good medicine. I would NOT go lighter than 180 grains. If you need anything, let me know. I have these bullets in stock.

Sure it will. As advised just use a quality, heavy bullet.

Way we hunted them. They aren't found of trucks and don't stay still long

Thanks, all. Really fired up for this hunt.

We're allowed hogs and whitetail does as well, but we have been allotted 3 bulls. Hopefully one of us gets one.

They are big animals....they surprise you how big a bull is. They run fast, head held up. Remember on them the lungs/heart are tucked in between their shoulder blades, not behind the shoulder. a lung shot on a whitetail is a gut shot on an antelope

Way I understand it most shots are running shots between 200-300 yards on the King. I personally have never seen one stand still for very long. Hit one keep shooting till he goes down.


What pasture are you hunting?

Yep. With the right load, a 30-06 is big enough for any North American game and has probably killed more than any other caliber in existence. To that end, it's puzzling as to why more people don't use this caliber all that often anymore. I have one in my safe that rarely sees any action.

its boring. its not all that fast, all that flat, it kicks, and its not as strong as the .300 mags



its the single cab, vinyl seat, gas engine,long bed 3/4 ton truck of the cartridge world

I agree!!! The 30-06 is a GREAT round. Like I say, it's not a new, sexy round, but it is a round that all others are compared to. I think a lot of shooters get magnum-itis on things, and overlook the classic rounds. They spend too much $$ on toys, and not enough $$ on ammo and range time learning to shoot.

Haven't gotten details, but I know it's fairly north relative to the rest of the ranch.

A 30-06 is never a mistake.

My 5'2" wife has shot a 30/06 her whole hunting life and she has pulled the trigger 23 times and has 23 animals to show for it. You can never go wrong using a 30/06. I hunted mountain goat in British Columbia and was the only one using
a 30/06 and I was the only one of the 5 of us that brought back a trophy.

Seems a little light. I shoot a 300 WM with 200 gr nosler accubond and most outfitters say that's light.

with good bullets it should be fine.

If I had a 308 I would go 300 personally. I don't think a 30-06 is enough of a step up to warrant a new gun.

Just my view...

I'm not buying a new gun, I'm borrowing one.

that sums it up in a nut shell

You'd be well off to check with the outfitter/guide on any caliber restrictions in place. Many nilgai outfitters have 300 mag minimum. Some have 325 minimum.

Very well put Chad

Outfitter's rules trump all. With that said,get on line and compare the size of the Nilgai to the elk. You'll find that an elk is quite a bit larger, and yet a 30.06 has "Probably" taken more elk than any other round. Bullet choice does make a difference,but you're not shooting at trucks.

Yes but it's all what you like my dad has shot at least one elk with a .270 so it's capable.

elk and a bull nilgai are approx. the same size...600-700 lbs

a nilgai is probably the closest thing to a truck that your ever gonna shoot at too btw.

There are none on this forum of course, but it's surprising the number of hunters who can't shoot their magnum rifles very well in a real hunting situation. I have heard guides talk about making people shoot bigger calibers because of poor hunting shooting skills so they might at least have a chance to find the animal. Don't know whether or not that's a good idea but just an observation over the years.

I know you're just borrowing a rifle, but if you get a good 30-06 and learn to reload for it, you will not consider asking this type of question. That rifle can transform from a fly swatter to heavy artillery with just a new shell.