How much ammunition for plains game hunting trip to South Africa?

[CoElkHunter]

We used an old Eotech box for my ammo. Single wall on the thinner side, injection molded not roto. Weighs less than a pound. Packed in my luggage so it's on the safer side from impact. Haven't ever had an issue flying domestic or 2 trips over.

That said, 120 rounds for a PG hunt is quite a bit. Maybe drop a box of one or the other...or 10 rounds of each?

Inside the suitcase would not be an issue with most ammo boxes. When you have to take it out and check it in as checked baggage in Africa for another flight, would be my concern with being potentially thrown around? I'm just going with less ammo and a better case I guess.

 

[TTundra]

Inside the suitcase would not be an issue with most ammo boxes. When you have to take it out and check it in as checked baggage in Africa for another flight, would be my concern with being potentially thrown around? I'm just going with less ammo and a better case I guess.

Yea, I haven't done a connecting in Africa flight. That would change it for sure

 

[Vintageguy]

If you can carry 100 and 80 and your case is less than 11lbs then do it. The case is coming back with you in checked baggage, so what if it comes back with 170 total. Not worth worrying about. No one ever said “sure glad I didn’t take any extra ammo along”.

 

[shootist~]

@CoElkHunter

First off, your ammo box is on the heavy side, however -
At least on Qatar it's the weight of the ammo only. See what your travel agent says about who you are flying with. Travel Express reported my ammo weight and some firearm details to Qatar ahead of time.

Qatar weighed my ammo and ammo box together and did not go further since the combo was under 11 pounds. I was told they would weight ammo separately, if needed, but I was paranoid and stayed < 11 pounds anyway.

My SKB ammo box (slightly bigger than a 1200), weighs 2.8 pounds and the 80 rounds of 30-06 180s I took weighed 6.0 pounds. I added 2 spare locks and a folder and still topped out at ~9.5 lbs, if my notes are correct.

JMO, but I suggest you get a lighter ammo box and see what still fits. 60 + 40 or 40 + 40 will be plenty, IMO. I checked Zero twice, took 9 animals and still brought back 61 rounds.

 

[CoElkHunter]

@CoElkHunter

First off, your ammo box is on the heavy side, however -
At least on Qatar it's the weight of the ammo only. See what your travel agent says about who you are flying with. Travel Express reported my ammo weight and some firearm details to Qatar ahead of time.

Qatar weighed my ammo and ammo box together and did not go further since the combo was under 11 pounds. I was told they would weight ammo separately, if needed, but I was paranoid and stayed < 11 pounds anyway.

My SKB ammo box (slightly bigger than a 1200), weighs 2.8 pounds and the 80 rounds of 30-06 180s I took weighed 6.0 pounds. I added 2 spare locks and a folder and still topped out at ~9.5 lbs, if my notes are correct.

JMO, but I suggest you get a lighter ammo box and see what still fits. 60 + 40 or 40 + 40 will be plenty, IMO. I checked Zero twice, took 9 animals and still brought back 61 rounds.

Thanks for the info! Being my first time to Africa and on Qatar, I'm just planning ahead and allowing for Murphy showing up unexpectedly? LOL I can go 2+2 boxes or 3+1 boxes/ammo and with the case and be under 10 lbs. That'll be enough. I wasn't initially going to go through any of this nonsense and just rent a rifle, but I really wanted to bring my .338 and get the "full effect" of travelling internationally with firearms/ammo. May never do it again, but I have to do it once.

 

[shootist~]

And now you get to figure out what all you can get into your rifle case.

 

[Neil Molendyk]

Where are you going for your hunt? Any chance of encountering poachers? I have been told (by several PH's) that if you're hunting in an area that may harbour poachers, take the maximum amount allowable.

 

[CoElkHunter]

And now you get to figure out what all you can get into your rifle case.

Rifles? LOL The slings fit? Not a lot of room with two scoped rifles?

 

[CoElkHunter]

Where are you going for your hunt? Any chance of encountering poachers? I have been told (by several PH's) that if you're hunting in an area that may harbour poachers, take the maximum amount allowable.

RSA, north of Port Elizabeth. Haven't heard of any poaching issues there?

 

[Neil Molendyk]

RSA, north of Port Elizabeth. Haven't heard of any poaching issues there?

