After being worked by some real pros!
Many shooters and reloaders are surprised when they learn than the first attempts at so-called smokeless powder—more correctly called nitrocellulose—is nearly two centuries old. A French chemist and pharmacist, Henri Braconnot, determined in 1832 that soaking wood fibers in nitric acid produced a highly flammable—even explosive—compound. These first attempts yielded products that were quite unstable and rather dangerous, hence their usability was nil. A number of other chemists and scientists experimented with nitrocellulose production and stabilization during the following decades.
These early experiments led to some high-energy explosives. They were wholly unsuitable as propellants until another French chemist, Paul Vieille, toned down the energy enough to produce what was known as gun cotton—because of its visual similarity to cotton—and was deployed as a propellant for artillery munitions in 1884.
With further development, nitrocellulose or Poudre V, in recognition of its inventor was first loaded into the 8 mm Lebel case in 1886. Results were impressive. Nitrocellulose produced some six times the volume of gas from an equal pre-combustion weight of black powder, thus it imparted a much higher velocity in a given projectile with as much as three times the energy.
In 1891, Paul Mauser went to Spain after delivering some Model 1889 trial rifles, chambered in 7.65×53 mm Mauser. He brought with him a new cartridge with a slightly smaller diameter bullet and a case that was .134″ longer with 5 percent greater case capacity, and a bullet 18 percent less in weight at a 23 percent faster muzzle velocity.
That cartridge was the 7×57 mm Mauser, and it was the high-speed, low-drag cartridge of its day. Mauser also had a transitional Model 1892 rifle with an external, single-column box magazine holding five rounds. The Model 1892 morphed quickly into the Model 1893 Mauser by employing an internal, staggered-cartridge, five-round magazine. To say that the Spanish military was impressed would be an understatement. It immediately ordered rifles and ammunition.
Meanwhile, the U.S. was strolling along with what it thought was a decent improvement over the latest iteration of the Trapdoor Springfield—Model 1888—the Model 1892 Krag-Jørgensen chambered in .30 Government or as it became popularly known, the .30-40 Krag. Then we got into a little dust-up with Spain called the Spanish-American War.
Our guys got their fannies shot to pieces from the 7×57 mm Mauser with its 173-gr. bullet at 2,746 fps while trying to defend themselves with rifles firing a 220-gr. bullet at 1,960 to 2,000 fps, depending on whether the soldier had a rifle or carbine. To be fair, the Mauser’s staggered-cartridge box magazine played nearly as much a role in this, since the 1892 Krag-Jørgensen had a side-fed magazine that did not have the ability to be charged with stripper clips.
The Brits also got a taste of 7 mm Mauser during the Second Boer War in South Africa. Boer snipers using ammunition loaded with ballistite-type smokeless powder—an early double-based powder made from nitrocellulose and nitro glycerin—easily outshot the Brits at long range with their .303 British ammo loaded with cordite and fired from Lee-Enfield rifles.
After that altercation, the 7×57 mm Mauser drew attention from European and a few American sportsmen. As a first-generation transition from black powder to smokeless powder, the 7×57 mm Mauser still held to some black-powder design parameters. The case tapers some .043″ from .473″ at the base to .430″ at the shoulder. Black powder left a lot of residue, ergo most cases needed to have a good taper in order to facilitate reliable extraction.
Too, the shoulder has an angle of just 20 degrees to ensure reliability in extraction. Later on, wildcatters and experimenters like P.O. Ackley would blow out both measurements to increase case capacity and efficiency, thereby getting more velocity from the cartridge. Such wildcats—or non-standard cases—are often referred to as “Ackley Improved” or AI. With the 150-gr. Noslers (BT, AB or CT) the AI will add about 200 fps to the muzzle velocity.
Another caution for reloaders: European-made 7×57 mm rifles have a groove diameter of 0.285″ (7.24 mm) whereas American rifles chambered in 7×57 mm have a groove diameter of 0.284″ (7.21 mm). It’s not end-of-the-world stuff, but shooters who reload should ensure they know the real source and diameter of their bullets.
