Late last year I decided that my second trip to South Africa couldn’t wait any longer. I contacted Wik from @GAME 4 AFRICA SAFARIS to work out a date for a buffalo hunt, where was able to find a spot in May, we settle on the date, deposit sent.
Sometime later I mentioned to my mom that I was going back, and she immediately said she was going. This year she turned 80, I decided that Buffalo was a little too much and swap for a second playin game hunt. Quickly contacted Wik and he told me of an opening in late September as this playin game required more days. We settle on new date.
Once dated we settle I proceed to book my tickets. Again I booked with British airways, they were cheaper than the alternatives and I like the idea of breaking the trip in two.
I’ve been sitting right hand rifles from the left side all my life. But I decided to give a left handed rifle a try. I bought myself a tikka tx3 in 7mm rem mag. Transition wasn’t hard, but still needed to practice a lot to build muscle memory. As you know 7mm bullets are not the cheapest and after 3-5 shots my rifle and silencer are just too hot. So I did the obvious thing, buy a second tikka!. This time a tikka 1x roughtech to match the stock of my 7mag.
This 22lr rifle is a great tool for practicing, hitting 3” steel at 100 yards all day long. I can shoot a full 50 round box for $5!. And it’s a pleasure to shoot. I combined the tikka with a dead air mask HD and subsonic ammo. While I added a nomad TI and Nosler 165gr accubond for the hunt.
Everything was settle, but now I had to deal with BA and transporting a rifle. I read online about how anti guns they where, even the agent (afton house) mentioned that it was difficult. But I actually found the whole process rather simple. Only issue is the charge a rather large handling fee ($165 ) but delta alternative ticket were a lot more expensive!.
The process was simple, I call them and told them I was bringing a rifle. They ask for details and bullets. And that was it. There is an area they could improve, an acknowledgment that the note had been put on the file. They never sent me one. I contact them twice to confirm everything was in order, but I never got an official email.
Traveling day arrive and I got to the airport (Houston) 3 hours early. I get to the counter and the agent step asides and get some papers from a near desk. She has all the gun related documents ready, what a relief. She then proceed to ask me for my paperwork for my special item. Kind of funny they don’t want to say rifle, I guess being at the airport and all. I show her the 4457 I got signed some weeks before.
She seem to know what she was doing, but still reading instructions from the computer. She proceed to ask for payment and I inquiry about the bullets (she hasn’t done the paperwork for them at that time). And she responded that they don’t charge to transport them, not what I was asking but great to hear I won’t have to mention about that!. So I pay me fee, she finishes the paperwork and tell me that we now have to wait for TSA. We move to a nearby table with a BA agent to wait on inspection. After a few minutes the agent arrive and proceed to inspect the rifle. He ask me to open it. This inspection area is right there in the middle of the check in area. He gives the old clear after checking for gun powder residue, which he mentioned was stupid but he had to do.
In all a very smooth process. And we are off to South Africa. The first leg of the flight went with no issues. Arrive to Heathrow on time and my air tags register my rifle and ammo in the airport. We decide to go to London to do some walking. Eventually made it back to wait on our flight. We board the plane and just before departing the captain comes online to say something was wrong with the gps system and we are going to be late, 30min maybe but he will make that up during flight. Some 30 min later, he comes back that the issue is not resolved and they need to reboot the whole system. Short version, we left London 5 hours late, they end up replacing the 3 gps units. We departed just after midnight. My connecting flight was lost at the moment.
Immediately send emails to airllink to arrange for a new flight. I was supposed to fly to east London, but they don’t have room until Wednesday, 3 days after my current flight!. I started to panic but after a quick google search I found some availability to port Elizabeth. Contacted Don, my ph with game4africa and he was ready to pick me up from port Elizabeth. Adding 3 hours to his day (he lives in east London). I contacted airlink by email and after a few back and forward the change is made and trip is safe!. I will be booking BA for this extra expense in addition to the standard compensation for delayed flights!. All went smooth after this. Gun and bullets arrived at Johannesburg. Mr X Took care of everything and checked my in on the airlink flight. We arrive into woodvale lodge near 11pm.
