Anyone take a .22 Hornet for the little guys on your hunts? I know it is a popular caliber for the Africa PH's.

I did once or twice. It is a bit of a pain in the backside. It always seems that the Hornet is not an available when the critters see spotted. I stopped taking it .

I took a Sharps Grysbok with my 416.

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
I did once or twice. It is a bit of a pain in the backside. It always seems that the Hornet is not an available when the critters see spotted. I stopped taking it .

I took a Sharps Grysbok with my 416.

Exactly my experience also. Everytime you need it, it's not at hand.
I had solids at hand that i used on small game with decent success. Shot a variety of small antelope etc with .458 solids and works fine.

Another option is to get yourself a Drilling....that's what they were made for

A long time ago I used to take two rifles.

One for plains game and one for dangerous game.

Became a bit of a hassle.

We were looking for sable, and came across fresh lion tracks.

My 416 was in the truck miles away.

I mentioned this to Roy.

He said the lion doesn’t know this!

So I finally settle on two identical rifles, using the same cartridge.

Never looked back.

Shot everything with them.

From duikers to elephants!

I don’t take one but have used camp rifles in .22 Hornet several times. Its a pain to take and keep up with two rifles and ammo (to me anyway).

.

Used camp / PH small bores for caracal and various duikers et cetera. Used solids on other occasions.

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I happened to have my .22 Hornet along on a Sfari in Zambia in 2011 or 2012. I was hunting with Alister Norton. We were essentially done hunting. Alister got a call from a friend with a game farm (Shawn Parks IIRC). He was changing over from game farm to cattle and hogs. He wanted all the game gone, ALL OF it.

They had already had the commercial game capture guys in but there was still lots of stuff left.

So, Alister, Jody Higgins and myself spent an afternoon and an entire night culling everything that was left.

We had a couple trackers help with loading/unloading and they had a meat processing truck on site.

Cant remember how much stuff we shot but it was alarming. All we did was shoot with lights and load the truck until full, unload and go back out.

My Hornet was so unbelievably effective I gained a new respect for it.

I also used Mike Fell's Hornet in CAR for some Duikers. IIRC, his was a Sterling Davenport custom.

One of my favorites.

I’ve never taken mine with.

I’ve used solids for the most part.

I’ve used mine enough here to think it would do fine on smaller stuff (say up to impala sized) and it wouldn’t be as destructive as a .223 on duikers and varmints.

If I did a duiker only hunt, it would be an option.

quote:

Originally posted by crbutler:
I’ve never taken mine with.

I’ve used solids for the most part.

I’ve used mine enough here to think it would do fine on smaller stuff (say up to impala sized) and it wouldn’t be as destructive as a .223 on duikers and varmints.

If I did a duiker only hunt, it would be an option.

Granted, we were shooting from the truck and at night, using lights. BUT...at one point, I killed three Kudu in ten seconds. One between the eyes and the other two in the ear.

Lots of bushbucks and puku. when the animal is relaxed, it seems to help a bunch.

I have a Winchester early M-54 in 22 Hornet
with a G&H sidemount. Very accurate and effective.

But for Africa in some restrictive countries with a two-rifle battery, it would be using another old Model 70 in .270 with reduced loads along with regular Noslers for plains game. All coupled with a 375 H&H in yet another early Model 70.

In my early days the .22 Hornet was an accepted caliber for use on small game in Tanzania until someone decided to change the limits on small calibers.

Today you can own one and plink to your heart's content but will not be permitted on any hunting license, not even for birds.

How dumb!

quote:

Originally posted by crbutler:
I’ve never taken mine with.

I’ve used solids for the most part.

I’ve used mine enough here to think it would do fine on smaller stuff (say up to impala sized) and it wouldn’t be as destructive as a .223 on duikers and varmints.

If I did a duiker only hunt, it would be an option.

I have never used a 22 Hornet in Africa. I am going to Namibia next month to hunt a bunch of small animals: Caracal, Klipspringer, Genet, Duiker, etc., about 7-8 animals. I was planning on taking my .223, but my PH said it was too destructive on these little guys, and to bring a 22 Hornet instead. So I am. My Ruger African Hornet is shooting 1/2-3/4”groups at 100m from the bench with Win. Super-X 45 gr. ammo, so it should work just fine. We’ll see…

I've brought mine a couple of times. Jackals, Civets, duikers, etc. Just make sure you use normal soft point bullets versus the plastic tipped varmint bullets. They really tear up skins.

I’m sure it would kill when used that way. If you are biltong hunting or culling- I’ve seen kudu killed with a .22 RF that way as well… but my hunting I do want my animal capable of taxidermy, and head shots on game tends to wreck horns and such. My view is if I’m uncomfortable using it on a chest shot, it’s inadequate for my purposes.

I agree there isn’t anything better for the tiny stuff, and agree for specialty use with a good shot it is superb as well.

I shot a bunch of the small stuff - serval, porcupine, civet, etc with a 7x57 and Northfork FPS’s and the PH was impressed with how well it both killed and didn’t make a mess… and with 175 SP’s it will take eland. Thus, I have not taken the hornet overseas.

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Ahrenberg:

quote:

Originally posted by crbutler:
I’ve never taken mine with.

I’ve used solids for the most part.

I’ve used mine enough here to think it would do fine on smaller stuff (say up to impala sized) and it wouldn’t be as destructive as a .223 on duikers and varmints.

If I did a duiker only hunt, it would be an option.

Granted, we were shooting from the truck and at night, using lights. BUT...at one point, I killed three Kudu in ten seconds. One between the eyes and the other two in the ear.

Lots of bushbucks and puku. when the animal is relaxed, it seems to help a bunch.

quote:

Originally posted by crbutler:
I’m sure it would kill when used that way. If you are biltong hunting or culling- I’ve seen kudu killed with a .22 RF that way as well… but my hunting I do want my animal capable of taxidermy, and head shots on game tends to wreck horns and such. My view is if I’m uncomfortable using it on a chest shot, it’s inadequate for my purposes.

I agree there isn’t anything better for the tiny stuff, and agree for specialty use with a good shot it is superb as well.

I shot a bunch of the small stuff - serval, porcupine, civet, etc with a 7x57 and Northfork FPS’s and the PH was impressed with how well it both killed and didn’t make a mess… and with 175 SP’s it will take eland. Thus, I have not taken the hornet overseas.

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Ahrenberg:

quote:

Originally posted by crbutler:
I’ve never taken mine with.

I’ve used solids for the most part.

I’ve used mine enough here to think it would do fine on smaller stuff (say up to impala sized) and it wouldn’t be as destructive as a .223 on duikers and varmints.

If I did a duiker only hunt, it would be an option.

Granted, we were shooting from the truck and at night, using lights. BUT...at one point, I killed three Kudu in ten seconds. One between the eyes and the other two in the ear.

Lots of bushbucks and puku. when the animal is relaxed, it seems to help a bunch.

I have a Klipspringer/Leopard mount. The Leopard is laying on a tree branch, Klipspringer laying dead over the limb. I mounted it that way because I shot the Klipspringer with my .300 win mag. and made a real mess out of it.