Loading 30-06 for Africa with Hornady 165gr CX Bullets

Excited for you! You need to harvest a Kudu 🥩. Just remember: This is Africa, the animal are tough as nails!

Born, lived , hunted and farmed in Africa for 40 years, you don’t need a magnum, I shot a LOT of game, Gemsbuck, Kudu & Springbuck, 308, 30-06 more than enough if you know what you’re doing.

Good luck on your hunt. Trust me, it will not be your last. The 30-06 is the perfect plains game cartridge. I take a pre-64 M70 that has been in the hands of 3 generations of Africa hunters. Finally going to be back in Zim this August after 2 years of cancelled trips.

I have hunted South Africa (I am a SA citizen) with my 30-06 for 20+ years. You cannot go wrong with it.
We just got back from our first hunt of winter and the 30-06 did it's work perfectly. One big kudu bull (250m) and a red hartbeest (330m) with two rounds. Both were heart shots and neither animal went more than 20m.
I use 165gr Nosler Accubonds at around 2850fps and it has never failed me on large animals in SA.
Enjoy your trip and travel safe.

I'm South African and I can truly say you are going to enjoy the hunt very much. The 30.06 package that you have there will be plenty enough to ensure good ethical hunting. That is the old trust worthy caliber to shoot almost anything you can find here. Can't wait to hear how your hunt went. I'm currently in the States for work and so wished I could also be back home hunting. Missing my whole hunting season but heck try and make a plan for late season hunt.

Hi Guy, we had a lot of rain in SA, so the bush is very dense, you will most likely shoot under 150 m in the north of the country. Just remember SA has very different habitats. The Karoo and central part of the country is open, and you might have to shoot a bit further. Importantly don’t underestimate the toughness of Oryx and Wildebeest. They are hard as hell. 30-06 is fine for the most plain game, you might be a little bit lite for Eland personally, I shoot 180gn out of my 30-06, but that is just me. Last weekend a buddy of mine dropped a monster Wildebeest with a 6.5 Creedmore, all about shot placement. So enjoy your hunt and remember there are a lot of beautiful places in SA. You might want to extend your stay and have a bit of a holiday as well.

Hello. Living in South Africa myself I shoot with a 30-06 an love the SST 180 gr from hornady.

I’ve been using a 700 in .30-06 for over 40 years and love it. Have a great hunt!!

I am hunting in S Africa and Namibia for 30 years and after many calibres in cluding 30-06 I found the 300wsm as the best planes allrounder. The US hunters with the most success on planes used 338 Win Mag.

Limpopo bushveld. .30-06, 180 gr. Partition @ 2700 fps. 2.5-8x36mm scope and left it on 2.5 setting. 5 animals, largest being Kudu. All one-shot kills. Shot distances from 50 to 200 yards. Shooting tip - don't take forever to squeeze the trigger. Get it up on the sticks, aim small, and shoot! Those animals didn't get big and old by being slow to react. Good luck and good hunt!

Hi from Gauteng South Africa.
The weather will be cold (for us for you not so much) but when the sun comes out. It will warm you nicely. So warm clothing but light enough to take off. A light long sleve shirt like the prs guys wear is great for keeping cool and keeping the sun off you. And it will be sunny. The weather here is maybe the best winter weather in the world. From other videos texas seems to have very similar weather to here.
My favourite fact for Americans is that suppressors are an over the counter purchase here. However firearms are about as hard to license as suppressors are for you. You can't buy ammunition without a corresponding license.
The altitude in the highveld is around 1500 feet above sea level so your loads may perform a little differently to lower altitudes. ( pieter malan travels between capetown and gauteng and shoots both maybe reach out and ask him for what changes)
You will also be surprised by how built up it is. Johannesburg is a BIG city, people are friendly.
You're going to have a magnificent time here.

hunting in Africa has long been a pipe dream of mine

Let's hear it for the older calibers. I have an 30-06 and two 270ies. The good ones have staying power.

I love the way info-entertainment is going: Joe Rogan, Vortex 10 minute chats, and this. GREAT! So much better than waiting for the next hunting mag to come out.

30-06 is more than enough, because I have shot a blue wildebeest with a 150gr bullet. It didn't even make it 20 yards

Winter in the northern and northeastern parts of South Africa is very dry yes. It will be cold at night and in the morning but once the sun is out it can get hot. You will love the country (the bushveld) and the people! It will be good to have you here! Enjoy!

