What did you take to Africa?

[hunting1]

I am going to Africa next July and thinking seriously of taking 2-Remington 700's in 30-06 (one is for my son) what did you take? I wanted to take my 7mm PRC but worried if I needed ammo. Plus I think wood stocks and blue just fit there.

 

[northernalpine]

Last 2 times in Zim, 3 rifles between two guys, cull/control hunt plus some others:
6.5x55 w/ 100 rounds (plains)
300WM w/ 100 rounds (plains+)
375 Ruger w/ 50 rounds (mandatory)

Next year in Namibia for Springbok/Impala cull hunt, personal load out:
6.5 PRC w/ 200 rounds

Didn’t need to buy additional ammo but only came home with ~10%. I kept an eye out as we were cruising in or around picking up resupplies. 30-06 & 300WM are pretty common to find, 375 H&H was much more common than 375 Ruger, European calibers are very common, 7.62x39 was everywhere

Haven’t been since 7PRC has been a thing, but would assume, perhaps incorrectly, that availability might be slim. I’d ask your PH/Outiftter/Gamemaster what they carry or what the local inventory is, they should have good awareness.

 

[ElDiablito]

A .45 and a .50 muzzleloader.

 

[sebastian.cassell]

Seekins element 300 prc w/100 rounds for a 1k steel range and hunting purposes obviously. Next time I will take a rimfire as well to shoot dassies

 

[JCS271]

Kind of hard to make a recommendation without knowing the target species.

 

[hunting1]

Kind of hard to make a recommendation without knowing the target species.

I asked what you took, hunting plains game so just passing time and seeing what calibers were used. We kill oryx in NM so not worried about the 30-06.

 

[rugerhoyt]

Our PHs all had .308s in South Africa. I took a Hoyt and 12 Iron Wills.


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[Mike D Texas]

I haven’t been yet. The PH we talked to said .30 caliber recommended and .308 and up would be fine. This was for a plains game hunt in SA up to Kudu size game.

If I go through the hassle of taking my own rifles and ammo I will take my Tikka .308 and Tikka 300WSM.


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[JCS271]

On my last trip to Zim I took a .450Nitro double rifle and a .416 Ruger Alaskan. Fourteen days with only dangerous game on the menu.

 

[Edge]

Even though you say plains game, will you be hunting in an area with dangerous game? Something to think about on caliber selection. If you want to rely on your PH as your back up gun, your choice. I’ve been to Cameroon, Mozambique, Zimbabwe (x2) and South Africa (x4) and have been too close to some cheeky mama elephants.

If in a pure plains game area it depends upon species and location. Plains game can be a 2lb Genet, 25lb duiker to a 1500lb eland. I’ve hunted KZN and other very open areas in the mountains and farm fields and you can see for miles and shots can be long but the animals are usually smaller. However, there are eland around in those windswept free range grassy areas up in the mountains. A 6 - 7 mm round would be fine in those types of environments . In those open areas I’ve used 6.5-284, 300 Wby and 375 H&H.

In Mopane forests and thicker bush area’s like Limpopo, I’ve used .22LR, 22 Hornet (small cats), .223, 12 gauge, 30-06 and 375 H&H.

In areas where dangerous game is present and I’m focused on DG, I’ve gravitated to my 375 as my “light rifle” with a mix of solids and softs. I’ve taken animals the size of bull Elephant, Cape buffalo, Serval, Oribi with the 375 and it also doubles as a back-up for dangerous game if my 416 would have a mechanical issue and go down. Smaller plains game can be shot with the solids to minimize damage. I’ve now done a few Safaris with this combo.

That got a little long winded . My advice is to base your caliber selection on the type of area you will be hunting, size of game you are after, rely on your PHs advice on what to bring and focus on studying shot placement.

 

[hunting1]

I won't need a big gun or the largest thing I will be hunting is wildebeest. I am not sure about the dangerous game but I will hope the PH has me covered. My list is Impala, Common Springbuck, Blue or Black Wildebeest, Management animal,(Added game Common Gemsbock, Warthog, Blesbuck Common)
for this trip.
I won the trip, I am not so much asking for advice or have no shortage of guns more just curious as to what others have taken. I will not need a 375 or 416. There are 4-of us going one being my son.

 

[northernalpine]

I won't need a big gun or the largest thing I will be hunting is wildebeest. I am not sure about the dangerous game but I will hope the PH has me covered. My list is Impala, Common Springbuck, Blue or Black Wildebeest, Management animal,(Added game Common Gemsbock, Warthog, Blesbuck Common)
for this trip.
I won the trip, I am not so much asking for advice or have no shortage of guns more just curious as to what others have taken. I will not need a 375 or 416. There are 4-of us going one being my son.

Sounds like a good trip, you guys are going to have a blast. PH will likely have the big gun(s) in the inventory to cover anything if/when it gets thick or close up. Take what you enjoy shooting and it’ll work itself out. There’s nothing on that list that a 6mm-.30 cal can’t handle

 

[JGRaider]

5 times, Tikka 595 7Mag, 160 accubonds running 3000'at the muzzle, and a 2-12x VX6 (gasp!). Taken over 60 head with this combo.

 

[THellURider]

Took a Blaser R93 with a .300 Wby barrel and a .375H&H barrel.

 

[Samson7x]

Rented my PH’s gun because I didn’t want to mess with importing mine. It was a 30-06 and I took a very large sable, kudu, and wildebeest with it.

 

[hunting1]

Rented my PH’s gun because I didn’t want to mess with importing mine. It was a 30-06 and I took a very large sable, kudu, and wildebeest with it.

I have contemplated doing this myself.

 

[RockAndSage]

Took a Blaser R93 with a .300 Wby barrel and a .375H&H barrel.

Legally speaking, does this count as "2 guns"? As in, would you be prohibited from bringing an entirely separate gun, or a 3rd barrel for the R93?

 

[david2duck]

We killed 10 animals with a 6.5cm and 143 eldx. Springbok, zebra, waterbuck and in between. Never felt under gunned. Obviously, we weren’t hunting elephant or Cape buffalo.

 

[Sevens]

Make sure if you do bring two rifles of the same cartridge, you check the regulations. I know one is yours and the other your son’s, but SA is weird about two same cartridge rifles.

If you have one 30-06 in the bag, no reason you can’t try the 7PRC as your other rifle.

 

[3325]

I doubt I’ll ever get to go, but if I do, part of hunting Africa will be living Africana. It doesn’t have to be practical or make sense.

That means preferably 7x57 Mauser, but you need to call it .275 Rigby. Can’t get one of those? .30-06 is the American standby. Don’t overlook 220 RN. Trajectory of a shotput, but it still kills. Hemingway used it on lion.

Need something heavier, but not a true heavy? Has to be 9.3 x 62.