Standard cartridges really are important

Hopefully the nighmare is over and you have excellent hunt!

Originally Posted by Bert the Turtle

I've heard various arguments for and against what to chamber an African rifle in. US Air, by losing my luggage, has answered that question for me: something common.

After charging me $150 extra due to the bag with my ammo in it being 57 pounds, they managed to not load it on the plane. They said they would put it on the next plane. 2 days since leaving, I still do not have it. They don't answer their phone at the baggage finding office.

At least the person at the check-in counter was rude to me. Last week they cancelled my wife's flight, sent her to a hotel that didn't have any rooms, then lost her luggage. The US Air people were a little more helpful to her: they sent her to the Lufthansa counter (for who knows what reason, since she wasn't on Lufthansa). The Lufthansa guy could not understand why they sent her to him and then managed to find her bags!!!

Fortunately, I am staying in Germany for a week before going to Namibia, so they still have 5 days to rectify this before I head to Africa. I can replace everything in the bag with the possible exception of my boots: I can get new boots, but I can't break them in before I get there.

The only thing I can do at this point is to continue to enjoy myself in Germany and hope that my posting costs US Air some business.

I have over 2 million actual air miles and thankfully very few of them are on US Scareways. Their safety record is bad. For a while in the mid 90s their planes were falling out of the skys on a regular basis.

All that said..I have yet to make the connection with any of this and the title of this thread which is something about "Standard Cartridges"??? I must be missing something.

Because standard rounds like the '06, .375 etc are going to be easier to find at your destination than some oddball or wildcat should your ammo get lost.

Originally Posted by sestoppelman

Because standard rounds like the '06, .375 etc are going to be easier to find at your destination than some oddball or wildcat should your ammo get lost.

If your rifle is lost during transit as was the case here, what does it matter how easy it is to find ammo for it at your destination???

Well OK duh ya got me! I was somehow thinking of the scenario where the gun arrives but the ammo doesn't. It does happen. Not sure if that was the original idea of the thread but thats the usual thinking when it comes to easily replaced ammo especially overseas.

It does happen, and its not always the fault of the airline. I landed in Colorado one time for an elk hunt and all bags arrived. Unfortunately, someone took my bag that contained the ammo by mistake. There I stood with my rifle and a carry-on that contained binos and a few other essentials, but the majority of my clothes, boots and ammo were gone. Fortunately, the individual who took it by mistake realized it and returned while I was at the baggage claim desk voicing my dissatisfaction. Having to replace ammo can certainly happen.

Originally Posted by Shakey

It does happen, and its not always the fault of the airline. I landed in Colorado one time for an elk hunt and all bags arrived. Unfortunately, someone took my bag that contained the ammo by mistake. There I stood with my rifle and a carry-on that contained binos and a few other essentials, but the majority of my clothes, boots and ammo were gone. Fortunately, the individual who took it by mistake realized it and returned while I was at the baggage claim desk voicing my dissatisfaction. Having to replace ammo can certainly happen.

That was my point...it is only a factor if THE AMMO gets lost.

The title would have made sense if the ammo had come up missing.

I am well aware of this concept because I traveled to Namibia with my .300 Wby and was paranoid that I would get seperated from my ammo and there was nothing I could do about it because I couldn't check it with my gun. It was the only time I was kind of wishing I had a .300 Win but I love my Mark V rifle so much and just have a soft spot for the Weatherby cartridges and the history/innovation/marketing genius behind them.

Luckily the ammo and rifle both arrived as expected.

I do believe a strong case can be made for traveling with .270, -06, .300 Win or .375 H&H rather than all their derivatives and improved versions in case of seperation from the ammo or even simply running out of ammo while traveling. I carried 60 rounds even though I only fired 14 at game plus 2 to confirm zero hadn't changed, just because I knew if I ran out I probably wouldn't be able to find any in Windhoek, much less anywhere outside the capital.

But since this was about a lost rifle, the title just did not jive with the story on this thread which is why I was waiting to hear something more that would explain it.

My rifle was not lost. My luggage with everything else, including the ammo was lost. I can buy 30-06 in Windhoek. Sorry for any confusion.

Ahhh...I see. I thought it was the rifle that was lost.

Glad you are getting it all sorted out and hopefully have a great hunt anyway! I would be frustrated as he11

And I am happy to bash U.S. Scareways with you!

Thanks for the clarification Bert! Was beginning to think I had lost my mind! See Terminator, I'm not nuts after all!! LOL!!

Originally Posted by sestoppelman

Thanks for the clarification Bert! Was beginning to think I had lost my mind! See Terminator, I'm not nuts after all!! LOL!!

Yep, my bad. I thought it was his rifle that was missing. Obviously I didn't have enough to drink yet when I read his post!

I think the point is well made. There is so much choice of standard calibres they are usually best if you are travelling a long distance or going right off the beaten track.

Sort of reminds me of the time I had to price up 3 services we gave. They had to be between 300 and 500 quid each. There was a formula we were supposed to use but it made no sense at all. So I priced them up at 308, 375 and 458 pounds respectively. My boss never realised the significance.

I suppose the region you are in can even have a bearing on such choices. .303 is useful in India where there are still truckloads of ammunition in very usable condition if you know where to look. 30.06 is a favourite in Africa of course. .308 almost grows on the trees in some places.