The 7×57 mm Mauser has a good reputation on plains game the size of deer or pronghorn. My own experience with this cartridge is admittedly thin. However, I shot a couple of feral pigs with the cartridge some 30-plus years ago with Remington factory loads in a friend’s rifle. Not surprisingly, if you put the bullet in the right spot, the critter will tip over nicely.
In typical European fashion, there is a rimmed version of the 7×57 mm Mauser called, appropriately, the 7 x 57R. External dimensions are almost identical, save the rim, but there are internal anomalies. As far as performance, both cartridges are virtually alike in every way. The rimmed version is for single-shot, double rifles and drillings; it allows for more reliable and easier extractions in those rifles. British gunmakers are fond of the 7×57 mm Mauser cartridge, giving it British nomenclature, .275 Rigby.
The cartridge has seen extensive use in Africa, again as a plains-game cartridge. A rather famous departure from this norm was W.D.M. Bell, the Scottish adventurer and ivory hunter of the early 20th century, who used a Mauser ’93 rifle built by Rigby in 7×57 mm Mauser to kill some 800 elephants, as well as countless other animals in Africa, including many Cape buffalo.
On this side of the pond, the 7×57 mm Mauser has enjoyed a subtle but steady popularity. It seems that about every 30 to 40 years, after the wildcatters and experimenters have tried to come up with the ultimate death ray, some guys rediscover this 128-year-old cartridge. The rifles for it are light, recoil is manageable, and the accuracy is more than adequate for most big-game hunting.
This cartridge also served as the basis for the once wildcat .257 Roberts which is now a factory chambering in many rifles and has its own cult following. Like our own .30-06 Sprg., the 7×57 mm Mauser cartridge owes much of its success to the fact that it was the military cartridge of choice for nearly two dozen countries. That, combined with its other attributes of mild recoil and good accuracy ensures that it will be available for some time to come.
It has been quite a while since I’ve done an African animal profile. However, it’s now the peak of the hunting season in most countries in Africa. In honor of this, I’ll continue to post further profiles of African animals over the next few weeks in the same spirit that I wrote about the impala and warthog this time last year.
Perhaps these reports will inspire some readers to pursue dreams of hunting in Africa. Today, I’m writing about the bread and butter of almost any African plains game safari: the blue wildebeest.
This excellent common blue wildebeest was taken in Namibia and easily made the SCI record book.
A good, quality bullet placed as indicated will result in a quick, ethical kill.
Perhaps these reports will inspire some readers to pursue dreams of hunting in Africa. Today, I’m writing about the bread and butter of almost any African plains game safari: the blue wildebeest.
Description and distribution
Blue wildebeest — also known as brindled gnu or black-bearded wildebeest — are a large, muscular species of antelope with large horns that curve in and upward. Males are slightly larger and darker in coloration than females and can weigh up to 600 pounds and stand 4-5 feet tall. Females are known to weigh as much as 550 pounds.
Most adult blue wildebeest have a deep, silvery gray or brownish coat with manes of long, jet-black fur. Blue wildebeest also have dark brown stripes on their necks and ribs, giving them their nickname of brindled gnu. Both males and females have horns, though males generally have significantly larger horns than females.
Safari Club International recognizes four subspecies of blue wildebeest: the white-bearded wildebeest, the Nyasa wildebeest, the Cookson wildebeest and the common blue wildebeest.
The white-bearded wildebeest is sometimes further broken down into the eastern and western white-bearded wildebeest subspecies, and it is found on the border between Kenya and Tanzania and is common in both countries. Their coats are lighter in color than the other subspecies of blue wildebeest, and they usually have white hair in their mane and on their face. Interestingly, their manes are lank and do not stand up.
The Nyasa wildebeest is the smallest specimen of blue wildebeest, and they live in southern Tanzania and northern Mozambique. They were once present in Malawi (formerly known as Nyasaland, hence the subspecies name), but are now extinct there. Nyasa wildebeest have a more brownish color to their coats than the other subspecies of blue wildebeest. The hairs on their manes are somewhat rigid and stick up in the air.
The Cookson wildebeest is the largest of all the wildebeest and is found only in the Luangwa Valley of Zambia. Their coat is grayer in color than any other subspecies. Like the white-bearded wildebeest, their manes also are lank.
