I have never been to Africa, and will probably never have the money to go.
I am curious what the typical shooting distances are for the various game animals in Africa.
I am a brush hunter for eastern whitetail. The deer are smart and spooky. But my distances are usually under 20 yards. About 75 yards is probably typical.
Lion, cape buffalo, kudu,...zebra...I'm not sure what else there is.
Would a brush hunter with a big gun be able to do africa?

Frank,

Stop thinking about going to Africa and go!

There are different areas in Africa and different ranges for each. I mostly hunt in the Bushveld and a 100yd shot is far there, most are probably 50yds or less. The vegetation is thick and therefore you normally can't see anymore than about 50yds. When I hunted in the Free State of RSA the ranges were much further owing to the lack of vegetation.

If your screen name indicates that you use a .45-70, you shouldn't have trouble in the bushveld. There are several people on this board that proudly take their .45-70s to Africa and do well with them.

Colin

Ok, I probably shouldn't ask this. It is probably the start of something very bad.
But could you estimate how much a trip to africa TOTAL would cost, and what I could hunt. Not including airfare. 5 thousand,10 thousand, 15 thousand?

Frank,

Colin is correct and your ph will take you to hunt where your rifle works.. Not 300yds shots with a 45/70.. I am norht of you and that rifle is the main stay for us black bear hunters...
You also understand if one cannot put a good shot in, you know the rest of the story... Good shooting is everything...
However there are minumum calibers for certain animals..
You guys are sending us more snow, thank alot...

Mike

Frank yu probably could do RSA for $5k and shoot a few nice animals kudu zebra wildebeast warthog they all scream Africa..
sent you a pm
Mike

check out the outfitters specials on this site. they have listed some real bargains.
be honest with your ph about you capabilities and everything (shooting distance wise) will work out.

Ok, 5 thousand. I will keep that in mind. In reality, I could probably come up with that if I wanted to.
Not to side track my own thread, but I used to shoot 45-70 pistol. This year I hunted with a 458 Socom I had built. But I want a bit more speed, and the choice of a lot more speed. So I am building a .458 win mag bolt gun. I am hoping to finally settle on it, with mild loads, as my primary gun.
The goal is to be a brush hunter with plenty of gun,that doesn't have too much crack to it. I hate a noisy crack.
But I can't go changing my user name every time I change caliber.
Sorry about the snow. Better you than me.

frank4570,

Way back, many years ago when I was just a rookie PH, I used a .458WM as back-up rifle. I fitted it with quality QD mounts and a Zeiss 8X56 telescope. With the scope on and using reduced loads - 405 grains gas checked cast bullets @ about 1800 f/s, and very accurate (1/2" groups) - it was extensively used for my own bushveld hunting and as backup rifle when guiding plains game hunting clients. It was used to kill many 'meat' impala and warthog with it with scope on. I also killed my share of animals that plains game hunting clients and local 'biltong' hunters have wounded, often shooting at dusk and sometimes way past normal scope shooting light. The Zeiss performs well under poor light conditions! For real DG practice I used reduced loads and iron sights to shoot a large number of hyrax [also called 'dassie'or rock rabit]. Doing this regularly, including fast follow-up shots at the ones running away [No not the one I missed, his mates! ] made me totally familiar with the rifle and shooting it accurately and fast. I would use it with confidence with full loads to back up a client on any game. Never needed it though!

I never felt under-gunned in any bushveldt area where there were no DG present with my reduced loads. Now, I don't have .45/70 balistics handy, but my reduced load must be pretty close or even a bit below to that of a .45/70?

I invite you to bring your accurate reduced load .458 WM to Africa and I'll show you what it is capable of! In short kill any plains game out to quite some distance.

Care to read a bit of marketing? As a client of Andrew McLaren Safaris you will not get any better before safari advice, planning help and you will also never find any better value for money spent anywhere! Go check my website. I look forward to your enquiry.

In good hunting.

Andrew McLaren

Frank,

Costs will vary greatly with country, type of hunt and camp, animals selected, etc. In South Africa or Namibia you should be able to get a plains game hunt with three or four animals for $5K. If you add additional animals there is a trophy fee for each.

Air fare will be another $1,800 - 2,000. Dipping, packing, and shipping trophies back to the states will be another $1,200 to 1,500. To this you will probably add medevac and trip insurance for another $700 or so.

There has been recent thread on the 24 Hr Campfire forum discussing this topic that you might find interesting. Safari Cost Thread

Frank, I went to RSA last July, and I used my .45-70 guide gun. Here is the link to my report.

http://forums.accuratereloadin.../6321043/m/304103498

Here is who I hunted with.

www.cruisersafaris.com/

You can do a 8-10 day hunt, for plains game, 5-6 animal pkg. for $5,ooo or less. What you do/don't do with taxidermy, is what can make the hunt expensive. My shots were 40-110 yds. Hope this helps.

