By Ricardo Leone

“Son of a … Klipspringer!”  How could I miss it? Yes, I was over-excited again and lifted my head to see if I hit the damn thing as I was pulling the trigger. You would think on my eighth safari with numerous other big-game hunts under my belt, I would know to stay in the gun. My PH, Abie du Ploy, was none too pleased with me either. We had made the climb up into the kopjes at least a half dozen times that week hoping to find and shoot a klipspringer – one of my priory species on this, my third safari in Zambia. I had never thought about looking for a klipspringer on my two prior trips to the Lower Lupande on the Luangwa River. As I write this story, I am still fed up I missed that klipspringer – it would have been number eight of ten tiny antelopes.

When I started hunting Africa – I had never heard of the “Tiny Ten.” Who would go to Africa to hunt tiny anything? Africa is known for the Big Five or Dangerous Seven! Back in the day, any self-respecting hunter would covet the Big Five. These days – chasing the Big Five is not so easy unless you have serious financial resources and are willing to go into the witness protection program shortly thereafter. I have seen all the Big Five in the wild and have successfully hunted three of the Dangerous Seven. I will never grow tired of hunting Cape buffalo which seems to be a frequent theme of many articles in all the hunting magazines – rarely do you read about the Tiny Ten. I first heard of them after my common duiker trophy in Namibia on my third safari. At the time, my PH could hardly contain himself that we shot a duiker. He told me I could not understand – he was right. My PH, Kobus, was the first to mention the Tiny Ten and how difficult it is to both find and successfully hunt these pigmy antelope. I again saw the excitement when my son shot his steenbok – a 6½ inch monster. Our two PHs were truly stoked at the size of Mac’s trophy. The PHs told Mac that a 6” steenbok is as prestigious as a 30” nyala or a 60” kudu – those stats resonated and led me to research the Tiny Ten.

As the name suggested – they are the ten smallest antelopes in Africa. While there are many sub-species of them the so-called official list below is in alphabetic order:

• Dik-dik
• Blue duiker
• Common duiker (also called gray duiker or bush duiker)
• Red forest duiker (also called red duiker, Natal duiker or Natal forest duiker)
• Cape grysbok (also called southern grysbok)
• Sharpe’s grysbok (also called northern grysbok)
• Klipspringer
• Oribi
• Steenbok (also known as Steinbuck or Steinbok)
• Suni

The intention of this story is to open hunters’ eyes to the thrill of chasing the Tiny Ten. Do not wait for the lightbulb to go off as I did, make this a day-one goal. In a recent article by Craig Boddington, he calls the Tiny Ten an “acquired taste.” If you believe yourself to be a species hunter, one that enjoys diversity of game – the Tiny Ten are a must. That said, beware – this is not an insignificant goal. You will not achieve this goal in one safari in one country in one year – it will take many trips to many countries over many years. Akin to many North American hunts and some African safaris where you chase only one species knowing you may go home empty handed – if you just set out for any one of the Tiny ten, there is also a good chance you will go home empty handed. A hunter must rely on some luck of chance sightings or randomly bumping a member of this tiny club. Thus, the sooner you embrace this quest, the more likely you are to be successful – something I still dream about.

By the time I arrived in Coutada 11 in Mozambique in 2018 to hunt with Mark Haldane of Zambezi Delta Safaris, I had three of the ten from three separate safaris in three different countries. While studying the species list, I saw there were several Tiny Ten antelopes. At that time, I had no official goal, although I was more than intrigued. I had come around to shooting smaller game; in fact, one could argue that they are as challenging as many big game. Below are tales of my seven Tiny Ten in the order I hunted them, I may even elaborate on my lost number eight. You may ask why I am writing before I completed my goal. Well, I am a realist and know I may never get there despite the many trips ahead – I just feel compelled to share my passion with the hope other hunters will share this adventurous goal.

Common Duiker

The first of my Tiny Ten was taken at Hunter’s Namibia in 2014. Back in 2014 Joof and Marina Lambrecht hosted us at their stunning farm, sadly Joof passed away the following year. One species indigenous to Namibia is the gemsbok or oryx – this species was on the top of my wish list for Namibia. Late afternoon on our first day, we spotted an oryx that my PH, Kobus, thought worthy of stalking. We jumped out of the Land Cruiser and quietly stalked in single file. Kobus asked that I walk close to him to ensure our entourage was as quiet and tight as possible – he even held Fang, his little Jack Russell. I was so close to Kobus, I could not see the oryx and really had no idea what was in front of us.

 I had a sense that it was just in front of us off to our right, when abruptly, Kobus set the sticks down and pointed left at this tiny creature telling me to “SHOOT.” Seriously, I had a flash back to Zambia in 2012 when we poked fun at my long-time African hunting partner, Manno, for shooting a Sharpe’s grysbok with his Rigby .416 – we teased him that he shot the neighbor’s pet Chihuahua. Well, in front of me was another Chihuahua. Instinctively, I set my Griffin & Howe .300 Win Mag on the sticks, pointed, and shot. The tiny critter disappeared – as it vanished, I looked right hoping to see the oryx we were stalking and simultaneously asked Kobus – “what is going on – I wanted that oryx.” Kobus was not naturally a forceful person, in fact the opposite; however, Kobus looked at me and said – there are tons of oryx here – you just shot a duiker! He asked me if I knew how rare it was to see a duiker here – let alone shoot one! Kobus went on to say that in the last five years, this was only the second one taken. He was quite pleased with himself that he was the PH that successfully guided this duiker. Heobus was so excited that he carried it to the Land Cruiser to drive to a special spot to carefully place the trophy on dirt hill for photos. Only years later in Mozambique did I genuinely appreciate how challenging it was to achieve all ten. My first day in Namibia was truly memorable.

Dik-dik

The second member of my Tiny Ten came in 2015 while hunting with Kwalata Safaris in Maasailand, Tanzania. We were with Peter Chipman again. It was day six of our safari and we had successfully hunted most of our list. We then talked about shooting a dik-dik. At that point, the Tiny Ten was still not a priority for me but I was persuaded to go after a dik-dik given the challenge of hitting such a small target after a nice breakfast as we were not going far from camp. The area was low-lying with a lot of shrubs – the perfect habitat for dik-dik with a spectacular view of Mt Kilimanjaro. I soon realized there was no shortage of dik-diks – there were many. 

