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If the Scirocco's group as well as the TSX I would use them. You can push them a bit faster and slightly better BC. Both deadly in terminal performance, so nothing much to choose there. In my limited experience, the Scirocco's are quite finicky with loads. Tougher than an Accubond - toughest of...

I've seen this with Hornady factory ammo - that sat in storage a long time (like 25-30 years). When the bullets were pulled on the remainder of the batch, the powder was in varying stages of decomposition from clumpy granules to liquid sludge. Considering the nitrocellulose and nitroglycerin...

As a resident Joburger, this is the answer if you need/want to stay at the airport.

Yeah, not to be dramatic but that looks like it's about to let go. It can probably be repaired but you'll always have doubts and a 505 is not a calibre for dodgy stock. That stock needed to be properly bedded and braced before the cracks set in. Rather put the repair money towards a new stock

What you are missing is: 1. GRT (or QL) and Hornady don't know your specific case & chamber dimensions. Always use your measured data - the case internal volume (H2O mass) is critical. Hornady's data is generic. 2. Your cartridge OAL looks very short versus standard. This will increase pressure...

Like any simulation, the quality of the output is determined by the quality of the input. I use GRT extensively and the following criteria are critical: 1. Case capacity for cases fired in your rifle (should go without saying this means cases of the same brand and from the same batch) Also known...

The law here states that you may only possess ammo that can be fired in a firearm for which you possess a licence. So you are NOT required to have matching headstamps. However the airport police (and SAPS in general) are not the most highly educated enforcers of the law, so you may encounter...

Yes you can legally purchase ammo with your temp permit (obviously only in the same calibre as the permit)

Not sure a 9.3x66 is good advice unless an obscure (soon to be obsolete) calibre with unobtanium brass is the goal. 9.3 is hardly a drop in "power level" - especially for North American game. Other than legal requirements in some African countries for DG, in practical terms, if a 9.3 isn't man...

For the species mentioned, pretty much anything in the 285-286gr will work just fine at 9.3x62 velocities, that's the beauty of this calibre. As mentioned, the Norma Oryx work fine and tend to be very accurate in most guns. Any of the premium bullets will work but probably aren't necessary for...

This is pretty much exactly what GRT gives. GRT indicates (using default specs) that 65gr is a bit over max pressure - but should give about 97% casefill. Something sounds off if the powder is overflowing the case completely - maybe just double-check/validate your scale in case something is...

I wonder if a bit more info on the gun to add colour wouldn't help generate more bidding interest? Info such as how long Ron has owned the rifle? How many elephant were hunted with it approximately? What other DG was hunted with it?

What birds would you want to shoot? Rock pigeons can be shot year round (as they're classed as vermin) and IMHO are amongst the best wing shooting around. Waterfowl and terrestrial species like guinea fowl and francolin/spurfowl must be hunted in season, which may limit your timing a bit. Some...

All the way full - try to get the water level with the case mouth and avoid an excessive meniscus. Because you want to measure a sample of cases, you want consistency in the method. Filling with a small syringe usually keeps the mess to a minimum and I've never experienced any air bubbles using...

Ah ok, I missed that you'd tried a variety of bullets. I suppose another option is to have the rifle re-regulated for a preferred load? But that costs money and requires a skilled smith

DGX, even the newer and supposedly better version, would NOT be my choice for DG. I get that you're trying to get your double regulating but as has been mentioned, Woodleighs and Northfork should be explored. A-Frames are always worth a try too. Another factor to bear in mind, just because the...

The 45.5gr load should be close to a node (45.4gr should be node 7) - case fill is around 95%. You can probably cut to the chase and test 45.5 and 46.0 gr and see what MV's that gives up and we can re-calculate from there. Or add 46.5 and 47.0gr (which is where the half-node sits at 2546 ft/s)...

Ran your data through GRT, using the default inputs where not available from you - the most useful/helpful data point would be knowing the average "H2O capacity" of a sample of fired cartridge cases to get a more accurate simulation of your load. That being said, the initial output from GRT...

My reasoning(which is always dangerous in a subjective thread like this) is: 1. All of these are adequate for buffalo 2. All of these are ample/overkill for all the antelope species 3. Most/all of the bigger, tougher antelope listed can be taken at close range or bushveld distances Conclusion...

Adding my 2c here on the 300 H&H... 1. Case failure tends to happen above the belt (i.e. case head separation) and not neck cracking. I do anneal every reloading cycle and have yet to have a single neck crack. I partial full-length resize to try and index off the shoulder and minimise case...

Exactly this advice! Unfortunately you have to be bold and bin cases when they show signs of incipient case head separation. I have used both Norma and Hornady in my 300 H&H and Norma lasts twice as long. Hornady is junk and only kept as a back up if no other cases are available. Despite my...

Go for it! I used to use 200gr Accubonds in my 300 H&H which worked fine but were never all that accurate. I switched over to 180gr Partitions during a period when ABs were unavailable and have found them to be the most accurate bullet I've tried in my rifle. I use them on all PG out to 400m...

It would very much be a niche hunt - slugs do see some use for bushpig hunting in the thick stuff, so no reason why you couldn't do the same for bushveld species at close range. But you will be much more limited than using a rifle. You'd need to bring your own rifled shotgun (they're extremely...

I know nothing about black bear beyond what I read but they don't sound especially large or tough. So I would stick with the proven formula for a 9.3 (which I do have lots of experience with). Conventional cup & core 286gr at 2300ft/s is ample for any non-DG. I would caution against excessive...

