Newbie from Central Pennsylvania

[Steel Candy]

Shootist no I have not yet booked since I am still working on time frames with my nephew, I am also looking at a .338 and .375 but undecided on them. Hog, I should have said no loose powder in this residential area. HOAs suck. 2 blocks away I can, one of the reasons I am house hunting.

 

[CAustin]

Welcome to AH!

 

[Ridgewalker]

Welcome to AH Steel Candy! You’re going to have fun on your Africa adventure! Warning though, it is highly addictive!

 

[Shootist43]

Steel Candy, if given the choice of a 338 Win Mag or a 375 H&H there is only one clear choice. It's the 375 H&H all the way. With a two gun combination of a 375 H&H and a 300 Win Mag. for PG up through Eland no one could ask for anything better. HOWEVER, and this is where the fun starts, if you are considering a Buff at some time in the future, a 404 Jeffery would be the better choice. Not familiar with a 404 Jeffery? Look it up on prior AH posts. Hits like a 416 Rigby but feels like a 375 H&H.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Hello, long time lurker that decided to officially join. Interested in plains game from 150 lb to eland size.

Welcome to AH!

 

[Steel Candy]

I found a brand new .375 Ruger at a fantastic price so I (pardon the pun) pulled the trigger and ordered it. Have to wait until after the holidays for the paperwork to go through because the FFL guy is on vacation.

 

[Dr Ray]

Welcome to this great forum

 

[Hunter101]

welcome brother lots and lots of great stuff on website, one of the best

 

[enysse]

Welcome to AH!

 

[huntermn15]

Merry Christmas! Welcome to AH.

 

[Alchemist]

TY all for the warm welcome! Planning a 2020 plains game trip. Thinking the .300 Win Mag with 200 grain Nosler Accubond should be good for that trip. Any suggestions if that is not a good combination of cartridge and ammo for this?

Welcome. The 300 WM with 180 gr for plains game in the Kalahari or slow it down with a 220 gr for the bushveld. Enough gun to for anything from warthog to eland.

 

[Ryan]

TY all for the warm welcome! Planning a 2020 plains game trip. Thinking the .300 Win Mag with 200 grain Nosler Accubond should be good for that trip. Any suggestions if that is not a good combination of cartridge and ammo for this?

No complaints on that rig as long as that bullet hits the right spot. the 30 cals have effectively killed a lot of plains game. The Accubond has it's critics here as it is known to be a bit more frangible than other bonded bullets like the Scirocco II and and A-frame, but the 200 ought to do it's job well. I used my own 30-06 with 168 Barnes TTSX bullets for most of my plains game until a recent hunt where I used a loaned 300 WM with 180 grain lead/copper bullets for an eland and bushbuck and a 308 for a duiker. All very dead animals.
Good luck.

 

[Philip Glass]

Welcome to AH!

 

[Brandy]

Also from PA... if you’re not looking till 2020... by every means possible go to the Harrisburg show and meet outfitters, sometimes the guy with the little booth and family run business is the best guy... as well as taxidermists. (one well experienced in doing African animals) We have been over multiple times and have found getting out and meeting people first to be a far better experience for us.

 

[Steel Candy]

I already scheduled 4 days off work to go to the Harrisburg show! 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 10th.

 

[johnvdw]

Hello, long time lurker that decided to officially join. Interested in plains game from 150 lb to eland size.

Welcome Steel Candy. We will gladly assist in arranging your African experience

 

[Steel Candy]

So many choices, I am still sorting through so many. When everything looks fantastic how do you decide which to pick? I do know that I am not interested in the biggest world record anything. A nice semi big eland, kudo and 1 or 2 other plains game and a week or so of hunting, hiking, sight seeing and eating the game taken. Any chance to get some fishing in as well?

 

[Ryan]

So many choices, I am still sorting through so many. When everything looks fantastic how do you decide which to pick? I do know that I am not interested in the biggest world record anything. A nice semi big eland, kudo and 1 or 2 other plains game and a week or so of hunting, hiking, sight seeing and eating the game taken. Any chance to get some fishing in as well?

Yes! I had a fishing trip lined up (no pun intended) and the weather kicked up to throw it off. But, yes it is definitely possible. You're going at it with the right attitude, go with the flow. Have a back up species or two because eland or kudu or whatever you think is a given can be cagey, and then take it as it comes.

 

[BigSteve57]

I already scheduled 4 days off work to go to the Harrisburg show! 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 10th.

This is great to hear. We're going this year; we go every year.

You'll need every bit of that to get through the outfitter room if you take the time to talk to them at any length. Have a list of questions. We try and ask the same questions of each outfitter so we can make a fair and equal comparison. Be clear you're new and what you want to do. Discuss any physical limitations you might have. Then listen. Take notes!

You will meet some fantastic guides there from all over the world. They are fascinating to talk to. Remember that the guides will be trying to put their "best foot forward" as they should. Realize that when you're in Africa you are likely 100% in the care of your guide. So if you get the sense that the person(s) behind the counter is non-communicative, seemingly uninterested or distracted, makes you feel like your questions are dumb etc... then politely move on. To be fair, not every guide & client is a match.

GOOD LUCK and don't forget that we all had a first time.

 

[gtw265]

Welcome abroad @Steel Candy

Good luck planning your safari!!

Kind regards
Hendrik