The trick was to find a mature male – not easy with an animal that is only a foot high at the shoulders, weighs about 10 lbs with horns about three inches long and would not hold still for long. I had my .300Win Mag – essentially a high-powered cannon – way too much gun for the job. My PH, Quintin, told me to aim just behind the engine room in the center of the animal or I would ruin the trophy if I wanted a full mount. We drove and saw several dik-diks – we would get off, glass and normally the little buggers would run off before a conclusion could be made on gender and horn size. As we were driving – the tracker, Thomas, spotted a mature male, a shooter, about 75 yards off the road in the shrubs. We got off the Land Cruiser using the vehicle for cover. Quintin told me just get on the sticks and shoot – we knew the dik-dik would not hold for too long. I put the gun on the sticks and aimed as I usually do – at the engine room and shot! Oh no – I was supposed to shoot at the mid-section behind the engine room. C’ést la vie – I have my dik-dik and the taxidermist earned his money doing a full mount.

Steenbok

For my third animal, we traveled to the Karoo in South Africa in 2017. We hunted at Ratelfontein, a farm owned by Jan Pickard who would become a good friend and future hunting partner by the end of the trip. My PH, Mynhard, had a dental emergency and had to find a dentist. This gave us an opportunity to switch things up a bit and we took a family-style drive with Jan Pickard, Manno and his PH, Jan Westdyk, who we had met in Namibia a few years prior. We made a plan to go to an area known for steenbok. Manno had taken one earlier in the trip and both my son, Mac, and I still had a steenbok on our respective lists.

We all traveled out on Manno’s Land Cruiser and as hoped, they found a nice steenbok in no time. It was approximately 8 a.m. when Jan W stopped the Land Cruiser and told me to shoot from the top of the cab. I had a 60-yard shot – perhaps the pressure of so many people watching me had me shoot behind the engine room taking out the rear quarters of the tiny antelope. My .300Win Mag was too much for a mercy job – a better job for the Jan W’s blade. With trophy in hand, we drove to a better spot for pictures where had some elevation, a rock and red clay to set it up. The trophy was a good one – a 5-inch Rowland Ward steenbok. Mac took the real monster whose picture I had to include. He took his steenbok with his G&H .270 – much more suitable for the small antelopes.

Red forest duiker

In 2018 we travelled to Zambezi Delta Safari’s Coutada 11, a magical place with several distinct ecosystems. Upon review of the species list the light bulb went off for me – I could add to my Tiny Ten goal while in Mozambique. If the list were not enticing enough, just outside the camp were a couple of red duikers. Before I could say anything, I was told those are the camp’s red duikers – not for shooting – more like pets. The color of the red duiker was incredible; a rich, red-brown color that really showed up well in the evening light – clearly one of these would be on my list.

 My first full day was a ride in the forest with my PH, Rye Pletts, to see what we could bump. I brought both my rifles, the G&H .300Win Mag and G&H .375 H&H Mag.

Off we went, turning left out of the camp and then left again up the main road next to the camp. This was a sandy road – straight and took one literally to the border with the next Coutada. It was a long road with plenty of side roads to take depending on the destination. I realized that sitting on top with no one to talk with was going to be frustrating – not the social aspect, but the lack of ability to ask questions about wildlife and our ever-evolving plan. This became more apparent as the morning continued as I really had no idea where we were going or what the plan was – we were just driving. Occasionally Rye and the tracker would communicate – however, I could not understand. The first time Rye stopped the Land Cruiser for a stalk, he said we just passed a suni. It was about 9 a.m. and Rye suggested I take his .22LR as the .300Win Mag was too much. We chased the suni for a bit – I did get one shot off – a miss. The experience was a real revelation in that these little antelope were really tiny and getting a good shot off was not so easy – to be clear, it was easy to get a shot off; it was hard to hit the target!

Back on top of the Land Cruiser and shortly after our suni encounter, we spotted a red duiker on the right side of the sandy road. It was big enough and far enough away for me to use my G&H .300 Win Mag. I climbed off the Land Cruiser while one of the trackers grabbed the sticks. We were able to set up the sticks without the red duiker moving – he was facing to the right with his head down feeding. I set my rifle on the sticks, took aim, and fired – I had my first trophy of the safari. Before going to retrieve the trophy, I ranged the duiker at 83 yards. Perhaps I should have some solids for these small critters – I just did not plan for them. Rye was very particular about setting up the trophies for pictures – this was something I was incredibly happy about. Rye loaded the animal and we drove down the road a bit and turned off to the right where he could place the duiker on a mound of sand with the sunlight on it. I have never seen such a color on a trophy – its fur really shone in the sun. We took some great photos. Rye was always good about taking the measurements too – 3¼ x 3½ inches – easily Rowland Ward quality with a minimum threshold of 2½ inches per horn.

Suni

After the photo session we loaded the red duiker again and made our way back to the main sandy road. However, this time I jumped into the cab with Rye who suggested I hold the .22LR to be ready. Within 30 minutes one of the trackers spotted another suni. This time, all I had to do was roll down the window and aim at it – he was no more than 20 yards away. Rye needed to just check the size of the horns and he told me to shoot – it was a good one. After having just shot my G&H .300Win Mag about an hour prior, the measly pop of the .22LR was an anticlimax. My one shot was not perfect, and we had to chase the little guy through the woods. As he was hit, we caught him on foot using Rye’s knife to finish the job.

Once in hand, we could see that we had a great suni trophy – the horns measured 4 1/8th inches each which far exceeded the Rowland Ward minimum of 2 1/8th inches. Suni horns are unique – set wide and spike-like with well-defined ridges. As there was an opening in the trees over the road where we were parked, Rye created a mound of sand in the road for pictures. The .22LR in my arms – looks fiercer than it was. The suni trophy was taken at 10.30 a.m. so we still had plenty of time left in the morning before lunch. We continued our drive seeing more suni and red duiker. I learned they were territorial critters, and we would see them again and again as we travelled the roads.

