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I understand from this forum that when going to africa on safari you are limited to bringing two guns, thus having to compromise with caliber for intended game. Would it be possible to bring a rifle with several barrels so that you have one dedicated rifle for dangerous game, ex.458 lott, and one rifle with, for example barrels in 6.5 Swedish, 30-06 and 9,3x62 for the different sizes of plainsgame? Is this not possible or is it a bad idea for some other reason? | ||
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I use a Switch barrel (sauer 202) for all my overseas hunting but wouldn't take a single action with 2 barrels if I needed two calibres. Basically if thre is a problem with the action you have neither of your calibres and changing barrells in anticipation of what you might or might not see is over complicating the issue. A freind has a 243 and 270 and when I look at him wandering about re zeroing each time he changes a barrell depending if he is after Roe or Red deer, I think that he should just choose either and get on with it... I like break downs because they are easily transported rather than anything else. That is why I got mine Take a 30-06 for any non dangerous game and be confident it will do the job worldwide. Rgds, FB | |||
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The biggest reason multiple barrels and calibers doesn't seem to work is because of the airline's weight limitation on the amount of ammo you can bring. | |||
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The reason it's a bad idea is that most African countries count the barrel as the "firearm." In other words, if you have one receiver and two barrels, it will be considered two firearms. Then there is the problem of serial numbers and dealing with customs or police officials that don't understand the nuances of serial numbers on barrels and/or receivers. If you have a Blaser, there will most likely be a serial number on the barrel and the receiver. This should cause little or no confusion. If you have something like a Thompson/Center Encore or Contender, there will only be a serial number on the receiver. In the latter case, leave the barrel on the receiver/frame so you don't confuse people with serial number issues. | |||
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I'm not aware of a two gun limit. | |||
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Snowhound is talkin about two rifles, but one is a switch barrel rifle ie one rifle in .458, and a second with multiple barrels. I think several issues would need to be considered. 1. How many firearms will the airline carry. I think you would get away with up to three firearms and extra barrels might not be an issue. 2. You would need to consider importation restrictions into the country of destination eg if South Africa restricts you to a maximum of three firearms (does it?) per person, I believe each barrel might be treated as a "firearm". 3. You will be restricted to 5 kgs of ammo per person. If taking say 5 calibres, you will need to make sure you have enough ammo or can buy it for your needs with all the calibres. 4. Total weight of everything, 2x rifles + extra barrels and 5 kg ammo, scopes etc will get very heavy for airline checked luggage. I think it is a reasonable idea, especially if your planning a mixed set of hunts with very different requirements. eg if hunting big game, a rifle in .458, and the second rifle having a barrel in say 9.3x62 as a backup might make some sense. If say planning a hunt where long range plains game hunting might be important, a barrel for the second rifle in a longer range cartridge might make sense. If say planning for lots of smaller game hunting such as duiker, klipspringer, reed buck, grysbok, springbuck a .243 or 6.5 might be nice. Personally I would limit it to no more than 3 types of ammo in total eg two rifles, and the second not having more than two barrels. Makes life easier. I think quite an ideal setup would be two takedown rifles which can interchange barrels between them. That way you can 'mix and match' between different hunts. But I personally wouldn't change them around during a safari unless you were switching different areas and styles of hunting eg moving say from a desert hunt in the Kalahari to a bush close range hunt for DG. Also keeping it simple has its advantages too. | |||
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Yes, South Africa limits you to 3 firearms. That would be 2 rifles and/or hunting handguns with different bore diameters and a shotgun. A barrel is considered a firearm. Namibia also considers a barrel a firearm but there is no limit on the number of firearms one can bring in in a legal sense but some of the Namibian police may not know that and might try to limit it to 2. There as well, a barrel is considered a firearm. I don't know much about the firearm rules of the other major African hunting countries. I doubt the airlines would consider a barrel a firearm but barrels would add weight quickly. There is the 11 lb. ammunition limit. Though that limitation is real, unless it looked like you were carrying a lot of ammunition or unless your baggage was really over weight, I doubt it would be enforced at least going from the United States to Africa on Delta Airlines. Other airlines and/or countries of origin might treat ammunition weights with more rigor. | |||
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Some airlines may possibly restrict you to 2 or 3 firearms, but I can't think of any African country that restricts you to that.... including RSA. The RSA requirement is that you are not allowed to import 2 or more firearms of the same calibre...... | |||
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My understanding is the same as shakari's post. | |||
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Thank you gentlemen! Many valid points! Conclusion: Better to bring 2 or 3 good, whole rifles and not overcomplicate things. Cheers! | |||
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My mistake. I believe my error was in getting mixed up with U.S.A. Customs regulations. One is only allowed to take 3 firearms out of the country without a special permit. Now that I have a Blaser with a serial number on the Barrel and on the receiver, I may just try an extra barrel on my next trip since there isn't a Customs limitation on barrels. | |||
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I was thinking about doing this, but then I remembered two glaring details. 1st. You start the safari with your 338 or 375, or 416 and the first 5 days of a 7 day safari you don't have a chance at anything other than Impala, duikers, steenbok, civets, honeybadgers, and dik dik. Then when you realize the big kudu, eland, buffalo isn't going to come you switch calibers and again have the wrong caliber when you do run into them. 2 rifles, even if they are both take downs is better than one rifle and 2 or 3 calibers. 2. As previously stated your rifle malfunctions and can't be fixed in the bush. So now you don't have a back up. 3. And most importantly it's fun to hunt with more than one rifle! | |||
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I think there is a point that no one has brought up. Hunting elephant, cape buffalo, or leopard/lion over baits is a very focused activity and you will often pass on other game. But eland, zebra, impala, wildebbest, sable, kudu, bushbuck can show up at any moment. It is no if you are going to go out and say let me take the 270 cause I will only be going after impala or busbuck this morning. Bring your DGR rifle and 30-06 class plains game rifle and be done with it. Or bring two rifle that can be used for DGR like 416/458 and a 9,3/375. If you are set on a one rifle safari and then bring something between 9,3-416. sepcialize and it is unlikAfrica is not a grocery store. In other words Mike 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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