Tiny Ten - Shotgun/shotsize

[LivingTheDream]

Can someone recommend what shot size they would use for Suni, Dik Diks or Duikers?

If anyone has any first hand experience I would love to hear about it as well.

 

[Professor Mawla]

Good morning @LivingTheDream
Given the size of the animal(s) in question ( slightly smaller than our Asiatic four horned antelope) , this is what I would recommend .

 

[LivingTheDream]

That is extremely helpful! That is actually a size bigger than what I was originally thinking.

Thanks again!

 

[Philip Glass]

I don’t remember for sure but think it was BB shot we were using for Blue Duiker. I don’t take a shotgun and just use the outfitters for these hunts. I’ll try for the Blue Duiker again this July.

 

[Red Leg]

A 300 gr solid from a .375 is hard to beat.

I would not use buck shot of any form on the smaller animals like dik-dik, blues, or suni. The chance of only wounding would be very high (think of trying to shoot a jack rabbit with buck shot). If using a shotgun for those three, I can't imagine anything much more effective than a 1 1/8 or 1 1/4 ounce load of No. 4 shot. Though again, a solid is hard to beat.

The other Southern African tiny ten really need to be hunted with a rifle. You may get a shot at a red or common at 30 yards, but it is just as likely to be 130. Oribi tend to also be an open savannah game animal. A shotgun would be a handicap for any of them.

 

[crs]

Some years ago in RSA, we were shooting dove and such with #5 and #8 shot and I rolled a little horned something with #5 from the modified choke barrel . It was a reflex shot (like shooting a flushing cotton tail or jack rabbit) and the shot messed it up, so we left it for the carrion eaters. I also shot what looked like a miniature bob white quail at close range, tearing it up beyond being edible; a tiny thing.
After that, I made myself slow down to be sure of my target.
Two of us took many bird species on a two day break from shooting big game. Another highlight of that break was eating crocodile steaks at the Crocodilian Inn.

 

[LivingTheDream]

A 300 gr solid from a .375 is hard to beat.

I would not use buck shot of any form on the smaller animals like dik-dik, blues, or suni. The chance of only wounding would be very high (think of trying to shoot a jack rabbit with buck shot). If using a shotgun for those three, I can't imagine anything much more effective than a 1 1/8 or 1 1/4 ounce load of No. 4 shot. Though again, a solid is hard to beat.

The other Southern African tiny ten really need to be hunted with a rifle. You may get a shot at a red or common at 30 yards, but it is just as likely to be 130. Oribi tend to also be an open savannah game animal. A shotgun would be a handicap for any of them.

As a bit more background I am bringing my 300wsm for my main rifle. And realize this is more likely to blow up the poor little guys and not really give them the respect they deserve. So trying to figure out the best alternatives.

Originally was thinking #2s but in my head it has ranged from 4 buck and T shot , to BB, to #5s.

The jack rabbit size comparison does help.

Thanks for all of the feedback so far.

 

[Red Leg]

Where are you hunting and what are the opportunity set? If Namibia, you will likely only have dik dik on the really tiny end of the spectrum. For common duiker and steenbok a rifle is a much better option. With a 300, I would use a super tough 200 gr bullet and try not to actually hit the shoulder. If the mountainous central part of the country, you may be hard pressed to get in shotgun range even of a dik dik.

Moz has blues and suni that could be hunted with a shotgun. As I noted above, I would not attempt to hunt Oribi, common, or reds with a shotgun.

I am sure your outfitter would have a recommendation.

 

[IvW]

A 300 gr solid from a .375 is hard to beat.

I would not use buck shot of any form on the smaller animals like dik-dik, blues, or suni. The chance of only wounding would be very high (think of trying to shoot a jack rabbit with buck shot). If using a shotgun for those three, I can't imagine anything much more effective than a 1 1/8 or 1 1/4 ounce load of No. 4 shot. Though again, a solid is hard to beat.

The other Southern African tiny ten really need to be hunted with a rifle. You may get a shot at a red or common at 30 yards, but it is just as likely to be 130. Oribi tend to also be an open savannah game animal. A shotgun would be a handicap for any of them.

That is why I prefer using a combination gun....7x65R/12ga, 308/12ga and 9.3x74R/12g solids in the rifle barrel and anything from 4 to AAA depending on what we after. Covers the bases nicely.....when calling in thick bush you can also get into a bushpig or even leopard(yip happened to me once) and hyena....

 

[Red Leg]

That is why I prefer using a combination gun....7x65R/12ga, 308/12ga and 9.3x74R/12g solids in the rifle barrel and anything from 4 to AAA depending on what we after. Covers the bases nicely.....when calling in thick bush you can also get into a bushpig or even leopard(yip happened to me once) and hyena....

Good point. Something large and unexpected would be interesting.

Now I really like those 300 gr solids for another reason. But a drilling or OU rifle shotgun would indeed be just about perfect.

 

[LivingTheDream]

Looking at Tanzania, in the Masailand. So Dik dik is a given. But there is a concession near by that has a population of red duiker and suni, though not a huge population. So before I ask my outfitter wanted to get some background information so I am prepared to ask the right questions. I know they have shotguns in camp and might do some bird hunting. Still in the "fantasy and dreaming" stage so trying to think everything through.

 

[375Fox]

What’s the reason a scoped 22LR or 22 mag aren’t discussed more for animals like dik dik and suni? Is it just 375 with solids and a camp shotgun are readily available and 22s are not?

 

[IvW]

Illegal