Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Anyone use the .22 Hornet in Africa?

Planning one more hunt to Africa, in 2020, this one for the remaining four of my 'Tiny Ten' antelope slam. One specie in Namibia, the other three in either Natal or Mozambique. No other critters on the plate, this time.

Thinking that it might be ideal for the smallest of the antelopes, being the Damara Dik-Dik, Red Duiker, Suni, and Oribi. Shotgun may be used for one or two, depending on hunt cover, conditions, etc.
I have a super-accurate CZ 527 that I plan on taking, using Hornady ammo with their 45 gr. bullet- nothing explosive like for varmints. Maybe a Caracal, or Jackal, if the opportunity arises.

Any experience?
Thanks.

I did not use a .22 Hornet but did use a Model 92 Winchester in .25-20 WCF on smaller antelope.....it worked just fine.

If I go again I'll use my model 65 Browning in .218 Bee to finish the tiny ten.....it's just plain classic american!....and to me that's even better than classic African

This subject always gets people fired up but the 22 hornet was designed for this activity. I don't usually respond because of the endless debate and comment on the ethics of the individuals but here's my take after years of using the little hornet for deer here in VA.

I have been harvesting predominantly 100 or less pound whitetails maybe as many as 10 a year for over ten years. The largest was 140. Very seldom do they run very far when hit in cardio anatomy with a 45 or 50 gr HSP. Generally speaking they usually run 20 yards or so they stop the tail goes straight out behind them and they fall over dead. Elapsed time maybe 10 seconds. Most shots are inside 50 yards the further away the more they can travel. I can't imagine any of the Tiny Ten traveling at all they look like they're about 50 pounds max at that weight whitetails usually drop where they stand. I have been shooting a 527 with reloads don't know the velocity but for years it was 13gr H Lil gun and small pistol primers last year I switched to 11.7 gr 300mp with CCI 450 per MD. With this load the 45 HSP actually penetrated a 104 pound doe again running 20 yards max tail out straight behind and fall over..

If the animal is jacked up or on edge it may travel other than that hit em in the lunges and watch where they go. The little hornet is viscous the 222, 218bee or 221 fireball would be even more so. Use with confidence hit em in a 5" circle behind the shoulder and watch what happens. Don't use the 45gr TSX they will expire slower.

Good luck and shoot straight y'all especially with the hornet.

My .22 Hornet is lethal on coyotes, wild turkey, wild cats and prairie dogs out to 150 yards.

My ammo is the Winchester 45 grain hunting load - a jacketed soft point- very accurate and deep penetrating.

It is the top barrel of a Savage combo gun- the lower barrel is a 12 gauge shotgun. Lethal on the same critters out to about 45 yards. Just for the fun of it I also have a .45-70 barrel insert for the 12 barrel and it shoots factory 300 grain ammo minute of deer at 100 yards; also lethal.
The scope has both crosshairs and a circle which is a turkey head range indicator-.If head does not fill the circle, use the Hornet.

Very fun gun - I need to try the .45-70 on hogs soon.

Use it. That's what makes being a gun nut fun. Most use .223 because ammo is available. I've always loved the shape of .22 Hornet. It looks like a mini 30mm case.

I used an Encore in a .223 barrel for many of the smaller game. There is no reason why the Hornet would not serve quite adequately. However, be sure and bring enough ammo for baboons which often come up.

The first outfitter I hunted with in South Africa had a .22 Hornet he used for about everything. He loved that round...right behind his 30-06.

I took two civets, a jackal, and porcupine with mine. I used the Sierra 45 grain softs.

Seriously, read Eskimo's would shoot Polar bears with them.......may have been in Varmint Hunter Mag but it sounded well documented......

Shot Placement....though I would never use it on DG, or not w/o a larger back-up where DG roam.

No, but I have to think both styles of Speer 45 gr bullets would be perfect for tiny ten rib hits, my old M-70 22 Hornet with an M8-4X Leupold would be fun doing that.

I have used a TC Contender pistol barrel in Hornet for about 30 years. I have decided I like the PCP rifles now. I use the .25 Air Force but going to the Huben K-1. A magazine fed monster of a gun in a bullpup. I have a compressor and a SCBA tank. I can't help wondering what the K would do to the Tiny Ten. But the hornet is now a K Hornet. With a cast flat point it should do any of the small stuff. Rusty

I took a K Hornet to SA once for shooting dassies and springhare. I did shoot a couple of impala and warthog with it and it worked fine.

My friends wife uses a 22 hornet to deer hunt and always kills a bigger Buck than her husband.. she shoots them in the neck and always drops them where they are standing. she knows where to aim and has become an expert at it never misses and never lost a Deer in all the time I have known them about 20 years I believe.

Yes sir, 22 Hornet will be fine for the animals that you listed. It is a very underrated cartridge and will get the job done.

Here's a Hornet, K-Hornet link with lots of info, some B.S., some good stuff.

You'll have to sort it out, decide...

www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/11390994/1

DF

Marius,

I have been researching Namibia's firearms regulations- while they have no caliber restrictions, they have a ME minimum of 1350 Joule (approx. 995 ft/lbs.).

The Hornet, even with heavier bullets, won't get there, but there is no possible way that it is not adequate for a Dik-Dik.
How closely do the Namibian officials look at these sort of things?

Sir, sent you a PM.

Fortunately there are better bullets available now then in Robert Ruark's day.

Ever wonder where Robert Ruark got the idea of “Use Enough gun”? It was from the Winchester model 70 in 220 Swift. Now as far as rifles go the pre 64 Winchester was the cat's meow when it comes to quality in a firearm. But the 220 Swift left a lot to be desired as a Safari rifle. It was the fastest commercial cartridge of the time, at a muzzle velocity of 4100 feet per second with a 45 grain bullet. It was meant only to shoot woodchucks, prairie dogs and coyotes.

Along came a hyena, just in time for our hero to say Toa the 220 Swift. Ruark's damning with praise of the hyena brought instant reprisal when the little bullet cratered on old Fisi and pissed him off. The hyena proceeded to try to eat Ruark and party for his literary and ballistic sins, being stopped only by a left barrel of a 470 Nitro Express. Now we know about use enough gun, now don't we?

https://biggamelogic.com/ruarks-guns/