Oribi

My first full day in Mozambique was amazing – including two of the Tiny Ten. With the three I already had prior to Coutada 11, I had 50% of the Tiny Ten. Given we had another full day to hunt in the woods before my turn to go to the swamps to chase Cape buffalo, I told Rye I wanted to focus Day 2 on Tiny Ten species. Despite an abundance of sightings of both oribi in the morning, including a missed shot on my part, and many stalks in the afternoon on blue duiker, also including a missed shot – I was reminded the Tiny Ten are not easy to take. Day 3 we went to the swamps to chase Cape buffalo, so we had to wait till Day 4 to resume our quest.

Day 4 started well with a reedbuck then we were treated to lion watching. We had come across three of the twenty-four recently re-introduced lions to Coutada 11. Seeing the young male and two lionesses was special as is the entire conservation miracle Mark Haldane has created over the last three decades.

After watching the new residents of Coutada 11 for nearly an hour, we continued our hunt. Rye knew where oribi were likely to be – again, our goal was to find a good trophy. A Rowland Ward oribi must be a minimum of 5 inches, which sounds small – but not in the context of the Tiny Ten. After a bit of a ride – Rye finally found one, although in a wide-open expanse with no cover. I ranged it at 120 yards. Again, Rye had me stay on the Land Cruiser and shoot over the cab with my G&H .300 Win Mag on my pack. Not my finest shooting with the oribi was on the move; however, I was happy with my third and final shot on a moving target. We had our trophy. I knew I was having one of those days – poor shooting with no apparent reason – perhaps exhausted from the swamps. The oribi fell shy of the Rowland Ward minimum, measuring 4 ½ inches on each horn. The horns were like the suni with the spike-like shape and ridges. However, the oribi’s horns were noticeably blacker and closer together. We had a great blue sky for pictures – our challenge was to show the trophy without too much evidence of the damage the .300 Win Mag can do to small animals. Nevertheless, I had one more trophy to add to my Tiny Ten count – the oribi made six in total with a blue duiker still available on Coutada 11.

Blue Duiker

After a successful morning’s hunt, a filling lunch, and some rest, Rye and I headed back down the main sandy lane to look for blue duiker, checking our playbook from the prior morning knowing where we had seen five of them. Hopefully, one would be bold enough to hold position for me to take a shot. Despite a good plan – we did not see one blue duiker in the first three territories where we had seen them before. As all good plans would have it, we did see one where we had hoped. I was in the cab of the Land Cruiser next to Rye with the .22LR and the window down. Rye glassed it and said it was a good male – he told me to shoot if I had a clear angle. The duiker was about 20 yards away and I was able to put my scope on him, aim and fire. I was certain I hit him.

However, the little bugger ran from on my left across the road to Rye’s right at which point we all scrambled to get him. Both trackers, Brasil and Delice, thought he went under a very dense thicket about 10 yards off the sandy lane. Rye told me to stay on one side of the thicket while the three of them surrounded the far sides of the thicket. Rye then popped out and asked me to bring him the .22LR – he went back to the far side and started to bury himself into the brush. Within a few seconds, I heard the .22LR fire. At first, I was thinking it was not too smart of me to be standing where I was – how did Rye know where I was when he shot? Then Rye came out from under the thicket with his .22LR in one hand and a tiny antelope in the other. The blue duiker was seriously small. Rye and the trackers were stoked. Rye took the duiker and walked down the sandy road a way and found an open spot for the sunlight to shine. The three guys then created a mound of sand and carefully placed the duiker for photos. Rye assured me this was a good specimen – confident the horns would meet Rowland Ward quality which was confirmed later. The horns measured 1 7/8 inches vs the minimum of 1 ¾ inches Roland Ward threshold – we had a monster. We shot it at 4 p.m. and took our time with photos and enjoying the moment. It was the fourth Tiny Ten member I successfully hunted while at Coutada 11 and my seventh overall.

Klipspringer – missed opportunity

No need to scroll down and look for my trophy picture – there are none. I missed the only real shot I had for my eighth member of the Tiny Ten. During our 2019 ten days in Zambia with Kwalata Safaris, we must have driven up on the rocks a good half dozen times looking for klipspringers. The color of the klipspringer’s fur coat ranges from yellowish gray to reddish brown which is perfect camouflage allowing it to blend into their rocky habitat. In all our trips, we only saw klipspringers three times – twice they were on the run, and we could not determine the gender in time to take a shot – the third time was the perfect opportunity.

The rocky habitat was across the road from the camp up in the hills. The ride would take a good 30 minutes from camp and then the bumpy ride up the hill would take another 30-45 minutes. Once in the hills we would creep up the hill with the Land Cruiser in low gear all the while on the lookout. On Day 4 of the safari, we drove near the top of our route. On that day – my PH, Abie, spotted a good male klipspringer on a large rock. I was sitting on the left side and should have seen the klipspringer, but I could not see him against the rocks. Abie guided me by describing the trees I should be looking at and I finally had the klipspringer in my sight.

I had chosen to use my son’s G&H .375 with solid bullets I borrowed from Abie. The choice of rifle was a point of much discussion earlier in the week. My .300 Win Mag was too fast, solids or not; besides, I did not have any solids. We even discussed whether I should use my Rigby .416. Manno shot his klipspringer in these same rocks back in 2016 using his .416 and the 400-grain bullet did the job with limited damage to the trophy. My .416 was still new to me, so opted for a familiar gun. The klipspringer was no more than 40-50 yards with little foliage to obstruct the shot. I was seriously excited – I could feel my heart pounding, which was not usual for me given I was sitting on my butt with the gun on my knee. The excitement was clearly from the notion of adding another member to the Tiny Ten collection. I had the klipspringer in my sights and pulled the trigger – MISS! I knew exactly what I did, and Abie called it out as soon as I shot – the same damn rookie error I always do when I get excited – I lifted my head in anticipation of seeing the game fall. We got out of the Land Cruiser and had a good look around the rocks – just in case. We never saw that klipspringer again.

