Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa 11 lbs ammo?

JJ:

Concur 100% - $hit happens and TIA and all and I know you transit between the US and multiple countries.

The last 10 years of my military (post 9/11) career was a HQ USCENTCOM. I worked in coordinating Coalition force offers into Iraq and Afghanistan. Traveled to 58 countries; mostly middle-east, North Africa, East Africa, and Central Asia - many, multiple times. Sometimes with weapons/ammo, sometimes not. Mostly civilian airlines until the final legs into/out of IZ/AFG.

Luggage and weapons (if taken) were checked all the way through to the initial country point of entry before claiming/clearing and boarding another in-country connecting flight. The base travel agency always insured there were baggage handling agreements between all the civilian carriers. That agreement is the key.

In 2010 when my wife and I flew through Frankfurt, It was US Air to Frankfurt and Air Namibia direct into Windhoek. Bags/rifles checked in at Tampa and picked up in Windhoek. Another guy in 2011, took a different airline from Chicago to Frankfurt and Air Namibia into Windhoek. He had to claim his bags/rifles in Frankfurt and do the German temp/transit permit dance in Frankfurt - not a big deal and the Germans are very hunter friendly. The difference was the airline he took to Frankfurt didn't have a baggage handling agreement with Air Namibia.

The following year (2011) we wanted to do the Frankfurt route again but the airline we have a bunch of FF miles on didn't have a baggage agreement with Air Nam and we ended up going via Zurich - J'berg - Windhoek. Checked bags/rifles all the way.

Turns out we (read that wife) likes Zurich MUCH better than Frankfurt so we are routing via it this year. Tampa over-night direct to Zurich - day lay-over - overnight direct J'berg and into Windhoek early afternoon. Swiss Air all the way except SAA JNB-WDH.

Only problem with Swiss Air is we only get one free checked bag each - taking just one rifle case and two checked (three of us going this year)and we go back to the same place in Namibia every year and have left a lot of clothes and kit there from previous years. Just had to notify Swiss Air that we were traveling with firearms 2-weeks in advance and I took care of that the day I purchased the tickets directly via the Swiss Air web site.

With the exception of the first trip we took to Namibia, I've been researching and booking our own tickets directly - six annual trips to Namibia and one to KZN to take the Ian Goss PH qualification course in Oct 2011. Takes a little time and some phone calls to confirm baggage handling and firearm policies but that is part of the fun.

And yes, I am a "planner" and any time we've transited JNB I always have copies of pre-filled out SAPS 520's, extra Passport copies and 4457's just in case - TIA after all.

One time the SAA guy, on a flight from J-burg to Zim, insisted I take the plastic box containing the ammo out of my suitcase and check it as baggage. Problem is I didn't have a lock, so I ty-wrapped the thing shut. The ty-wraps broke but my "luggage" arrived intact.

Put your ammo in a locked plastic box inside your suitcase and put your name and address on the plastic box.

Don't take 40 rounds like JJ recommends. Take 60 and leave the overage with the PH.

indyCA35, Make sure your PH has a permit for those cartridges. We used to stockpile ammo too in RSA for out hunters. However with the law changes you must have a permit for every gun, and then you're only allowed to have ammo in possession for the guns that you have permits for.

If your PH / outfitter has the same cartridge then you're good to go. One reason why the 30/06 and 375HH are so popular!!

My ammo has been weighed, inspected, and scrutinized once in a closet-sized room in South Africa by three men. I did not enjoy that shake down. I have also been harassed in Seattle, Washington for the weight of my ammo by an ignorant tree-hugging wolf-loving employee of the airline who was not going to check me through to Windhoek until she was sure she had done everything she could to prevent me from going on a nice hunt.

In short, the 11 pound rule is not likely to cause you a problem, but why chance it when you have so much at risk to lose?

I have flown BA, to various African destinations quite a few times. I actually had them ask for me to weigh my ammo one time. I have been preparred for it every time. I had (out of memory) 20; 500NE and 40; 375HH rounds. I had it right at 5KG's. The gate agent had it at 5.5KG's. I said...OK, lets try it this way and took them out of the original boxes and neatly stood them all up on the scale. She was satisfied with my result and onward I flew.

The gate agents are the key to a happy trip. Smile and flirt a bit and you'll be on your way.

Oh and NEVER EVER let a PH talk you into "throwing a box" of whatever in you bag for his use. Let him smuggle his own ammo in.

I stood in the Joburg airport (2011) and had them weigh my ammo when I was flying out to Zim. I had 40rds of 416 ruger and 40rds of 450NE that came in at 10 1/2 lbs for a total of 13 lbs when in the locking box. The english speaking clerk balked and I said "the rules say 11 lbs of ammo and it says nothing about the container weight". I took the ammo out, put it on her counter scale, made weight, loaded up and made the plane. The only time anyone has ever asked and she was easy to deal with but you never know.

My ammo has never been weighed either. Also check with your PH I know some might have the same caliber as you and sometimes in the worst case scenario might have a little extra laying around. Long story short I normally take 40 rounds and 2 rifles depending on game that I am hunting. I have never gone over 40 rounds and hope never to either.

Just weighed some Hornady .470 NE 500 DGX and 20 of them were right about 2.75 pounds, or 11 pounds for four boxes.

I flew British Airways last fall. They made us ship our ammo as "luggage". I was well prepared and all of our ammo was boxed in Pelican cases. I wasn't worried at all as they all had locks on them also.

Prepare for the worst. I don't skimp when it comes to Africa. Ammo is in a Pelican Case, Guns are in a Pelican Case. You never know what they will make you do. So that is why I don't do cheap crappy lunch boxes.

Last trip over was with my .500NE and 570 Grain bullets. I think stuff was weighing in at over 3lbs a box.

Use the MTM Dry Survivor Box with a small Master Lock and put you ammo in there. Even if you have to ship it you can put a name tag on it and ship it with the other luggage. Works fine. I used mine last July from Texas to Zim - Namibia and back. I sell them on my site www.huntersheadquarters.net.
It went over in the bottom of my Tuffpak.

you most definitely need a locked box.

My ammo was checked separately on Air Bots from RSA to Maun.

I have never had a hunt ruined by too much ammo.

Good article

http://sportsafield.com/notes-from-afield/how-much-ammo