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| One of Us |
I have very little experience traveling by air to hunt, only one trip for plains game. It's probably my only one. I've seen over and over admonitions to only buy a 375 H & H or 300 Win Mag, or some other relatively common cartridge, because of ammo availability. I am curious if you guys, who have done way more trips than I can dream of have arrived with rifle and no ammo and then were able to buy or borrow what you needed. I know the theory of belts and suspenders, but did your pants ever metaphorically fall down with only a belt? Thanks Bfly Work hard and be nice, you never have enough time or friends. | ||
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Never happened to me in 10 trips, but I always pack my ammo in my tuffpak with my rifles at least on the way over. I have had my rifles lost and had to wait a day for them to catch up with me. . | |||
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Happened to me in Zim, 2012. Rifle showed up, checked bag with ammo did not. Luckily, it was my 458 Lott, and there was a box of 458 Win Mag solids in camp. I shot my first tuskless with win mag ammo, I think my bag & ammo showed up on day 3. The flip side, there's usually a camp rifle you could use if something didn't show up. So if you have a 'less than common' caliber that you'd like to bring, by all means bring it. Just confirm with the outfitter that there's a passable rifle in camp, just in case. | |||
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I may be dealing with this right now, but I’m not worried. Due to unforeseen circumstances, I barely made my Emirates flight from San Francisco to Dubai yesterday. Got on the plane 3 minutes before they closed the doors. The Emirates staff advised me that my checked baggage may not make it, and it didn’t. However, I’m laying over in Dubai (incredible place, wish I’d added a couple more days) and they expect my baggage to arrive on this evenings flight. I’m not worried, as Emirates seems to pay a great deal more attention to resolving this than other airlines. They assured me it’ll be handled promptly and I trust them. Either way, I’ll land in Lusaka tomorrow afternoon and go hunting. I expect my bags to be there, but if their not, we will make a plan and go hunting anyway. PS, the Emirates flight was great. Comfortable, great staff. Glad I’m flying them versus other options. | |||
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I just returned this week from Zambia. I flew Delta and South African Airways. No problems. In eight hunts to Africa, the only problems I have ever had was on Emirates Airways. I’ll never fly with them again. I usually take three rifles on safari but sometimes only two. I make sure I have one ammo box in my bags, and another identical box in my traveling partner’s bag. Same ammo in each bag. This way, I’m only out of luck if BOTH bags do not show up. When packing three rifles, the big bore and small bore go into one rifle case, and the medium bore goes in the second rifle case. That way, if only one rifle case shows up, I can hunt everything. Just my routine. YMMV. | |||
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Yes, it has happened to me. I have had guns and no other bags. I have had them lose just my guns. My absolute worst trip was my first. I got my guns (with the top of a scope bashed in) and no other bags until the 9th day of a 10 day trip. For the most part, the trips have been problem free. | |||
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The best approach is Tuffpak or similar and package ammo with guns. Problem solved. Mike Legistine actu quod scripsi? Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.  What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | |||
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Some airlines don’t allow that. | |||
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I don't see the problem. TSA allows ammo to be packed with gun in same bag. If you lose one, you lose both. Unlikely as I think guns are handled more carefully. I don't know of any airline departing USA that does not follow TSA rules. I think they are required to follow TSA/FAA rules when originating in the USA. If you are connecting same day, I think your bags just carry on as packed. If you connect next day, and airline wants ammo in separate bag, just repack when you recheck. And then you get into "locked container" brouhaha. Packing ammo separately is asking for problems when traveling to/in Africa. Checked bags seem to get "lost" routinely and/or gone through, esp. when transiting JNB. Russ Gould - Whitworth Arms LLC BigfiveHQ.com, Large Calibers and African Safaris Doublegunhq.com, Fine English, American and German Double Rifles and Shotguns VH2Q.com, Varmint Rifles and Gear | |||
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first trip to Zim in 2005 my bags and ammo were lost for seven days. Had my gun, a .375 and we borrowed ammo for it. I also took a .264WM and the second PH in camp had ammo for it!!!!!! Birmingham, Al | |||
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Me too, lost my 375 ammo in 2009. The PH had everything but 375 and I borrowed a Lott from him, till my bag appeared 2 days later. | |||
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So far, I have never had a problem with my lugguages but I have always used Air Namibia and the direct flight from Francfort to Windhoek. Even with these two common calibers you are not sure to have ammunitions. Last march, I was in Namibia in my buddy's farm for a big management hunting. With 5 kg of ammunitions including the weight of the lugguage I was not able to take everything I wanted. I had planned to buy few boxes in Windhoek gunshops like in 2017 but there were no longer ammunitions for these calibers and gunsmiths didn't know when they would have them. Fortunatly, my buddy's neighbour and partner was a reloader and provided me his dies, powder and bullets. | |||
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I have never lost ammo. I did have my gear bag not make it a few years ago but since my ammo was in a separate container, it made it. You don't need a Tuffpak to pack ammo in a gun case; just throw two boxes in with your rifle if you feel better, assuming the airline allows it. | |||
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Shucks, I flew AA from Co Spgs to JAX via D/FW. I was down there within 5 hours from the Spgs. Rifle case went to Boston they said. HTHell? Three days later they delivered my rifles to the guys house 60 miles from the airport. We spent the time showing me around JAX, Navy docks and such. George "Gun Control is NOT about Guns' "It's about Control!!" Join the NRA today!" LM: NRA, DAV, George L. Dwight | |||
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| Administrator |
37 years going hunting to Africa and never lost anything. And apart from a couple of times, all my hunting was with my own rifles and wildcats!  | |||