This was my eighth safari. I have hunted a lot of game. How could I still be making rookie mistakes? I am not sure if I have a blind spot and will never learn or if this is a positive sign that I still get excited on each hunt. Either way – I still am short one klipspringer and stuck on number seven of the Tiny Ten.

My hope is there is another klipspringer awaiting me some day and as well as the two grysbok species for me to complete my goal. In the meantime, I will continue to hunt and if possible, add sub-species to the collection. In 2022 we travelled to Uganda and hunted with Lake Albert Safaris which proved to be an extremely productive trip with both new species and subspecies to chase. I took the opportunity to use my new Griffin and Howe Highlander in .300 Win Mag. Still no solids, but with the carbon-wrapped steel barrel, long accurate shots were possible. Proving the point, we took an oribi and duiker – both at approximately 200 yards. Both trophies were allegedly new subspecies – I am still fact-checking with biologists. Regardless, I had full mounts done of each trophy to have all my seven of my Tiny Ten in full mounts.

As for my hunting partner, Manno, he has six of the Tiny Ten. While he is not as enthusiastic as me to achieve the full Ten, I know if he bumps into another one, his Rigby .416 will be ready. Together we have nine of the Ten – one of us needs a Cape grysbok for the two of us to achieve the Tiny Ten collectively.

Very likely a clone of the rifle Ruark took to Africa in 1951:  A Winchester Model 70 in .220 Swift.  A very fine combination for its intended purpose—varmints at long range—but a dreadful choice for an African safari.

By Terry Wieland

The Last Laugh

The .220 Swift in Africa

Many years ago, a well-meaning friend gave me a copy of a book by a noted anti-hunting writer.  I don’t recall the author’s name, or the title of the book—long-since trashed—but one thing sticks in my mind.

The frontispiece, the quote that appears on the very first page, was a passage from Robert Ruark’s Horn of the Hunter.  In it, Ruark recounts an episode in which he shot a hyena with a .220 Swift.  The first shot did not do the job, nor did the second.  Nor the third.  After he’d struck the hyena with seven bullets and the poor critter still wasn’t dead, Ruark discarded the Swift, called for his .470 Nitro Express, and finished it off properly.

Disgusted, he informed all and sundry that he would “never again shoot at any animal he respected” with the Swift.  To the best of my knowledge, he never did.

When I first read Horn of the Hunter in the 1960s, I had no first-hand knowledge of the Swift and was blissfully unaware of the controversies that had dogged it since its introduction by Winchester in 1935.  For its intended purpose, which is dispatching varmints such as woodchucks at long range, no better cartridge has ever been developed.  Its detractors, however, insisted that it burned out barrels in a few hundred rounds, that its accuracy was erratic, and that it could not be loaded down to counter either of these supposed faults.

One accusation aimed at the Swift that cannot be denied, however, is the complete unsuitability of its 48-grain factory bullet for use on anything bigger than an underfed coyote.  With a muzzle velocity of a sizzling 4,110 feet per second (fps), it was designed expressly to open up extremely rapidly on contact.  Crows, prairie dogs, woodchucks, and similar beasts are not very thick.  The bullet needs to expand rather than penetrate, because little penetration is required.  As well, this virtually ensures that no Swift bullet will ever ricochet; they fly apart on touching so much as a twig, which is very desirable in settled areas.

Should Ruark have known this?  Maybe, or maybe not.  He was, admittedly, a shotgunner, not a rifleman.  Jack O’Connor, in one of his more acid moments, said Ruark “lacked ballistic sophistication.”  In 1953, when Horn of the Hunter appeared, Ruark probably would have agreed with him.  It was only later, after spending a good portion of his time in Africa, hunting everything up to and including elephants, that Ruark began presenting himself as an authority on rifles.

Much as I admire the man in many ways, and for many things, he is about the last person I would take advice from when it comes to big-game rifles.

Later on, after the episode with the Swift, he developed an infatuation with the .244 Holland & Holland, a rather ill-conceived creation from the venerable London firm that consisted of the .375 H&H necked down to .243 (6mm).  In one article, Ruark said its velocity was so high, and its trajectory so flat, that no adjustment was needed, up or down, for ranges all the way out to 400 yards.  Huh?  Methinks not.

Ruark even went so far as to say he was getting rid of his other, bigger rifles, and using only the .244 in future.  Presumably, he hung onto his .470 in case anything went wrong.

Few people today even know the .244 H&H ever existed, and when you raise the issue with the rifle people at Holland’s, they tend to change the subject at the first opportunity.

Trajectory aside, the .244 H&H claimed 3,500 fps for a 100-grain bullet.  It was introduced in 1955, and Ruark got his hands on one sometime after that.  It’s odd that he would take to it the way he did, only a couple of years after his experience with the Swift.  In 1955, 100-grain expanding bullets in .243 were nothing to write home about.  I don’t know what bullet Kynoch loaded it with, assuming Kynoch loaded the ammunition, but I suspect it was not something you’d want in your hands in a tough situation.

One thing the Swift and the .244 H&H had in common was that they were marketed as being astonishing killers of big game as well as varmints, with the usual tales of large animals dropping “as if poleaxed” or “in their tracks” if so much as touched by one of these high-speed projectiles.

The mid-50s were also the era in which Roy Weatherby was first really beating the drums for his creations, taking his .257 and .270 Weatherby to Africa and sending back outlandish reports of their effect on everything up to, and including, Cape buffalo.

These high-speed wunderkind have been proven, over and over, to work spectacularly sometimes, but fail just as spectacularly at others.  Slower, heavier bullets, however, work doggedly time after time—rarely spectacular, but always effective if the bullet’s put in the right place or anywhere close.

One can trace the history of “high velocity as super-killer” all the way back to James Purdey’s initial work with express rifles in the 1850s, wherein he discovered that lighter bullets traveled faster and sometimes—sometimes!—dropped animals where they stood.

Obviously, the Swift was not the first cartridge to be touted this way.  In America there was the .303 Savage (1895), then the .22 Savage High Power (1911), then Savage’s .250-3000 (1915).  Arthur Savage was as much a promoter as Roy Weatherby, and he sent hunters all over the globe to hunt big beasts with small, fast bullets, and followed it up with magazine articles about their wondrous performance.

