Best Caliber for Tiny 10?

[Daktari]

Thank you for all your responses, what do you think of .22 Hornet?

 

[shark_za]

.22 Hornet would work better than the other center-fire .22's but in my opinion is still a little light.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Best would be a 242 Manton (also known as 242 Vickers or 242 Rimless Nitro Express). 250/3000 Savage could do in a pinch.

@318AE
While you're at it throw in the 240 H&H. It's actually .248 cal.
Failing that any of the 25 calibers will be better than the 243..
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

imagine shooting a rabbit with a 7mm mag... messy.
@Red Leg and @BeeMaa are right on.

@Tra3
May be messy but fun. A 25cal 90grain Sierra HPBT @ 3,600 fps makes a big mess as well. Bits of rabbit over a metre area..
Bob

 

[HWL]

A .256 Mannlicher in a M1895 Hembrug sporter....

Restoring and Shooting the Classic .256 Mannlicher Sporting Rifle

pics stolen,...not my gun,....unfortunatelly.

HWL

 

[Philip Glass]

I shot my Steenbok with a .30/06 and a 180gr Barnes TSX at ~20yds. Hit the offside shoulder. Blew out the whole front half of the off side.
For a dedicated T10 gun, I’d find an old Savage 24 in .222/20 ga. Otherwise, as Phillip, Red Leg and BeeMaa stated, solids in a .375 or .416.

Wow! Yea thats what we are trying to avoid.

 

[Philip Glass]

Like @Philip Glass I've fallen in love with hunting the Tiny 10. However, he has two left and I have two down so...

I like the idea of a Tiny 10 dedicated rifle. Something that won't blow them up but could also be used for impala, springbok, and other smaller antelope. I thought about a 22 Hornet and decided against it. I wanted a tough bullet and somewhat slower speed. That's how I got to the 140g Aframe out of my 6.5x55 @ 2650 fps. I also seriously considered using the 160g Aframe out of my 7mm-08, similar to @rookhawk 7x57 ballistically. But I couldn't find 160 grain 7mm Aframes when I was doing load development prior to my 2019 hunt.

The conventional wisdom clearly says solids out of a 375/404/416. I'm biased towards conventional wisdom generally - after all, it's worked well over time or it wouldn't be conventional wisdom. But here's the thing - folks have told me (my PH included) that you don't need solids for buff with today's Aframes and TSXs. I don't think a 300g Aframe or a 300 grain TSX @ 2500 fps is going to be nice for a duiker, much less a 400 grainer from a 416 @ 2400 fps. And to be fair, I'm not really excited about testing several different solids to find one that shoots to the same POI as my softs. Finally, if all I'm using solids for in my buff rifle are the tiny guys, do I keep a solid in my pocket and keep the mag loaded with all softs for buff? Will I have time to change a soft for a solid if I see a duiker? My experience with steenbok suggests no?

We are thinking along the same line here. My 5.56/.223 did a stellar job on a bushpig and a dozen springbuck after one of my Tiny 10 hunts. That 70gr bullet is the key I believe.

 

[Philip Glass]

I haven't tried .375 solids, but I have hit a fox with a .375 H&H 270g Woodleigh Protected Point. I was hunting sambar when a fox tried to cheekily sneak past about 25 meters away. Not what I had intended but it just had to be done.
Glad it wasn't a trophy animal, the entire offside chest was blown away.

I had similar experience with fox as I was testing loads before a hunt hat included the Tiny 10. I was using the 55gr Hornady stuff in my 5.56/.223 and wow turned the gray fox inside out. I knew that was not going to work! This is how I worked my way to the 70gr Barnes.

 

[Red Leg]

I have been impressed with that bullet as well. I now load it in my Daniel Defense DDm4v7 for repelling boarders and the occasional ANTIFA resistance member. It penetrates shoulder to shoulder on a feral hog, and sails right through a coyote with little damage. I suspect in something like a BRNO Fox it would be a great little dedicated rifle.

My only caution is, that unless one is going on a hunt where a major effort is going to be dedicated to the little guys, they tend to be targets of opportunity while hunting other larger things with a larger caliber.

 

[Saul]

I now load it in my Daniel Defense DDm4v7 for repelling boarders and the occasional ANTIFA resistance member.

Off topic, but of all of the ARs on the market today, why did you choose that one?

 

[500 Nitro]

Just a thought,
We have used a 22 magnum (camp Rifle) several times now on quite a few of the little guys, Dik Dik's , Duikers, Honey badgers, and several impalas with great success, along with very little hide damage.

 

[Hogpatrol]

For a dedicated rifle, a .17 or .22 Hornet, .17 or .221 Fireball, .222 or .223 with the proper, non pelt destroying bullet. My go to for the small stuff is a .17 Fireball with 25 and 30 grain bullets.
Edit: The .17s are for open areas with clear shots.

 

[IvW]

Many of the small forest species are best taken with a shotgun therefore my preference of a combination rifle. If you bump into anything else you are good to go...

 

[Red Leg]

Off topic, but of all of the ARs on the market today, why did you choose that one?

I think it is the best made, medium to close combat weapon available on the market today. Suppression takes the sting out of firing it in an enclosed space.

 

[BeeMaa]

I think it is the best made, medium to close combat weapon available on the market today. Suppression takes the sting out of firing it in an enclosed space.

Been looking at the DDM5V3 (308WIN) for the same reasons.
Although Springfield Armory makes the Victor pistol in 308WIN...

 

[Rick Cox]

Taken all of mine with a .375 and solids. That group includes Suni (they are very small). The enemy of the tiny fellows is high velocity and quick expanding bullet. Ignore the exotic recommendations (.242 Manton - seriously?). A heavy for caliber SP in a standard PG Caliber usually works just fine.

I'm hoping he was kidding about the 'Manton'...

 

[Rick Cox]

I had similar experience with fox as I was testing loads before a hunt hat included the Tiny 10. I was using the 55gr Hornady stuff in my 5.56/.223 and wow turned the gray fox inside out. I knew that was not going to work! This is how I worked my way to the 70gr Barnes.

Tha Barnes are great, but as an alternative check out the Swift Scirocco 2, in 62 or 75 grains.

 

[Goose Cracker]

We are thinking along the same line here. My 5.56/.223 did a stellar job on a bushpig and a dozen springbuck after one of my Tiny 10 hunts. That 70gr bullet is the key I believe.

I'm pretty sure my bolt 223 won't stabilize those 70 grain Barnes TSX. Requires something like 1/8"?

I thought about a 223 but decided it was too fast even with heavier bullets. I may have discarded that thought prematurely.

@IvW I see the appeal of a combo gun.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Tha Barnes are great, but as an alternative check out the Swift Scirocco 2, in 62 or 75 grains.

@Rick Cox
You could always try the Barnes Varmit Grenade.
Bob

 

[Rick Cox]

I'm pretty sure my bolt 223 won't stabilize those 70 grain Barnes TSX. Requires something like 1/8"?

I thought about a 223 but decided it was too fast even with heavier bullets. I may have discarded that thought prematurely.

@IvW I see the appeal of a combo gun.

Yeah you are right, my gun is a Tikka with 1/8 twist. Very accurate. I've shot a few deer with it and a couple of coyotes, very good penetration, bullets held together. Here's a photo of one recovered from a coyote. Hit in the mid neck at 100 yards. (Facing me looking down). Travelled down spine and stopped under hide at rump. Swift Sirocco 2 75 gr.