how many guns did you take to Africa???

JHC-II

JHC-II

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Count down starting pretty soon for me and am having a hell of a dilema figuring out if I take one rifle or two rifles with me to Africa on the menu is Kudu, Gemsboks, Blesbok, Impala, Bushbuck, Gnu, Warthogs. I want to take a 300H&H and a 7x57 but wonder if I have to many guns with weight restrictions how many guns did you guys go with on your trips? I realize if you went for Buff you had a big bore and probably a medium bore but for plains game did you take more than one gun? Looking forward to hearing back:canadaFlag:
 
I took one a .338 Win Mag

Taking more than one gun is not really necessary. By the looks of your critters you want to take I would bring the H&H. Bringing more than one gun for plainsgame species is not pointless but just not needed. For the most part murphys law is going to kick in. When you are out chasing duikers and the little guys with your light gun, you run into bigger critters like eland...there is no happy medium.

Your guide will have a rifle as well so in the unlikely even something goes wrong with your gun you will have his to use. My advise would be to take the H&H and load some solids and soft points that way you are covered for anything.
 
I took a 375 HH improved...300 grain Barnes X for everything from warthog to buffalo...I too would suggest taking 1 rifle only.
 
I've always taken 2 rifles, one trip it was a .300 Win Mag & .375 H&H, 3 were .375 and .416 Rigby. I don't see any advantage in going with one rifle at all, even if you never use the second one. Two rifles fit in a double pelican case and still come in under 50 pounds. Making the same case 10 pounds lighter isn't going to save you any money. You are allowed 5 KGs of ammo on the plane, which is enough to have softs and solids for 2 calibers. It isn't one little bit harder to do the paperwork for 2 rifles compared to one.

I inevitably end up carrying a .375 day after day, but shot my buffalo and elephants with the .416. The .375 covered everything from steinbuck to giraffe, and could have done the B&E as well.

Out of the two rifles you mentioned I'd probably use the .300 for everything on a PG hunt, but why would you want to cross the ocean without a spare? There's no advantage.
 
I just took one gun, a .338WM. As you are only hunting plains game, there's no real reason to take two. If you have an accident with your rifle, you should be able to rent one from your PH. The .300 will do everything you need it to.

By taking only a single rifle, you can cram a lot of other stuff in your gun case and still stay well under weight limits if that's a concern where you are going. If something is going to happen to your rifle, it's likely to happen in transit. Even if you have two rifles in the case, the likelyhood of damage to both is high, so you still wouldn't have a rifle.
 
Never been there myself my rifles have but I haven't... :redface:

If I were to go I would take 2 rifles...

My 21" barreled T/C Contender carbine in 375JDJ loaded with 260gr Accubonds @ 2300fps with VX111 2.5-8X36mm B&C scope mounted with Leupold QRW rings on a MGM scope base.

My 21" barreled Rem 700 LSS in 375RUM loaded with 260gr Accubonds @ 3030fps and when I figure out my RL17 300gr loads (looking for 2750 - 2800fps only getting 2650fps with IMR4350 now) I may leave the 260's @ home and only take 300gr Gamekings/A-Frames.

I would take 2 scopes for the 375RUM a VX3 2.5-8X36mm B&C reticle & a VX3 4.5-14X40mm B&C reticle mounted with Leupold QRW rings and if I was following up on game depending on the situation/bush I would be ready to remove the scope and install my XS Sights Tall Weaver backup ghost ring sight.
 
I wouldn't drive an hour from the house to hunt without taking 2 rifles. Too much of a chance for something to go wrong.

When I went to RSA I took 2 rifles, my 300 WM and 416 Rigby. I shot everything with the 416 because I shot it better than the 300 (always have for some reason). I'm going to Zim next summer but am renting a rifle there because of DFAIT's stupid arms export embargo (apparently taking a hunting rifle is no different than a sea-can of AKs according to those guys). My original plan was to take the Rigby and a pre-64 M70 300 H&H because, although I'm after buff primarily, I might tag out early and hunt some common game and the H&H deserves to see Africa.

I'm with Camp Cook on taking two scopes but for different reasons. If your scope goes in the dumper while you're out there a spare $500 scope could be a hunt saver. I'd have two identical scopes in rings ready to swap out in case of disaster.

You wouldn't drive from Edmonton to Saskatoon with no spare tire, why would you fly halfway around the world to hunt without a spare rifle? Doesn't cost you any more and gives you plenty of peace of mind.
 
