Best Caliber for Tiny 10?

[HWL]

you guys and all your "Special and Unique calibers kill me. the answer is very simple I shoot the damn thing with whatever gun is in my hands when the target appears. end of story very simple.

Those guys, their only tool is a hammer, ...... every problem is a nail.....



HWL

 

[John Telford]

.375 with 300 gr solids. 2 small holes, no muss, no fuss. Use an H&H and that would fit the bill for nostalgic african caliber nicely I believe.

This one!

 

[norfolk shooter]

The reedbuck clan are not. A lot of these would make diminutive shoulder mounts - as in making a roe buck look huge, I have an oribi shoulder mount on a pedestal. It is very attractive. Ideal for the corner of a desk or bookcase. This is a steenbock done in such a way.
View attachment 361081

I rather like that. Looks like shoulder mounts will be the way I go. That way I can have them mounted on a shield type thing. Of have them dotted around the house on pedestals like yours.

 

[Goose Cracker]

While I'm very much a "european mount" kind of guy, I really like shoulder mounts for the little guys. I'm doing a floor pedestal with my klippy that we can add to over time - I plan to have 3-4 of them on this one pedestal. Then perhaps a few shoulder pedestals like @Red Leg which I really like.

My steenbok is a full mount, however. My first of the T10 and all.

 

[Scrumbag]

Only the largest like a common duiker. The various dik dik, suni, blue duiker, etc are more akin to a European hare in size. A truly giant red duiker bull, which is middle of the pack from a size perspective, may top twenty pounds on a full stomach.

Below are a Mozambique Suni, Red Duiker, and Oribi. The Suni - a really nice one - might top 10 lbs live weight.

And centering them, as these were, if using a .375 solid, is the best technique. Actually hit the shoulder, and the results can be unfortunate.

Interesting. The .223 does quite well even on the females which as adults are often sub 20lbs live weight just to give you a perspective on the size ranges.

Scrummy

 

[Red Leg]

Interesting. The .223 does quite well even on the females which as adults are often sub 20lbs live weight just to give you a perspective on the size ranges.

Scrummy

It is all about the bullet. If your rifle will accurately manage a tough 70 gr bullet, you would likely be fine for most of them. I have a South African friend who swears by solids from his .22 Hornet - of course that is a whole different level of velocity. A 55 gr bullet likely would be explosive on a blue duiker, suni, or dik dik. If the 55 stayed inside a common duiker or oribi for instance, all would be well. If it exited, you would be trying to salvage a shoulder mount. My little Sako shoots 55's beautifully. On coyotes, about a third exit. The exit wound is dramatic. Two out of three would not be a good hand with trophy fees involved.

 

[bruce moulds]

a 50 gn varmint bullet is more likely to stay inside than a 55 gn.
bruce.

 

[Dudders]

Suni - 30 Ft - 60 yards
Blue Duiker - 20 Ft - 40 yards
Red Duiker - 20 yds - 200 yds
Common Duiker- 50 yards - 250 yards
Steenbok- 20 yards - 150 yards
Oribi- 50 yards - 250 yards
Damara Dik Dik - 20 yards - 70 yards
Klipspringer - 80 yards - 300 yards (or whatever is comfortable)

These estimates are based purely on my own personal observations. I have not been around the other two or the remaining Dik Dik subspecies.

Most of the farther ranges are limited by the terrain they inhabit. For instance, the Blue and Suni like cover that forces you to move a branch out of the way to check the time on your watch.

Also, many are regionally specific. Like the spiral horns, it is one of the major factors making their acquisition such a challenge. Might want to check with your outfitter with regard to what might actually be resident in the area you are planning to hunt.

couldn't agree more

 

[BeeMaa]

12ga/9.3 x 74R combo gun, solids in the 9.3 and light buckshot, AAA or 1 in the 12ga

I just mentioned this exact combination to my wife...she rolled her eyes.
Which I take as blanket permission to begin looking.
Although a 20 bore x 223REM sounds good too.