In one of his articles in Field & Stream, Ruark told of going off to the Campfire Club, north of New York, to sight in his rifle, having not held a rifle in his hands since he’d returned from Africa 18 months before.  Well, other guys have gone on safari with rifles they’ve never fired, and tales of their performances are standard fare when professional hunters get together and the whisky flows.

At this late date, it’s impossible to tell how much influence Ruark’s story might have had on the career of the .220 Swift.  Ruark was a hugely popular writer, not just on hunting, but as a syndicated newspaper columnist, and his book was an instant best-seller.  I would imagine it was widely read in anti-hunting circles, and presumably that’s how the above-mentioned anti-hunting author saw the tale of the hyena that he later used to introduce his own book.

The .220 Swift was discontinued by Winchester only eight years later.  It was already banned in several states for hunting deer and similar animals.  One thing we can say for sure, that anecdote, on top of the Swift’s other travails, wouldn’t have helped it.

For the record, I cannot think of a single use for the .220 Swift on a normal hunting safari, although I admire the cartridge greatly for doing what it was designed for, and doing it superbly well.  Even after almost 90 years—wildcats and short-lived wonders like the .22 WSSM aside—no cartridge has come along that can do what it will do.

What about today’s heavy-for-caliber bullets in .224—the 60- and 70- and even 90-grain bullets some are using for long-range shooting?  I still can’t think of a use for one in Africa.  Sorry.

One has to admire Ruark for putting that story in print, in gory detail.  It paints a grim picture of the Swift, but does not flatter Ruark by any means.  At best, he looks like a beginner who took bad advice—which, in fact, is exactly what he was.  But at least he owned up to it.

(I can almost hear the salesman in the gun department of Abercrombie & Fitch in New York extolling the virtues of the .220 Swift for Africa.  As if he’d know.)

To the best of my knowledge, no other hunter in far-off lands ever returned to mention any failure, of any kind, with whatever wunderkind cartridge he was using.

It’s ironic that in his attempt at total honesty, to tell the story of a safari as it actually was and “without all the derring-do,” Ruark handed his detractors (and ours) some rather potent ammunition with which to attack him.  The story was quoted out of context, and only the hyena’s suffering was included, with no mention of Ruark’s own reaction and resolve never to make that mistake again.  In a way, the hyena had the last laugh—which they are noted for.

Is there a moral?  Yes:  Be careful whose advice you take, and get to know all your rifles, intimately, before you board the plane.

By Kendal-Ray Kaschula

If there’s a cattle rancher reading this book, then you’re about to understand this next story better than anyone.

I lived on a cattle ranch from fourteen, and for as far back as my memories went, we were plagued by hyenas.

And no, they were not just any old hyenas. They were professors…..they were graduates in avoiding a bullet. They were the holders of PHD’s in how to avoid a hunter. They were the kind of hyenas that could put a sane person in a mental institute, and in a place as tough as Zimbabwe’s Lowveld, the last thing anyone needed was another reason to go insane, but who said the weary get to rest?

Hunting hyenas, was, and still is-in fact I’m about to go out and try shoot some the very evening that I’m writing this-a regular activity of mine. Baits, blinds, sitting on roads where they frequently walk, hanging around in trees like a bat, calling them-insert gag noise here-whatever could ever be done to kill a hyena, I did it.

And believe me when I tell you that such commitment gave me about a hundred adventures. Everything from jimmying electric fences so that I could slide under them like a fugitive, to calling in leopards and lions because they responded to the caller more than a hyena, to seeing and getting to witness an entire pack of wild dogs sing their night cry of howls, and, the list could go on.

I don’t regret those experiences, because they were beautiful, but I still would have liked to win against a four-legged spotted scavenger though.

Unfortunately, they won far more often than I did.

There was one occasion, when I was seventeen, fresh out of school and having passed my Learner Hunter’s License, I was left with an expanse of time that I decided-for the sake of hunting which I still adored, even if it was hyenas-and for the sake of the money doing PAC hyenas got me, that I would tackle the ranch’s hyenas with a vengeance.

And when I say vengeance, I mean vengeance.

Picture those medieval Vikings with six-foot beards, skins across their shoulders, and battle axes raised as they charged screaming like banshees into battle and then multiply their crazy by ten. That was my version of vengeance.

The only problem was that despite my dedication to the cause, they still whipped us every time. That year I spent more nights in a blind than my own bed, and on one occasion I nearly gave up.

We’d been hunting the same cattle killing hyenas-a pair of them-every night back-to-back for three weeks and Tracker and I were starting to resemble drugged zombies. Not to mention our patience was wearing thin to the point of being as brittle as spider silk-spider silk not produced by Golden Orbs(those things weave webs of steel)-and all around we were pretty run down.

I decided, after so many nights of sitting on kills that the culprits just wouldn’t come back to, that we should have a break. Just a week or so to recollect ourselves-maybe sleep-but, on the very day we were meant to start this, we were told of another cow that had been killed, and despite our resolve, we were clearly suckers for punishment, so back we went.

There was one on either side of the cow, and when the one feeding on the opposite side raised its head, I planted a bullet in its chest, dropping it where it stood.

Its friend bolted, and I reloaded, searching for what I hoped would be a chance to shoot its pal, and thinking I saw it, let loose another round. Was that a hyena or just an unfortunate shaped tree? I’ll never know, but, either way, my second bullet roused the one remaining hyena from wherever it was and I saw it loping away, and planted, by God’s grace alone considering its pace, a bullet in its ribs.

And then, a second of silence except for the heavy breathing in the blind. In later years Prosper would get a flir to use as a second spotter, but back then it was just me and the thermal with eyes, meaning he had no choice but to sit beside me in darkness with no clue as to what was going on around us.

‘And?’ he whispered, breathless.

‘One down,’ I whispered back, hoarse. ‘Let’s go see.’

We all but flew from the blind, torching around as we made our way up to the carcass. I had seen the hyena fall, it wasn’t a surprise to find it there, but when you’ve finally gotten the one thing you’ve been searching for, for months, you believe it’s real when you’re right there and it’s glowing in your spotlight.