The common blue wildebeest is the most widespread of any species of blue wildebeest and are found in Mozambique, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Angola and Zambia. Of these countries, South Africa offers the best hunting, both in sheer numbers of animals and in trophy quality, for the common blue wildebeest.
Of the top 25 common blue wildebeest in the SCI record book, 23 were taken in South Africa (the other two were taken in Namibia). However, Namibia and Zimbabwe also provide outstanding trophy-quality blue wildebeest. Like the Nyasa wildebeest, the common blue wildebeest manes are rigid and stick up in the air.
This excellent common blue wildebeest was taken in Namibia and easily made the SCI record book.
Blue wildebeest are grazing animals and generally live in herds of 20-50 animals, or more in more open terrain. Their snouts are well adapted for feeding on grass, which is their favorite food. However, the blue wildebeest will also eat shrubs and leaves if grass is in short supply.
Though blue wildebeest are most often found in open terrain, they can also be found in areas with thick vegetation as well. They are resilient animals, but are dependent on water and will drink twice daily when water is available. As a result, they are most often found in moist grasslands and in other areas near water. Blue wildebeest are often found in the company of zebra, springbok, impala and hartebeest on the open plains.
Hunting methods
There are several possible methods available for hunting blue wildebeest. Probably the most commonly-used method is to attempt a stalk on a feeding herd of blue wildebeest during the morning or evening when they are most active. However, this can be challenging due to the difficulty associated with getting inside shooting range while avoiding the watchful eyes of dozens of blue wildebeest (to say nothing of the zebra, or any other animals with them).
Another commonly used hunting method — if it is legal in the area you will be hunting, and you consider it ethical — is to ambush blue wildebeest from a blind overlooking a water hole.
Cartridges
Blue wildebeest have a well-deserved reputation as tough animals and can take a lot of punishment before they go down for good. Indeed, they have the nickname “the poor man’s cape buffalo” for a good reason. For this reason, it is important that hunters be appropriately armed when pursuing them.
Since they are so tough, the. 308 Winchester is the minimum caliber that I recommend for use on a blue wildebeest at short to medium range (out to 200 yards). For some of the longer shots that may present themselves in open areas, cartridges such as the .30-06 Springfield and the .300 and .338 Winchester Magnums are also great choices.
For those that prefer even larger caliber rifles, a hunter pursuing blue wildebeest using a rifle chambered in 9.3x62mm or .375 H&H is not using “too much gun” on one of these tough animals.
Shot placement
A saying among those who have pursued blue wildebeest is that “they are born sick and get stronger and run farther with each lead pill you give them.” Like I stated above, blue wildebeest are tough and must be taken seriously by hunters. While they are not normally aggressive toward humans, it is not uncommon to hear about wounded blue wildebeest charging and injuring hunters.
For this reason, it is essential that hunters use deeply-penetrating bullets and place their shots appropriately. Additionally, no matter what cartridge and bullet they use, hunters should not be afraid to take a rapid follow-up shot, if possible. This can potentially avoid a frustrating and/or dangerous situation further down the road.
A good, quality bullet placed as indicated will result in a quick, ethical kill.
Fortunately, shot placement on blue wildebeest is not complicated. When they are standing broadside, simply aim along the back edge of the front shoulder approximately one-third the way up their body. This will result in a heart/lung shot, and the wildebeest will likely not go far after the shot.
However, I do not recommend that taking frontal shots on blue wildebeest. As you can see in the photo below, there is a small window to the vitals, and it is easy to hit too far to either side, or hit the animal’s snout. In either case, there is a high risk of wounding and losing the blue wildebeest. For the same reasons, I do not recommend head or neck shots, except for experienced marksmen and hunters.
Blue wildebeest are among the most widely-distributed and commonly-pursued species in Africa. They are also nearly as tough and challenging to hunt as a Cape buffalo, but much more affordable. Due to this, the blue wildebeest is considered one of the cornerstones of a “classic” safari almost anywhere you go on the continent.
No safari is complete without a blue wildebeest, and I highly recommend adding one to your list if you’re planning a trip to Africa in the near future.
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