Guys, I wanted to ask something of the AR guys who have traveled to Africa, some a number of times. I frequently hear talk about how you shouldn't buy this or that caliber because if your bags get lost your ammo gets lost too and it is hard to find a particular cartridge in Africa. I was wondering, has anyone had this happen to them? How frequently does it actually occur? Another question that I had is is it possible to send you ammo to you PH ahead of time so that you know that it will be there when you get there?

Dave, Had my rifles arrive and bag with ammo did not and was flying into the bush next morning.
My thoughts are go with standard cartridges. My light rifle is a 375 H&H and a 450#2.. Every safari camp will have some 375 ammo. Any ammo is better then no ammo. Also I will split up ammo between bags 1/2 of each ammo in both bags.

quote:

Originally posted by retreever:
...split up ammo between bags 1/2 of each ammo in both bags.

It's never happened to me. But I still follow the conventional wisdom and try to use the standard calibers. The 375H&H is universal and pretty much will do anything. I haven taken a 375H&H on each of my Africa trips and will continue to do so.

My guess is that if you're in more developed areas you can probably get just about anything reasonable. But if you're not near a city, you're probably hosed if you're using something they don't have in camp. Of course, all that means is that you'll be shooting a camp rifle.

I think the more important thing is to just make sure your PH has an acceptable loaner rifle (with ammo) in camp you can use if need be. I'd much rather be hunting with a loaner than waiting around for some obscure ammo to arrive. As long as your out hunting, everything is good right?

I do subscribe to the idea of bringing a common cartridge for at least one rifle. It is always nice to have a rifle you're familiar with.

As for having your PH get ammo ahead of time, someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe some countries have heavy consequences if you have ammo for a caliber you don't own.

I've often thought that the caliber choice based on the availability of ammo is a strange way to look at this coin.

At the end of the day the availability of ammo should reflect popularity of the cartridge and in turn usefulness... Picking a caliber that locals at the location you are hunting likes is a good indication of its suitability in the first place.

Beyond that, splitting the ammo between two bags is a good idea, but before I get on a plane anywhere I am travelling with firearms I ask the lady on the boarding gate to establish if the guns have been loaded into the hold of the plane. This is easily done via the bar codes on your luggage stubs so at check in I tend keep the firearms related stubs seperate.

This saved my guns staying in Heathrow on the way to Argentina and also made sure they made they back from Madrid.

FB

If you and your wife have one checked bag each can the ammo be split between both bags even if she is not bringing a firearm?

Keeping track of which tag goes with your gun case is an excellent idea. The first time I came home from Namibia I transited through Frankfurt. I had checked my bags (including my gun case) with Air Namibia but when I checked in for my flight to the U.S. they asked me which of my luggage tags was for my gun case. I didn't know. That caused the lady at the counter some consternation. It all got worked out, but it was clear that they thought I was supposed to know which tag was for the gun case.

I'm pretty sure you can put ammo in your wife's bag even if she's not bringing a firearm. I don't think there's a restriction on transporting ammo even if you aren't transporting a firearm.

Bags do go missing on trips to Africa and the more stops/transfers you make getting to your hunting country the more chance you have that something will go south. In all my trips I've never lost a bag, except coming back home. However, hunting partners have had lost bags upon arrival in Africa.

If you are overnighting in RSA and ammo is missing there is a good chance you can find some in a gun store before your ongoing flight the next day. I had a partner who had to purchase a box of .300wm before we went on to Zambia.

I have found that "common" ammo is more likely to be found than exotic calibers. The .300wm seems to be a very common caliber in use by Africans as is the .416Rem/Rigby. The .458Lott will also shoot the .458WM.

I always use nothing but "wildcat" chamberings in my African hunting and have never had the problem of guns without ammo -- of course I always pack the ammo in with my guns from the U.S. to Africa, so I ignore the conventional wisdom of packing it separately as well.

You can play it really safe or not -- I usually choose not. That doesn't mean it's a good idea, it's just what I do.

I have had rifles arrive, and no ammo for 4 days, then I have had no rifles but did have my ammo for a couple days. Both ways a .375 HH worked out. Killed my first 2 buff with loaned ammo for the .375 while my .416 had to set in its case...

My Dad and I have been to Africa 3 times with a 30-06 and .308 Win. First trip to Namibia Dad's bag with ammo didn't arrive for a few days. A quick trip to a local gunshop and we bought some .308 ammo and headed to camp.

If one of us had an off the wall cartridge or wildcat we would've been down. And who wants to use a loaner rifle?? Imagine a loaner rifle and a 60" kudu at the edge of your comfort range. Not a good plan.

quote:

Originally posted by Frostbit:
If you and your wife have one checked bag each can the ammo be split between both bags even if she is not bringing a firearm?

All that you need do is, put both your names on the bag-tags of both bags. It is the total weight of the ammo you are allowed not who is hunting!

Unless both your rifles are double rifles then either one rifle needs to be a 375 H&H. If you will be hunting in dangerous game country then the light rifle needs to be legal to finish the safari if the other one is lost or breakes.

375H&H fils a lot of big bills! Ammo is in almost every camp in Africa, and can be boufgt in every country where big game hunting is alowed

No matter what my big rifle was my light rifle was always a 375 H&H bolt rifle with open sights, and scoped in quality quick-detach rings and bases so it could cover all bases!

Three of use flew IAH to Frankfurt to Windhoek. Of the three of use, one's checked bag didn't make it to Windhoek...went to Milan, Italy instead. No camera, no ammo for rifle or heavy loads/buckshot for shotgun. Borrowed PH's rifle. Did OK, got bag delivered to farm after several days!