Hunting South Africa

[Hammer1Down]

Good day to you all,
On May 1 (17 days from writing this), I am heading to S.A. to hunt with tradition flintlock rifles. I've been working with my PH and a friend of his to source powder and have not heard back from them. I normally shoot 3F swiss for the PRB in the .45 cal and 1.5F Swiss for the 200gr R.E.A.L conicals from the same rifle. The backup rifle shoots 2F goex under the PRB.

I was told that swiss isn't available in S.A., that not being an issue as I can tune my loads when I get there. Has anyone hunted S.A. and what did you do for powder, might make it easier on the PH if I can get info on where/what he can pick up before I arrive.

Thanks for any and all help in this!

 

[cornstalk]

@Hammer1Down I have hunted South Africa three times although not with a muzzle loader. A week or so ago I was asking a PH friend of mine about muzzleloaders in South Africa. He had one about ten years ago. But they are not popular in South Africa. There was a South Africa company, Camdix I believe, that at one time produced black powder- but no longer. For a resident to have black powder requires an explosive permit that one gets in Pretoria. I think you can see where this is going.

This is of great interest to me so if your PH is successful in locating some please let me know. Good luck with the powder and good hunting.

 

[Hammer1Down]

@cornstalk
Thats what is concerning to me. We are hunting about 2hr from Pretoria, so im hoping that his friend who shoots BP competitions can get me at least a pound of something to work with. Bringing plenty of lead to tune a load with. If I can get a reliable source I will be planning another trip with friends and I'll be taking a .62 caliber to go after a cape buffalo.

If im spending the money to go to Africa I want to do it with BP and make it that much sweeter and memorable.

 

[SDSmlf]

I hunted in Namibia a few years back and had planned to use a flintlock, but unfortunately it did not work out. I was told real blackpowder would be available for me when I arrived. I was trusting, but asked for some evidence of what I would be using, and I requested a photograph of the powder container. A week before leaving for Windhoek, all I had was a photograph of a blackpowder substitute that the local supplier insisted would work in a flintlock. The outfitter was apologetic, but their hands were tied. I left the flintlock home and hunted with my backup, something in 338 caliber.

Good luck on your hunt.

 

[fleener]

I have shot with the South Africa long range ML team. It is my understanding that they can not get BP and have not been able to for a few years now.

I assume you have googled black powder shooting in SA? Might be your best bet is to find someone with a pound that they will sell you. Hate to think what it will cost per pound.

See the below

Fleener

https://muzzleloader.co.za/

 

[Hammer1Down]

I have shot with the South Africa long range ML team. It is my understanding that they can not get BP and have not been able to for a few years now.

I assume you have googled black powder shooting in SA? Might be your best bet is to find someone with a pound that they will sell you. Hate to think what it will cost per pound.

See the below

Fleener

https://muzzleloader.co.za/

If I can get real BP I'd pay 100$ for the pound if I had to. I'm already deep into making this hunt happen and if that's what I have to pay I guess it's what I have to do. I am bringing my other lock that is a caplock I can swap in if all I can get is substitute powder, but then I have to get caps as well. Always something

 

[Freedom]

The guys that hunt and (compete) internationally with real BlackPowder just load fixed BPCR cartridges with Black. Even Goex did this when they sent the late Bill Bagwell to Africa to hunt. Once loaded, its just Gun-powder.
Fixed (loaded) ammo is legal (max weight limit on ammo, so use a small bullet). Then just pull the bullet when you arrive at your hunt, and your brass speed-loaders are all ready for service.

 

[GREENSWLDE]

Try and locate the Cape Town Muzzle loaders. I believe they are based at Cape Town Castle and shoot regularly at the Atlantis range..OLD DOG..

 

[Two Elks]

Why not take long the ingredients and make you rown BP ? Not that hard and safe in small quantities.

 

[TFoley]

Why not take long the ingredients and make you rown BP ? Not that hard and safe in small quantities.

Are you really suggesting that the OP takes the makings for black powder on an airplane flight?

Good luck with that, Sir.

 

[Two Elks]

The individual components are not at all harmful until mixed. I bought all the components thru the mail and there are no hazmat fees or concerns. And in fact they all arrived in the same shipping container, but in separate bags of course. Mix them after he gets there. Making BP is really a no-brainer, not witch-craft. It sounds like this hunt is very special and he needs BP. I merely suggested a very real alternative. It's also possible to have them sent to his PH as well. If he ordered a pound of each component he'd have enough BP to practice and hunt everything in Africa.