 

[IvW]

I just mentioned this exact combination to my wife...she rolled her eyes.
Which I take as blanket permission to begin looking.
Although a 20 bore x 223REM sounds good too.

There is a 12ga/222 Rem also available here, strong heavy bullet should do the trick

 

[BeeMaa]

There is a 12ga/222 Rem also available here, strong heavy bullet should do the trick

I truly enjoy a 20 bore much more than a 12.
They just seem to point better for me and usually weigh less.
Even if it was a 9.3x74R, I'd still want a 3" 20 bore paired with it.
But I like the idea of a .222REM, fast and flat with a tough bullet.

Having a severe lack of knowledge about O/U, SxS, Drillings, Combinations...etc.
I would probably restrict myself to a new rifle from a reputable maker.
Something like a Krieghoff Ultra Combination or Blaser BBF95 or 97.
Either that or @Red Leg is gonna have to find a price tag for one of his rifles.

 

[Red Leg]

I truly enjoy a 20 bore much more than a 12.
They just seem to point better for me and usually weigh less.
Even if it was a 9.3x74R, I'd still want a 3" 20 bore paired with it.
But I like the idea of a .222REM, fast and flat with a tough bullet.

Having a severe lack of knowledge about O/U, SxS, Drillings, Combinations...etc.
I would probably restrict myself to a new rifle from a reputable maker.
Something like a Krieghoff Ultra Combination or Blaser BBF95 or 97.
Either that or @Red Leg is gonna have to find a price tag for one of his rifles.

I love a 20 bore but a 3" is an abomination. It throws one of the longest shot strings in shotgunning (a very bad thing), and most have vicious recoil. Plus a 20 bore would be a particularly bad choice for shooting #2 or #4 at duiker (the smaller the bore, the less effective the choke on larger shot), which would be the purpose of this particular combo. A 12 x .222 would be an awesome combination for many of the tiny 10 and night creatures.

It is one reason the quintessential "African" drilling is/was the 12x12/9.3x74R. The Luftwaffe even put them on aircraft assigned to support of the Afrika Corps as a survival weapon for the crew.

Scoped with solids and SPs, such a drilling would be great for the little guys and most anything else.

 

[Fastrig]

I truly enjoy a 20 bore much more than a 12.
They just seem to point better for me and usually weigh less.
Even if it was a 9.3x74R, I'd still want a 3" 20 bore paired with it.
But I like the idea of a .222REM, fast and flat with a tough bullet.

Having a severe lack of knowledge about O/U, SxS, Drillings, Combinations...etc.
I would probably restrict myself to a new rifle from a reputable maker.
Something like a Krieghoff Ultra Combination or Blaser BBF95 or 97.
Either that or @Red Leg is gonna have to find a price tag for one of his rifles.

Gotta agree with Red Legs, 12 bore over 20 bore. .223 Rem not a bad choice. Wonder how that 12 would pair with a 308 win? Either calibers would work, though would think a 308 win would be a bit more versatile for larger game that might present themselves. Plus, if tiny ten hunting favors slower velocity rounds, then the 308 is clearly a better choice over the .223, at least if I'm understanding the posts in this thread.

 

[Fastrig]

I truly enjoy a 20 bore much more than a 12.
They just seem to point better for me and usually weigh less.
Even if it was a 9.3x74R, I'd still want a 3" 20 bore paired with it.
But I like the idea of a .222REM, fast and flat with a tough bullet.

Having a severe lack of knowledge about O/U, SxS, Drillings, Combinations...etc.
I would probably restrict myself to a new rifle from a reputable maker.
Something like a Krieghoff Ultra Combination or Blaser BBF95 or 97.
Either that or @Red Leg is gonna have to find a price tag for one of his rifles.

Looking in Blaser's catalog at the D99 rifles.....the D99 Trio is a pretty cool rifle, no shotgun in this one. One of these with a 7x65R on top and (2) 9.3x74R on the bottom would be cool. You can't get the 12 bore in a triple, only in the over and under double. Haven't looked at this type of rifle a lot so not overly familiar with their characteristics. Not sure how far they shoot accurately. A custom in this rifle type would be nice and fairly unique stateside, but only if they can shoot out to 200 plus accurately.

