What Bullets and Gun to shoot Tiny Ten with?

[Buckdog]

I need advice from those of you out there that have shot the little guys like grysbok, duiker, Mtn. Reedbuck, etc.
I will be taking 416 rem for buff maybe giraffe and 300 win mag with me for little guys and plains game. I shot a steenbuck with the 300 win mag before with 200gr nos accubond and it wasn't pretty! I am pretty sure if I can get the little guys inside 200yds I can use the solids from the 416 at 2525fps and not blow them up?? Am I right on this? Are there any bullets you guys have used in 300 mags that wont blow up the little guys? maybe mono metal barnes bullets? 30 cal swift A-Frames? I reload so anything is possible. I have some 30 cal Barnes solids but PH (Andri Fox) looked at them Friday and said might whistle right thru and some of those little guys would go and would have to bring dogs as not big enough wound with 30 cal solid. My taxidermist (Dennis Harris) says use the 300 and shoot center mass in the guts blow out guts and call it a day just don't hit the front end PH says the same use 300 at long range 416 solids close in.
Ph says some of these little guys live where we will be shooting across valley so need 300 to reach out for a few of them. Personally I want to use 300 on all of them if I can find a load and bullet that wont blow them up?

 

[gillettehunter]

I have heard of the .375 being used w/ a solid for the little guys. Should apply to the .416 too I would think. As far as the .300 I would heed Dennis's advice and go for center of mass. Most of your other bullets are going to start to open up a bit and they will make a mess. Bruce

 

[Royal27]

So I've done both....

1. Texas heartshot on a klippie at less than 50 yards with a .375 H&H solid bullet and very little damage coming out the chest. If it had been a soft....
2. I've also hit center mass with both 375 and 30 caliber soft and literally blown guts out. Due to the area hit it was nothing any competent taxidermist couldn't fix, much less Dennis!

Perfect world from the choices you give I'd use the 416 and solid as you can't always chose that broadside shot. If you will limit yourself to broadside only then I agree with Dennis. It doesn't really matter.

If you want to use a 300 I'd still say a solid and slow to not blow them up. Challenge will be the different POI assuming you will hunt larger game as well with different bullet.

Last point is that you don't always have time to change bullets regardless. Shot a grysbok with 375 and soft. It was the bullet in the gun and the little guy wasn't going to wait for me to switch to a solid, which I had on my belt.

 

[navar]

Hi there,
We mostly hunt with my .300 Win Mag .
This last season we have being taking quite a few small guys ( duiker, steenbuck, grysbuck and even springbuck) using soilds for this caliber. Very good result and the animals basically went down on their feet. We did not have really issues of tracking wounded bucks as due the shock, this small size animals just drop instantly (unless a gut shot). For this matter we have being using Impala Solid Bullets (150gr).
For bigger game, we use Hornady Interlock 180gr ( soft). Actually the grouping with both bullets is pretty much the same at 100 meters with the load used, so no ajustments are done on the rifle setting.
Said that, we have also shot few small antílopes with the 300 Hornady Interlock 180gr ( as we did not have time to swich to solids) and depending on shot placement you basiclly blow them up if yiu touch any bone.
So will be ideal if you can take them with solids if you know you targeting specifically those species , but I agree with Royal, that could be dificult to keep on changing bullets while hunting differnt game. This could easily end up on eighter shooting a small buck with a soft bullet blowing it up or shooting a big animal with a solid and loose it because bad shot placement or track it for ever.
I will suggest you to follow your PH advise on the matter, as he will know wich hunting scenarios and situations you will be facing during the hunt.
Regards and good luck

 

[BRICKBURN]

................maybe mono metal barnes bullets? 30 cal swift A-Frames? .................

Those Barnes will blow them up just as badly. They expand and leave large holes. Been there, done that!

My taxidermist (Dennis Harris) says use the 300 and shoot center mass in the guts blow out guts and call it a day just don't hit the front end PH says the same use 300 at long range 416 solids close in. ...............

This is the recipe to follow.

 

[sheephunterab]

We used a shotgun when hunting blue duiker..

 

[sheephunterab]

Those Barnes will blow them up just as badly. They expand and leave large holes. Been there, done that!

.

Been there as well!

