Caliber for small antelope

What caliber woud you prefer to use on these little buggers. I am planing to use a .222 with solids.

Blaserman:

Based on the results with my wife's rifle on springbok and warthog, I'd vote for a 7mm Rem Mag loaded with 140gn Barnes TSX. The light fast bullut shoots a hair flatter than your .222, it has more down-range energy, exit holes are not large explosions, it has plenty of shocking power and the wound channels appeared to be about 1.25 inches in diameter. Neither animal took a single step after being hit.

- browningbbr

If by little buggers, you mean the duikers and steinbok of the world rather than springbok, then a .222/.223/.22 hornet class rifle will be fine. You would be correct not to use an explosive soft point (varmit round) from such a rifle, but one of the heavier controled expansion SPs might be better than a military style FMJ. In the small calibers, the jacket bullets can be very unstable on contact with game (or combatants) with pretty dramatic wounds - problematic on a 15 lb dik-dik.

That what I was try to get at not blowing the little antelope up . I shot a Stein buck with my 300 wby and there was just the shoulder mount left.
i want to do a Dramadary with more than one antelope full body .

.243W. Better wind resistance than the .22's IMHO. Here is the damage on my son's Steinbok with 100 Partitions at <100yard range.

My trip has been put off until next year , My finace Just was told that she has a Double Blood Clots in her Lings so no Flying . Takes 9 months to a year to hopfuly desolve the clots .

I tried the solids in the 6mm and 22 calibers and they are sure iffy..I quit them plenty quick..

I like the 6x45 (6mm/223) with 75 gr. Barnes Xs or GS Customs bullets. work perfectly on eveything up to even Kudu..I used them for culling all manor of plainsgame..

The 222 with a 60 gr. Hornady is about as close to perfect for the small antelope as any combo I have used and I also culled with that combo. I also have shot a number of Mule Deer and whitetail with that load all with perfect bullet performance. My kids and grandkids have use the 222 and the 60 gr. Hornady to shoot their first few deer and antelope. Its a winner and has served me for many years.

I used the 222 in the cape this year with 60 gr solids and it worked grate. Just left a little hole.

Originally Posted by Blaserman

What caliber woud you prefer to use on these little buggers. I am planing to use a .222 with solids.

If you are stuck on the 222 you have a few choices to try. I like the 52 gr BTHP. one hole in and nothing out plus they do not run away. Try this load on jack rabbits or prairie dogs or both, do not gut shoot the critters though or you will have a mess.

I would stick with the rifle i chose for the trip. Now if you reload i would do some experimenting, which i have done by the way, and some times with poor success and if you figure out the right combination it is very deadly. You could try something with your hunting loads from say a 7MM Rem Mag. go with the BTHP and go a little further on modifying the bullet. take a razor blade and slice the jacked down in a plus style. and try this on a 25 yard to 100 yard target to see if the bullet stays together. Then try on Jack rabbits talk about letting the air out. You could use on coyotes or foxes...just a thought...

It really depends on if you have the option/luxury to carry a specific rifle for the little guys. If you're hunting a large area for multiple species you're as likely to see a kudu as a duiker. Last year my red hartebeest stalk was suddently forgotten when a nice duiker showed up. If you want a full body mount, you're sort of out of luck. If you just want a shoulder mount aim about half way back in the body and use whatever you've got in your hands. The .300 Wby did just fine at 40 yards. He sure as heck didn't go anywhere. I think a sturdy controlled expansion bullet like a TSX helps. A softpoint or even a partition would have completely destroyed the little guy at that range.

Other than looking for a full-body mount, I don't really see any downside to overkill on these guys. Spending two days looking for a wounded rabbit-antelope isn't my idea of a good time in Africa.

I am usually hunting DG, so I don't always have a dedicated small caliber rifle with me. With success I have used a 416 Rigby or 375H&H on several safaris taking many small antelope with solids.

Beautiful steenbok, hope to get a nice one, someday myself!