3 trips to Africa, no issues with either rifle or ammo.

I have had problems back in the states where I forget a detachable mag before heading into the field (not the whole hunt), so carry an extra at all times now.

First trip to Africa was last month. Lost both my friends and my guns and bags going over. did not get the guns until day 6 but had no ammo is it was in the duffel bags. got our bags on day 8 and was finally able to use my stuff on days 9 and 10. My buddy was hunting in a different area and only got to use his gun on day 10.

They also lost my duffel bag on the way home.

I hope this was my one time and it does not happen again. They told me basically that they did not care and they hoped I had travel insurance. Unreal!!

Three trips to Namibia and Zimbabwe. No problems with rifles or ammo at all. I did cull so many animals on one trip that I started running low on my 375 H&H 260 Federal with AB; PH says use his cheaper PMP 300 gr round-nose. I actually missed a zebra at 100 yards, and we found my rifle would curve ball them a foot low and left! Now I take twice as much as I think I'll need and leave whatever is left over.

A good reason to use generics like the 375 H&H, and releiable old standbys. The ammo is likely to be available in Africa. Ruger, Dakota, and other new calibers, your likely to be left with a boat anchor. Jack

quote:

Originally posted by LittleJoe:
First trip to Africa was last month. Lost both my friends and my guns and bags going over. did not get the guns until day 6 but had no ammo is it was in the duffel bags. got our bags on day 8 and was finally able to use my stuff on days 9 and 10. My buddy was hunting in a different area and only got to use his gun on day 10.

They also lost my duffel bag on the way home.

I hope this was my one time and it does not happen again. They told me basically that they did not care and they hoped I had travel insurance. Unreal!!

Ammo in a duffel bag ? How it got onto the plane in the first place beats me !

Is it possible to ship ammo and other items such as clothing to your PH ahead of time via UPS or FedEx or some other carrier? This would help avoid airline overweight charges and losing your items for the hunt. I haven't been there yet, but I'm trying to get my first trip organized in my mind. Soon, I hope.

2years ago my rifly came 2 days later to JNB, but I had my ammo

Zim hunt April 2008.

Flew from JFK to Harare connecting Johannesburg. I arrived late at night and only my rifles arrived in Harare (they were in a tuff pack). My support baggage never arrived. The airport authorities said the second bag was coming the next morning flight.

No surprise the next day my second bag never arrived in Harare. Lost! And the airline staff could not locate it. Great.

So, off to camp we go. Fortunately, I had placed 4 rounds of .458 at the bottom of my tuff pack. Security never found them leaving JFK.

7 days later my bag arrives at camp. The bag was ransacked....2 boxes ammo stolen, some of my personal hygiene items were missing and 1 pair of boots and clothes were gone. At least the thieves were kind enough to leave me one box of ammo.


Advice:

1. Separate your ammo if you can get away with it.

2. pack all your meds with your carry on luggage. And extra clothes.

3. were your hunting boots and hunting clothing on plane.

4. buy 2 tuff packs...one for rifles and on for support gear.


dale

I guess I'm lucky I have never had guns or amo lost after 7 trips. Then again I always check with the airline attendent at each layover to make sure the guns have been loaded.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
I have never lost any, des pite hunting for so many years.

Someone at Emirates would be without a job if any of your equipment got lost.

quote:

Originally posted by scojac:
Is it possible to ship ammo and other items such as clothing to your PH ahead of time via UPS or FedEx or some other carrier? This would help avoid airline overweight charges and losing your items for the hunt. I haven't been there yet, but I'm trying to get my first trip organized in my mind. Soon, I hope.

Import procedures would be different and more hassles than one would care for.

been hunting in africa twicw lost ammo once 50% success on the thieves part

* the sound of hand knocking on wood * 4 trips - no problems with guns or ammo, but I did have a pair of shoes, a folding knife and 5 rolls of cherry lifesavers stolen out of my bag at JBurg airport. Damn I really missed those lifesavers.

Once in 2007 from Joburg to Namibia. When we arrived at the other end and couldnt find one of our bags, we were told the flight was overloaded, so they randomly removed bags before departure. As a result, my friend was without ammo and we lost over a day of hunting trying to find and retrieve it. My friend’s rifle arrived in camp and the PH had some good ammo from prior hunters so we were able to get some hunting done. This part was relatively good luck, since I was shooting a wildcat 300 mag and would not have been able to shoot anything other than what was in my bag.

1998 I flew from Joberg to Sydney and found out my 450 Ack was still in Joburg. Took several days to get it sorted, but again would have been a lot worse if it happened on the way into Africa.

I had my bag with ammo delayed one day in '07 from Joberg to Bulawayo. We really didn't have enough time between flights arriving ORT and departing ORT so I wasn't surprised.

Other than the trips to Tanzania and Cameroon I've used British Air exclusively and recommend it to my clients. None of my clients or myself has ever had baggage go missing on the BA legs of travel. Delta and SAA have been very bad at times.

I think eventhough it is a pain that if you are traveling through RSA to another country to hunt you need to claim your luggage in RSA and physically recheck it on to the next flight. That way if your luggage does not arrive at your destination you'll know what part of the trip it was lost on.

As others have stated and I've not always done this but bringing common calibers like 30-06, 375 and 458 will give youa much better chance of finding ammo if yours is lost.

Mark

I have never lost my ammo or my guns going. But I deliberately book my tickets so I have at least a two hour layover. If you have an airline club membership, it is no big deal.

I did lose my guns coming back one year; I stopped in Zurich for business but had a minimal connection in AMS. Guns arrived the next day.

Made 8 trips to Zimbabwe thru South Africa and never had anything lost or late either going or coming.