Plased you have your BP waiting in RSA.Swiss is availale but rather expensive.. About £100.00 /kilo I last heard.. £ 75/ Kilo in UK or there abouts.( depends on who you know.) Take Care-- Buffs don't stop easily. That's why your PH carries a .600" Double. An old friend was asked- "------" why don't you carry a Double 700 -- Cause I can't (F----g) Afford one. At the time a Double .700 Holland was about £130.000 and the Banger s were £120.00p A GO.. Talking 1998.. O.D.
Good deal. As I mentioned in an earlier post, suggest you confirm exactly what powder you will be using by asking for a photograph of the actual container. When I requested a photograph of the container of ‘real blackpowder’ from my African PH, their local supplier provided a photograph of a blackpowder substitute that they assured would work in a flintlock. Trust, but verify.
From what I have read you should be ok with ZAR, a real blackpowder that’s available in South Africa. I ended up hunting in Namibia and couldn’t guarantee getting my hands on the real stuff before I got on the plane. Another thing to confirm, is what paperwork or permits you may possibly be required to have. Forget exact hoops required to jump through, but there was a permit required to possess blackpowder in at least one area I considered hunting in, and the regulations seem to be a bit of a moving target. Easier to get everything understood before you get there.
Enjoy your trip and hunt. Full report when you return is mandatory. Good luck.
Fer what its worth....I long thought it was beyond our means until I looked into it...specifically South Africa. Multi species packages are very affordable compared to hunting (ex. ...moose, elk, etc.) trips in the U.S. Mix it up with sightseeing, game tours, etc. so the wife enjoys it for a mixed trip. Big bags and taxidermy quickly inflate the cost, as does airfare and shipping. I near doubled the cost of our trip because we decided on three full shoulder mounts instead of just horns and hides, and I added an Nyala (which I am glad I did) which added 2200 to the tag! With only modest discipline, and a few select species it is easy to keep the cost down to a reasonable vacation. We were over five years planning (with two years delay due to the big C) and saving, but it was a trip of a lifetime.
Your adventure sounds similar to my ‘flintlock blackpowder’ experience in Namibia I posted about earlier in this thread, except I was able to figure out the locally sourced ‘blackpowder’ for my Africa flintlock hunt was in fact a sub about a week before I got on the plane headed to Africa, and my flintlock sat out the trip. You were lucky your friend had a spare gun to lend. I know many outfitters can provide you a gun, but that could a luck of the draw situation. It came down to the photograph of the actual blackpowder container that I insisted upon, revealing it contained a sub. And there was plenty of time to plan, as it was known well over nine months before the hunt that I would require real blackpowder. The supplier insisted that they would be providing real blackpowder and I need not worry. Unfortunately, the actual container of ‘blackpowder’ would not be in the local supplier’s possession until right before my arrival, thus the late photograph of said container with no time to get a different powder.
Are you still booked for this May to return to RSA?
Just an FYI, the OP (@Hammer1Down) has not been seen on the forum since early September 2022, so a response to your inquiry about his plans for May of 2023 is unlikely.
Ok thank you..