‘We did it,’ I was breathless. Could barely breath. ‘We did it!’ I said again, though it came out more of a squeal.

‘Very good!’ Prosper put in, shaking in his boots, and dancing around the hyena chanting, ‘you thought you could get away, but not today. You are done. You are finished.’

‘Finished!’ I joined in, yelling, as we egged each other on, and then we were both dancing and prancing around the dead hyena in what could only be called a primal dance of celebration. All that was missing was the leopard skins around our waists.

Vikings gone rogue.

Now, I know that some would say we disrespected the animal, but I know that whoever that is won’t be a cattle rancher. After the damage they do, that I’ve seen and experienced firsthand, and after months of dedicated hunting, well, lets’ just say my respect for hyenas when it comes to whether or not I can prance around them is nonexistent.

DEATH TO HYENAS! I say, DEATH BY ALL MEANS POSSIBLE!

What makes you think I hate them huh?

After we’d drifted down from our adrenalin and joy induced high, we searched for the second hyena, but failed, and ended up getting him the next morning, already dead atop an anthill.

And so, there finishes the story of the three-week hyena hunt. Cattle killer status: destroyed.

Until a new clan moved in a few weeks later, but hey, I’ve already declared no rest for the weary and I reckon I’ve got sanity to spare.

Maybe.

Probably not.

Hell, why am I even writing this down….I should be loading up my rifle.

By Matt Blymire

I am a 40-year-old from Pennsylvania who grew up hunting whitetail deer with my dad.  I started hunting with him at the age of 12 which was the legal minimum age in Pennsylvania, and then continued hunting deer on my own.  Now married, with nine-year-old twin boys, I get to hunt whitetail deer with my wife and sons who can now hunt on a Mentored Youth program in Pennsylvania.  I have taken many trips to Ohio to spend a few days hunting whitetails with my father, reminiscing about the years I hunted with him growing up, and all that he’s taught me.

Over the past years my dad has taken many trips to Africa hunting with Dubula Safaris in the Eastern Cape.  He has shared hunts there with his friends, past co-workers and made many friends on his safaris.  Dad asked my every trip to go along but with hectic family life, finding the time was difficult.  I remember saying “Maybe next time” or “When the boys get older” or “Hopefully in a few years.”

In the fall of 2022, my dad’s mom passed away unexpectedly, but I just got to her in time. Fast forward to March of 2023.  I learned I was unsuccessful in drawing my Montana Deer Tag yet again, and I called my dad telling him as I was looking to plan a different hunting trip in the States.  He suggested I came with him and my wife to Africa in September.  This time the words felt different.  Life at home was still hectic, nothing had changed, but what did change was learning in such a hard way just six months before how valuable life is with your family, and how quickly it can change and be taken away.  I submitted my time off request at work that same day, and once approved booked our flight for my first African safari with my wife and parents.

I flew to Newark Airport to meet them, and we arrived in Johannesburg the next evening and were greeted by staff from the Afton Lodge, for a one-night stay before our flight into Port Elizabeth the next morning.  The Afton was an extraordinary way to kick off the African safari experience.  The lodge was beautiful, the food and drinks were amazing, and the staff was superb.  Looking at all the taxidermy in the lodge and listening to the stories of hunters who were on their way home had me excited for my hunt to begin.  I could barely sleep that night from excitement.

In Port Elizabeth we were picked up by Ryan from Dubula Safaris. On the way we stopped at Hunters & Collectors Taxidermy shop to look at some of the taxidermy work in progress from my dad’s previous safari.  Seeing the extensive number of mounted animals in the shop had me even more excited. On the way to the lodge, we stopped at the Nanaga Farm Stall where I was introduced to some South African culture seeing the local foods, produce and drinks.

The evening that we arrived at the lodge I was amazed at the beauty of the landscape and the mountainous terrain. Even after seeing pictures and videos from my dad’s previous trips, it was beyond my expectation. I was greeted warmly by everyone at Dubula Safaris and met my PH Ricky. We discussed the animals on my list with kudu being my top animal, and a zebra because my wife and I wanted a zebra rug. 

The first night in the lodge I was too excited to sleep.  Morning came quickly and my dad and I went outside onto the porch and there were animals everywhere.  The amount of game I could see with my binoculars was nothing I could have imagined.  After breakfast we went to the rifle range and confirmed my dad’s .30-06 was shooting accurately and we planned the morning hunt.  We soon spotted a group of zebras in an open area but stalked unsuccessfully.  We came out of a dry creek and a beautiful blue wildebeest stood in front of us.  Ricky said it was great male and if I wanted a blue, I should shoot this one. Only the night before Ricky had said they were tough animals and will rarely go straight down with one shot.  We waited for the blue to turn and Ricky said, “On the shoulder halfway up.”  I steadied on the sticks and squeezed the trigger. He went straight down!  What a way to start the hunt.  A few hours into the trip, one shot and one animal down.

As we hunted the next few days, we saw so many species of animals it was almost hard to comprehend.  It brought a lot of clarity to the discussion Ricky and I had on my flexibility of huntable animals.  I was successful on the second evening with the targeted zebra close to where we had seen them the first day. That evening the sunset and nightfall was gorgeous, like something you would see in a book or in a painting.  The third day had us hunting around the lodge for plains game.  I had seen in the first few days a white blesbok. I thought they were neat-looking animals.  As the hunt continued, we saw a few white blesboks in a large herd, but they were winning the stalking game.  Then a common blesbok stepped into an opening in the bush, and Ricky said it was a very good common, so I steadied on the sticks and took the shot.

While enjoying our midday break, I discussed with my dad a black springbok we had seen the first morning, but had not seen again, and I said that a black wildebeest was only a bit more pricewise.  He agreed that it would be great to get a blue and a black on my first trip.  When we met Ricky prior to the evening hunt, we said we would like a black wildebeest and he planned to target them in an area we might also see kudu.   We spotted a small group of blacks and Ricky identified a shooter in that group.  We made a long stalk and got into position.  We had to wait for the shooter male among the other animals in the herd to give us a clean shot.  As the sun began to fade behind the mountains he presented a shot, at which the small group turned out to be a thundering herd of over 30 animals.

