I have a special place in my memories of Africa for the little guys. This Steenbok is a real trophy and the duiker I shot was also a treasure and both are headed for full body mounts.



The big guys get the press and justifiably so but there's a lot of fun being missed by ignoring these folks.

Here's my question: On my last trip I used my fathers old (1917) M-92 in 25-20 for the little guys and now want something a little more classical for African hunting.....believe it or not I'm looking for a double rifle in something like 218 Bee or .256 winchester. It would be nice if it also had 410 barrels or 28 Ga but a double for the tiny ten is what I'm looking for.....any ideas?

A fellow over in Oregon has a Daniel Fraser in 22 Savage Hi-Power.

LD

What do you call the "Tiny Ten"?

quote:

Originally posted by Widowmaker416:
What do you call the "Tiny Ten"?

The "Tiny Ten" is a term I first read here on this forum and wasn't identifying all the players. It was used in the context of "The Big Five" implying that the other end of the spectrum had twice as many players.....a statement of emotion and not of specifity. It was used to mean all the animals such as the various species of Duiker, Steenbok, Dik Dik, and other antelopes under (for example) two feet high.

There may in fact be a couple dozen of these animals and their sub species....or more.

Got-ya!

That's what I was wondering, I know of 8 or 9 tiny "species" but Duiker alone has 16 "sub-species"

Thank's for clearing it for me... I started counting all the tiny ones, there was 30 or so

that's a super Steenbok, by the way!

I don't know how classic this is but I'm looking to pick up a .223 for all the little guys in Africa.

quote:

I don't know how classic this is but I'm looking to pick up a .223 for all the little guys in Africa.

I built a super sweet and small 6 X 45 for this task.....but really want to get a small double for this.

Seems like all doubles are very big bore.....and there's at least a couple guys looking for a small one.

I know it is not exactly what you are looking for but why noy but a SxS 410 and have the barrels lined and chambered for the 218 Bee?

Kyle

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:

quote:

I don't know how classic this is but I'm looking to pick up a .223 for all the little guys in Africa.

I built a super sweet and small 6 X 45 for this task.....but really want to get a small double for this.

Seems like all doubles are very big bore.....and there's at least a couple guys looking for a small one.

Vapogog

Get in touch with Butch Searcy, and ask him if he will consider bulding you something like a 240 Flanged.

Brad

quote:

Get in touch with Butch Searcy, and ask him if he will consider bulding you something like a 240 Flanged.

Actually I emailed him and asked if he'd put barrels on my 28 Ga SKB 385 sporting clays gun.....maybe he didn't get the email but I never got a reply.

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:

quote:

Get in touch with Butch Searcy, and ask him if he will consider bulding you something like a 240 Flanged.

Actually I emailed him and asked if he'd put barrels on my 28 Ga SKB 385 sporting clays gun.....maybe he didn't get the email but I never got a reply.

Perhaps he would only consider building you a complete gun - there are many cartridges to choose from in the 333 and smaller class.

5.6x50R:




.22 Savage:

Charles_Helm,
Thanks for the links. The Merkel especially looks nice and the Westley Richards is nothing to sneeze at.....

Taking a 25-20 for the little guys is very classic in my book,great choice for size. If you can't get the double,maybe a NO.1 ruger, or high wall browning. I would use the 25-20 again you certainly got a nice one with it last time, he is big .Best of luck .

quote:

Originally posted by Rug:
Taking a 25-20 for the little guys is very classic in my book,great choice for size. If you can't get the double,maybe a NO.1 ruger, or high wall browning. I would use the 25-20 again you certainly got a nice one with it last time, he is big .Best of luck .

Rug,
That 25-20 was my dad's favorite rifle and he left it to me when he passed in 1991. He had no idea that it would ever hunt in Africa as that wasn't even in his vocabulary. It bothered me all the time I was hunting with it as loosing it would have been a serious loss. I'd far rather loose that $12,500 Westley Richards above than loose that old Winchester. That old gun is a family heirloom and is priceless.

It's time to retire it to a sealed heirloom box and find a hunting gun worthy of the classics.

My PH called it a "cowboy" gun. It was the first he'd ever seen and everyone loved it. It was a real hit with the Folks in that area. But it's time that it gets retired over a mantle piece and used in the local area only. It's too valuable to risk taking on another overseas plane ride.

