I handloaded for my 416 Remington for a bit of range time on Wednesday prepping for a hunt in Zimbabwe in a couple weeks.
A fellow hunter. I pretty much quit hunting here after I went to Africa and I have made that long flight from Atlanta to Joburg 14 times, lol. I formed a hunt and travel business to support my habits but shut it down a couple years ago when i went to China to work.
I have taken several clients to South Africa and Botswana. Has Zim calmed down? I know when the dictator took over the country several years ago their money was worthless. I have one of their I think 10,000,000,000 notes that would not buy a cup of coffee, lol. Is that too many zeros?
I have taken so many hunters to one ranch in S.A. that they allow me to guide and last trip I was there over 4 months. You get to be a much better hunter after doing all the spot and stalk there. I could never sit in a stand here and would walk miles in Montana every day.
I saw the post about shooting the endangered wildlife. For those that do not hunt it is difficult to understand. Hunting in Africa is what has saved the animals. The one ranch I hunt on is small 50 square miles. It was a sheep, cattle and produce farm until hunting became popular. The Government would pay professional hunters to go in and just kill every wild animal they could so they could bring in domestic livestock and raise crops. When hunting became a way to make money it gave a value to the wild animals that was not there previous. So now the once domestic ranch was taken back to wild game and there are thousands of animals back because they can make money with the hunters. People that go on photo safaris do not pump the thousands of dollars back into the country. Hunters do and all the meat is eaten by hunters and also locals. When CITIES, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, stopped the bringing of Cheetahs back to the U.S. the ranch owners allow hunters to shoot them for free to eliminate them. They eat other animals and now have no value since they cannot come to U.S. or other countries . They take pics and leave the animal for the other animals to eat. That is how regulation of animals destroys them not hunting.
I will have to go get a link to one of my video slide shows of South Africa and post here. It is deep into spring there now I like to go in June, July or August during their winter.
So have a safe journey and I want to see some pics when you return. I have a blue wildebeest, Eastern Cape Kudu, Gemsbock, warthog, black springboc, white springboc, common springboc, mountain rebock, Impala and several bushbucks hanging on my wall here. I still have several animals at the ranch to bring over. All but the warthog and Impala qualify for SCI record books. The Kudu was #25 and if I had taken my muzzle loader that day would be the current #1. I took a .17 HMR last trip to shoot the baboons and monkeys and ended up shooting a record book Bushbuck. Smallest rifle made. I also take a .50 cal. muzzle loader and one center fire for plains game. I do have a .458 Model 70 Winchester but have not taken it I do not have the funds for dangerous game, lol. On my next trip I got a new .50 cal. muzzle loader I am going to give the owner of the ranch and leave there. A bow or muzzle loader does not have to be checked in when going through SAPS and customs in South Africa. Getting the good powder there is a chore. I have to take empty 12 ga. Mag. shotgun shells and fill them with Pyrodex or one of the better powders and ranch sends invitation letter and includes two boxes of 12 ga. ammo in the letter. After I get there I cut the shells open and the 209 primers are what is used in the muzzle loader also. Only way you can get good powder to Africa. I also do the paperwork to allow more than the 100 round limit for ammo. With all the predator / pest hunting I do I took 400 rounds last trip. I also leave the left over ammo there. Now you have be dying to go back, lol. I have enough air miles with Delta for 8 tickets so it costs me about $100 to get there and I get free room and board and free hunting while there so it is a great deal for me.
Once you get the red dust of Africa on your boots you will return.
I will come back with link to a couple video slide shows later. This pic is a sunrise over the Indian Ocean at Port Elizabeth SA. The mountains in the background are where I hunt near Addo Elephant Park.
Here is a link to a video slide show I put together from some hunts it does have music in background.
https://animoto.com/play/L40EMEeI7fu6zP5bj2ylcQ
This one is from Addo Elephant Park near where I hunt always rent a cottage there and spend several days in the park. Not many places you can get out of the car due to the dangerous game there.
https://animoto.com/play/G4xyKK8BF7PvugEzb5JwTg
