My Dream Hunt is in the planning stages could use some information

Good-day to all,

This is my first post, I have started research for my dream trip.

First a little more about me, I work for a wildlife management agency in a Canadian province. Over the last 15 years I have hunted and dropped large moose (38 point bull), black bear, caribou, elk, white tail deer, mule dear, wolves and coyote. Lynx trapping, beaver, muskrat and mink trapping.

When trapping I use a 1 by 9 twist .223 Mossberg with a Nikon monarch 3 3-12x42mm, Weatherby shot gun 20 guage and 12 guage for waterfowl.

I use a Browning 7mm rem mag 26 barrel with a Zeiss 3-15x50mm z800 for hunting with either 175 grain federal fusion (for black bear) and 160 grain Barnes vortex copper for large ungulates 140 grain for small ungulates .

Is the 7mm rem mag suitable for legal use on kudu, rain, gemsbok, cheetah and leopard or lion. I really would like to have some solid responses and experience and information on this. What countries produce great trophy pelts and racks. Excellent taxidermy pelt prep and shipping. I would want to return home with my trophies or have them transported quickly without delay or custom issues.

I can get a good deal on a winchester model 70 Alaskan .375 h&h mag with leupold quick detachable mounts and Leupold vx-6 1-6x24mm for 2400 CAD. I would rather use my tried, tested and true shooting 7mm but I understand that different countries on a different continent have minimum caliber restrictions. A great first trip for me would be a kudu wall mounted, warthog, and one of the big cats listed draped over a leather couch in my den.

Cheers
CP

This is my first post please be responsive with great tips, advice and local information. Would a trip in late August be appropriate for species listed above.

All the animals on your list can be killed with the 7mm including the lion. The problem on the lion is he/she may still reach you and chew on you for awhile as those cats take exception to having a hole put in them. Buy the .375 and take both rifles with you on your trip. A .375 with a 250gr or thereabouts bullets makes a fine PG rifle up to 300 yards.

Any of the southern African countries produce great animals depending on what you're looking for, they also have good taxidermy services. The question is a bit broad to nail it down to this country or that. I'd suggest making a list of the animals you want and then research the countries according to that list. Once you've decided on where, then the next choice is outfitter. After all of that, then move on to figuring out the taxidermy part.

Welcome to AH.

Phil just answered some questions.

I can say start reading some reports on AH and you will find some answers to your D&P questions.

Sounds like yo have the targets for your first trip set out. Now for the budgeting and review of Outfitters.

Good luck.

Welcome to AH CP Marks! Please check out these two sections of AH with lots of valuable information:
- Hunting Info by Country: http://www.africahunting.com/community/safari-planning-guide/
- Hunting Info by Country: http://www.africahunting.com/community/hunting-info-country/

Welcome to AH, great info to be had here, If it's Plains game, the 7MM Rem Mag should do he trick

Welcome to AH , cpmarks
Looks like youve got yourself ,one hell of trip planned
Enjoy the site , and the studying......

Welcome!!!!

Read a lot here and keep asking questions after you do.

Welcome to AH......

Welcome to the forums.

If you shoot the 7mm well and are comfortable with it. I'm assuming since you are Canadian this is a bolt gun and not the Semi auto BAR. In RSA you can do everything including the lion with the gun, use good bullets and soot straight. Most countries do a good job with skins and skulls, but you should expect to wait about 4-6 months sometimes longer for them to get to you.

Welcome to AH! I used my 7mm Rem Mag on my first safari for 17 total PG animals up to zebra. My recent hunt I used a 375 H&H on lion and eland and 308 on the other PG animals. I would recomend using a 375 for the lion and 7mm for everything else.

Welcome to AH CP Marks! Enjoy the planning and the hunt.

Welcome to AH, as the law states in some countries, 375H&H, min caliber for any big 5.

Welcome to AH! Can't give any better answer than what you have already received. Agree with the .375/7mag combo. Then again.....the .416 Rigby/ .338 Win Mag will take anything Africa will throw at you!!! Decisions, decisions.... Hell, don't waste a chance to increase the arsenal!... Lol

Take your 7mm for a plains game hunt first. It's perfect. Learn from that before shelling out big bucks for Dangerous Game such as Lion.

You will only get canned hunting for Lion in South Africa. If your happy with that go for it.

Good, fast, efficient taxidermy and shipping ? (sorry, I'm having a little chuckle here to myself). How much have you got ? because even entry level stuff can cost far more than you expect. You get what you pay for.

I took a 7Mag, my son took a 270. All one shot kills, except for a Blesbok the I hit too far back, totally my fault.
11 shots, 10 animals from Duiker to zebra.

