Question:

Do you think the .270 Winchester loaded with 140-grain Barnes TSX bullets is adequate for plains game. (Up to zebra and eland?)

Answer:

No, I do not! Sorry to be blunt, but I feel the .270 with 140-grainers is just too light for the larger African antelope species. I have the highest regard for the TSX--as far as premium-quality bullets go, it is one of the best--but this does not change my opinion.

For all the small and medium sized antelope species, this combination will be OK, but it is, in my opinion, just too small and light for the bigger ones. Remember, an eland is often heavier than a buffalo and while not as tough, it is just massive. I just visited an area in Namibia where they hunt lots of Hartmann mountain zebra. The operator I was with was telling me that most of his clients use .300 Win Mags and 180-grainers and he felt even this was a bit light for these striped equines. He much preferred the .338 Win. Mag. for them.

I have just had my good friend Monty Kalogeras from the Safari Shooting School shoot an eland with me here in Botswana’s Kalahari desert. He used a .375 H&H and 300-grain TSXs (at 2,550 fps). When he saw the thick thornbush and the size of the eland he wished he had brought his .500 NE double!

So to answer your question, I think you need to step up in both caliber and bullet weight to at least a .30-06 and good 180-grainers. If you are serious about an eland, then I suggest a .338 and 250s. At the end of the day, bigger and heavier is always better.