I may very well have the chance for a free nilgai hunt down in the Rio Grande Valley and am needing some advice from those with experience with them. If the hunt goes through, and I believe it will, I will be looking for a cow since it is the meat I'm after. My problem is I have zero experience with nilgai but I do have a lot of experience with elk since I grew up in elk country in CO and from what I've read a cow nilgai is slightly smaller than an average cow elk so I know I can handle the carcass. my question comes down to rifles.

Down here in the RGV I have 2 rifles. One is a T/C Compass in 308 Win that I have a really good handload for but that handload is the 130 gr Barnes TTSX. I have shot a lot of deer and hogs with the rifle and have also used it for black bear and pronghorn at ranges up to 250 yards. I have full confidence that I can hit what I shoot at in normal hunting ranges with my handload and I know the Barnes TTSX is a deadly bullet. I also have a Rem 700 in 7mm Mag down here that I am going to do a barrel swap for 300 H&H Mag but that hasn't been done yet. This was one of my late father's rifles and I have never shot this particular rifle (but I do have my own 7mm Mag that I've been shooting since I was 14) and I can go to the Bass Pro in Harlingen for ammo if I need to. I'd probably look for 160-175 gr ammo loaded with a good bullet and would have to sight in. My question is which would be the better option? Use the 308 which I know I can hit with and look for a shot where I can place the bullet at the base of the ear or go with the 7mm. I know neither rifle is ideal but my 375 H&H and 9.3x62 are both up in Athens TX and that is an 8 hr drive each way. Considering the hunt needs to be done in the next 2 weeks I can't go get my bigger guns.

So, for a cow nilgai (I will intentionally pass on a big bull) would those with actual experience suggest the 308 or the 7mm? Any input of advice is appreciated.

308 will work fine and doesn’t need to be a head shot. We went last year one full size bull was shot with a 30-06 and core locks. Put the bullet where it needs to go and you’re fine.

I agree. Shot placement is key. I killed one with a bow, a .308 will work just fine.

One thing bout Nalgai, they won’t stop running till they hit the county line or a body of water.

Your 308 on a cow will be fine. Have shot a dozen or so. A 270 was used on most of them and none of them were head shots.

Your 308 should be enough gun. The 130 grain is going fast for good expansion and terminal performance. I like heavier bullets for bigger game. I'd lean more towards a 165 or 180 grain Accubond or similar.

I used a 7mm-08 and 140 gr AB to harvest a Nilgai cow. Your 308 and 130 TTSX will work. As others have said just put the bullet where it needs to go.

In addition to the great advice above, I recommend studying Nilgai anatomy to ensure you put your bullet in the best spot to avoid them running off. Last thing you want is to drag a 450 pound cow out of a patch of cactus. They will absolutely run way further than you think they can if you don’t put them down on the spot.

Great advice, along with using a heavier bullet. The pack out on these animals can be brutal pending on the geography.
Day or night hunt? These animals are very skittish and may not let you get close during the day. Be prepared for a longer shot.
Vitals are low and forward compared to North American deer/elk.

Check with your outfitter.. some wont allow anything smaller than a 30 caliber magnum (H&H, Win Mag, PRC, etc) on nilgai..

That said, a 308 with a quality bullet like a barnes ttsx is plenty for a nilgai in my opinion... I get that they are larger, tougher, etc.. than a deer.. but a 168gr ttsx is going to penetrate all the way to vitals easily... put the bullet where it belongs and there should be no problem..

Thanks for all the input. No outfitter involved. One of my students has a grandmother complaining about nilgai tearing her place up and I told the student to tell granny I'd be more than willing to shoot one. That's why it will be a free hunt.

Hundreds have been culled with 22-250 and 223. Vitals are further forward then elk as they are all shoulder. I’m not a large caliber ttsx fan, I’d go a partition over ttsx and Berger over all of them. As you know end of the day bullet placement trumps head stamp. You will enjoy the meat

Did you make it out in your hunt? Curious what you ended up hunting with, and hoping you had a successful hunt.

Nope it fell through. Looks like a couple whitetail does will have to fill the freezer instead.

That’s suxs, that’s an iconic Texas hunt.