Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa So...anybody gonna laugh if I go to Africa with a stainless stalker?

I know, I know...it's not traditional...but DANG those wooden-stocked guns are easy to beat up. Has anyone hunted Africa with a stainless / synthetic? Also...since I'm asking...anyone gone after any dangerous game over there with a .338 WM? I'm a noob, so please be kind... :-)

Welcome to the 'fire.....If you like it and shoot it well, practice off of sticks and by all means take it....you will be just fine...338 win mag is more than enough...not to worry....

Still the laughter with pictures -- many know-it-alls are not do-it-evers. Go on safari, sir!

yep, a big ole kudu will do it!!

Welcome, and no...

It would make for a completely adequate PG rifle and sounds like a lot of fun to use.

Most countries limit caliber on dangerous game to 375 and above. Leopards may be ok with a 338, however. The 336 probably has enough power to do Cape Buffalo, and has done so, but the laws state otherwise. The 338 is a great round for the larger Plains Game, but if Dangerous Game is on your menu, you'll need to go up in caliber.

Nope, my father is taking his A-Bolt SS in 270 for plains game, shoot away!

You'll be fine with your stainless rifle, and I believe the .338 may be the best PG caliber of them all (though a host of others do very well). You can use it on leopard most places, but it will not meet mins for the other DG species. That said, a 250 gr. premium .338 round will kill any cape buffalo that ever lived - but it won't do so legally.

Stainless barrels and actions along with synthetic stocks, push feed, muzzle brakes, all Savages, blue jeans, tennis shoes, Nosler Partitions, the dreaded .308, Tasco scopes, cowboy boots, and some Weatherbys are not allowed in Africa.

Seriously, have fun!!!

A lot have fallen to a 338 Win Mag...

A lot have also fallen to the 7mm Rem., .30-06 and .300 Winchester....

Good point.

Years ago I had a casual friend who culled elephant in SA and Rhodesia. He used a post 1964 Win Mdl 70 30-06 and nothing else.

Stainless, synthetic and .338 are all fine with me. Whatever you are comfortable with. Game Department might not agree with the .338 as others noted.

Government Game Scouts go blind at the sight of a US $20.00 bill...

And to the 308 Win, the 270 Win, the 7x57 and the 7mm08.

The main thing is to go, relax, roll with the punches, and have a great time. Also be sure to set aside some time to enjoy some sightseeing game tours, in a place like Kruger, etc. While fun to fuss/obsess over, just about any .270-.30-06 rifle will do for PG(can't comment on the .338 on DG, as I have yet to hunt DG). The important thing is that you shoot it very well. It'll be your trip, so to hell with what anybody thinks of your rifle. I'd rather be in Africa with an A-Bolt, than in my living room, with a Holland & Holland!

Jeff

I came across this on another site...a PH lists all of the minimum caliber / energy specs for African countries...a veritable treasure trove of knowledge for us armchair safarians:

Minimum Equipment Requirements for Rifle Hunting in Africa by Country

Benin
� There is no minimum equipment requirement for rifle hunting in Benin.
� Benin does not require a minimum energy (Eo - muzzle velocity) for calibers used.

Botswana
� The minimum equipment requirement for rifle hunting in Botswana is .222 caliber for any game other than dangerous game.
� The minimum equipment requirement for rifle hunting in Botswana is .375 caliber for dangerous game or big game hunting.
� The maximum equipment allowed for rifle hunting in Botswana is .577 Nitro Express caliber.
� Botswana does not require a minimum energy (Eo - muzzle velocity) for calibers used.

Burkina Faso
� There is no minimum equipment requirement for rifle hunting in Burkina Faso.
� Burkina Faso does not require a minimum energy (Eo - muzzle velocity) for calibers used.

Cameroon
� For Group 1 - Small Game, the equipment requirement for hunting is .240 caliber or less, shotgun may be used as well.
� For Group 2 - Medium Game, the equipment requirement for hunting is .240 to .354 caliber.
� For Group 3 - Big Game, the equipment requirement for hunting is .354 caliber or larger.
� Cameroon does not require a minimum energy (Eo - muzzle velocity) for calibers used.