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More than 30 trips abroad hunting. Never lost rifles or ammo. Delayed yes a couple of times, but that goes just for the rifles. Morten The more I know, the less I wonder ! | |||
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It can happen. I have had firearms and ammunition delayed, but never lost outright. The delay can be bad enough. In Zimbabwe, Namibia, and South Africa, ammunition will likely be available, or - should you wish to go that route - can be reloaded with the same components you would use at home. BTW, depending on what you're hunting, the .300 Win Mag will fall short of the legal requirement in Zimbabwe for dangerous game in both minimum caibre and muzzle energy. | |||
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Got into JNB late and my duffel didn't make it on the connecting flight to Bulawayo but the guns did. Duffel came next day so no problem. I know it's a PIA but I recommend and personally always go through Customs, gather my luggage and physically check it on to the next flight in JNB. I only remember one client whose luggage did not arrive with him using this procedure. Mark MARK H. YOUNG MARK'S EXCLUSIVE ADVENTURES 7094 Oakleigh Dr. Las Vegas, NV 89110 Office 702-848-1693 Cell, Whats App, Signal 307-250-1156 PREFERRED E-mail markttc@msn.com Website: myexclusiveadventures.com Skype: markhyhunter Check us out on https://www.facebook.com/pages...ures/627027353990716 | |||
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| One of Us |
As I mentioned above, my gun case and bag containing ammo, which were packed separately, did not get on my flight on Friday from San Francisco to Dubai. I reported it to Emirates and they got right on it, checking in with me twice to give me status updates. I had a 36 hour layover in Dubai (should have stayed 3 days, great place) and when I went to the airport this morning’s Big Dr my flight to Lusaka, still no word on my bags... But when I walked through customs and into baggage claim, my bags were sitting there waiting for me! Big props to Emirates for getting on top of it and making things the way they’re supposed to be and doing it in a timely manner. | |||
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I want to hunt with my own rifles, so, when I go to Africa there will always be a 375 H&H bolt rifle, as well and a 470NE double rifle because in most camps in Africa there will be at least ammo for one or both those two in camp, but making sure there will be a rifle and ammo in camp that I can use if my rifle and/or ammo fails to make the trip. …………………………………………………………...  ....Mac >>>===(x)===> MacD37, ...and DUGABOY1 DRSS Charter member "If I die today, I've had a life well spent, for I've been to see the Elephant, and smelled the smoke of Africa!"~ME 1982 Hands of Old Elmer Keith  | |||
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Many safaris and other overseas hunting trips. Never lost my ammo. [KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK ON WOOD!] Except on the back end, when I have intentionally left it behind for my PH.  Mike Wilderness is my cathedral, and hunting is my prayer. | |||
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Don't you always have to collect all your bags in Customs? Not checking your bags to your final destination does have one major flaw: the airline is only responsible for delivering your bags to the final checked destination. If you check them to JNB and they somehow don't make it there, the airline is only obligated to deliver the bags to JNB. I often see this "trick" mentioned when connecting to SAA via JFK or Delta thru ATL, but if they don't make it to JFK or ATL, you could be royally screwed. At least in JNB you can get your meet and greet company to chase your bags down; that is exactly what Annilese did for me some years ago when a bag checked from JNB (I was there a week early for business) to WDK never made it; the bag tag fell off. | |||
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Lufthansa didn't allow ammo in the guncase on my recent trip to Tanz from IAH....... But all my stuff made it! . | |||
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All except for powder.....Hodgdon and IMR powders aren't available in SA..... . | |||
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Good news is that the there is a small variety of both in SA right now. It’s been on the shelves for about a year now. | |||
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Below are rules from the KLM web page regarding ammunition. Note the detail that the ammunition needs to be packed separately. Sincerely, Firearms must be unloaded and safely packed in a suitcase or other case. The cartridges must be packed safely, preferably in a suitcase. Rifles must be transported separately from the ammunition. Firearms and ammunition should be packed separately from other personal belongings. Baggage containing ammunition may not carry labels with the text ‘explosives’. Transporting ammunition with explosive or flammable projectiles is not permitted. When you check in your baggage, you will need to declare that your weapon is unloaded and the ammunition has been packed separately. Firearms must be unloaded and safely packed in a suitcase or other case. The cartridges must be packed safely, preferably in a suitcase. Rifles must be transported separately from the ammunition. Firearms and ammunition should be packed separately from other personal belongings. Baggage containing ammunition may not carry labels with the text ‘explosives’. Transporting ammunition with explosive or flammable projectiles is not permitted. When you check in your baggage, you will need to declare that your weapon is unloaded and the ammunition has been packed separately. E Pluribus Unum - where out of many, we will become one. | |||
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Russ: I have not flown every foreign carrier but every carrier I have flown that is not a US airline expressly forbids packing ammunition with a firearm. Some carriers (SAA) do not allow ammunition in checked luggage but require ammunition in a separate checked container. Carriers are free to have rules which are more stringent than what TSA requires. Not all carriers will even allow any firearm in checked baggage. | |||
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Mike: If a carrier looses your checked gun case, what is the difference between a Tuffpack and say a Pelican case? When my rifle failed to show up in Victoria Falls a Tuffpack made no difference. My ammunition did show up because SAA required it be checked in a seperate container. | |||
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The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting African Big Game Hunting Losing Ammo in Transit Question
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