I am a retired SA PH of 18 years , I carried a Ruger 77 Mk2 in 06 as my back up rifle with hand loaded 220Gr Sako Hammerheads . For my personal hunting I used the same rifle with hand loaded Hornady 150 or 165 Gr Interbonds . My point of impact was only about one inch different on the vertical plane so I was able to use all three out to nearly 300 metres without adjusting my scope . Your calibre and bullet weight was my recommendation to clients as well . The 30 cal and 7mm Magnums are also ideal .

Guy I hope it’s everything you have dreamed of and remember some of us are living vicariously through you😂 Good luck!!!

I also live in South Africa, 30-06 is a super popular round in South Africa and it is perfect for the larger animals you want to hunt. Get your PH to order you a set of 4deadhold shooting sticks. I hunt with a 308, nosler accubond bullets, 165 grain bullets. Kudu, wildebeest, gemsbuck, even eland, I keep my shooting distance under 250 meters. I hope you enjoy your hunt and may you never get the African dust off your boots...

You're going to love it!
I'm a South African and can tell you if you keep it simple ,FOLLOW the instructions given,....lifetime experience.
Welcome to my country.

I was planning my 2nd trip on the flight home of the 1st trip. Africa will get in your blood. My wife went on my second trip. She took, 6nanimals and can’t wait to back again.

Best of luck on your African hunt Guy!

Craig Boddington says the 3006 Springfield is the perfect plains game cartridge. And as a side note, the great Jack O Conner killed 10 grizzlies with that cartridge. The 3006 is one of the most versatile cartridges ever. And have a great hunt and good luck.

Enjoy your hunt Guy! I am from south africa I always hunt with 30-06. Great caliber for our south african animals. 👏

Gemsbok, Kudu all with my setup.
BRNO 30-06 ZKK600 with 24" Barrel. 1:10 Twist rate
Hornady Interbond 150G with 56.5G Reloder 16 and Winchester Magnum Primer.
Estimated 3080fps and silenced with a 6 Compartment Mute Silencer.

I took my Higgins model 51 30-06 with 180 gr partitions. It was an amazing Hunt. I was extremely impressed with the performance of the partition. I got 11 animals in 14 days. You’ll love it!

Have a great trip! Be safe!

Good luck in Africa Sir. Great video, simple and direct. Thanks

Good luck Guy, wishing you all the best for your trip 👍

Congratulations on getting to do your dream hunt! I'm looking forward to seeing and or hearing about it!

I am so jealous of your upcoming hunt!!!
Above all else I hope you have a safe and successful trip and hunt !!!

Best of luck to you Guy. I hunt with 30-06 in Colorado mountains, so I love tuning in with you. Thanks!

Good luck on your hunt!

Good luck Guy! I like your reasoning for picking your 30-06 and going with a rifle you know and trust. Your hunt has already started successfully and I hope you achieve your dream hunt!

Always amazing information that helps me.

Good luck to ya dude! Safe travels!

I've never hunted in southern Africa. But no less an authority than Craig Boddington said that the .30-06 is perfect for African plains game hunting. With his depth of experience, he would know.

Good luck Guy! Love that your taking the 30-06! It just does not get enough love anymore with all these guys shooting there high bc 6.5 guns!

Yes! My favorite cartridge!
Have fun in Africa and happy hunting.

Good luck on your hunt Guy,and I look forward to hearing how that new bullet performed.

Guy I wish you much success on your hunt and I'll say a prayer for you and a safe return.
Although the temps will be cool, still drink plenty of water!
💪🏾

Another South African here! 30-06 is probably the sweet spot! I've used a 308 with heavy-ish bullets and taken a few Wildebeest and Kudu. 243 win is also the right stuff for things like impala, blesbuck and springbok👍🏼 Depending where in the country you go your hunting with differ. Up north will be thicker brush, so most likely shooting 50-120 metres and if you are in the Eastern cape or more central you might get some longer shots out to maybe 350 metres👍🏼

Awesome choice of,caliber, I love the ‘06, it is far under utilized and overlooked! Great video!

You’ll love it. I did a once in a lifetime hunt for me about 2 years ago and I still think about it all the time and talk regularly with the guy who guided me. Have fun!!!

Good luck, Guy!

I just got back from RSA! I hunted the Limpopo region and took a Gemsbok, Blesbuck, Impala, and a warthog. You are going to have a great time. I used a Ruger American Predator chambered in .30-06 with a suppressor. I shot 180 grain Barnes Vor-Tx TTSX bullets and all animals but one were one shot kills. The Gemsbok was at 311 meters sharply quartering away and the first shot got both lungs, I took a second shot that went through both lungs and took out the opposite shoulder. I am excited to see what the CX bullets do for you

Good luck! sounds like as dream come true. Can't wait to hear how it goes.

