Mine or Theirs?

[Red Leg]

I am a million miler on United and nearly that on Delta. So, I have done this before. I never ever travel international - tourist or hunting - without using an experienced travel agent. Ever. With a firearm, I have been most impressed with Gracy Travel. Every ticket, connection, or arrival expectation has been exactly as they anticipated. Wouldn't dream of dialing up Travelocity for such an itinerary.

 

[thi9elsp]

2011 I took my rifles to Zimbabwe via Joberg. No issues. Gracy Travel handled and I paid for meet and greet staying at Africa Sky.

2015 I took ammunition only and used the outfitters rifle to hunt Stag and Tahr in New Zealand. Rifle was a solid Remington 7mm and we added a suppressor for the Tahr and re-sighted.

2016 I used the PH rifles in Mozambique. 375 BRNO, 375 Blaser, 7mm Blaser. All in very good working order, condition, etc.

I would query strongly with your potential PH and firms to determine what they have and whether you would want to hunt with them. Never having shot a Blaser, there were familiarity issues for me which we worked through on the range.

 

[Ryan]

I've used mine for three trips and theirs for one. No complaints with either situation. In 2018 I brought my bow and used a rental rifle because I was touring for nine days afterwards and a rifle in a car didn't seem wise. A stolen bow in another country is no big deal, a stolen gun is. It was a Ruger M77 in 300 WM with a good Leupold scope and a Mauser in 308, again with a Leupold on top. No frills synthetic stock, but damned if they didn't work perfectly. I took my own last year because I'm a lefty and I wanted my own left handed rifle for buffalo hunting if possible. But my outfitter had a 7x57 and 375 H&H for rentals, I saw them while in camp, both in good shape. I had no issues with taking my rifles last January to South Africa for that hunt. While I did it all myself to Namibia twice in the past I did use @TRAVEL EXPRESS that January. They helped a lot considering flights had been changing a lot and I needed transit permits for Amsterdam. Then my flight got changed two days before I was to leave RSA and I needed transit paperwork for Paris, which they got done in short order. I don't think I could have done that easily. If I go back again in a couple/few years I intend on doing similar to 2018 and will use a rental. The outfitters I've considered have told me exactly what they have as rentals. They're all sponsors here too, so if it wasn't up to snuff it would be in the report for all to read.

 

[Tanks]

One other thing to consider in all these pros and cons using a Travel Agent is Internet. Out in the bush (heck even in cities) if something changes one does not have fast Internet or even a large monitor to see what one is doing.

If something changes your Travel Agent can take care of it much, much easier and faster. Most of the time in Africa I do not have cell service let alone Wifi access (not glamping at RSA). So, a travel agent keeping an eye out for me is well worth it. I do take a Garmin Inreach+ with me so we can text back and forth if needed, but I would not be able to adjust my itinerary.

 

[375Fox]

One other thing to consider in all these pros and cons using a Travel Agent is Internet. Out in the bush (heck even in cities) if something changes one does not have fast Internet or even a large monitor to see what one is doing.

If something changes your Travel Agent can take care of it much, much easier and faster. Most of the time in Africa I do not have cell service let alone Wifi access (not glamping at RSA). So, a travel agent keeping an eye out for me is well worth it. I do take a Garmin Inreach+ with me so we can text back and forth if needed, but I would not be able to adjust my itinerary.

This is where I saw the value in using a travel agent. Delta canceled my flight home from South Africa in March 2020. We had to rush back to port Elizabeth. There was no time to sort this out myself. It took several hours of them trying but Travel express got me on the last direct delta flight out. There were other hunters at Africa Sky that were still hoping for best when I had a confirmed flight back to Atlanta. The service fee seemed too small of a fee that day.

 

[CoElkHunter]

I just got my Qatar tickets. $5,328 (equivalent miles) for business for LAX to Harare and then Harare to Lusaka and 10 days later Lusaka to LAX.

Interesting thing is when I wanted to check that route out their website would not allow it saying there was a problem. Travel Express sorted it out for me.

Now, I know one thing that adds thousands of dollars is to use a US airline (e.g. American) to go to an airport that Qatar flies from flying business. US airlines will charge you thousands for a 2 hour flight for business if connecting.



I filled Emirates paperwork last year and emailed it to Travel Express. Some time later I got the approval paperwork emailed back to me. So, rules might have changed. Or they logged in for me using the reservation code and last name and took care of the paperwork.

The service fee is well worth it, and it is less than a third of the $700 quoted by @rookhawk . Any time I hire a service I ask one question to myself. Is doing the same thing myself worth my time? The most precious resource I have at this point in my life is time. So, tedious tasks I farm out.

Another advantage is that the travel agent can do various combinations for you. I am going Qatar business because taking the same itinerary with Emirates was $1,700 per person more.

VERY interesting! A U.S. airline flying to an airport to take a Qatar flight adds quite a bit to the ticket costs. Didn’t know that. Thanks for sharing that info will all of us!

 

[oldfart009]

They got what they wanted so it’s time for it to ease up, list a friend to covid last month.

 

[CBH Australia]

It would be nice if you can take your own rifle, you have something that is special, go make memories with it.

