Fines for overweight ammunition

[Denvir Tire]

Next year I'm traveling to Namibia and Zim and for the first time ever, I'm bringing a rifle. I'll be using a .375 H&H for buffalo and some PG perhaps.
It seems to me that it would much easier to ask the PH to source some ammo in country for my rifle and avoid any travel issues.
This might not be feasible with some of the more exotic calibers but .375 is so ubiquitous there's sure to be some available.
Please shoot some holes in my logic because I don't see any.

 

[Philip Glass]

Question please. I always see the weight limits for both ammunition and stored luggage. Can you take more ammunition if you are willing to pay a fine? Any idea for how much the fine is please? Qatar airlines

No absolutely not. It is an IATA rule not an airline rule. You can stay under the 11lb with 2 boxes of big bore and 2 boxes of .30 cal sized ammo and that will be enough for all you are doing. The reason I am taking 3 boxes of .300Win on this trip is due to the big bag of PG in Tanzania I will be hunting plus two safari arrivals to have to sight in.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

Next year I'm traveling to Namibia and Zim and for the first time ever, I'm bringing a rifle. I'll be using a .375 H&H for buffalo and some PG perhaps.
It seems to me that it would much easier to ask the PH to source some ammo in country for my rifle and avoid any travel issues.
This might not be feasible with some of the more exotic calibers but .375 is so ubiquitous there's sure to be some available.
Please shoot some holes in my logic because I don't see any.

From what I gather, ammo is quite expensive and hard to come by in a lot of the African countries. Carrying your ammo is not that big of deal. Put 2-4 boxes in a Pelican case and lock it up. Quite frankly, taking a rifle is more complicated. Also, getting the exact ammo that you've sighted your gun in with might be an issue.

 

[Philip Glass]

Thanks everyone very helpful. I am traveling to both Zim and SA for an elephant, Buffalo and lion. I am taking my 500 NE DR and my 375 H&H. I am thinking of taking the following:
20 500 BE softs
10 500 NE solids
20 375 Soft Point
10 375 solids
3 boxes of ammo

your thoughts?

Should be good and way under 11lbs.

 

[Red Leg]

If I am hunting buffalo with my .375, I am using a premium bullet that is consistently accurate in my rifle. Expecting an outfitter or PH to find the same ammunition is unreasonable - particularly in the middle of hunting season when he is busy with other clients and the nearest ammunition of any kind may be hours away. Secondly, any new ammunition he is able to obtain will be extremely expensive which can take a meaningful bite out of ready cash. The more likely scenario, particularly if not shooting your buffalo on a game farm but in a wilderness area, is that you will have to use whatever is available in camp - whatever its quality or accuracy in your rifle.

Finally, if you are able to travel with your rifle, you can certainly travel with its ammunition.

 

[WAB]

Next year I'm traveling to Namibia and Zim and for the first time ever, I'm bringing a rifle. I'll be using a .375 H&H for buffalo and some PG perhaps.
It seems to me that it would much easier to ask the PH to source some ammo in country for my rifle and avoid any travel issues.
This might not be feasible with some of the more exotic calibers but .375 is so ubiquitous there's sure to be some available.
Please shoot some holes in my logic because I don't see any.

Don’t do it! The only time I had ammo not show up for a hunt, it was .375 H&H. We played hell finding one box of so-so ammo for my rifle in Lusaka. Take as much premium ammo with you as weight restrictions allow. Leave what you don’t burn with your PH. It’s absolute gold over there.

 

[YancyW]

Don’t do it! The only time I had ammo not show up for a hunt, it was .375 H&H. We played hell finding one box of so-so ammo for my rifle in Lusaka. Take as much premium ammo with you as weight restrictions allow. Leave what you don’t burn with your PH. It’s absolute gold over there.

Same thing for me in Windhoek, we went to several stores and the only 375 H&H was solids. Just ended up using a camp gun, which was very nice and worked fine.

 

[MarkB]

I always take as much as I can. Its better to bring some home than try and find some while there. Call me nuts but when guns and reloaded ammo is finished and ready I make a trip to my local postal outlet and have weighed on verified scale. That's all ammo in factory paper boxes, my pistol/ammo case and locks. Get the print out and take.

First few trips years ago, ammo was in cardboard boxes loose in checked bags. Now its in its own locked box in checked bags and from reading may soon have to be in box and checked as an extra piece for some places/airlines. Another airline money grab.

Never had any issues so far, never had ammo weighed, many airline personnel have asked about amounts and weights but all have taken my word. Its one travel point you can control so I do.

MB

 

[Denvir Tire]

okay!
thanks

 

[rookhawk]

Question please. I always see the weight limits for both ammunition and stored luggage. Can you take more ammunition if you are willing to pay a fine? Any idea for how much the fine is please? Qatar airlines

Its international treaty. 5KG or 11lbs for ammunition. All the excess weight fees in the world won't get more ammo on the plane.

 

[Rare Breed]

Its international treaty. 5KG or 11lbs for ammunition. All the excess weight fees in the world won't get more ammo on the plane.

Got it. Thanks everyone!

 

[DLSJR]

Best bet is to keep the total weight, including case, below 11 lbs. Flying out of Arusha on Ethiopian Airlines a few years ago, my total case weighed over 11 lbs., as I had knives, flashlights and some other stuff packed in with ammo. There was some back & forth discussion as the airline representative didn’t understand the rules. I finally was able to weigh just my ammo, which was well under the limit.

Had I kept the total weight under 11 lbs., I’d have saved time and hassle.

 

[Nevada Mike]

So... I ahve loaded my ammo for my 21 day hunt in TZ next month. Taking a 404 Jeffery and a 7mm Remington Magnum.

Ammo weight on my digital scale:
- 50 rounds of 404j (400 gr. softs and solids) - 2.567 kg.
- 60 rounds of 7mm Mag (160 gr. bullets) - 2.156 kg.

Total is 4.723 kg. and under the 5 kg. limit. This does NOT include the locks and Pelican case.

I really cannot imagine that I would need more ammo than this for 3 weeks hunting.

 

[Hogpatrol]

Next year I'm traveling to Namibia and Zim and for the first time ever, I'm bringing a rifle. I'll be using a .375 H&H for buffalo and some PG perhaps.
It seems to me that it would much easier to ask the PH to source some ammo in country for my rifle and avoid any travel issues.
This might not be feasible with some of the more exotic calibers but .375 is so ubiquitous there's sure to be some available.
Please shoot some holes in my logic because I don't see any.

Will the PH supplied ammo a: fit your rifle (there's no guarantee), b: be accurate in your rifle or shoot five inch groups at fifty yards?

 

[fourfive8]

In no way is it worth the hassle or risk exceeding the 11kg limit. That is a lot of ammo to shoot!…. how many shots? at what? The only exception where 11kg or more might be required would be a full on cull/meat hunt. IMO, It’s a straw man argument to think you may need more “just in case”. Make sure the rifle and scope have some “experience” and are sighted in. Learn how to efficiently re- sight one in if needed. That need would be extremely rare if everything else is addressed.

I think I’ve witnessed my ammo being weighed maybe once… but who knows how many times “behind the curtain”. Have had the number of rounds counted two or three times where there was a tax per round to be had.

 

[Hogpatrol]

After they were out of our hands, both mine and my hunting buddy's checked bags containing ammo in pelican cases were opened and inspected by TSA. I left the locks on mine open. They were closed when I opened the bag in Joburg. Did they check the weight? One can only guess.