[Texas Shooter]

There are more free-range nilgai in Texas than there are in their native India. Nilgai are tough. They are also very wary. Your shots may not be under 150-200 yds. Also, they don't stand around waiting for the shot.

I have no doubt the 45-70 has the power to drop a nilgai. That said, if it were me, I would take a flatter shooting rifle with plenty of power. My 338 RUM did well on nilgai but you don't need that much punch. A 338 WinMag or a 338 Federal would be good choice in my opinion as would a 300 WinMag.

I know this sounds like overkill but, I've killed a lot of different species of antelope ( from eland on down) with my 375 H&H. It is one of my favorites . The recoil is more of a push than the sharp impact from a lot of the fast magnums, meat damage is minimal, plenty of knockdown and with 250-270 grain bullets, it will shoot as flat as a 30-06.

Nilgai meat is among the best! Be sure to plan on keeping the meat.

Good luck on your hunt!!!

T.S.

 

[Texas Shooter]

This is spot on.
The 9.3 is gaining a lot of popularity down here with hunters chasing sambar deer and buffalo (up North).
It would give you better range than the 45-70, but the levergun is cool....

I started to mention the 35 Whelen (near ballistic twin to the 9.3X62) in my earlier post but there are a lot of cartridges that, IMO, will serve you better than the 45-70 if the animals are "spooky" and the shots are long.

It's one of those things where; if hunting the animal is convenient, inexpensive and readily available for multiple hunting trips or the hunter is seeking a challenge and successfully bagging the game is not important, it is fun to use less-than-ideal equipment . That's why some of us hunt with bows, muzzle loaders, handguns, etc.

If the goal is to accept the challenge of killing a nilgai with a lever in 45-70, the odds of success are pretty good. If the goal is to take a trophy bull, opportunities may be limited. Lots of variables that can be addressed by using a rifle of ample power with greater range.

When I hunted mountain lions in the mountains of Colorado, my intent was to shoot a lion with my revolver in 454 Casull. Nonetheless, I brought my Marlin Guide Gun in 45-70 along in case I needed more range. One of the houndsmen was kind enough to carry it along as I needed both hands to climb the snow and ice-covered slopes (I'm a flatlander). I had my revolver on my belt in a cross draw holster.

It turned out that I was able to use my revolver but that Marlin was my "ace-in-hole". You might consider packing your Marlin 45-70 with intent of using it but have a longer range rifle as a spare.

T.S.

 

[Texas Shooter]

270 grain 375s at 2600 fps is the ballistics of the 376 Steyr as well. I have two Steyr prohunters in that cartridge. And they are tack drivers too. I would not feel disadvantaged carrying one of those on a nilgai hunt.

T.S.