Wednesday morning came and we made the trip to Kamala and began our hunt there.  A few hours into the hunt we found a tsessebe, and my dad made a successful stalk and took his target animal. We saw so many animals on this property and I got to see animals I hadn’t yet seen including gemsbok, ostriches, golden gemsbok and more.  We again saw a large black springbok but could not get the opportunity for a shot at it.  On the way back for our lunch break we found a great impala ram and I was lucky to take it.  After lunch we went to a cliff overlooking a dry creek as they had seen warthogs there.  A warthog was on my list, but I said I only wanted to shoot one for a nice European mount.  We saw warthogs but they were female and cull males.  My mom, who hadn’t hunted before decided she would take a shot at the cull male.  Ricky worked extraordinarily well with her and got her set up, and she made a perfect shot for her first ever animal.  What a great experience for us all to share this.

As the afternoon went on Ricky spotted a big fallow deer, and I realized from his tone that it was a trophy and that if we saw it again, I’d like to hunt it.  Later, we glassed a large eland but it wasn’t something I wanted, so we hunted on and as luck would have it spotted the fallow deer again.  After a very short stalk we bumped the deer but were able to get on the sticks, and when he stopped and presented me with a shot, I took it.  We followed the blood and found the deer. As we grabbed his antlers the ground shook under our feet as four warthogs bolted out from a wallow.  While it was a cool experience, I was a bit startled as they ran out from underneath us.

Ricky quickly spotted a shooter male.  I got set up on the sticks and made a successful shot.  What a great way to end this hunting safari, getting all three wildebeests on the same hunt.

This trip exceeded any expectations I had. The staff at the lodge were superb, the food was amazing, with sights and memories I would never have imagined.  As the sun set on my first African safari, I cannot wait to begin booking my next with Dubula Safaris. I am so grateful to my parents for making this trip possible and for sharing it with me. 

By Enrich Hugo

West Africa has a special appeal not only for hunters. The mix of geographically diverse zones offers savannahs, marsh and rainforest lovers plenty of opportunities to explore fauna and flora. This time is Benin our hunting destination. This elongated, small West African country is considered the cradle of the voodoo religion. In Abomey you can visit the old royal palaces as well as the voodoo temples. The capital is Porto Novo. The international airport where our journey start is in Cotonou. A typical West African city. Stinky, hectic and a lot of traffic. Surprisingly fast, by African standards, are the immigration formalities, and weapons import documents are done by customs and police.

After that, the luggage will be stowed in the waiting Land Cruiser. Our host and outfitter from Pendjari Safaris wants to start as soon as possible. It is still early in the morning and he wants to reach the end of the city of Cotonou before morning traffic starts. Ahead of us is a nine-hour drive. Cotonou is located on the southern border of Benin, directly on the Gulf of Guinea.

Our destination and camp is located in the north of the country, on the edge of the National Park Pendjari.

The 700-kilometer drive gives us another insight into this, for West African conditions, very stable and peaceful country. No religious or racial tensions make Benin a special oasis in West Africa and is gently governed by a democratically elected government. The influence of the former French colonial era can not be denied and is reflected not only in the French official language. The main income of Benin, one of the poorest countries in the world, comes from agriculture. In addition to corn, sweet potatoes, cashew and pineapple, it is mainly the large cotton plantations that catch the eye. It is exactly this cotton that we can see again and again on completely overloaded trucks on our way to Batia.

After about eight hours driving we leave the paved road and after another hour on a sandy road we reach our camp. In addition to the typical round huts stands a completely newly built building with four rooms. Each bedroom with its own bathroom and toilet and of course with air conditioning. Anyone who has ever hunted in West Africa will be extremely pleasantly surprised here. After a long shower, we meet again at dinner. There we will also be introduced to the two professional hunters and our trackers, who will guide us in the next few days. One of the two professional hunters is a Portuguese, who works in Benin from December to May, during the hunting season in Benin, and earns his living as a professional hunter from June to November in Mozambique. The second professional hunter comes from neighboring Burkina Faso and has been working here for over 15 years as a professional hunter with Pendjari Safaris. How valuable the experience of our two professional hunters is will already evident on the following first hunting day.

We take the first day of our hunt calmly and after a good breakfast we go out for the first terrain exploration. The camp is located on the edge of a small village. The people wave friendly to us and children run after our car. Here, too, the ethical and serious hunt has written its success story. Conservation programs, a rigorous anti- poaching, and appreciation for wildlife has contributed to the development of not only a high stock of wildlife but also a small but considerable wealth in their village. Not only the meat of the hunted game support to the local villages with protaine, also a large part of the revenue of the trophy fees is used to expand the infrastructure. After twenty minutes we are already in our hunting zone. Here my two hunting clients check their weapons and after a threefold series, it’s ready to go. Khalid has opted for a double rifle 9.3×74 and my second hunting guest Rodrigo leads a 375 H&H. Our hunting area is especially known for its abundance of Western savannah buffalo and Western roan antelope. But also Western Hartebeest, Nagor Reedbock, Harnest Bushbuck, Defassa Waterbuck, Oribi, Warthog and two different Duiker are huntable here. We chose the month of January for our hunt and therefore the high grass is not dry enough to burn it down. Despite the sometimes high grass level, we can still recognize the typical savannah character. Small to medium sized bushes and trees dominate the landscape in addition to the extensive grassy areas. The first game drive should serve primarily to get a small overview of our hunting area, but after one of our professional hunters has discovered fresh tracks of buffalo is instantly aroused our hunting fever.

