Looking at booking a hunt for the fall. My question is what gun to use.
My hunting rifles are
.257 Weatherby and although I LOVE that rifle and cartridge, I know it absolutely not the best choice in this application

.264 win mag that I also love and extremely confident in… but is it the right one or even have enough bang to get the job done humanely. It is the rifle I’d prefer to use.

Tikka .300 win mag. I know it will certainly be enough rifle and I’m confident in shooting it… but I don’t like shooting it, to the point that I’d sell it if someone wanted to buy it.

Which weapon would you take and use

I’ve taken them with a .30-06 and .300 Weatherby. My buddy and BIL have used 7mm REM Mag and .300 Win Mag. I would not suggest a .30-06. I have a really nice bull with that caliber, but also lost a huge trophy that we never could recover after tracking large pools of blood for several hours

Get a Lmbsaver and use the 300 Win Mag.

Of those three, I would take the .300 Win Mag loaded with bonded bullets. Many ranches have a .300 Mag minimum size for Nilgai. You do not want a Nilgai running after the shot if at all possible. It really sucks to try and drag a 600 pound animal out of a cactus patch. That’s just my two cents worth. I’m sure others will be along with different opinions.

What I have come to learn: big bulls don't like copper. You could use any of those calibers with a Barnes TTSX.

If you are wanting the nilgai to drop where he stands, use the Tikka.

I got one in February and I'm already planning the next trip. I love hunting those grey ghosts.

I used a 30 Nosler and my buddy used a 338 Lapua. I agree with the guys above me...use the win mag. They don't leave a blood trail. I didn't use a bonded bullet but the guide and folks down south seem to prefer the solid or bonded bullets if you ask them.

The biggest thing in my opinion...shoot them where your guide tells you too and be proficient enough to put a bullet on a silver dollar at about 200y and in. Mine was shot just under 200y and my buddies was shot just over 100y...neither took a step and it was because we hit the exact spot our guide told us to shoot them. He had been guiding right at a year and told us we were the first double he had that dropped them where they stood...but then went on to say we were the only two that had hit the exact mark he told us too. You don't shoot these big animals behind the shoulder like many folks want too...that makes for a long day.

Good luck and my opinion is GO and have a blast. It was a bucket list trip for me and without a single doubt one of the most fun hunting experiences of my life. I had to earn it though, I put 10 miles on the boots in that sand down on the King....awesome place and I cannot wait to go back.

I am doubling down on what Judd said, their vitals are slightly more forward than North American game similar to African game. At a perfect broadside angle, I would put some copper right through its front shoulder.

I’ve killed a bull with a 30-06 neck shot, another with a .300 min mag spine shot, and a cow with a .338 win mag. I’d use the .300 win mag. They’re tough.

I’ve shot more with 270 than my 300 WM and have never lost one. 15 or so recovered. With this said, all future shots on Nilgai will likely be with the 300 WM.

like said above, for knockdown power...bigger is better. I've also heard to shoot through the shoulder to take their wheels out from under them.

Ive heard aim for base of neck area forward of where most aim on deer type game.

Went a few years ago and two hunters took one. The 30-06 green yellow box was a bang flop, high shoulder. The other was 300 win mag with Barnes, was behind shoulder and ram 200+ yards.

I think any of the calibers you listed would be perfectly fine with good bullets. If you are less comfortable to the point it affects your accuracy with the win mag I wouldn’t hesitate at all to take one of the smaller ones. Bet that 264 and a 140 ttsx or 140 partition would work nicely. Talked to many people who said with good shot placement 6.5 cm etc was more than adequate for their kids.

shot placement is 100% all that matters one of the outfitters I am friends with has killed more nilgai with 5.56 that any other caliber. most people make the mistake of shooting them like they are whitetail and they run off like they were never hit. I unfortunately am one of those people I shot my first one with a 300 wm 190gr nosler ablr at 200 yrds behind the shoulder like a good shot for a deer. We trailed blood and looked for him for 36 hrs never recovered him. After hunting with a guide on a broadside shot follow front leg half way up the body not quite the base of the neck. Never seen one take a step since. for head on shots go for the base of the beard

correct bullet choice, your .257 should do the trick. I've never been but I think it's mostly the guides who want you to shoot a boomer magnum to avoid a long, hot, tracking job, keeping them from hitting the bar early.

dont be a DB. shoot the 300 WM. anything else is stupid.

and if you decide otherwise, make sure you let us know how it turns out...


