Bringing Wildcat Ammo to SA

[Idaho Joe]

I have an upcoming handgun hunt for plains game booked in SA and want to bring my TC Contender pistol chambered in .309 JDJ. Problem is, .309 headstamped brass is more rare than an honest politician. As I understand it the headstamp on the ammo is supposed to match the barrel markings on the firearm it is intended for.

Is there a special permit that can be acquired to bypass this for essentially wildcat rounds?
Thanks.

 

[Hyde Hunter]

check with Henry at Rifle Permits and see what he says, that said I have never had my ammo looked at in SA

 

[Rare Breed]

First no to your question about a special permit. Second, SA rarely checks ammo head-stamps. They only care about your gun serial numbers matching your license. Don’t even think about doing this in Zim or Moz. They will confiscate your ammo.

 

[Idaho Joe]

Thanks guys!

IF SA checks the ammo, what do they do? I've only heard one guy say his ammo headstamp was checked.

 

[JimP]

I've been over twice. The first time even with a flight inside of South Africa nothing was checked as far as ammo. On my second trip nothing was checked on my flight to Port Elizabeth but on my return to the US Qatar Airlines did weigh my ammo flying out of Joberg. But no one even looked inside of my ammo case.

I would just not worry about it. If they do check it and do confiscate it then just use a rifle from the outfitter. I know that you want to use your own but there really are not too many options. But as other have mentioned, check with Henry at Rifle Permits. com. If anyone actually knows what might happen he would be the one.

 

[matt85]

As far as i can remember, my ammunition was not checked in RSA or Namibia. I would be fine taking your setup to either of those countries.

With that said, we are talking about Africa here. Be prepared for something to go wrong.

 

[Idaho Joe]

...we are talking about Africa here. Be prepared for something to go wrong.

This is what keeps me awake at night Matt!

 

[matt85]

This is what keeps me awake at night Matt!

Bring two guns suitable for all the game you plan to hunt. Have one of them be in a widely available cartridge.

If i ever make it back, i will likely be in a similar possition. I want to take a hippo on land with my 8-bore. As a backup rifle i have a Win M70 in 416RM.

 

[Idaho Joe]

Thanks to everyone for your replies! I feel better about taking the ammo now.

Matt, that's the plan, a .44 mag and the .309.

Jim, thanks for the suggestion on Henry at Rifle Permits. He replied promptly with some good advice.

 

[Smokewagonokc]

When I went in June/July I took my .480 Ruger and .350 Legend. They never looked at my ammo.

 

[Rare Breed]

Henry at Rifle permits is the very best and I use him every time I go to Africa

 

[Idaho Joe]

Henry at Rifle permits is the very best and I use him every time I go to Africa

RB, This is a group hunt, so they already have a guy. But whenever I go in the future Rifle Permits are my guys!

 

[358 Norma]

Next June I will be going on my second Buffalo hunt, and I will be taking my custom Winchester mod 70 470 Capstick (If it's done in time) and a Winchester model 70 Stainless Classic 375 H&H. The plan is if my ammo were to get lost that I should be able to obtain suitable 375 H&H ammo in South Africa.

Now I have a question with the temporarily import license for my firearms can I legally purchase ammunition in South Africa or will it have to be a under the table deal with my PH!

 

[Hsk]

South African SAPS is picky about ammo matching the barrel marking exactly headstamp should say.309 JDJ or whatever's stamped on the chamber. They inspect everything on arrival for temporary import permits, and mismatch can get your ammo confiscated or worse.

For wildcats like .309 JDJ formed from .444 Marlin usually, no special bypass permit exists it's caseby case. Real world fix hunters use Contact your outfitter PH ASAP they deal with SAPS daily and can submit a motivation letter explaining it's a safe wildcat based on parent case, with proof load data, brass pics. Many get approved for reloads handloads if the parent headstamp is close and it's declared properly.

Worst case Ship formed brass empty and buy load components there easier than risking seizure. Or borrow a rifle from the outfitter.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I have been to RSA four times with ammo and I don't recall the police at Tambo Airport looking that closely. But they certainly COULD and then you've got problems if headstamps don't match what's on the barrel.

I believe it is possible to buy ammo there if one has the temporary import paperwork for the rifle. I seem to recall a thread about this a while back.

My third safari I brought a box of 458 Lott brass for my PH and it obviously did not belong to the 30-06 rifle I declared. Not even close. But I think the brass was tucked in my checked bag, not in the required locking ammo box. Actually, I never gave it a second's thought when I was packing for the trip. No problem getting it through security.

 

[Firebird]

I disagree with most of what Hsk just posted. Use a pre approval agent and follow their instructions. My only concern here is that it is not a rifle but an agent will walk you through and help you every step of the way.

 

[Desperatezulu]

Next June I will be going on my second Buffalo hunt, and I will be taking my custom Winchester mod 70 470 Capstick (If it's done in time) and a Winchester model 70 Stainless Classic 375 H&H. The plan is if my ammo were to get lost that I should be able to obtain suitable 375 H&H ammo in South Africa.

Now I have a question with the temporarily import license for my firearms can I legally purchase ammunition in South Africa or will it have to be a under the table deal with my PH!

Yes you can legally purchase ammo with your temp permit (obviously only in the same calibre as the permit)

 

[rifletuner]

I have brought wildcat cartridges into SA when flying into ORT airport something like 20 times and never had a problem. I do not recall ever having ammo inspected entering SA.

In 2009 I shot a world championship match in Gauteng. Around 100 international competitors all entering the country with wildcat cases and nobody had a problem

 

[Desperatezulu]

The law here states that you may only possess ammo that can be fired in a firearm for which you possess a licence. So you are NOT required to have matching headstamps.

However the airport police (and SAPS in general) are not the most highly educated enforcers of the law, so you may encounter some pushback if they take it upon themselves to jerk you around. Of course having your ammo confiscated, justified or not, will bugger up your hunt with your chosen gun, so it is scant consolation.
I highly doubt you would face anything worse than being deprived of your ammo - i.e. the risk of legal action is incredibly small and in the worst case scenario of actually being prosecuted, you would be exonerated because the law is in your favour.

I agree with the advice to use one of the firearms agents endorsed on this forum - I think that would increase your chances of success from 99% to 99.9%. The standard advice when dealing with African 'authorities' strictly applies here - if being challenged or questioned, always keep your cool, be civil and most importantly just be patient.

 

[Flbt]

I have an upcoming handgun hunt for plains game booked in SA and want to bring my TC Contender pistol chambered in .309 JDJ. Problem is, .309 headstamped brass is more rare than an honest politician. As I understand it the headstamp on the ammo is supposed to match the barrel markings on the firearm it is intended for.

Is there a special permit that can be acquired to bypass this for essentially wildcat rounds?
Thanks.

I don’t know if this would be possible or not just a thought.
Can you take empty brass to a jewelry shop that does ingraving?
Have the 444 X out and have 309 jdj added?
Or 444-309 jdj?
If it could be a big problem?