African Road Trip...Rifle and Ammo HELP!

[Hunter Houle]

Hello Everybody,

I am a new member and I joined because recently my family and I decided that we were going to shake things up a bit! We are planning to take a road trip in an RV from Morocco where we know many people and have a lot of connections as far south as we can go, hopefully South Africa. We realize that this isn't the U.S. and we expect to be taking many backroads and for this trip to be taking many months. We have rental properties and a motel that provide a steady income to fund this expedition.

My problem lies here. On this trip I expect to be encountering many different animals and humans. This trip may include hunting but I mainly need a rifle for defense against poachers and animals. I have narrowed my calibers down to: 300 win mag (too small for dangerous animals), 338 win mag, or MAYBE the .375 because I know it is a proven round, I am just a little worried about recoil. So if any of you could provide some input to what caliber could protect us from dangerous game to humans, and ammo that will "do it all" (impossible) while still providing some stopping power that would be great! Thank You!!!

 

[spike.t]

an rv through african countries......what sort of rv just out of interest are you going to be using? i have a vision in my mind of the film RV with robin williams...........

 

[BRICKBURN]

Best protection against bad guys is to avoid them.
There are plenty of folks wandering Africa that have weapons that will be far beyond what any rifle is capable of protecting you from.

What route are you planning on taking?

 

[Hunter Houle]

I know this sounds crazy....it kinda is but we wanted to do it. Live life a little in africa....or not lol

 

[spike.t]

the logistics of trying to take a rifle etc through that many countries with some most likely not allowing firearms, and others where your visitors permit must be applied for in advance and then only being applicable for the specific dates/time period stated makes it basically a non starter..........plenty do it in tweaked landrovers , landcruisers etc and without firearms......

http://www.africa4x4cafe.com/htm/africa_4x4_cafe_faq.htm

or go with a company that specialises in overland trips

http://www.truckafrica.com/london-to-cape-town-overland/
http://www.oasisoverland.co.uk/trips/Africa/details/71/UK-to-CAPE-TOWN-21-weeks-Trans-Africa.html

vehicle
http://www.neneoverland.co.uk/4x4expedition_offroad/expedition_offroad.php

http://expeditionvehiclesforsale.com/

 

[BRICKBURN]

the logistics of trying to take a rifle etc through that many countries with some most likely not allowing firearms, and others where your visitors permit must be applied for in advance and then only being applicable for the specific dates/time period stated makes it basically a non starter..........

Sad, but true.

 

[James.Grage]

Hunter, Welcome to AH.

Getting the country permits for a rifle - handgun will be something to look into.

A rifle that you can shoot reasonable well is what you should take for hunting. However if you are able to take a hand gun that would be the best advise for personal protection.

Very few roads are in good to great shape for the road trip that you are suggesting, from the roads that i have seen in Africa.

I would be concerned about, vehicle repairs, tire repairs, fuel supplies for your journey.

 

[Hunter Houle]

Ok thank you guys for opening my eyes! Very good information...I will rethink my approach, check which countries allow guns (always can hide one) and see if maybe we should just hop around on a plane

 

[Hunter Houle]

When I said "RV" I was really thinking about an off road vehicle with the capability of sleeping a couple people. not these yachts on wheels you see in america

 

[spike.t]

Ok thank you guys for opening my eyes! Very good information...I will rethink my approach, check which countries allow guns (always can hide one) and see if maybe we should just hop around on a plane

a word of advice DONT go trying to hide/smuggle any type of firearm into /through etc a country in africa unless you are prepared to spend time in a place that will be in some countries far worse than your first world imagination can think up...........

 

[spike.t]

When I said "RV" I was really thinking about an off road vehicle with the capability of sleeping a couple people. not these yachts on wheels you see in america

well there are some on those links i gave you. nene specialise in building them...and other companies as well
http://www.devon4x4.com/index.php?o...d=65:toyota-land-cruiser-76-series&Itemid=127

 

[spike.t]

you dont say where you are so i presumed the states......but you dont have to take my word for it, only giving you some advice

 

[Hunter Houle]

thanks for the info, and no I do live in virginia but I did stay in the Haitian streets and I am originally from Morocco

 

[spike.t]

ok well i am sure your friends/relatives in morocco will agree with me as i said there is a steady flow of overland vehicles making the trip without any problems , but same as anywhere there is a chance something sould happen especially if you end up in the wrong part of town shall we say. some do the whole way to capetown, and others finish in kenya or tanzania.....plenty of options depending on how long you want to go for. the overland trucks are another option giving you shorter routes in different countries , or doing the full trip to capetown and at least with them you dont have to buy a vehicle .

 

[thi9elsp]

Hmm, sorry but I'm a bit skeptic that anyone would consider a trip such as this. 11,523 km through Morocco, Algeria, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, CAR, Congo, skirt Uganda and Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and finally South Africa? With a family? Considering it took me less than a minute to find these two alerts, not sure what you are thinking:

The Department of State warns U.S. citizens against all travel to the Central African Republic (CAR). The Government of Chad closed its border with CAR May 12, 2014. Only citizens of Chad returning home will be able to cross the Chad-CAR border. U.S. citizens who have decided to stay in CAR despite this warning should review their personal security situation and seriously consider departing. This replaces the Travel Warning of November 5, 2014, to reflect the risk of remaining in CAR and continued lack of security.

The Department of State warns U.S. citizens of the risks of traveling to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (a.k.a. DRC or Congo-Kinshasa,). U.S. citizens should avoid all but essential travel to the provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu, northeastern Orientale, and northern and central Katanga, where instability and sporadic violence continues. Very poor transportation infrastructure throughout the country and continued insecurity in eastern DRC makes it difficult to provide consular services anywhere outside of Kinshasa. This replaces the Travel Warning dated April 23, 2014 to update information on security in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Also, frankly, I don't believe anyone who would public state they he would hide a firearm. Not sure why you are on this site.

John

 

[Scott Slough]

My personal advice:

Part 1 If you feel that you need to take a gun to protect you from the people in a country ... don't go there!
Part 2 Don't consider breaking ANY countries laws on importing weapons!
Part 3 Certainly don't announce on public forum that you intend to break weapons laws (hide it) in ANY country in the world.

 

[Hunter Houle]

My personal advice:

Part 1 If you feel that you need to take a gun to protect you from the people in a country ... don't go there!
Part 2 Don't consider breaking ANY countries laws on importing weapons!
Part 3 Certainly don't announce on public forum that you intend to break weapons laws (hide it) in ANY country in the world.

I agree with you completely

 

[Hunter Houle]

Ok thank you all so much! I will revise my approach and tell you my idea when it is completed

 

[brushmore]

First off, I can't imagine being able to comply with all of the legal requirements of taking a firearm through all of those countries on such a trip. However, for a completely academic exercise, I would take a FN FAL since I think dangerous game would be the least likely threat. The 7.62x51/.308 might not be the best choice for big game hunting it will probably be enough to at least persuade a big critter from eating you.

 

[Nyati]

A friend of mine did the trip and enjoyed every moment of it....40 years ago. Then it was feasible, today I doubt it.

In some of the countries you will have to ride through, many of the locals carry AK-47´s, some being engaged in civil wars. I am pretty sure they will be interested in your truck and other belongings.

By the way, I was born in Tandja (Tangiers), and also lived in Algeria among other countries. The Maghreb is very different from the rest of Africa.