Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Best soft case for back of the bakkie

What are yall finding most useful regarding soft cases for the back of the truck while hunting? The truck hooks Ive seen would eat up any wood or synthetic stock pretty quick.

I've used inexpensive lightweight soft cases like an Allen Durango for the truck when in Africa. The heavier more padded cases take up too much luggage space on the trip over.

I am liking Midway's padded cases. I have 5 or so of them.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/939158677

I really like the Midway cases also.

I have one from this companyhttps://acecase.com/product-category/gun-cases/rifle-cases/.It is really tough-doesn't tear and the zipper doesn't break.

My best case is a case made out of cape buff leather, no zipper.It is made in Zimbabwe I believe by Andy Hunter.

I use a Red Ox slip case. Protects the rifle well and fits in the gun rack easily. Unfortunately, I think they quit making them.

They did, unfortunately. They were my first thought.

Sad to hear they are no longer made. I’m away from home so couldn’t check, but have been wracking my brain trying to remember that brand so I could suggest it. I’ve taken my Red Ox to Africa four times and thought it was perfect.

If you're just planning on a single trip over, just use an inexpensive Allen or similar. I've been using them for several years over multiple trips and they've held up just fine. Put the money you save towards a trophy fee.

Instead of the fancy cutout foam padding in the rifle case, I just use the rifle in the same soft case with layers of clothes underneath, and on top. Add binos, knives or expensive stuff I don't want stolen out of regular checked luggage up to max "free" weight limit. CAUTION - the normal us free checked bag limit is usually 50lbs. IF you are transiting to a domestics or regional flt once you hit Jberg and IF you collect your luggage and re-check it, then the free limit is usually only 40lbs.

I might ask if they have one you can use. I took an inexpensive one last year and it worked just fine. When I asked at breakfast the last day about leaving it so I could have more room in my luggage the PH and apprentice just laughed and said 'Yeah, sure - just put it in the trunk with the other half dozen' they had collected for the same reason that year.

Any cheap soft case. If you’re very concerned about scratches just ask the guide / driver to store the rifle in the cab.

My experience is as follows.The rack in back of the truck should conform to your rifle slip with the rifle in it.If it is to wide then your rifle will bounce around in it and if there is a second rifle on top of yours then that you damage your rifle.Your PH may prefer to have his rifle ride in the truck where it is safer than on the rack in the back.It is his truck and he does what he wants-go fight with him.I decided to have a saddle maker make me a tough soft case with a really thick closed cell rubber type foam.This case gave me peace of mind and even the the leather was scarred from the banging the rifle was not scratched.I remember now that I brought my custom rifle with the nice wood and this caused all my concern.My PH the fixed the racks in the back so that they held the rifles snuggly and both are doubles would ride safely in the back in their leather slips.The ace case I mentioned in my post above is not you average soft case.It is a really tough case and I have never seen a commercial soft case as tough.

A cheap Cabela’s soft case placed in the rack in the back. When the idiot driver/tracker hit a tree with the spare tire on the side, I ducked down just in time to see my rifle pop out of the rack! Luckily I could grab it before it fell to the floor!

I used the Red Oxx on my several trips over there.

If they were still making them Id have an order in but unfortunately they are not.
I have a few options to look at for now. Getting one that properly fits a double in length will be the challenge. As well as one that can hold up to the raw metal hooks Ive seen in the back of some Zim bakkies.
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Murray Custom Leather has a product that will work, S-12 Quick Slip, but it is expensive
Solo HNTR makes a light weight rifle cover that might work. It will provide some protection from the bakkie racks and do a great job keeping the dust off, but I can't say if it would be enough for your purposes. KUIU made a similar product but it looks like it's been discontinued.

One thing I've done for my trips over, is to have my ammo in a small lockable ammo case inside a small childs carry on and just put in a soft/cheap rifle case inside the carry on.

Ammo is obviously supposed to be in it's own stand alone case, but I've never had an issue doing it this way. Frees up a little space and the bag itself doesn't scream (sporting goods).

I'm often fascinated by the things we need in Africa compared to my normal hunting stuff. At home,we strap our bare rifles onto the back of the four wheeler and go. Yes we need to knock off snow or mud sometimes. We hunt in horrible briars and weeds, but never wear gators. But I took a Bass Pro canvas case that worked fine. I suspect a big trash bag would work just as well. My PH, just put his bare rifle on the rack like we put ours on our four wheelers and it was fine.
Bfly

I use the more dense foam padded cases, I just make sure it has a nylon zipper. Most of racks were horizontal and in the time when I was riding in the truck, it was unzipped and could be easily accessed when dragging it out in a rush.. over a metal zipper that can scratch metal or wood. I think it was maybe $30 and did its job and got left behind.

Best case IMHO would be made from your first Cape buffalo on your first trip over ; ]