In reality, how big of a deal is it having proper headstamping of brass going through world customs? Would travelling with a custom rifle marked 6.5-06 but having ammunition with a .30-06 headstamp going to cause problems?

Thank you.

Buliwyf

It'll largely depend on country you're travelling to and individual customs officer involved...... but meet someone who wants to stick to the rules and they could possibly ruin your hunt by confiscating your ammo. Why not just have cases made with the correct headstamp.

Bullwyf,

Safaris are too important and too expensive to mess around with any "Maybes". Either get proper headstamped brass as Steve suggested or bring another rifle. Others will tell you their ammo has never been checked in X amount of trips. Personally I've had the head stamps checked on every cartridge before to make sure the amount of ammo for each rifle matched the amounts declared on the firearms permit.

Mark

I've had mine checked going into RSA before. Probably for similar reasons as Mark mentioned.

-Steve.

I agree with all the above posters, it might be that they are seldomly checked, but if you are the one who is being checked, your whole hunt will be ruined. Go with the rules and you have one less worry.

On 3 trips through South Africa into Zim my ammo has never been looked at...
Still my ammo will always have the proper headstamp.

As others have said, one less worry.

Thank you gentlemen. Sound advice which I will take.

Buliwyf

I wonder how you get an old British double rifle and ammo into country? Nowhere marked on my pre rules of '25 450/400 3 inch does is say what caliber my rifle is. I guess I need to find some basic brass and engrave 55 Cord, 400 MAX on the brass so it will match the barrel flats?

How about all those 300 Dakota shooters who have brass that says "Norma 404 Jeffery".
Not to mention my "300 Apex".

I wonder how many are turned away each year?

Sanity doesn't enter the legislative process. Either comply with the arbitrary, no matter how obnoxious, or prepare yourself to suffer the consequences.

Some of you argue as if the process were in some way rational.

I've never met anyone who's had a problem. I know a guy who was shooting a 416 Taylor with 338 marked brass. He was checked but explained the situation and it was a non-issue. I'm not saying it can't be an issue, it's just that so many people say what a danger it is but I've never met a single person who lost their ammo because of this "rule". It seems to be one of those urban myths where it always happens to a friend of a friend.

Headstamp problems are not an urban myth.

Well, when it comes to rules and whether or not you might be the guy who gets into trouble I had an experience this past April when my ammo stash was 1 pound over the limit and they were taking it from me. Well, 20 minutes of argueing with the lady and just about coming to downright physical threats I finally got to keep my 375 H&H ammo. I convinced her that I weighed this ammo on a just calibrated registered scale and it was right on the money as far as the weight limit was concerned and asked her if she could prove to me their scale was recently calibrated as well. Its not worth the risk of losing your ammo or waiting/argueing about with the officials. If you must take a rifle of a wildcat caliber and no properly headstamped brass is available you could always lightly engrave it on the barrel and polish it off later. Of course it would be easier with a stainless rifle VS a blued one but it is an option.

I've also been overweight on Ammo and had to leave some behind. I'm still waiting though to hear from the guy who's had his wildcat ammo confiscated.

How many times has Saeed traveled with his bastard ammo?

I've seen the African customs agents studiously ponder my ammo or rifles, but they didn't appear to have any knowledge whatsoever of exactly what it is they were looking at or for.

Here's another good "only in Africa story". I hunted the last morning we were in camp before our charter flight picked us up. We were flying from from Botswana to Jo'berg and we stopped in Gaberone to clear customs. We carried our rifles into the terminal to have them checked against our permits. After this, the customs agent told us to proceed through a metal detector - I wasn't expecting this. I still had ammo in a belt pouch and a couple of knives on me. I pulled off my ammo pouch and put it in tray along with two knives and a leatherman tool. I walked through the metal detector and the security agent handed all my contraband right back to me along with my rifles in their case.

We were delayed for about an hour because the airport was closed to traffic so the President of Botswana could depart in his official plane. We sat outside on our guncases under the wing of our plane with our ammo in hand while the President and his entourage boarded his plane about 50 yards away. The President's security detail covered the perimeter of the airport while we sat for twenty minutes within easy range of the big guy and his plane. This says a lot about security precautions in Africa but probably says more about how generally safe it is in Botswana.

Don't believe anyone is likely to see Customs/Police deny entry of wildcat or differently headstamped ammo, but they can and may. Short of acquiring the headstamped brass of the caliber marked on your rifle, suggest that at least you carry a xerox of the front cover and relevant page(s) from Cartridges of the World that usually notes the parent caliber. That's what I do when traveling with my .350 Rigby No. 2. The brass is headstamped 400/350 Rigby and the relevant page notes that the .350 No. 2 uses the identical brass as the old 400/350. Have never needed to make the case.
Regards

I've only been across the pond twice, but did have my rifle & ammo looked at in RSA last time. Whether you get a gov. official that just doesn't like your look that day,, well, I wouldn't want to put a dark cloud on my very expensive trip by not having my ducks in a row. I've even heard guys having problems w/ serial numbers not being on the bolts or bows not having serial numbers. You really want to trust your hunt to a gov. official? I'll take my .338-06 w/ me next time (Norma makes the brass) but leave my .338x74K behind.

In Zim it doesn't matter - there is no law or regulation requiring it. other countries are not so liberal- Had my ammoinspected going into botswana- and caused much head scratching as it was loaded up from basic brass with no case markings, makers name or anything If you do have a wildcat that you want to use and you are going to a country that may want to look, unmarked brass is the way to go.

Does Saeed have proper headstamped 375-404 brass? He's used a few wildcats in Africa, if not properly stamped, how has he done it?

If they want to nail you they can nail you. I too would travel with proper headstamped brass if I were traveling to any African country. Still have some $100.00 bills handy. They just said your serial number on your gun permit does not match your rifle. They made a F into a S. " You can enter the country but not your rifles. You may pick them up on your departure from the country." $100 later we were loading our guns up in our taxi. It had to be handled descretely by a third party but C spots grease the shutes in Africa nicely. Good luck on your hunt and with your interactions with government officials at home and away.

Except in 1982, I have always hunted with wildcats, and I do not have properly headstamped case.

Never had any problems.