My advice:
1: Ask your PH, then take his, or her advice.
2: As already stated, 375 is minimum for DG in the countries of which I am familiar.
3: Ask your PH and take their advice.
4: Enjoy your time, it's addictive, you'll be planning your return BEFORE you actually leave.
5: See #1 and #3 above.!!!

Welcome to AH CP! Seems you have done a spot of hunting already.

Best would be to set a budget,this will give you a very good indication of which countries you will be able to hunt. A Leopard is going to pricey anywhere and the level of success on a Leopard hunt has a lot to do with area,Outfitter,pre baiting etc. This is more or less a stand alone safari that takes lots of research and planning. You hunt for Leopard and everything else you take on the hunt is a bonus.
As for Lion the same thing could apply depending on were you hunt it,in SA you are just about 100% going to get your lion. In other countries you will have a bit of work to be done.

My advice would be to select one of the cats above as a target species if you hunt outside of SA, Kudu and Warthog are prolific and should not be a problem to take on the same trip as you will be hunting for bait animals anyway.

You will be lucky to get your trophies within 4-6 months if you dip and pack only. Mounts could take a year. Best you can do is make sure your trophies are with the taxidermy or dip&pack company before you leave,possible in SA,not so easy in other countries.

The 7mm wil serve you well on plainsgame and even the cats,but law will have you use a 375. Use the fastest bullet you can get in your 375 for the cats,250gr in the 375H&H is great if you use premium bullets. Would leave the 7mm and just take the 375 as it will serve you just as well with that bullet on plainsgame.

Good luck and enjoy every moment of planning,it goes to quickly.

Tokkie

hi welcome aboard

this is from the PHAZ website regarding calibres for hunting in zambia . enjoy your research on what and where you will hunt.

Firearms and Import Permit procedures
There are minimum calibers you can use on plains game and big game in Zambia. Below is a breakdown of those limits;

• 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.

Welcome to AH, I recommend a 7mm/375 H&H combo.

Many thanks to all of your responses thus far. Very pleased so far keep them coming.

Some great points have been raised and as well as some useful contacts.

A couple of quick questions;

I have traveled by air on domestic flights within Canada across provincial boundaries with no issues. What is the procedure for traveling to the US then on to the African Nation in question or is it better to travel through France or the UK. As this would be the first time traveling across international borders with 2 firearms. I assume the ammo would be in a seperate metal lock box in a separate piece of luggage away from the firearms. Right now I have a browning bruiser double case is there a better one to use. Let me know if procedure is different than I am thinking.

I have taken 3 large moose with my 7mm Abolt. 19 point bull, 24 point bull and a 38 point bull. The largest when skinned and dressed ( bone below the knuck and all exterior fat removed from the hind quarters ) were 229 pounds per hind quarter hung on the butchers meat hook. The largest was dropped with 160 grain Barnes vortex copper. Based on photos of kudu they appear to be somewhere in size from a large elk or average moose. Let me know if that is valid estimate. How large does a healthy adult male eland, rain, sable and other plains game ungulate get to be. Is there a good website of photos of each species with average size and weight. Based on the comments by other members the 7mm rem mag will handle plains game, it is .375 H&H magnum cartridge necked down to .284 caliber bullet. I have shot caribou across the barren grounds with 120 grain ammunition at considerable distances with 7mm and my Zeiss scope. The reading on my laser range finder was 704 that was a proud day, my brother has the video and pictures to prove it. What is size restriction for cheetah I may start with that cat.

Looks like I will purchase a larger rifle at some point soon for a lion or leopard. I have read that not all male lion have a large mane around there neck. Is this more of habitat, water and food supply issue in response to the lions body condition or are larger manes a heredity issue. Sort of like male pattern baldness forgive the question but just curious and yes I am thinning out on top so don't be offended. Do some geographic areas produce the larger manes versus others so to speak. Someone (another customer) at the local gun shop raised a issue regarding the model 70 rifles. Is it common for the .375 H&H to end up with split wood stocks. Are they glass bedded from the factory. Has anyone had this problem before. (He could be just trying to sell me his 450 Rigby CZ rifle). I can get a used Montana rifle .416 and Kimber .416 as well. I think they are overkill for my purposes, they are both used for polar bear (1700 hundred pounds of mean and nasty ) up here.

Is late August a good time for pelt harvest. Certain times of year as an example big horn sheep/ mountain ram can have very poor quality pelts in the Canadian north in late May, June and July.

I appreciate the responses as this is the start of my African safari journey, questions and research.

spike.t said:

hi welcome aboard

this is from the PHAZ website regarding calibres for hunting in zambia . enjoy your research on what and where you will hunt.

Firearms and Import Permit procedures
There are minimum calibers you can use on plains game and big game in Zambia. Below is a breakdown of those limits;

• 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.

Click to expand...

handy hints ,spike
does it have any regulations, and mininums for bow hunters ?