Now I don't feel so out of step with the times. Nice to see a walnut stocked 30.06 with a 6X scope still used. These are features of my hunting rifles which have served three generations of my family. Always brought home the meat.

Right on Guy.

You will love it I have been twice with a 308. The first of many trips of a life time as it was for me , planing my third now next August

Good luck Guy. Excellent rifle and bullet choice . Old meets new.

Welcome to SA Guy, happy hunting and enjoy the trip.

Good luck!, great video and information. Nice to see a classic rifle in a classic cartdridge. My first (from 1982 when I was a h.s. freshman) and favorite rifle is a walnut Smith and Wesson branded Howa 1500 in .30-'06, with a custom muzzle break. The newer monolithic copper alloy bullets in the 165 to 180 grain have been outstanding respectively for Arizona coues deer and bull elk. Best of luck and safe travels on your hunt.

Good luck, and enjoy yourself!! It’s definitely a dream of mine too! 4350 is such an amazing powder, I have outstanding loads using it in my 30.06, my .270, and an incredibly accurate and consistent load for my 6.5 creedmoor.

Hi Guy ,hope its all you hoped for and more looks like you will be doing verry well... also a (guide )ph here for 23 yrs now still loving the way of life .... best of luck enoy!! aldo thanks to Gavin for all efforts and knowledge shared in the vidios keep it up God bless!!

used a 25-06 for plains game running 117 grn SST at 2900 fps. Howa 1500 action, Boyds AT - One Stock, with Suppressor and 6x24 Tourex Vector Optic FFP. Shot everything from spring buck to Blue Wildebeest. 30-06 we normally load 180 grn soft points (took a eland bull), of the 18 animals taken last year 10 of those were with the 25-06. for thicker bush areas i would opted for the 30-06 but in the plains had no issues with the 25-06. In august this year we are back to the free state to hunt again. Welcome to South Africa, you will really enjoy the trip.....

Can’t wait to hear and see some pics from the hunt…. Loved the line about building a precision 30/06, especially if you could make it with wood stock to look like this one..

Good luck Guy on your hunt I think you picked out a good load 4350 with about 54-55 grains has always been a good one for me. I love the 165 gr. bullets for hunting.

Ooh good stuff Guy!!!

When you guys test monolithic bullets, test our Peregrine bullets made in South Africa.

Best of luck Guy! I had just started to consider Africa before the pandemic and interest is returning. I look forward to future videos and hope your experience is everything you every dreamed.

I went in 2013 and 2016 to Namibia with a 30-06 and 168 grain Barnes TTSX. 8 animals including two kudu. It just worked, plain and simple.

Good luck on the hunt, that's going to be amazing

I have your identical rifle only in left hand and without the suppressor. Bought it new about 20 years ago and has been my go-to hunting rifle ever since. I only shoot whitetails and coyotes with mine here in Virginia and since my Remington 700 CDL likes the Remington Core-Lokt that's all I shoot in either 165 or 125 grain. Happy hunting in Africa!

Good for you Guy! God bless man! Never quit.

Excited to see how this rifle and its load prevails in Africa!

Any calibre will do.shot placement crucial, ive seen 150gr 30-06 go through a 10-15inch tree with jacket intact. Ask pieter(skieter) malan to join you

I am also a South African, hunting with a 30-06 Winchester XPR. I took a Kudu of 57,4” at 146 meters with a 180gr Peregrine monolithic bullet which is locally manufactured. Two weekends later a Zebra at 109 meters. Both one shot kills. My friend and I also hunt with 6.5 Grendel for Impala and Warthogs with 129gr Hornady Interbonds. Bottom line, it is all about shot placing. My first animal, Blue wildebeest or Gnu, I shot with a 30-06 Mauser with a PMP 168gr bullet, also a one shot kill. 30-06 is the correct caliber for what you want to shoot. You will enjoy your stay and good luck.

Have a great time Guy. Get home safe. Fellow '06 fan...looking forward to hearing your debrief.

I haven't been to Africa to hunt, yet. But when my uncle and grandfather went on their pilgrimage to hunting Mecca, they brought a 375 H&H, a 338-06, and a 243 WIN; pretty well covered all the possibilities.

