I read it as "It'll work if it has to, but no leg bones, no shoulders, no angles, and illegal in at least one country" Faint praise.
it's also illegal to use a 9.3x62 on buffalo in most countries, but I hear it's done frequently.
Virtually all the responders (including the PH's) said that you should use a good bullet and make a good shot in the right place. The right place happens to be the same place most of us tell deer hunters to shoot. Right behind the shoulder. I believe somewhere back at the start of the thread, SH said his GF would pick a good shot or pass it up, which seems a sensible course of action.
I somewhat liken this to a "30-30 for moose" thread. We all know it has been done thousands of times, and we all know how to do it- Pick your shot and shoot at a sensible range.
Nobody is out and out screaming "No! Don't do it!" which says something...
Yes, as long as you put it in the boiler room you are fine. 180 gr TSX or A Frame will do the trick.
Eland can be very big.....the .30-06 can also be big and modern premium bullets make it more than ever.
No problem as long as you put the first shot where it needs to go. I have used 300 WM and 7mm just fine on some pretty big critters. Shot placement is the key. Now if you screw up even a 375 has problems. Bigger calibers are more forgiving ut only to a point
he 06 will do fine if you do fine. Many will say you need bigger but with proper placement and a high quality bullet that eland is dead.
Total agreement. Used 300wm on a cape eland. He never even moved DOA. I used the 7mm on a running livingston eland. One shot dropped him on the spot at a couple hundred yards. 30-06 is just fine. My point was simply place the shot no matter what caliber.
agreed with all ...yes no problem , i have guided on a lot of eland and 30-06 with premium bullets will do just fine ...try and avoid a direct hit on the legbone !
If a 30-06 is the largest rifle you can use, then use it and make damn sure of your first shot.
If you own a larger rifle then use it, using a smaller weapon does you nor the animal any possible good.
30 06 will do great on Eland.
Use good quality bullets in the 180 to 220gr class.
Shot placement is critical as it is with any other calibre.
30-06 are going to do the job nicely.
As for most the plain game in Africa.
Generally speaking I would use a bigger caliber even in small game, WHY NOT . . . Is just fun to use a bigger one
My eland was a one shot kill with my 9.3x62 -but at that range and angle (straight from the front) a 30.06 would have worked just fine.
But quartering shots or any extreme angle I´d never take with a 30.06.
30-06 doesn't make the legal minimum in zim. I have shot Eland with both a 7x57 and (cows) with .308. Never had a problem, but have stock to my 9,3 for many years now. Generally don't bother with premium bullets in the 9,3, so yup. can easily work. As always when using a (relative) small bore on big game. put the bullet in the right place!
The '06 is one of my favorites and adequate for most anything if applied carefully but If I knew I was going to specifically target an eland (I assume we are talking monster trophy bull) I'd go up in caliber and horsepower. An '06 with a premium bullet tight up behind the eland's front shoulder and the eland is dead but offered an angling shot through the shoulder bones or from behind through the ponch to the vital you are undergunned.
The new bullets like the monometals have helped the old '06 a great deal and if it is the rifle you have, shoot well and recoil or money prevent you from purchasing a larger caliber go for it. Just be careful of the shot angle.
