Mark with a red-flanked duiker taken in the Central African Republic (CAR).

Our day started every morning at 4:00 A.M. and after driving to an area where eland were known to frequent, we began looking for tracks. Once fresh tracks were found, two trackers would lead the way by following the spoor in places where you and I could not possibly accomplish this incredible task. How they could follow these tracks over grass, leaves, and other obstacles was something else. It was simply amazing to witness in many cases. Long before noon the temperature would exceed 100 degrees. On a slow day we would walk 7-8 miles. Some days found us covering 15-16 miles. We had a GPS and map so we could find our way back to the vehicle. On three different occasions during the two week hunt we caught up with a herd of eland. Every time they caught our scent and were gone before we could even get a good look. They were extremely spooky. It was frustrating for everyone including the trackers, the PH, and other field support. At the end of two weeks I had lost 15 pounds and never did fire the 375 JDJ except for sighting-in the day of arrival.

Here is where the 22 Hornet comes in and saves the day. When we finished chasing eland at the end of the day, the Hornet came out of the case loaded with Winchester factory 46 grain soft points. Every evening guinea fowl would be roaming around and they offered food for the table and staff. The trackers and PH did not believe the handgun was capable of taking these birds. Actually, they were reluctant to believe the handgun could take eland but since I get this reaction almost everywhere I go, I'm getting used to it. When the Hornet began to dispatch the birds with neck shots, it changed everybody's mind regarding the handgun. One evening an oribi was caught feeding about seventy yards away. One shot later the trackers were all smiles and I immediately knew what we were having for dinner! Another time one of the trackers were calling duikers, much like we call varmints here in the US, when a red flanked duiker came sneaking in for a better look. The offhanded shot was around twelve steps. Winchester's soft-point bullet did not even exit and left no damage to the hide, making it suitable for a life-size mount if desired.

The Hornet saw action almost every day of the safari. When the smoke cleared at the end of the hunt I had shot 43 times. Two of these shots were clean misses, two duikers fell victim, one varmint, and the rest guinea fowl and franklin which provided a great deal of the table fare we ate not to mention food for the staff. The longest shot was the oribi and most shots were between twenty five and sixty yards. This particular hunt seemed to be a perfect niche for the cartridge offering great accuracy, very little noise, and no recoil. It was a welcome addition to a challenging and often frustrating hunt. The Encore was topped with a 2X-7X Burris scope. The forend was custom made by Georgia Jim and really helped steady the handgun when shooting from a rest.

Since our hunt for Lord Derby eland was unsuccessful, the outfitter has invited me to return in May. I don't know whether I should look forward to walking long distances in extreme heat or not but I'm just crazy enough for seconds. I do know the 22 Hornet will be there with me and if nothing else, it will receive another workout. This cartridge may be old but it still has many applications that will provide handgun hunters a lot of fun and shooting enjoyment. Give it a try as I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

Best Regards, Mark Hampton

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