Central African Republic
� The minimum equipment requirement for rifle hunting in Central African Republic is .375 caliber for dangerous game or big game hunting.
� Central African Republic does not require a minimum energy (Eo - muzzle velocity) for calibers used.

Ethiopia
� There is no minimum equipment requirement for rifle hunting in Ethiopia.
� Ethiopia does not require a minimum energy (Eo - muzzle velocity) for calibers used.

Mozambique
� There is no minimum equipment requirement for rifle hunting in Mozambique.
� Mozambique does not require a minimum energy (Eo - muzzle velocity) for calibers used.

Namibia
� Smallest caliber allowed 7 mm (.284).
� Minimum energy (Eo - muzzle velocity)
� Big Game
5400 Joule
(Elephant, Cape Buffalo, Rhino, Lion, etc.)
� Large Game
2700 Joule
(Greater Kudu, Cape Eland, Oryx / Gemsbok, Red Hartebeest, Blue Wildebeest, Black Wildebeest, Hartmann's Zebra, Burchell's Zebra, Giraffe, Sable Antelope, Roan Antelope, Waterbuck, Tsessebe, Leopard, etc.)
� Medium to Small Game
1350 Joule
(Springbok, Impala, Blesbok, Gray Duiker, Steenbok, Ostrich, Caracal, Black-Faced Impala, Red Lechwe, Damara Dik-Dik, Klipspringer, Black-Backed Jackal, Warthog, Cheetah, Nyala, Chacma Baboon, Game Birds, etc.)

South Africa
� Most provinces do not have a minimum equipment requirement for rifle hunting and rely on common sense.
� Some provinces require a minimum of .375 caliber for dangerous or big game hunting.
� No provinces require a minimum energy (Eo - muzzle velocity) for calibers used.

Tanzania
� The minimum equipment requirement for rifle hunting in Tanzania is .240 caliber for any game other than dangerous game.
� The minimum equipment requirement for rifle hunting in Tanzania is .375 caliber for dangerous game or big game hunting.
� Tanzania does not require a minimum energy (Eo - muzzle velocity) for calibers used.

Zambia
� Zambia does not have a minimum equipment requirement for rifle hunting plains game and rely on common sense. Caliber in the .270 range will be well suited for some of the smaller plains game in Zambia.
� The minimum equipment requirement for rifle hunting in Zambia is .300 caliber for dangerous game such as Leopard and Lion.
� The minimum equipment requirement for rifle hunting in Zambia is .375 caliber for dangerous game or big game hunting such as Elephant, Buffalo and Hippo.
� Zambia does not require a minimum energy (Eo - muzzle velocity) for calibers used.

Zimbabwe
� Class A Game
5300 Joule
Minimum caliber 9.2mm in diameter
(Elephant, Hippo, Buffalo)
� Class B Game
4300 Joule
Minimum caliber 7.0mm in diameter
(Lion, Giraffe, Eland)
� Class C Game
3000 Joule
Minimum caliber 7.0mm in diameter
(Leopard, Crocodile, Kudu, Oryx / Gemsbok, Hartebeest, Wildebeest, Zebra, Nyala, Sable Antelope, Waterbuck, Tsessebe, etc.)
� Class D Game
850 Joule
Minimum caliber 5.56mm in diameter
(Warthog, Impala, Reedbuck, Sitatunga, Duiker, Steenbok, Jackal, Game Birds, etc.)
� Black Powder Rifles
Minimum caliber .40


Jerome Philippe, Founder of AfricaHunting.com

Hell son, if it's legal and you like it and can shoot it, by all means take it.
Don't worry about the laughin' fool!!!

I used a 338 win mag for plains game and it worked very well. I hunted as well with a tikka t3 lite in 30-06. The only one laughing was me. My PH asked to carry my tikka rather than his own after he shot it during the scope checking session. I wish it had been possible to leave the tikka with him as thankyou. He really liked it.

Practice lots offhand and with the shooting sticks. You will do fine

Randy

Enjoy yourself and your rifle! As for the minimum requirements rule, it's Africa where the ONLY rule is there are none and of course what the PH will feel comfortable with.