Importing handloaded ammunition

[SHOEDOG]

Hello all,
Is it possible to bring handloaded ammo into South Africa?
I heard somewhere that only factory ammo was allowed.
If that is the case anyone have a few .375 HH factory boxes
THANKS!
Shoedog

 

[Royal27]

From my understanding you can bring it in as long as it is individually packaged (meaning an ammo box). I think some guys use factory boxes for their handloads, but others will need to chime in.

 

[enysse]

You can bring hand loaded ammo in plastic boxes....they just have to be in some kind of container so individual primers are not touching.

 

[bluey]

in 2010 we had no trouble taking reloaded 30.06 rounds into or out of south Africa.
when leaving and returning to australia, and Africa . they didn't even open up the the locked ammo box , they were happy to aknowledge it was a locked ammo box and left it at that .
we told them there was hunting knives and the bolt in there and that was that .

 

[gillettehunter]

The other thing to remember is that the head stamp on the brass must match the rifle. For instance I have a 6.5-06. For brass I take 25-06 and run it through the sizing die. The head stamp doesn't "match" the rifle so it's possible that I would not be allowed to bring it into RSA if they decide to check. Bruce

 

[graybird]

Factory ammo is not required. You can take your reloads just make sure you have them in some sort of ammo box.

 

[BRICKBURN]

You can bring hand loaded ammo in plastic boxes....they just have to be in some kind of container so individual primers are not touching.

This is my container that carried 130 rounds of ammunition.
Two different calibers
All reloads.
No original cartons.
Lockable container with my own keys.

This picture is upon departure after last years Safari.

No issues on any airline or any country I entered: Germany, Namibia, Botswana or RSA.

 

[SHOEDOG]

Brickburn,
That is quite the ammo box.What brand is it?
Thanks,
Shoedog

 

[BRICKBURN]

Brickburn,
That is quite the ammo box.What brand is it?
Thanks,
Shoedog

The guts from TWO MTM cases. Appropriate to cartridge size.

Cut with a Soldering Iron
80 and 60 cartridges.
300 Win Mag and .270 Win respectively.

Handled Deluxe Rifle Ammo boxes by MTM Case-Gard? - 100 Plastic handled ammunition reloading boxes and cartridge cases


A Pelican 1200 case.
Water proof, lockable with my own locks.

Pelican Products 1200 Case


How I figured out the configuration.


Ammunition Weights for Airline
Pelican 1200 Empty -- 1210 Grams
130 grain PSP Corelokt Box 20 --- 544 --- 3808 Grams
Plastic Box for reloads --- 98 Grams
Remington Cardboard and Plastic Holder --- 46 Grams
20- 130grain psp Coreloks Bullets --- 496 Grams
1 Cartridge --- 24.8 Grams

7 Boxes fit in the Pelican --- Total 140 Rounds --- 5018Grams


Over All Weight --- 5.02 KG


Grains per Gram --- 15.4323584 Grams
Increase for 180 Grains --- 55 Grams
Grams per Cartridge ---3.563940039 Grams

Cartrdiges 60 --- 213.8364023 --- 214Grams
Ammunition Weight --- 80 180 Grain 60 130 Grain --- 4022 Grams
KG 4.02

Over All Weight --- 5232
KG 5.23

Can remove 10 cartidges and be at the exact weight

 

[bluey]

did youre quiver and arrow case look that, destitute ? :biggrin2:

 

[BRICKBURN]

did youre quiver and arrow case look that, destitute ? :biggrin2:

It survived much better. I did leave six arrows in the rocks and weeds.

 

[cptkirk]

An empty ammo belt and a full game bag, sounds like a dream come true to me.

 

[Nyati]

SA Police never looked at the contents of my ammo box.

 

[gordon-kruger]

Brickburn do check in that ammobox separate when you check in the rifle case, or do you pack the ammobox inside you checked main luggage ? I don't know if there is some new roles and also from one air carrier to another ????????? It was a client from UK that asking a couple of days ago and frankly I do not know.....

 

[BRICKBURN]

Brickburn do check in that ammobox separate when you check in the rifle case, or do you pack the ammobox inside you checked main luggage ? I don't know if there is some new roles and also from one air carrier to another ????????? It was a client from UK that asking a couple of days ago and frankly I do not know.....

Gordon, The case in the picture above is locked and can be inside my baggage or as a separate case.
The airlines coming from the UK probably want the ammo in a locked case and inside his baggage.

On my way to Africa, it is always inside my baggage.

