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one of us |
I have a dilemma. My Ph says bring a shotgun with me on my upcoming safari. Problem is, I'm traveling alone and the shotgun would be gun number 3, since I'm bringing seperate guns for the buffalo and leopard (404 for buff and .35 Whelen with illuminated scope for leopard). Leaving off one of the rifles is not an option. SAA says two guns per case. And they enforce it! Anybody know the cost of an extra gun case on SAA? | ||
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Moderator |
Gahunter, If your flying from North America, you have a generous luggage allownce who ever you fly with, something like 70lb I think.. In your case you will just need an extra guncase to comply with the rules and I can't imagine why they would charged for that as long your within your weight allownce? Regards, Pete | |||
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one of us |
On my last trip on SAA, which was last June, they gave me a hard time about 4 guns in my case, but they let it slide, I was well within my weight allownace. Don't know if that had anything to do with it, I wasn't going to ask at that point.... "America's Meat - - - SPAM" As always, Good Hunting!!! Widowmaker416 | |||
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one of us |
If you are going to South Africa, or leaving the In Transit area of the JNB airport, aren't you limited to two firearms anyway? | |||
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One of Us |
Your PH doesn't have a shotgun? ~Ann | |||
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One of Us |
i might be totally wrong as usual, but I don't believe that a shotgun counts on the 2 gun limit. I think your biggest problem will be with the 11# limit on ammo. It's not going to take many 12 ga. shells to reach it. | |||
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one of us |
I would shoot the Leopard with the 404..It is an excellent Leopard gun, it kills them and does not ruin the skin...I have done many a safari for plainsgame in RSA and then to Tanz. for Buffalo with only one rifle those being a 416 and a 404, and would do so again..they are actually fine plainsgame rifles. Your 35 Whelen is just extra baggage IMO.......... Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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One of Us |
GA Hunter, I will actually try and answer your question and some advice based on what you asked. The extra baggage cost will probably run about $50 each way from RSA to USA. The reason I say probably is they may not charge you at all. The bigger question is whether they will let you on with three guns. Maybe maybe not it could all depend on who you get at the ticket counter. The concept that a shotgun doesn't count as a firearm is ludicrous. It's a firearm. Call SAA and see what they say...that may not even get you a straight answer. Second, if you want to bring the Whelen bring the Whelen you probably set it up with that leopard in mind so take it. Third, you may run into even more costs heading from RSA to wherever you are going. Weight limits are different within Africa than between RSA and the USA. Excess baggage can be very expensive intra Africa. Your best bet I think is to have the PH get you a shotgun over there. It will probably save you the headaches. 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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Moderator |
Mike, Where does it say in SAA rules that you can only take two firearms? I thought it said two firearms per case not per passenger? regards, Pete | |||
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one of us |
Importing Firearms into South Africa No good deed goes unpunished. | |||
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One of Us |
Pete, I did not check SAA rules. Many airlines when operating in the US have adopted a two gun rule. What I think most people here have learned is that many airline ticket pelple do not know their own airlines rules, do not know FAA rules, seem to make up their own rules at times, and get irritated when you show them the rules in writing. I just don't see the need to risk the aggravation is all. 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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one of us |
The rules I posted above are from the South African Consulate not the airline. The rules appear to be Country Law not airline rules. I also posted a link to the consulate's rules concerning guns. I don't know if it's one shotgun and two rifles but it appears that way. No good deed goes unpunished. | |||
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Moderator |
Mike, OK, i am with you now...as we get a 44lb baggage allowence its a moot point for me anyway! Regards, Pete | |||
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One of Us |
I called SAA and they said 2 guns only, and that I could not pay extra for the privilege of taking a 3rd regardless of how many hardsided guncases I took. But if someone else calls them, the answer might be different. | |||
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one of us |
Take the .404 and your shotgun. Swift, Silent, & Friendly | |||
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new member |
This from SAA baggage info online: Sporting firearms consisting of not more than: o One rifle case containing not more than two rifles, 5 Kg (10 LB) of ammunition, one shooting mat, noise suppressers and small rifle tools; o Two shotguns and two shotgun cases, or o One pistol case containing not more than five pistols, 5 Kg (10 LB) of ammunition, noise suppressers, one pistol telescope and small pistol tools. | |||
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one of us |
Mike, You are absolutely right in that not only was the Whelen set up with leopard in mind, it was built from scratch strictly for this one hunt. I'll be damned if it is going to stay at home so I can shoot a few birds! I'm probably not going to take a chance on getting stuck at a third world airport with some ticket agent claiming I can't check three guns. This is primarily a DG hunt, so I'll just nix the shotgun and do all my hunting with rifles. As far as the question about baggage allowance, since I'm ticketed all the way through to Bulawayo, and all the way back from there to Atlanta, I keep my Trans-Atlantic allowance of 70 pounds each all the way. | |||
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one of us |
The 2 long gun rule probably came about when travelers started using those 3 gun "Safari" cases that are as big as an icebox. I have carried 3 long guns in soft cases inside a "2" gun Pelican case a few times without problems. I always carry 2 rifles and one or 2 handguns without problems. You could probably get by with 3 long guns in a Tuff-Pac IF you still made weight. Making weight seems to be the big thing. DOUBLE RIFLE SHOOTERS SOCIETY | |||
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one of us |
Somewhere ,NE, it says 2 guns to a case. Three in a tuffpak may get by but may not. I believe it would be better for me to choose a rifle battery and take my chances on the PH begging, borrowing or stealing me a 12 Ga and shells. He will have to provide ammo or at least find you a source as scattergun ammo will exhaust your 5 Kg quota pretty quick. I sure would not want to be caught in Zim and be over the line on some firearms rule or another. A better idea may be to find yourself another hunter to go with you that only needs one gun. Then you are in. Better yet just take me along as your gun bearer and I can help shoot the extra stuff you don't want to shoot! Although cartridge selection is important there is nothing that will substitute for proper first shot placement. Good hunting, "D" | |||
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