You're pretty much poacher free in that area from what Ive seen. I was around Queenstown in 2019 and there is some pretty open country. You're going to have a good hunt, trust me. Keep in mind that you may get an opportunity to do some jackal hunting and they could be at a long range

 

[JimP]

What I would do is to decide which rifle you might shoot the most and then go 20/60 or even 40/40.

On my first hunt I took 60 rounds and brought back 40 with 6 animals. I would of brought more ammo back except I screwed up on 2 animals.

On the rifle case look at pulling 1/2 of the foam out and replacing it with your jackets and other clothes. You can also look at getting rid of the stock foam and replacing it with egg crate or thinner foam.

I'm still thinking about pulling some of my cases foam and putting my heavier jacket in it.

You just need to get creative.

 

[Tanks]

... Maybe I'm wrong, but so much for the 60-80 cartridges PER rifle I've seen recommended by some for PG hunts, unless one is using a lighter cartridge?

Maybe the RSA PHs assume one will miss a lot?

 

[Tanks]

And now you get to figure out what all you can get into your rifle case.

I usually put just the rifles. Slings etc. go in the suitcase. Removing foam, replacing it with thinner one etc. is just asking for trouble. One has plenty of weight allowance for the luggage even with 11 pounds of ammo to get everything in. Don't forget you have laundry service every day.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I know this thread is over a year old, but I've read here where the weight limit for ammunition transported on airlines is 11 lb. per person. I just weighed 3 boxes of 180gr .300WM ammo and 3 boxes 0f 225gr .338WM ammo, and total weight is 9.625 lbs. I bought an Apache 2800 brand case (similar to the Pelican 1200) and it's 3.87 lbs. The Pelican is 2.95 lbs. Either way, BOTH would be over the 11 lb. ammo weight limit if the weight of the case is included in the weight limit for the ammo? I guess I can bring less ammo and/or one rifle for an upcoming PG hunt, but how do the DG hunters here with much heavier cartridges for a couple of rifles manage to stay under that 11 lb. ammo weight limit? Doesn't seem possible?

@CoElkHunter
If you use as much ammo per animal as @Forrest Halley uses on squirrels (up to 8 per squirrel, 6 or 7 warning shots the one to kill it) you will need a truck load. I took 50 for the Whelen and my sontook 50 for his 08. In hind sight 30 of each would have been plenty.
3 for sighters the rest for game and just in case.
Bob

 

[BourbonTrail]

Thanks for the info! Being my first time to Africa and on Qatar, I'm just planning ahead and allowing for Murphy showing up unexpectedly? LOL I can go 2+2 boxes or 3+1 boxes/ammo and with the case and be under 10 lbs. That'll be enough. I wasn't initially going to go through any of this nonsense and just rent a rifle, but I really wanted to bring my .338 and get the "full effect" of travelling internationally with firearms/ammo. May never do it again, but I have to do it once.

What, no 243?

 

[matt vejar]

Those green RCBS plastic shell boxes hold 50. That’s perfect!

 

[Tra3]

I’m with @375Fox , I like to bring extra just in case. The added benefit is you can gift the unused ammo to your PH.

 

[shootist~]

I usually put just the rifles. Slings etc. go in the suitcase. Removing foam, replacing it with thinner one etc. is just asking for trouble. One has plenty of weight allowance for the luggage even with 11 pounds of ammo to get everything in. Don't forget you have laundry service every day.

No doubt I took more than necessary.

On the rifle case I pretty much followed the @Philip Glass video for one rifle, including soft case to offset one layer of foam. My sticks, which I very much enjoyed having, would have fit in my checked bag as well.

 

[Philip Glass]

No doubt I took more than necessary.

On the rifle case I pretty much followed the @Philip Glass video for one rifle, including soft case to offset one layer of foam. My sticks, which I very much enjoyed having, would have fit in my checked bag as well.

View attachment 452159

Perfect! That’s just how I do it.

 

[Hunt anything]

While the eastern cape is relatively poacher free this is a picture of a cape kudu I shot in 2018. The snare was imbedded in his left temple and had blinded his right eye, don’t know how long he had been like this but his body was in horrible shape. He was lucky to break the snare but paid for it with pain until we came across him.