TEXLNGHRN
New member
- Joined
- May 6, 2024
- Messages
- 9
- Reaction score
- 20
- Location
- Grapevine, Texas
- Member of
- DSC, SCI, B&C, TTHA, GOA, NRA (Life), CCA
- Hunted
- South Africa; USA (TX, OK, UT, FL)
Howdy, All! This Texan has been lurking for several months, and I wanted to join to say THANK YOU for the absolutely incredible information and inspiration that this community has provided as I prepare for my first Safari. This place is special among the hunting boards I’ve visited, and I hope to contribute as I embark on my journey into international hunting.
Some details about the upcoming trip:
RSA is the destination, and we leave in a few short days. My friends and I will be hunting for 10 days in the Eastern Cape with Karoo 2 Coast Hunting Safaris, a new venture between Little Africa Hunting Safaris and Olivewoods Game Farm. My understanding is that we will hunt both Little Africa up in the Karoo and Olivewoods closer to the coast so that we’ll have more options at our target species while experiencing two distinct climates and environments. We are targeting plains game, though my friends will also detour to Limpopo for a shot at a croc.
On my list are kudu, gemsbok, red hartebeest, blue wildebeest, impala, bushbuck, springbok, and a trophy warthog. I’m sure there will be more as opportunities arise, and I don’t know if I’ll be able to restrain myself if a quality nyala presents itself.
The rifle for this hunt is the Bergara B-14 Wilderness Sierra. Bergara showed me a “prototype” at DSC this year, and it was exactly what I was looking for with an adjustable comb, redesigned stock, and floorplate. Chambering is .300 Win Mag. Glass is a Swarovski Z5 3.5-18x44 BT-Plex. Suppressor is a Dead Air Sandman-S. In part because of researching here, ammo is Federal Terminal Ascent 200 grain. I also tried Norma Oryx, Nosler Partitions and Accubonds, and Barnes TTSX, all in 180gr. Of this ammo selection, the TA shoots best out of this rifle, averaging about 0.5 MOA per 3 shot group from a bench, plus the bullet seems to be a modern version of the Partition. We’ll see how it does in the field. I’m very confident with this set-up, and I can consistently ring 8” steel out to 300 yards off of a tripod.
I plan to do trophies with Karoo Taxidermy. I prefer euro mounts, so that’s a relatively easy decision. However, I’m still thinking about what I can do with the skins. I like a patchwork area rug that they make from the backskins of animals you shoot or from their stock. I’ve also thought about just getting leather and then having gloves, boots, wallet, rifle sling, etc. made. I’m pretty open here.
Travel is on United Airlines, Newark to Joburg. Gun permits are through Afton Safari Lodge, and Mr. X will greet us at the airport and facilitate rifle transfer. Dinner and overnight at Afton, then Airlink to PE. Karoo 2 Coast will meet us at the PE airport.
I’m still refining my packing list – there is a lot of great information on this board. It's snowed and rained a fair amount up where we’ll be hunting by Graaf-Reinet, so I plan to pack warmer clothes that I can layer, probably “over-packing” by some hunters’ standards.
I think that should just about cover it, for now. Thankfully, my friends and I are travelling and hunting with a couple of hunters who are very experienced in hunting Africa, and they have been a great resource in planning this trip from end-to-end. It’s been a fun process, and we’ve gained new friends along the way. It's one of the great things about the passion that we all share – the fraternity that goes along with it.
Again, thank you to all who contribute here. As a waterfowler, wingshooter, and hunter of deer, elk, and wild hogs, going on Safari is opening up a world of possibilities that I didn’t consider a few short years ago.
Thoughts and comments are very welcome – I’m learning as I go, and I know I have A LOT to learn yet.
Cheers and good hunting!
TEXLNGHORN
Some details about the upcoming trip:
RSA is the destination, and we leave in a few short days. My friends and I will be hunting for 10 days in the Eastern Cape with Karoo 2 Coast Hunting Safaris, a new venture between Little Africa Hunting Safaris and Olivewoods Game Farm. My understanding is that we will hunt both Little Africa up in the Karoo and Olivewoods closer to the coast so that we’ll have more options at our target species while experiencing two distinct climates and environments. We are targeting plains game, though my friends will also detour to Limpopo for a shot at a croc.
On my list are kudu, gemsbok, red hartebeest, blue wildebeest, impala, bushbuck, springbok, and a trophy warthog. I’m sure there will be more as opportunities arise, and I don’t know if I’ll be able to restrain myself if a quality nyala presents itself.
The rifle for this hunt is the Bergara B-14 Wilderness Sierra. Bergara showed me a “prototype” at DSC this year, and it was exactly what I was looking for with an adjustable comb, redesigned stock, and floorplate. Chambering is .300 Win Mag. Glass is a Swarovski Z5 3.5-18x44 BT-Plex. Suppressor is a Dead Air Sandman-S. In part because of researching here, ammo is Federal Terminal Ascent 200 grain. I also tried Norma Oryx, Nosler Partitions and Accubonds, and Barnes TTSX, all in 180gr. Of this ammo selection, the TA shoots best out of this rifle, averaging about 0.5 MOA per 3 shot group from a bench, plus the bullet seems to be a modern version of the Partition. We’ll see how it does in the field. I’m very confident with this set-up, and I can consistently ring 8” steel out to 300 yards off of a tripod.
I plan to do trophies with Karoo Taxidermy. I prefer euro mounts, so that’s a relatively easy decision. However, I’m still thinking about what I can do with the skins. I like a patchwork area rug that they make from the backskins of animals you shoot or from their stock. I’ve also thought about just getting leather and then having gloves, boots, wallet, rifle sling, etc. made. I’m pretty open here.
Travel is on United Airlines, Newark to Joburg. Gun permits are through Afton Safari Lodge, and Mr. X will greet us at the airport and facilitate rifle transfer. Dinner and overnight at Afton, then Airlink to PE. Karoo 2 Coast will meet us at the PE airport.
I’m still refining my packing list – there is a lot of great information on this board. It's snowed and rained a fair amount up where we’ll be hunting by Graaf-Reinet, so I plan to pack warmer clothes that I can layer, probably “over-packing” by some hunters’ standards.
I think that should just about cover it, for now. Thankfully, my friends and I are travelling and hunting with a couple of hunters who are very experienced in hunting Africa, and they have been a great resource in planning this trip from end-to-end. It’s been a fun process, and we’ve gained new friends along the way. It's one of the great things about the passion that we all share – the fraternity that goes along with it.
Again, thank you to all who contribute here. As a waterfowler, wingshooter, and hunter of deer, elk, and wild hogs, going on Safari is opening up a world of possibilities that I didn’t consider a few short years ago.
Thoughts and comments are very welcome – I’m learning as I go, and I know I have A LOT to learn yet.
Cheers and good hunting!
TEXLNGHORN