 

[Tokoloshe Safaris]

As a Zimbabwe operator we prefer that you furnish your own Rifle and ammunition. This is due to ammunition availability and cost.

If a client wishes to use one of our rifles we have the following available.
.375 H&H Model 70 Safari Classic, Swarovski optik
.300 Win Model 70 Safari Classic Kahles & Swarovski optics, built by Win. Custom Shop
.404J Pre War Rigby Single Square Bridge, Original Sights
.404J Jeffery Mauser Original Sights
.308 Ruger 77 Kahles Optiks
All function perfect and are properly maintained, as all firearms should be maintained.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

Fear and doubt rob life. Take your beautifil WR and do the two buff, just follow all the good advice whish has the common thread of:
1. Use a good travel agent.
2. Book business class.
3. Get the paper work meticulously correct.
4. Avoid Europe.

Enjoy every second!

 

[spike.t]

Take your own rifle and enjoy the memories the 2 of you will have of your hunt....when I was on the other side of the equation I would never have not taken my own rifles ....part of the whole package to me...would have never felt right not using my own ones...

 

[spike.t]

Fear and doubt rob life. Take your beautifil WR and do the two buff, just follow all the good advice whish has the common thread of:
1. Use a good travel agent.
2. Book business class.
3. Get the paper work meticulously correct.
4. Avoid Europe.

Enjoy every second!

Nothing wrong with travelling via Heathrow Kevin as long as you are using same airline or partner ones and are checked through to destination...(apart from zim as end destination as I think the arms embargo to zim is still in place)....the firearms are handled by the security company not the baggage handlers...so picked up from the plane and kept in secure storage then delivered to next flight by them...

 

[CBH Australia]

As a Zimbabwe operator we prefer that you furnish your own Rifle and ammunition. This is due to ammunition availability and cost.

If a client wishes to use one of our rifles we have the following available.
.375 H&H Model 70 Safari Classic, Swarovski optik
.300 Win Model 70 Safari Classic Kahles & Swarovski optics, built by Win. Custom Shop
.404J Pre War Rigby Single Square Bridge, Original Sights
.404J Jeffery Mauser Original Sights
.308 Ruger 77 Kahles Optiks
All function perfect and are properly maintained, as all firearms should be maintained.

With gear like that hiring looks favourable.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

Getting towards the end of my hard graft career, I often sit by the fire and think about what next. Just going into veg retirement isn't that appealing, so a tongue in cheek swan song would be acquiring a hunting safari operation and equipping it with a selection of fine doubles for client use. It would be called Fine Double Safaris and all the clients would get a free pith helmet and putees. My part in it would be sitting around the fire in the evenings with the clients, ensuring the crystal tumblers were always full.

 

[spike.t]

Getting towards the end of my hard graft career, I often sit by the fire and think about what next. Just going into veg retirement isn't that appealing, so a tongue in cheek swan song would be acquiring a hunting safari operation and equipping it with a selection of fine doubles for client use. It would be called Fine Double Safaris and all the clients would get a free pith helmet and putees. My part in it would be sitting around the fire in the evenings with the clients, ensuring the crystal tumblers were always full.

 

[xbr897]

Agreed. Plan to fly Qatar from Seattle to wherever we decide to hunt. Business or First.

Qatar doesn't have First on the SEA-DOH & DOH-JNB/CPT flights. But they do have their excellent Q-Suite product on them.

Sadly, as noted by @CoElkHunter 's above, the flights are not cheap. I started looking last summer and managed to find an award tick to get over. For return flight I felt I was lucky to get one-way Business class for JNB-DOH-SEA for 'just' $2600. Now I'm not seeing anything below $6500 round trip this summer and most dates in the $8300+ range.

 

[Tokoloshe Safaris]

Kevin do you think a Mellville & Moon 10 gun teak rifle rack would look better with fine doubles or R8s? Let me guess.

Getting towards the end of my hard graft career, I often sit by the fire and think about what next. Just going into veg retirement isn't that appealing, so a tongue in cheek swan song would be acquiring a hunting safari operation and equipping it with a selection of fine doubles for client use. It would be called Fine Double Safaris and all the clients would get a free pith helmet and putees. My part in it would be sitting around the fire in the evenings with the clients, ensuring the crystal tumblers were always full.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

Kevin do you think a Mellville & Moon 10 gun teak rifle rack would look better with fine doubles or R8s? Let me guess.

Hmmmmmm, that is a tough one. Depends if the hunter pitches up with pointy crocodile shoes...

 

[Tokoloshe Safaris]

I guess you would only need one R8. Fill all of the empty slots with scoped xtra barrels.
How about all find doubles and pre-war Mauser based fine bolt guns. Pith helmets mandatory. Do you think the puttee's will go with pointy Croc boots. Maybe a pith helmet with a Rattlesnake hat band with some pretty feathers.

Hmmmmmm, that is a tough one. Depends if the hunter pitches up with pointy crocodile shoes...

 

[rookhawk]

With gear like that hiring looks favourable.

These aren’t his “good guns”, he hides those. @Tokoloshe Safaris do you still have that 470 Rigby rising bite that belonged to the Lord Perceval?