BigUglyMan said:
I wouldn't drive an hour from the house to hunt without taking 2 rifles. Too much of a chance for something to go wrong. You wouldn't drive from Edmonton to Saskatoon with no spare tire, why would you fly halfway around the world to hunt without a spare rifle? Doesn't cost you any more and gives you plenty of peace of mind.
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I'm of the same opinion and have taken two rifles whenever I've hunted Camp Wainwrong (travelled from Edm) or similar distances away from home. Too much of a pain in the event something does go cowsh*t with your number 1 gun. The points made regarding weight savings and possibly using a guide's gun or a rental are good ones to consider as well. My only concern would be having to shoot a gun you weren't familiar or comfortable with.

YMMV
 
JHC-II,

You probably do not have to take a rifle at all. There are some risks involved in taking a rifle and you may set yourself up for bribes.

if you are hunting with a PH, he will have an arsenal of adequate rifles that you can choose from and you will have ample opportunity to familiarize yourself with whatever rifle he has on offer.

If you are going to take a rifle, your 7x57 will be quite adequate for everything that you have on the menu. Maybe you will feel more comfortable hunting a blue wildebeest (gnu) with the 300 H&H and that would be good for the rest too. You do not need FMJ, but I will load 180 grain premium bullets at approximately 2400 ft/sec (2600 maximum) for everything – the chances that you will shoot anything beyond 200 meters are slim.
 
Snoepie said:
JHC-II,

You probably do not have to take a rifle at all. There are some risks involved in taking a rifle and you may set yourself up for bribes.

if you are hunting with a PH, he will have an arsenal of adequate rifles that you can choose from and you will have ample opportunity to familiarize yourself with whatever rifle he has on offer.

If you are going to take a rifle, your 7x57 will be quite adequate for everything that you have on the menu. Maybe you will feel more comfortable hunting a blue wildebeest (gnu) with the 300 H&H and that would be good for the rest too. You do not need FMJ, but I will load 180 grain premium bullets at approximately 2400 ft/sec (2600 maximum) for everything – the chances that you will shoot anything beyond 200 meters are slim.
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I disagree. Maybe some PHs have some decent rifles but what I experienced in RSA was crap for rifles.

I took 2 rifles (338 LAI and 300 Win Mag) and 1 spare scope and was damned glad I did.
Most of Africa the PHs would prefer you to shoot everything while standing several feet away from it, less cahnce of missing I suppose, but make no mistake there ARE places for some very long shots. I took my Eland at just over 600 yards.
I can't speak for other countrise but I had all my permits in order from Canada and for RSA and had no issues at all.
I was also exporting 6 other rifles from Canada to RSA and had no problems with these either.
As long as you have all your papers and behave, i see no problem.
I am going back in 2011 and will again be taking my 2 rifles.
 
My son and I went in 2007 and I bought two rifles, one for him and one for me. But they were both Sako's if someting had happened to one of them we both could have made do with the other.

I would want to see pics of the PH's rifles if I wasn't taking two. If the pics looked good enough I might not take one at all.
 
Most Ph's will have rifles for use but in my experience you are or should be more comfortable with your own rifle and as long as you plan ahead it isn't to big a deal to bring with. as far as two or one I would take two that way if something happens you have a back up rifle. Remember in Africa they like big guns 375's are the gun of choice with solids for the most part.
 
I would have taken my custom Brno .375 Ultra, but left it at home because I didn't find out about the requirement for an In-Transit firearms permit until there was too little time to get the paper work through. This was a huge disappointment to me, but I didn't want to risk loosing a $4500 rifle. My travel agent booked me through the US, and surprising to me at the time, the US is anal about non-resident guns being flown across the country.

If you are not hunting anything dangerous, any general purpose North American big game rifle would be fine for Africa, and one rifle is enough considering the baggage weight restrictions. Typically ranges are not excessive, so any cartridge from 6.5 to .30/06 or .300 Winchester will do just fine. I would load a premium bullet and use a single load for all my hunting. A variable low power scope will be useful as some shooting will undoubtedly be very at short range in heavy cover.

Should you decide you want to take on dangerous game, a single rifle in the 9.3, .375, or .416 bore size will work fine for both your dangerous and plains game. You don't need a stopping rifle, that's the PH's job . . . just hope he's good. You may want two loads, one solid one soft point, although chances are you would do just fine with the heaviest TSX's you can load for your cartridge. I shot all of my plains game with a M-70 .375 and flat nosed solids, and found it killed as well as if it had been loaded with soft points.
 
Maybe you can explain why??????
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Because the PH is suppose to guide you on an ethical hunt and it is just not ethical to allow a client to shoot at an animal at that distance because of the huge risk that the animal will end up wounded.
 
Snoepie said:
Because the PH is suppose to guide you on an ethical hunt and it is just not ethical to allow a client to shoot at an animal at that distance because of the huge risk that the animal will end up wounded.
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How is it not ethical if that shooter can make that shot 100% of the time, and does so on a regular basis?
 
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