SAA wants the locked ammo container separate from baggage. (No bloody idea why. I just comply)

 

[gordon-kruger]

Thank you Brickburn, I do not like that "new" things special when its then 3 par of checked in luggage + hand luggage (Rifle case + Ammo box + Main luggage + hand luggage, the risk that one of this is getting lost or even delayed is getting bigger as more luggage there is.. and its enough that ONE of them is lost or delayed to damage a expensive and well prepared hunting trip.

Best wishes, Gordon

 

[BRICKBURN]

It's that secondary flight using SAA as you depart RSA that it becomes an issue. With International flights heading toward Africa there should be no issue. Hope your hunter has a good hunt.

 

[spoonieduck]

Hello all,
Is it possible to bring handloaded ammo into South Africa?
I heard somewhere that only factory ammo was allowed.
If that is the case anyone have a few .375 HH factory boxes
THANKS!
Shoedog

The potential problem isn't with the South Africans. The problem is U.S. regulations. U.S. regs state that the ammunition must be in "original boxes." This would seem to preclude reloads but everyone, including myself, brings reloads in and I haven't had a problem....yet.

I've been told that the reason for the rule is that the aircraft regulators don't want loose ammo rattling around in your checked luggage. Fair enough. They want each cartridge separated as in the "original" paper boxes. Obviously, plastic reload boxes are more secure than paper boxes and I have, in fact, brought reloads in--appropriately marked--in plastic boxes. So far no problems.

The problem is with ignorant baggage inspectors. If your baggage were checked before leaving the U.S. and the bag content checker knew the letter of the regulation, but not the intent, he might cause problems. I've never heard of this happening but knowing the inflexibility and ignorance of many guvment types, there could be problems.

By the way, the SA Professional Hunters and Outfitters I spoke to this trip are all getting into reloading because of the very high ammunition prices in S.A.

 

[Rob404]

I traveled to SA with my Ammo in Original Boxes packed in Individual containers in My Luggage,,Nobody looked,,On the Way Back I had to unpack my Luggage ,remove the individual Containers and ship the Ammo back Seperarely,,I'm wondering if taking a 338-06 next trip in 30-06 boxes along with a rebarreled action that will most likely have no caliber markings on it will be a problem?

 

[spoonieduck]

I traveled to SA with my Ammo in Original Boxes packed in Individual containers in My Luggage,,Nobody looked,,On the Way Back I had to unpack my Luggage ,remove the individual Containers and ship the Ammo back Seperarely,,I'm wondering if taking a 338-06 next trip in 30-06 boxes along with a rebarreled action that will most likely have no caliber markings on it will be a problem?

Who made your ship your ammo back separately? My guess is that it wasn't the South Africans. I departed the Joburg airport a few days ago and know the procedure I was put through. I checked regular baggage--containing ammo in locked tool boxes--at the South African Airways counter. The bags were tagged with their U.S. destination and placed on the conveyor belt behind the counter. Nobody went through baggage. I then hand-carried my rifle case to the SAPS office that was nearby. The SAPS checked the rifle serial numbers on my importation permit against the serial numbers on my rifles. OK. The SAPS never looked for ammunition because it was in my checked baggage.

The port of entry into the U.S.--in my case Dulles--you must go through passport check and through customs. U.S. customs didn't go through my baggage but they certainly have in the past. Now, I'm guessing that this is the point you had problems. You might have run into an officious custom's type who applied the letter of the regulation. In the past, I have simply wrapped boxes of ammunition in my clothes which has never caused a problem for U.S. customs inspectors. Presently, the regulation states that you can carry ammunition in checked-in baggage but NOT in hand-carried baggage. The regs also state that the ammo [contained in "original" boxes] be within a "lockable box". Was your ammo in a "lockable box" or was it simply placed within your baggage?

The 338-06 could--conceivably--be a problem for the SAPS. You state that the barrel isn't marked but what about the action? I'd say have a gunsmith stamp the barrel as 338-06 but, ideally, you wouldn't want this stamp to indicate a different caliber than stamped on the action or other metallic part of the rifle. In terms of ammunition, I wouldn't put it in 30-06 boxes. I'd put them in cardboard or plastic boxes marked 338-06 with appropriate load data. Here I'm assuming that your reloads use store-bought cartridge cases stamped "338-06". If the SAPS sees this and asks you about it [I doubt he will. He probably won't even look in your baggage.], simply point to 338-06 stamped conspicuously on your barrel. The SAPS form that must be filled out asks the caliber of your rifle. It would be best that the caliber be stamped on your barrel.