PS- get a muzzle brake for that 300wm and you will love it...

I'm with BigLou, 'cept for the muzzle break part. You don't need it and guides hate 'em.

'Not sure what "confident" and "don't like shooting it" mean. It's one or the other. Hug it like a woman - a well-endowed, good-lookin' woman.

agree .300 win mag is only caliber I have used on 4 bulls...
but I like muzzle brake on it and do agree guides hate em

This was funny to read. Please do not get a muzzle break. If you really can't sit there and hold the gun, get a silencer which will make everyone happy.

These guys really like the 300wm, the most important part is shot placement and bullet type IMO. Still use whatever gun you are most comfortable with and put some copper through its shoulder

or just add some weight to the lightweight Tika set up. Lightweight rifles in large calibers just intensify recoil. My Tikka T3 Lite 270 kicked more than my Kimber 300 WM and so Isold it, bought an older Christensen with a muzzle break that shoots lights out. Unfortunately, it was deafening & not enjoyable. That got fixed with the addition of a suppresor and is my go to blind and resting set up gun. If headed to the Wild Horse Desert in the pursuit of Nilgai, the 300 WM will be on my shoulder.

You are fine with either three. guides always prefer bigger because they want both shoulders pinned. 300wm is a better choice for pinning both shoulders blades, but it’s only 5” of soft tissue from skin to vitals cavity via the shoulder route. You can hold a fresh niligi, elk or moose scupla up to the light and it’s translucent. It’s not bullet proof.

I forget the guys name but he use to own a Truck tuning company, he killed literally dozens of Niligi with 257wby and 100gr spire points, what he culled with


I’d take confidence and accuracy over cartridge any day of the week.

Roy Weatherby’s greatest marketing trick was convincing the hunting public that the .257 wby killed any better than a .270 win…


Slap a brake on the .300 and wear plugs. Thats the only answer. If you don’t like it, sell the Tikka and buy another rifle in .300 win

In a lot of ways he was right, the wound cavity of a 100gr spire points @3500 muzzle is wider then that of 180 gr accubond in a 300wm. People complain about meat loss but that the definition of massive wound cavity.

When you think about it, broadheads and bullets kill same way (bleeding out/organ failure ), it’s just a difference in would channel destruction.

I’d take first round hit probably and accuracy over recoil every day. Grant it Nilgi isn’t a long range hunt to begin with

I'm not saying nilgai aren't really tough animals (I've never shot one), but I'm going to venture a guess that they aren't near as bulletproof as some make them out to be. I heard the same thing about those big, tough African antelope before I made my first trip over there, how much they could soak up a good bullet, hard to bring down, etc. After 5 trips and over 60 head later, up to and including blue wildebeest which are amongst the toughest "antelope" species over there. I used my Tikka 695 7Mag and 160gr accubond's (3025fps) every trip and they performed perfectly as expected. Shots ranged from 70 to 200 yards. What I found out is that if you put a good stout bullet in the proper place, African animals died every bit as quickly as anything in North America.

I think a lot of guides/PH's, etc have so many hunters that are piss poor shooters in the heat of the moment, they recommend larger than necessary cartridges. Having guided over 160 hunters myself, I can attest to the fact that most hunters show up over-gunned, over-scoped, and under-practiced.

You can add on lots of matching camo - hat, pants, shirt, boots and sometimes more. Pro tip - take off the Rolex. I often thought the glare from the crystal might have thrown them off.

It’s just extra insurance when things don’t go exactly as planned; bullet hits a twig and deflects, animal takes a step at the last second, etc.

No doubt PH’s get a lot of piss poor shooters because most American hunters don’t ever shoot a gun off sticks or without a rest. But even with good, seasoned shooters, things happen.

I can’t speak to how tough nilgai are as I’ve only killed one and used a .22, but they have thick hides and stout bones.

Cracks me up to see a guy on safari in full camo and a tracker standing behind him wearing a blue jumpsuit.