African Safari.
- Thread starter Cletus
- Start date
I've been on three, and leave for my fourth in July. You can't bring any meat home. The legal minimum for cape buffalo (the water buffalo is usually hunted in Austrailia, even though it isn't native to there) is usually the .375 H&H. Zimbabwe will allow a 9.3x62, but if you really splitt hairs this caliber only meets the minimum energy requirements with handloads and the heaviest bullets. A sensible choice is the biggest damn thing you can shoot really well, with the best premium bullets you can buy.
Been on one with my son last summer in South Africa, we both shot \Kudu, gemsbok, impala, springbok, blue wildebeest, blesbok. I shot a really nice mountain reedbuck and Brendan shot a zebra. We had a great time, my trophies will be here some time in April.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
Our African adventure took place in Tanzania's Selous Game Reserve in July '06. We concentrated on buffalo, but also collected impala, warthog, and wildebeest. I turned down hartabeest, zebra, and baboon. The experience transcends the game taken, and while there is lots of game, it doesn't include the sights, sounds and smells of the African bush. The elephant charge, the sounds of hippo across the river from our camp, crocodile, civet, lions in the grass, hyena at night, bush babies, sunsets and sunrises. We tracked a large croc without success, but we tracked a large croc! I ran into the grass shotgun in tow after a black mamba until self preservation grabbed hold of me. The day we got in the middle of a herd of buffalo in high grass was pretty intense, and brings a smile to my face whenever I think of it.
We followed the 10 day hunting safari with a 10 day photo safari. The hunting experience was much better. You are on the ground with the game. You become a part of it. On the photo safari you are not allowed out of the vehicle. It was a painful experience by comparison, and having done it, I would not choose to do it again despite many wonderful sights.
Our trophies came own a few weeks ago, and getting them has re-fired our enthusiasm for Africa. I am sure it will remain the high point in my life. I am not sure if the opportunity to return will come to us, but if it does we will jump at it.
We followed the 10 day hunting safari with a 10 day photo safari. The hunting experience was much better. You are on the ground with the game. You become a part of it. On the photo safari you are not allowed out of the vehicle. It was a painful experience by comparison, and having done it, I would not choose to do it again despite many wonderful sights.
Our trophies came own a few weeks ago, and getting them has re-fired our enthusiasm for Africa. I am sure it will remain the high point in my life. I am not sure if the opportunity to return will come to us, but if it does we will jump at it.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
I would suggest Zuka Safaris. They supplied the camp, the help, and the vehicle for our safari, and it was top rate. You'll find that Chris Hattie at Zuka a wonderful guy to deal with. Just Google Zuka Safaris.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
As Dogleg mentioned, the .375 is the legal minimum and the 9.3X62 is "allowed" in most of southern and east Africa.
Calling the .375 the minimum is not like saying that a .25-20 is the minimum cartridge for deer. The .375 is a very capable buffalo cartridge and it is a logical minimum rather than a bare bones just enough minimum. If you can handle a larger round, by all means use it, but that could mean taking a second rifle, or be over gunned on plains game.
Consider the K.I.S.S. principal. If you took a .375 rifle and 100 rounds of ammunition topped with 300 gr TSX's, you can shoot every animal on your licence without being concerned about excessive damage on light game or being under gunned on buffalo. You don't have to worry about which bullet weight for which critter, or whether you should use softs or solids. Your PH should have the stopping rifle, and it is his responsibility to deal with emergencies. Your responsibility is to have fun and soak up the experience.
Calling the .375 the minimum is not like saying that a .25-20 is the minimum cartridge for deer. The .375 is a very capable buffalo cartridge and it is a logical minimum rather than a bare bones just enough minimum. If you can handle a larger round, by all means use it, but that could mean taking a second rifle, or be over gunned on plains game.
Consider the K.I.S.S. principal. If you took a .375 rifle and 100 rounds of ammunition topped with 300 gr TSX's, you can shoot every animal on your licence without being concerned about excessive damage on light game or being under gunned on buffalo. You don't have to worry about which bullet weight for which critter, or whether you should use softs or solids. Your PH should have the stopping rifle, and it is his responsibility to deal with emergencies. Your responsibility is to have fun and soak up the experience.
Is this a legality, or is it just with that specific outfitter? So other than heads as trophys, myself being a hunter to fill the freezer, this wouldnt be for me?
You can't import the meat, but even if you could you are talking about about 24 hours to get home plus time sitting around making connections. There is also the excess baggage charges, makes the whole point kind of mute. I spoke with my PH and we will be eating plenty of the meat from my hunt and the rest will be distributed to the camp staff (trackers, skinners,etc) and some goes to the locals on the conservancy where we hunt. Nothing will be wasted, that's what makes sport hunting more valuable to the locals than poaching.
Throw in some high quality solids for the .375 and you wouldn't be under-gunned on elephant either. It is quite simply an amazing cartridge, quite capable of out-penetrating bigger guns and not mangling some dainty critters. I'm going back to using the 270 grain TSX, I can't see enough difference to the 300 to be worried about, and Randy Brooks uses the 270s for buffalo. I still want the .416 for "my" elephant though, partly because I like saying four sixteen RRRRRRigby.
It's a legality. Nobody is going to let you bring in a side of wildebeast.Don'rt worry, it's not wasted.
You hunt for sport, experience, pictures, trophies and mostly memories. Back in the land where mankind started, you hunt for yourself.You hunt because you are a hunter. I don't know if I can explain it better than that.