 

[Buckdog]

Fernando I am glad to hear that solids work well in 300 win mag I will load up some 165gr barnes solids and give them a try. I assume you just shot them normal lungs and front shoulder with the solids? hopefully can get to shoot close to zero of 200gr accubonds as that could be a issue. having different bullets with different zeros can cause one to miss if ye forget which is in gun or forget to adj in heat of battle. Luckily 416 shoot within 1/2"same zero with solids or A-frames so it is no prblm what ever bullet is in chamber. I messed with recipe to get that to happen maybe can do same for 300.
Brickburn thanks for info that barnes rip up just as bad as noslers so wont go that route!
I think I will use the 416 with solids whenever I can I know its 5 clicks on scope and then its dead zero at 200yds and just try and get 200yds or less as even other bigger plains game aren't going to like a 400 gr solid too much and break out the 300win mag if I am told the shot will likely be long because as royal said most times you have to shoot with whats in your hand and whats in the pipe! and aint nothing that's not dying when a 416 is in my hands! And Dennis can just fix any mess I make and grumble

 

[navar]

Yap, thats correct. Basically with solids we take them in the engine block, does not matter the angle.
Try different loads and check your grouping, as might be a issue if the grouping is far out with the different bullets and loads.
The combination I just mention works good for us, but each rifle is different.
Cheers

 

[Philip Glass]

I always have solids loaded by Safari Arms for my .375 and .416 Ruger loaded to shoot the same as my softs. I have Murray Leather rifle shell holders that fit on your belt. The one on the right side is always loaded with softs and the one on the left with solids. I can change shells with out looking down because I've done it enough and can easily change to a solid and shoot when the opportunity presents itself. I've had mostly good luck with my solids on small animals. My Damara Dik Dik I hit a little high because he was so close and I did hit the spine putting him down but doing a fair bit of damage. I missed a first shot and was then faced with a quartering away shot on my Klipspringer. I aimed for guts and exiting on the shoulder and it was ok. Not what I wanted but ok and hey it's my fault for missing!
I also would like to try loading a few solids for a .300 if that is what I might use on another hunt. But know for sure the big bores with solids work on the Pygmy antelopes. I'm glad you asked the question because I have developed a passion for hunting the tiny ten!
Regards,
Philip

 

[Buckdog]

Philip, I like your thinking on the 2nd cartridge holder on my belt I will def get a second holder and solids one side and softs on the other for 416. thanks
I will let you guys know how barnes 165 solids shoot in a 300 mag. hopefully gun will like them I tried barnes momometal bullets many yrs ago and the gun did not shoot them well at all.

 

[matt85]

some other solids to try:

Cutting edge bullets (https://cuttingedgebullets.com/)
Peregrine monolithics (https://www.peregrinebullets.com/)

I haven't had much luck with getting CEB to shoot well but the Peregrines shot very well in my 338 WM. either would work for what you need and are available in different weights for both rifles.

-matt

 

[enysse]

I have shot most of the tiny ten with my 7mm Rem Mag and 160 grain Swift A Frame bullets. I essentially aim for the guts and they are down for the count with one bullet.

 

[HeinrichH]

I prefer my 375 with good solids. Puts them down very easy, can go through brush, and also minimal damage to animal.

 

[Jono Joseph]

Agreed 375 or 416 with solids would be your best best and then be used for the thick skined animals too.

Shot placement would be something to look at too.

 

[Philip Glass]

Philip, I like your thinking on the 2nd cartridge holder on my belt I will def get a second holder and solids one side and softs on the other for 416. thanks
I will let you guys know how barnes 165 solids shoot in a 300 mag. hopefully gun will like them I tried barnes momometal bullets many yrs ago and the gun did not shoot them well at all.

Thanks Buckdog and yes please let us all know how the .300 solids work out.
Philip

 

[AZDAVE]

My wife used a 7x57AI with 175gr solids on her honey badger. Worked well and clean entry and exits without blowing anything up

 

[Red Leg]

I have done both the .375 solid and soft on the little guys. The soft through the guts is not a very, shall we say, aesthetically pleasing way to kill game. I center of massed a red duiker with a soft, and he is a euro mount (don't thing the good Lord could have resurrected him - much less Dennis). I also tried a reload (SP to solid) a couple of times at close range - that doesn't work well either. Headed back to Moz in October and think I will try the Woodleigh Cup monos for everything when toting the .375.

 

[Red Leg]

One other point with regard to two rifles. I seem to almost always have the wrong rifle in hand when whatever pops up. In a wilderness area particularly, call me over cautious, but I would hate to be running around chasing a duiker with a truly appropriate caliber, when the next turn in the trail may put me within feet of an unhappy pachyderm, buffalo, lion, fill in the blank.

 

[enysse]

Impala bullets worked very well too. Minimal damage. My PH had reduced load in his 30-06.