Tomorrow the hunt will start!
Sometime later I mentioned to my mom that I was going back, and she immediately said she was going. This year she turned 80, I decided that Buffalo was a little too much and swap for a second playin game hunt. Quickly contacted Wik and he told me of an opening in late September as this playin game required more days. We settle on new date.
Once dated we settle I proceed to book my tickets. Again I booked with British airways, they were cheaper than the alternatives and I like the idea of breaking the trip in two.
I’ve been sitting right hand rifles from the left side all my life. But I decided to give a left handed rifle a try. I bought myself a tikka tx3 in 7mm rem mag. Transition wasn’t hard, but still needed to practice a lot to build muscle memory. As you know 7mm bullets are not the cheapest and after 3-5 shots my rifle and silencer are just too hot. So I did the obvious thing, buy a second tikka!. This time a tikka 1x roughtech to match the stock of my 7mag.
This 22lr rifle is a great tool for practicing, hitting 3” steel at 100 yards all day long. I can shoot a full 50 round box for $5!. And it’s a pleasure to shoot. I combined the tikka with a dead air mask HD and subsonic ammo. While I added a nomad TI and Nosler 165gr accubond for the hunt.
Everything was settle, but now I had to deal with BA and transporting a rifle. I read online about how anti guns they where, even the agent (afton house) mentioned that it was difficult. But I actually found the whole process rather simple. Only issue is the charge a rather large handling fee ($165 ) but delta alternative ticket were a lot more expensive!.
The process was simple, I call them and told them I was bringing a rifle. They ask for details and bullets. And that was it. There is an area they could improve, an acknowledgment that the note had been put on the file. They never sent me one. I contact them twice to confirm everything was in order, but I never got an official email.
Traveling day arrive and I got to the airport (Houston) 3 hours early. I get to the counter and the agent step asides and get some papers from a near desk. She has all the gun related documents ready, what a relief. She then proceed to ask me for my paperwork for my special item. Kind of funny they don’t want to say rifle, I guess being at the airport and all. I show her the 4457 I got signed some weeks before.
She seem to know what she was doing, but still reading instructions from the computer. She proceed to ask for payment and I inquiry about the bullets (she hasn’t done the paperwork for them at that time). And she responded that they don’t charge to transport them, not what I was asking but great to hear I won’t have to mention about that!. So I pay me fee, she finishes the paperwork and tell me that we now have to wait for TSA. We move to a nearby table with a BA agent to wait on inspection. After a few minutes the agent arrive and proceed to inspect the rifle. He ask me to open it. This inspection area is right there in the middle of the check in area. He gives the old clear after checking for gun powder residue, which he mentioned was stupid but he had to do.
In all a very smooth process. And we are off to South Africa. The first leg of the flight went with no issues. Arrive to Heathrow on time and my air tags register my rifle and ammo in the airport. We decide to go to London to do some walking. Eventually made it back to wait on our flight. We board the plane and just before departing the captain comes online to say something was wrong with the gps system and we are going to be late, 30min maybe but he will make that up during flight. Some 30 min later, he comes back that the issue is not resolved and they need to reboot the whole system. Short version, we left London 5 hours late, they end up replacing the 3 gps units. We departed just after midnight. My connecting flight was lost at the moment.
Immediately send emails to airllink to arrange for a new flight. I was supposed to fly to east London, but they don’t have room until Wednesday, 3 days after my current flight!. I started to panic but after a quick google search I found some availability to port Elizabeth. Contacted Don, my ph with game4africa and he was ready to pick me up from port Elizabeth. Adding 3 hours to his day (he lives in east London). I contacted airlink by email and after a few back and forward the change is made and trip is safe!. I will be booking BA for this extra expense in addition to the standard compensation for delayed flights!. All went smooth after this. Gun and bullets arrived at Johannesburg. Mr X Took care of everything and checked my in on the airlink flight. We arrive into woodvale lodge near 11pm.
Tomorrow the hunt will start!
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