The smaller species are often ignore when people go to Africa, and this is a shame. The little guys are often just as difficult to hunt as big animals, although not "dangerous" of course. But who says danger is needed to have fun? It's the stalking and hunting that's important IMO.

I like your idea of getting a smallbore double for this purpose!

The Tiny Ten as I define them are all located in southern Africa (this leaves out the Duiker etc from central and northern Africa) I refer to the following as the Tiny Ten - Blue, Common and Natal Red Duikers (3), Steinbok, Orbi, Livingston Suni, Cape and Sharpes Grysbok (2), Damaraland Dik-Dik, and finally the Klipspringer. Some people may want to elminate the Dik-Dik and replace it with the Vaal Rehbok to keep the grouping in RSA. Others may want the Southern Mt Reedbuck in lui of the Vaal Rehbok. As to the best gun my vote would be for a drilling with the double shot gun and single rifle barrel configuration. This has been my weapon of choice. 16GA with 9.3X72R.

quote:

although not "dangerous" of course

You can say that again. I've never read a story in a hunting rag about the Duiker charge of Salvo or such thing.

It might not sell a lot of ink eh?

Catchy lines:.....as the Dik Dik charged I could see the fire in his eyes....He gave me the feeling I owed him money.

It's just not the same!!!

But a double is in order anyway. The next Steenbok charge I encounter just might be two of them!!!!!

vapodog,

You know it might just be one of those tuff guys that can take a bullet! So a follow up shot will be needed!!!!

Hi,
They may never charge, but my father had his hand cut to the bone by an oribi's hoof (v sharp) when he was a young man. Last time he tried to grab a wounded antelope, no matter how small!
Good luck with the double!

don't know if you're thinking side by side or o/u but the o/u type shouldn't be to hard to find w/ shotgun barrels. sxs might be lots more $$ but check chaddicks and champlain to see what they've got

I have shot cape buffalo, eland, waterbuck, kudu, zebra, etc., etc. However, I consider my tiny little grysbok (the first animal I shot in Africa) and my klipspringer two of my finest trophies.

Tim

Well, I've lost it, literally. I purchased an African book about a year ago, which I can't find now. It was by a lawyer from RSA who has hunted, mostly unguided, all over Africa. I can't find the book now (I believe I donated it to our local high school library). If anyone can jog my memory on the title and author, I would appreciate it.

Anyway, he speaks often in the book of the "tiny ten" (believe he may have had a separate chapter). I believe he referred to 10 specific tiny antelope in RSA, Namibia and surrounding areas.

I guess you refer to Peter Flack, Art S.
I have one of his books as well.

The tiny ten is a very interesting group. I have successfully taken Steenbok, Klipspringer and Damara Dik-Dik (wich probably doesn`t count).. On next years hunt I`ll try for Cape Grysbok, Blue Duiker and Southern Bush Duiker, together with Vaal Rhebok and Southern Mt. Reedbuck.
I love theese small creatures!

In Peter's book Heart of an Africian Hunter he has a chapter on the Tiny Ten. He includes the Mt Reedbuck, but says one could leave him out in favor of the Sharpes Grysbok. His tiny ten counts only the pygmy antelope found in RSA. Thus the Dik-Dik is not included and Vaal Rehbok is included. The final paragraph of the chapter on the Tiny Ten is "In my opinion, however, the Tiny Ten represent a far greater hunting challenge than the Big Five. They are more difficult to hunt and require greater levels of skill, patience, and perseverence. Possibly, as hunting becomes ever more expensive more hunters may turn to the
Tiny Ten, and in time, they might get the recognition they deserve,"

I count my Blue Duiker as a greater trophy than my Cape Buffalo.

Anders,

I remember talking on a earlier post (I think it was my topic on my Zimbabwe safari) with you about the "Little critters"

I have a lot of fun going after these little guys. So far I've taken Bush Duiker(5), Sharpes Grysbok(2), Klipspringer(3). I hope to add Dik-Dik and Steenbok next year.

Good luck to you on your quest for the little ones!

Perhaps a .222 20 guage would be what you're looking for? my dad has such a rifle and used it for turkey hunting, can't get it to shoot consistant anymore.

7mm. guy