Thought to post a word here as am in Joburg after 10 days in Namibia with my .303 double by H&H (1897).

KLM would not fly my ammunition out of Dulles and you all will hear that story with text of my letter of complaint to appropriate authorities of government and airlines. Kudo, here, to my travel agent, Barb Wolbrink, who tried to get the lead agent at Dulles (Air France was handling KLM) to call KLM to get a reading on KLM rules.

So, I arrived at the game farm with no ammunition. But, recalled the Boer maxim on the need to "make a plan." Did pick up Federal .303 in 150gr and PMU in 180 gr. But had little hope they would regulate because JJ Perodeau regulated the rifle to my charge of IMR4350 and the 215 grain Woodleigh RNSP. At Rosenthals in Windhoek bought a box of 174 gr Hornaday hoping to effect the rule of 3/4, and added a set of dies as I knew my friend and game farm owner has a good reloading set-up inclding a chrony.

The 150 gr were hopeless. The 180 gr regulate perfectly at 50 and 100 BUT are 6 inches low at 100 and I did not have a lower front sight insert. Worked up at load of 41 grains of Somchem S365 for the 174 gr Hornady SP bullets that gives about 2200 fps (40 grains was 2087 and 42 grains was 2287 but crossing at 50 yards).

That 41 grain load took a springbok at just over 100 yards off sticks with iron sights and, the next day, took a trotting old warthog boar at about 35 yards offhand. Walked all over the 70,000 acre game farm with the blackthorn in puffy white blossom and the long white thorned acacia tortillis beginning to show its own puffy yellow blossoms. Couldn't have spent a better 10 days.

Regards, Tim

Wow! Looking forward to hearing the rest of the .303 story. Glad you had a great time.

Tim,
I leave for Kimberley on September 3, with my .303 double. I'm flying KLM from Toronto to Amsterdam, then on to Jo'Burg. I have everything packed exactly as KLM advises on their website and have phoned and pre-advised them as they say they require. I'd be VERY interested to hear the reason that they refused your ammunition.

Best,
Ron Vella.

Yeah no kidding. Lots of guys here have travelled through Amsterdam on KLM with no issues. jorge

I'm wondering if Tim had all of the required permits. Here's what I had to get:

One from Canada Dept. of Foreign Affairs, for the rifle.

Another from Canada Dept. of Foreign Affairs for the telescopic sight and the ammunition.

One from Customs Dept. in the Netherlands for the rifle.

Another from Customs Dept. in the Netherlands for the ammunition.

One from South African Police Services for the rifle and the ammunition.

Since 9/11 those are all of the B/S hoops that we have to jump thru for the bureaucracy, in order to fly with firearms! But "so be it" if that's what's necessary.

Gents,

Had with me at Dulles check-in the Netherlands Customs faxed permits for ammo and rifles transit. Agent, who was Air France, argued I needed explicit KLM approval for the ammo, rather than just the notification that travel agent had included with ticketing. Believe that the Air France agent was applying Air France rules to KLM incorrectly.

Suggest you just call KLM and ask if you are all in order to travel with both firearm and ammo once you show them your Dutch Customs fax permit. Don't believe you'll have a problem.

Regards, Tim

The problem is that you can't get to speak to an actual KLM employee because they use Air France and Delta on this side of the pond. When I phoned their number, listed as KLM Canada, to report that I would be travelling with a firearm, as their website requires, I ended up with a female employee of Delta Airlines in Washington, DC. To make matters worse, she speaks "ghetto-speak" or "eubonics" or whatever-the-hell they call it now. I would have had a better chance trying to understand someone in Ulan-Bator or Lhasa!