Is flintlock hunting permitted anywhere in Africa? I have .50s and .54s. If so, how does one go about procuring powder and/or pellets?

Everywhere, as far as I have read. The smokeless substitutes are not a problem to ship. Contact Dixie Gunworks and talk with them. They have the information you are looking for.

Rich

Thanks. Very familiar w/ Dixie.

In South Africa it is. Your PH should be able to arrange powder etc. Check out www.whitesmoke.co.za

lal,
Thanks for the heads up.

Very nice site.

Hope Rich won't mind me correcting him slightly about substitutes.

All airlines are bound by the Air Navigation Order (Carriage of Damgerous Goods) Act plus in some cases, notably in the USA a variety of other acts as well..... but basically, if the material is rated as an explosive of any kind, it's forbidden to travel on any commercial passenger aircraft.

It has been claimed in the past that BP or substitute can travel if loaded into cases but this is not correct and it is extremely dangerous for the aircraft and if caught in the attempt, the passenger will face extremely heavy penalties, including possibly jail time.

If it's rated as a flammable material it can travel as loaded rounds on ammunition.

You might like to read here:

http://www.shakariconnection.c...-and-air-travel.html and/or check the conservation force website where I think you'll find it's also covered.

As to where you can hunt with a BP rifle etc..... the short answer is most African countries permit it. Feel free to contact me if you need unbiased advice.

Penn: As you will note by noodling around on the very fine WhiteSmoke Web site, the BP substitute Sannadex actually works very well in flintlocks, which cannot be said of the BP subs we have here in the States. The WhiteSmoke guys are pure gold, and will be there for you if you need help in South Africa.

Steve,

usually you are spot on, however, in this case you may need to brush up. The Hodgdon 777 is classified the same as smokeless powder and can be taken along. Hodgdon went to some time and expense to get the formula that would pass the regs. Not all of them are, but as long as the triple-7 travels in the original cannister it is legal.

Rich

Rich,

Kind of you to say so and I thank you for those kind words.

This subject is a SOB. I don't necessarily disagree with you but you need to look at the classification on the container.

If it says explosive and then a class such as 1.1 or 1.2 etc, it's not allowed to be carried. Basically, any explosive classification is forbidden.

If it says, flammable or highly flammable, it is allowed to be carried under certain circumstances.

The easy way to do it is to contact the airline's risk assessment officer, give him the classification on the container and ask him if it can be carried on a commercial passenger flight...... and remember that in this post 9/11 society, if they catch you trying to travel with something dodgy, they're gonna hammer you big time.

To say nothing of the fact that the regs are there for a very good reason and by trying to travel with something dodgy could endanger the entire aircraft and the lives of everyone aboard and possibly those on the ground.

Can you tell I do a bit of flying?

Rich--Shakari has this right. You absolutely CANNOT carry loose powder of ANY KIND on an aircraft. Not black powder, not a black powder substitute, and not smokeless, regardless of the packaging. Neither can you carry percussion caps or primers.

If you want to hunt with a muzzleloader either here or overseas, and you have to fly to get there, you must arrange to have your outfitter or PH get powder for you in country and have it waiting for you at your destination. I don't give a damn what Hogdon or anyone else may say on their website about being able to fly with 777 legally, they are flat out wrong. If that is on the website, it is an error on their part.

The most important thing is the rating. No material with an explosive rating of any kind is permitted on any commercial passenger aircraft.

Materials with flammable or highy flammable can be carried under certain circumstances such as not loose and only in loaded cases where each round is kept separated from every other round etc.

The basic reason for this is that whilst aircraft holds can contain a fire in the hold for a limited time, it cannot control an explosion of any kind. Hence no explosive rated material.

I don't know what the various manufacturers claim on their websites but if they claim any of their products that are rated as explosive 1.1 or 1.2 etc, can travel on commercial passenger aircraft, not only are they wrong, they're dangerously wrong.

I don't say this to be awkward, I say it to keep the aircraft and passengers safe and to ensure hunters don't get into trouble but if there's any doubt whatsoever, the very best thing to do is contact an appropriatly qualified person at the airline you hope to travel with and tell them you plan to fly with them in the near future and ask them if you are allowed to take a material with a classification of whatever it says on the label and in whatever container(s) you plan to use...... and if they say yes, get their reply in writing.

Also remember that in this post 9/11 society anyone caught trying to get a banned substance onto a flight could very probably find themselves facing terrorism charges as well as criminal ones..... So it's advisable to get it right.

"Damgerous Goods" -- I like it!