I have done 6 trips to Africa (SA, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique)along with trips to New Zealand, Azerbaijan, and multiple trips to Canada, taking my own rifle or rifles on each of them.
On my first trip, 4 of us went to South Africa, each with a rifle, and we didn't know about the rifle permit/meet and greet services, but luckily we did not have any problems or a long wait in Jo'berg. On all my subsequent trips I used Gracy Travel and their rifle permit/meet and greet service. Their service has been very helpful in getting through customs and in picking up my rifle(s) in Jo'berg. One time it even saved me from missing an in-country SA flight.
Some African countries will not allow you to bring as many cartridges into their country as other countries will. Mozambique only allows 40 rounds per rifle.
"And if the outfitter you use has crap firearms to loan/rent- YOU ARE HUNTING WITH THE WRONG OUTFITTER!" Before you get to camp, how do you know for sure what condition the outfitter's rifles are? On my last hunt in Mozambique, there was another hunter in camp that had booked a $20k leopard and sable hunt and had chosen to use the outfitter's rifle. This hunter was from a Midwestern state, and bragged how he had made one shot kills on "hunts out west" at 300 yards with his muzzleloader and at 600 yards with his rifle. The Outfitter had a .30-06 and a .375 H&H that he and his PHs carried. Both rifles look to be OK.
The hunter chose to use the .375, but when he checked its zero, they discovered that the scope bases were loose. The Outfitter's mechanic had made off with most of the Outfitter's tool, and no one had the right bit to tighten the scope screws. The hunter then wanted to borrow my .300 Weatherby that I had custom built.
"Are you going to sight see too? If so, use the outfitters guns, otherwise storage cost will eat your wallet up very fast and my require an overnight at JNB that you were not planning on." On my New Zealand trip I hunted for a week, then we rented a car and toured NZ for another 2 weeks. New Zealand has typical English weird gun laws, so I pre-arranged to store my rifle with my Outfitter. He agreed to store my rifle for me free, and he even suggested we spend our last night, at the end of our touring, at his lodge...all at no extra charge.