 

[Hammer1Down]

The individual components are not at all harmful until mixed. I bought all the components thru the mail and there are no hazmat fees or concerns. And in fact they all arrived in the same shipping container, but in separate bags of course. Mix them after he gets there. Making BP is really a no-brainer, not witch-craft. It sounds like this hunt is very special and he needs BP. I merely suggested a very real alternative. It's also possible to have them sent to his PH as well. If he ordered a pound of each component he'd have enough BP to practice and hunt everything in Africa.

As much as I appreciate this option (I had considered it as well) there isn't the resources available at the lodge to do the mixing. I have dabbled with it in the past and wasn't pleased with how it turned out. Needed to play more with the mixing and such.

 

[Relic shooter]

HISTORY TEACHES ONLY TWO OPTIONS TO DEAL WITH TYRANNY OVER BANGSTICKS & AMMO ;
Learn how to make your own on the sly,,, or man-up & restore stolen freedoms.
Ukrainians are showing citizens worldwide the only option to defeat dictators.
relic shooter

 

[Daveboone]

I am sorry I cant offer any advice, but can share your excitement over the upcoming hunt. We leave on 4-18 to hunt the Eastern Cape for plains game, but are using unmentionables. How about googling SA sporting shops /gun shops in your area? You can call them yourself and get a better idea of the situation. I would be the squeeky wheel on this with your outfitter. Mine gets back to me within a day for any questions/concerns, Hound him . Tell him this is a make or break situation for you.

 

[kipcarter]

The guys that hunt and (compete) internationally with real BlackPowder just load fixed BPCR cartridges with Black. Even Goex did this when they sent the late Bill Bagwell to Africa to hunt. Once loaded, its just Gun-powder.
Fixed (loaded) ammo is legal (max weight limit on ammo, so use a small bullet). Then just pull the bullet when you arrive at your hunt, and your brass speed-loaders are all ready for service.

Some years ago I took a shotgun along and a couple of boxes of
12 gage shells that were reloads, only they were full of GOEX 2f. I hunted up in Botswana but went through SA Customs twice with my double 58 cal. and the shotgun that I never shot. I have 2 Cape Buffs, one was the SCI record for several years, and in my experience the .58 is a little light to hunt Buffs with.

 

[Jaeger]

Hunting Cape Buffalo with a muzzleloader sounds a bit daunting.

 

[Hammer1Down]

Some years ago I took a shotgun along and a couple of boxes of
12 gage shells that were reloads, only they were full of GOEX 2f. I hunted up in Botswana but went through SA Customs twice with my double 58 cal. and the shotgun that I never shot. I have 2 Cape Buffs, one was the SCI record for several years, and in my experience the .58 is a little light to hunt Buffs with.

Is it questioned if you bring ammo for a gun you thats not along on the trip? It's a bit late for me to change paperwork. The straightwalled cartridges or shotgun shells reloaded with my powder seems to be a sure fire way to have it in hand.
The next trip I make, my .62 cal will come along for cape buff. Definitely didn't want to try at one with the rifles I'm bringing.

 

[cornstalk]

Sulphur is Class 9 Hazmat and would need proper packing, labeling and declaration.

Potassium nitrate is Class 5 Hazmat and not permitted on passenger aircraft (except under particular rules). And proper packing, labeling and declaration of course.

And what am I when I bring into a foreign country the components to make an explosive? I believe the word is Terrorist.

As far as ammo of a caliber that you don't have a gun for? You might get lucky and they might not check. I had them not compare and I've had them compare. But look at it from a LEO point of view. I believe the word again is Terrorist.

 

[fleener]

The practice of putting BP into a cartridge to circumvent the haz mat regulations comes up every once and a while. I know people that have done it and I know that there are people that actually seem to encourage others to do it.

Sure you can do it and you most likely will not get caught or have any issues. But, what if you did get caught? Ready for criminal charges? A passenger aircraft at 30,000 feet is a serious situation if something were to go wrong.

Click on the link and see what the USDOT says about the issue.

https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phm...etations/Interpretation Files/2001/010216.pdf
Fleener

 

[Hammer1Down]

Update for anyone still wondering. The PH was able to source real black for me. I'll just have to tune a load with it in both rifles but that is no big deal!

Thanks for all the replies and info