 

[BeeMaa]

Looking in Blaser's catalog at the D99 rifles.....the D99 Trio is a pretty cool rifle, no shotgun in this one. One of these with a 7x65R on top and (2) 9.3x74R on the bottom would be cool. You can't get the 12 bore in a triple, only in the over and under double. Haven't looked at this type of rifle a lot so not overly familiar with their characteristics. Not sure how far they shoot accurately. A custom in this rifle type would be nice and fairly unique stateside, but only if they can shoot out to 200 plus accurately.

It looks like the D99 is available with 20 bore SxS under with a rifle over.
But not with a 12 bore.

 

[BeeMaa]

I love a 20 bore but a 3" is an abomination. It throws one of the longest shot strings in shotgunning (a very bad thing), and most have vicious recoil. Plus a 20 bore would be a particularly bad choice for shooting #2 or #4 at duiker (the smaller the bore, the less effective the choke on larger shot), which would be the purpose of this particular combo. A 12 x .222 would be an awesome combination for many of the tiny 10 and night creatures.

It is one reason the quintessential "African" drilling is/was the 12x12/9.3x74R. The Luftwaffe even put them on aircraft assigned to support of the Afrika Corps as a survival weapon for the crew.

Scoped with solids and SPs, such a drilling would be great for the little guys and most anything else.

My 375H&H with solids is sounding better and better.
Maybe have our tracker bring along the camp 12 bore for close in.
Keeping it simple is usually best.

Combination gun might be a little too specialized for the hunting I currently do.

 

[Fastrig]

It looks like the D99 is available with 20 bore SxS under with a rifle over.
But not with a 12 bore.
View attachment 361754

Yea, misread that...it's the first rifle on the chart that has the over and under with the 12 bore.

Any idea how accurate at distance these rifles are? Did a little reading while munching down some dinner and one article was claiming he was taking elk at 320 yards with his.

 

[Red Leg]

Drillings (three barrels) and Bockbuchsflinte (Shotgun over rifle) can be extremely accurate. I believe it must have something to do with the rigidity of the rifle barrel. I don't believe that I have ever had one that wasn't MOA. If shooting a group, it is important to let them cool after a couple of shots. The heating barrel will affect accuracy.

The one below is fairly old school. It is a Franz Kettner drilling and has German rather than Austrian proof marks with a date code indicating it was built in just after WWI. It is chambered in 16x16 / 8x57JR. It is a lovely light thing with rebounding hammers.

The second is one that I have hunted with a great deal. It is a guild drilling, meaning it was built by an unknown master German gunmaker. The date code on this one indicates it was built in 1933. It too is 16 x 16 / 8x57JR. I used it quite a bit in the decade we lived in Northern Virginia.

The third has been to Africa twice and has accounted for cape buffalo and a lion - sadly not in my hands. If any of you follow "Under Wild Skies" the buffalo and lion hunts were featured there some years ago. It is a very special sort of thing thing because it is a double rifle drilling in 9.3x74R x 9.3x74R x 16, and because it is a spectacular bit of craftsmanship. It too is a guild gun and was made by an unknown German master gunmaker. With solids, it would handle the little guys, and a shot at a larger animal would be just a reload away.

The last is the one I may take for a specialized night critter hunt one day. To make @BeeMaa happy, it is a 20 bore over .22 Savage High Power. It might be just the thing for the little cats, and like all of these, it would work on most of the Tiny 10.

These guns are something of a specialty all their own. But for the Tiny 10 or a dedicated hunt for the small cats or brown hyena, they might prove close to ideal.

 

[BeeMaa]

@Red Leg
Thank you so much for sharing some of your collection.
You were right, that 20 bore x 22 Savage HP is amazing.

 

[MarkB]

Thanks @Red Leg. That last pic looks to be what I would consider perfect for T10 and night stuff. I can drool/dream. Very nice of you to show.

MB