Khalid gets the preference and we start our first stalking in the Savannah of Benin. As usual, the stalking is led by one of the trackers. Then Burkina, as our professional hunter from Burkina Faso is affectionately called and then Khalid the Hunter. Because of the tracks we estimate that it has to be a smaller group of five to eight buffaloes. The tracks are relatively fresh and since they are not particularly deep, it also tells us that they are moving slowly ahead of us. The direction of the wind is also perfect and after about an hour of stalking we see the small buffalo herd in front of us. As already suspected, there are six Savannah buffalos. Four cows and two bulls. This little group already shows us the special of the Western savanna buffalo here in Benin. It is the variegation of these buffaloes. From almost black to dark brown but also reddish, the buffalos are colored here and very often these different colors are found in one and the same herd. That is also the case here. The Western savanna buffalo is the third largest buffalo species in Africa alongside the Cape and Nile buffalo. Despite the successful stalking we do not come to a conclusion. The two bulls are too young and should be given the opportunity to pass on their very good genetic before they get hunted. But no reason to be disappointed. On the contrary, the first stalk was already excellent and we had a successful overview. Our trackers and professional hunters have been able to prove their skills and experience at the first stalk, and my two hunters already have the feeling that they are in good hands. After a short time we are back on the road where our car is waiting. After a little refreshment we continued our game drive. We pass two larger waterholes that are full of tracks but due to the time of day no game can be seen. Since there are some larger trees next to the last waterhole and the sun is directly above us at the highest point, we set our lunch break here. A shady place with a great view.

Hunter heart, what do you want more. Lunch tastes particularly good here and we enjoy the boundless freedom in the middle of West African nature. But after a long rest, things continue. It is already an hour before sunset when Burkina gives the driver the sign to stop. He points to the east and still the sun is in our backs, I can see nothing without my binoculars. Burkina instructs me and with the help of the binoculars I can then also recognize what he has already identified only with his eye. A dark, almost black dyed Dagga Boy, as here also the single living buffalo bulls are called. You can already clearly see Khalid’s excitement. The buffalo is 300 meters away and our professional hunter decides at short notice that he will only stalk with Khalid and 

a tracker. The terrain between us and the bull is too open and too many people would make it much easier for the buffalo to discover us. Me, Rodrigo, and the rest of the team follow the stalk out of good hidden place. The buffalo is still grazing and shows no suspicion even though Khalid and Burkina are only 50 meters away from him. I can see that Khalid have his gun on the shooting stick and is already aiming the bull. The shot does not wait. The buffalo immediately draws and breaks to the right. 

After ten meters he stops and the second shot breaks. Although the first shot was excellent for me and in my opinion a deadly hit, the second hit finally drops the Bull to the ground. When Burkina and Khalid are by the buffalo and both give us signs to come, we are on the way to go to the harvest buffalo. Of course, a heartfelt congratulation the shooter and congratulation to the professional hunter to this successful conclusion of the first hunting day. A really old fighter lies here in knee-high grass. Numerous traces show of old turf wars and one or the other scar suggests that he was also the target of attacks of lions. An excellent launch. Khalid is overjoyed and describes in detail the course of the stalking and the killing of the buffalo. The loading of the bull is routine for our experienced team and then it’s back to the camp.

Loading the buffalo.

Stalking

However, it is important for my hunting clients to prepare for such a hunt so far that they can handle even those thirsty streaks that a savannah hunt entails and that they do not lose the desire for the further safari. For Khalid and Rodrigo, however, the last three unsuccessful days leave no trace. On the contrary, I have the impression that they absorb everything in and this hunting trip will keep a special positive memory. The sixth day of hunting is again at its best. On this day we return very successfully to the camp. A West African Hartebeest, a Harnest Bushbuck and a Nagor Reedbock could be killed after successful stalking. We were able to detect and shoot the latter two at two different waterholes. Now only the buffalo of Rodrigo falls to complete a completely successful safari. Two days are still available and we look forward to these days. The penultimate day is already starting promising. Fresh traces of a larger herd. We try to stalk these herds. We succeed and I count more than twenty Savannah buffaloes. It is a mixed herd with cows, calves and also some bulls. I even see two of the reddish colored bulls what Rodrigo wants to hunt. But we do not want to shoot a buffalo out of a herd. Our goal is to find a single Dagga Boy. We just enjoy the big herd we were able to stalk so successfully and then continued our hunt. Although we can no see a red-colored loner on this day we still have plenty of material for our cameras. Herd of young roan antelopes, some hartebeest, oribis and a young waterbuck can be photographed and filmed.

The last day of our safari is approaching and this time it starts earlier. Today we want to look for the Dagga Boy in the northeastern corner of our hunting zone. The idea does not come from somewhere. Some of the rangers employed by our outfitter, who implemented the anti-poaching program and are busy patrolling the hunting grounds, have just seen a reddish bull at this northeast corner. And just where these rangers last saw the bull, we also find him. An old, mature bull. The red is almost reminiscent of a forest buffalo occurring in the rainforest, but which is much smaller than the Western savannah buffalo. An absolute dream buffalo. This time, Jorge, the professional hunter from Portugal, introduces us. The buffalo stands in the shade of some trees and the wind is excellent for us. I estimate between 250 to 300 meters separate us from the bull. Jorge, Rodrigo a tracker and myself start the stalking. Each step is checked twice. Just no hasty movement or a careless kick now. Suddenly Jorge stops petrified. He makes us understand that we should not move and shows something in the left direction of our stalk. An elephant bull watches our approach. A fantastic experience to experience the elephant so close but still we are glad when he makes off and pulls back into the dense undergrowth. Finally we can continue our stalking. Our buffalo seems to have heard and seen nothing of all this. The rangefinder in my binoculars shows 80 meters. After another 15 meters and a tree with perfect rifle rest Rodrigo is ready to go. The weapon is already unlocked and he just waits until the buffalo shows him his broadside. I can understand that this moment has to fill up like hours for him. Finally the time has come. Uncovered with the full side of the bull shows up and the finger writhes on the trigger. The red draws immediately and breaks in place in the fire. Jorge keeps track and asks Rodrigo to reload immediately. After another minute, Jorge gives the ok and all-clear and lets Rodrigo secure the weapon. It needs no further shot. A red colored buffalo with an extremely strong trophy lies in front of us. We give Rodrigo alone for a few minutes with his harvest bull. A sensitive moment that probably every hunter can understand too well.

With this last buffalo we killed on this hunt we can say that we had a hundred percent success. The passing of Benin ends with a promise from the two hunters. We are infected with the Savannah virus and we promise to see each other again when it says: Savannah hunting in Benin!