If you want to push the limits with this round, then Reloder-26 (assuming you can find some) is the powder to go to. You can push a 200gr bullet close to 2900ft/s. I've got a load with a 200gr TSX that groups 0.5 MOA at that velocity. My go-to, because I have lots of them, is a 180gr Partition...

It sounds like you have not chrono'd your loads? If not, none of your conclusions are vaguely valid - just speculation. Questioning the veracity of GRT (or any other internal ballistics software) without following any basic load development and testing procedures is focusing on the wrong place...

If premium and conventional bullets give equal and acceptable accuracy in your rifle, what are the merits of using a conventional bullet other than price? What are the chances of you being on a(n African) hunt using a premium bullet and wishing you had a cheaper, conventional bullet? And vice...

Congrats on a great hunt and thanks for sharing! You did well prepping for the hunt - working on your limited experience in terms of range paid off. Likewise I think your calibre and bullet choice was a really good one for the Eastern Cape. The big challenge is going to be beating this...

Agree with the FL-resizing - you don’t want an mis-feed or a jam in a DG calibre if a case body is oversize. The Rigby is low pressure so the brass doesn’t work too hard. Anneal the case neck every reloading cycle and the cases will outlast the rifle, even with FL-resizing. At least that’s been...

With respect - not understanding something doesn't invalidate it. Simple analogy - a twin engined jet aircraft: the velocity of gases out of the 'engine' is the same for both engines when running. Gas velocity out of the engines provides thrust, which is what makes the jet accelerate and...

Thank you for sharing your thoughts! As a father of teenage daughters in South Africa, with our politics and infrastructure and economy seemingly in freefall to rack and ruin, your musings have served as a timely reminder for me to appreciate what is great about South Africa and why I moved my...

Not sure there's any magic in the brass - any of the better brands will work, availability will likely dictate. 286gr bullets work great and the relatively low velocity means you don't need fancy bonded bullets - again availability will be the deciding factor. In terms of powder, if you want to...

Interesting - 'hydrostatic shock' around the bullet path through the animal perhaps? The bullet path appears quite close to the surface/skin? It's a big bullet and the cavity nose will be creating a big shockwave and cavity as it passes through the animal (think of the ballistic gel tests with...

Feb is mighty hot in most parts of SA - and well into the wet season so the undergrowth will be tall and trees at their most leafy. Limpopo will be roasting hot as will the parts of KZN that carry kudu - and finding a decent bull in close to zero visibility will require a healthy amount of luck...

At a guess it's a 30-06 necked up to 9.3 ('06 is 63mm long) It will be extremely similar to the standard 9.3x62 in ballistic performance.

Maybe contact Juan Broglioli - he's the local Beretta gunsmithing expert. He'll know all about the S56 series and can advise what mods may be available to you. I have an S56S (the skeet version) which is a single trigger and very comfortable to shoot. I have shot a lot with an S56E too - my...

My 2c - try to get some guidance from your PH/outfitter on the terrain you will be hunting. I assure you that Limpopo is NOT all flat and some of the mountain ranges in the province are as rugged as they get. If you are hunting in the flatter areas, these are generally quite sandy - so you want...

Nicely done! Congrats!

This! Just be aware that your POI will likely shift with the suppressor, so plan in a few extra 'sighter' rounds to get your rifle dialled in and zeroed.

As Frederik touched on - why not look at a (retirement) home in a lifestyle estate? Plenty of them springing up all over, some are even game farms. Basically create a lock up & go. When you're staying there, you can go and hunt wherever you like - either at places you already know and like or...

Seems like an overly-complex brainstorm to a fairly simple problem. Getting a gun-shy shooter using a big heavy DG rifle isn't an obvious starting point. Wouldn't a 308 shooting a 180gr A-Frame be better medicine for both shooter and target? Maybe there's some kind of calibre restriction for...

Apologies but I had to double-take when I read this :ROFLMAO: Back on topic - gun looks great. GLWS!

160,000 psi :oops:

Having a preference for uncommon but not obsolete calibres, I'd have this rifle in a heartbeat if I was in the US. From an investment perspective I don't see how you could lose money on it other than trashing it.

I have a fair amount of experience with belted cartridges reloading for my 300H&H. Incipient case head separation is a fact of life with belted cartridges and anyone reloading for them should have an inspection step looking for the early signs while doing case prep. Using a piece of wire with a...

In countries that experienced civil wars - undoubtedly 7.62x39. A few things to keep in mind: Pre-1890s the 'cartridge' was in its infancy and thus unlikely to have claimed that much game, purely because cartridges hadn't been around too long and there weren't that many people toting...

Lovely little rifles! I have one in 6x45. Only copy of a Mauser mini action available these days, and they're not being made any more.

The International airports are much of a muchness. Flying from the US, your (direct) options are Heathrow and Gatwick. If I had to pick, I'd go with Gatwick but it's only marginally less bad than Heathrow from an efficiency and accessibility aspect. I would add Boss & Co and WIlliam Evans for...

Personally I'd be happy to use the Oryx's as they are phenomenally accurate in my 9.3. Sure an A-Frame would be tougher and arguably better but if you can't get any then I'd use the Oryx with high confidence. This assertion is highly dependent on the bullet mass and velocity, especially so in...

Surprised no one has mentioned rock pigeon shooting in SA. Extremely challenging with plenty of birds! Grasslands Safaris offer a first class operation with plenty of concessions (sunflower fields usually) to shoot over. They are based an hour outside Bloemfontein. They also offer waterfowl and...