Good luck Guy

Guy, you will love it and before the hunt is over you will be planning a return trip! I made my first trip in 2006, while working for Uncle Sam in Germany. Was very successful harvesting 6 plains game animals. Loved the place so much I ended up buying my retirement home in SA. So, I am an American expat here is SA. My go to firearm is a CRF, post '64, left hand , Win Mod 70 with 165gr Nosler Partitions, moving about 2800fps. Never had a problem with the rifle or the load. Ranges have been 70m to 224m. Almost everything, except for wildebeest, have been one shot and down. The 100yr old '06 is more than capable for plains game. Weather is strange this year, we are having a true Indian Summer, highs in the Western Cape of 75 +/- during the day! However, plan for it being a bit cooler. Good luck and have fun!

I couldn't imagine lugging a suppressor-equipped rifle through the dense bush typical of Africa, not to mention the added weight for those long walks. Good luck on your trip!

Enjoy South Africa. Have fun!

Im from South Africa. Also own a 30.06. Love my rifle. Perfect for plains game. Shot up to an eland size with it, no problem. Kudu bull will be your favorite trophy imo.
Looking forward to the footage. Enjoy!!!

Wish I was going with you. Can`t wait to see how you do. Best of luck!

When is the follow up video to this??? I have the exact same setup (Remington 700, newly threaded muzzle with muzzle brake installed, H4350, 165CXs). Come on Gavin, I need more...Just kidding...Keep up the awesome videos/channel. It is the best gun builds/handloading/bullet performance channels.

While you are in SA grab a few boxes of Peregrine Mono bullets, they expand as low as 1600fps.

Holy Cow!! I just booked a S African hunt and got a Weathery Meat Eater in 30-06 and have been working on loads for the plains game hunt. Perfect timing! Thanks Gavin!! And I'm using my Omega 30 supressor as well.

Have a great hunt! Really excited for you! I have a friend who went to SA a couple years ago, he said the 30-06 worked great for him on plains game. I think he just used conventional cup and core bullets.

hi there. also in SA. Popular calibres are 30-06 / 308 / 270 / 6.5cm Enjoy your trip,

Hope you have a good trip wish you the best

Hey Guy & Gavin, I’m from Namibia and keenly excited to hear how the hunting experience went in SA, all the best and good luck with the hunt. Just 2 weeks ago I took 2 friends hunting in Namibia and we shot 2 springbuck at 275m(300y) and 290m (317y) with a Ruger American (boyds stock) 30-06 loaded with Sierra Game changers 165gr, one shot kills in both cases. We also use Nosler ballistic tip 165gr and the 165gr Hornady GMX bullets, they are extremely accurate.

That is awesome, good luck juy

Great choice on the .30-06 and the Hornady CX. Have a great trip to our magical country.

Good luck, look forward to some footage when you return to the States.

Talked to a very experienced African hunter and he was all about 308 win

Good luck guy, perhaps we may cross paths. I will be there early July for a trip I have wanted for as long as you have.

Excellent, good choice! Enjoy the hunt!

Great rig, you'll be fine

I'm also From S.A. I shoot a 308 win , never lost a animal with it ( use Hornady SST , 180g ) and obviously a 375 H&H witch speaks for itself , You gonna love it , take it all in !!
We also booked for hunting in July , just a heads up had very late rains here so the bush is not as dry as we would like it to be , very dense and lots of ticks so wear long pants and gators

Congratulations guy! Good luck and good hunting.

Enjoy your hunt!

Awesome content, im from South Africa and my fav hunting cal is my 30-06, never had a animal run with this. Its the Ultimate Cartridge for Africa!
End of June is our hunting trip in Marble Hall erea.

Attie here from @Field & Pot: South Africa's Hunting and Shooting Channel. The 30-06 is a perfect caliber for hunting South Africa. I have hunted everything (except the big 5) with it from the plains of the Karoo and Southern Free State province to the bushveld up North. Good luck and enjoy it!

I hunter in SA a few years ago bringing my Ruger M77 in 30-06. My PH had a rifle in a case and I asked what it was? He said, “Same as you.” I asked what cartridge it was? Same answer. Made me feel confident.

Best of luck. Hope you have the hunt of a lifetime

Good luck!

Cool your testing these. I plan on loading some for my Ruger American GoWild .30-06 for Elk.

Good video!
I just got back from South Africa last week. All my shots are 60 yards and in, except my kudu ( 110 yards) .I did a plains game hunt and took ; kudu, impala, warthog,gemsbok,zebra,blue wildebeest all with my PH’s 375 H&H magnum ( Model 70).
If you go in April thats the start of the rut for the kudu , and if you go in June , it’s winter there. Nice 45 degrees in the morning and high of 60 in the afternoon.
I’m booked for next year in April , going for giraffe and similar game.