Mad Dog

Thanks for the replies and the PMs.
Here is the bottom line. I want to hunt Africa. There are a lot of things I want that it is probably not a good time to spend my money on. Especially with the possible future of our economy.
If I went on an African hunt now, there would be one trophy more important than the others. That would be my head on a stick in the front yard. It would be put there by my wife as a dire warning to her next prospective husband to never make such a questionable decision while in a relationship with her.
I wouldn't blame her.
I am going to start saving my pennies though. If I never go, I will probably regret it.

Frank,

Go to Africa. You will never regret it. The only problem is you will be trying to figure out how to get back before you get on the plane to come home.

In answer to your first question, I went to Namibia last year and my shots were from 60 yards to 302 yards. The zebra was the long shot because we just ran out of cover. My springbok was taken at 260 yards, warthog at 150, Gemsbok at 150 and two more shots on the run out to 225 yards, kudu at 80 yards and Steenbok at 100 yards.

Just go. Once you have been you will want to go again so take your wife and she will understand and want to go with you. Don't worry about distance a good PH will get you within your comfort range. Remember take your wife along !!

To answer your question, out of 19 trophies taken on 4 hunts, 17 were shot inside 100 yds (most 70 - 80 yds), 1 just over 100 and 1 about 300yds.

The answer to your Wife's objection is simple; take her with you. Save your pennies, it is worth it.

quote:

Originally posted by lavaca:
Frank,

Go to Africa. You will never regret it. The only problem is you will be trying to figure out how to get back before you get on the plane to come home.

Shots that I took at animals in Zimbabwe and South Africa ranged from 30 to 348 yds. I shot 34 animals on three trips. Most shots were under 100 yds. All were spot and stalk hunts.

If you watch many of the hunts on TV, they sit in a permanent hide or blind 20 yds from a pile of grain or hay by a waterhole and shoot a stack of animals.

Shots on my hunts have run from inside of ten yards to about 250yds. For me, 250yds is a damn long way.

Many were inside 50yds; many were also in the 50-100yds range; a few between 100 and 150. The remaining few were over 200yds.

All in Zim.

JPK

Is there anything you can sell? What about overtime? Drive your vehicles 200,000+ It all adds up over time. I can understand if you got a lot of debt with kids and other obligations but if you can pull it off you will not regret it. Don't wait until you are too old or some heath problem crops up. You can't take it with you and I guarantee you will die with enough money to go on an African hunt.

Shortest was probably my Waterbuck, about 12 yards standing on tip-toe on the roof of the cruiser to see over the grass.

Longest was my black springbuck, don't know how far but it was prone with a bipod from the top of one hill to the top of the next and there was no cover on either. I held a foot over his back and a foot into the wind with a .300 Wby and struck him amidships.

quote:

Originally posted by Mad Dog:
Frank, I went to RSA last July, and I used my .45-70 guide gun. Here is the link to my report.

http://forums.accuratereloadin.../6321043/m/304103498

Here is who I hunted with.

www.cruisersafaris.com/

You can do a 8-10 day hunt, for plains game, 5-6 animal pkg. for $5,ooo or less. What you do/don't do with taxidermy, is what can make the hunt expensive. My shots were 40-110 yds. Hope this helps.

Mad Dog

Maddog what was your experience like with cruiser safaris?

Our last year's hunt in Tanzania.

All distances are approximate.

Topis 100, 120, 220 yards.
Croc 90 yards
Hippo 40 yards
Bushbuck 40 yards
Bohor reedbuck 100 yards
Oribi 200 yards
Eland 400 yards
Waterbuck 450 yards
Zebras 200-300 yards
Warthogs 100 - 140 yards
Buffalo 25 - 200 yards

Hey, I just did one SCI show last month, and an astute shopper can do RSA on $5500 to $6500 for a first time package hunt, no problem. Compare that to $5500 for a USA non guaranteed game hunt for JUST ONE TROPHY!!!! Can't beat the RSA. Distance and big game? I've been twice, and in the Bushveld all my shots have been between 20 yards and 125 yards. If you must go further afield for more specific game, you might see a 300 yard shot at a Springbok, but not always. A buddy took his Reedbuck at 25 yards. You can do RSA on a budget, one that you can never do in the USA!!!

LLS

I have hunted 86 days in Zimbabwe.

My longest shot was a kudu at a little over 300 yards. All other shots were under 300. Most were under 225 yards. Many were under 100 yards.