What are the most common calibres in Africa?

[Bruce]

Ok..good to know that!!

 

[MS 9x56]

Ammo in RSA can only be sold to the holder of a valid firearm license for that caliber being purchased.
You will need a friendly local to help out ( I never said that!!)

First let me state I have not had the pleasure yet of visiting the dark continent. I am shocked at the lack of classic African Calibers being absent in availability but in our Wal-Mart dominated world I guess maybe I am just too niave. I would have expected at least 9.3x 62?

 

[Hogpatrol]

First let me state I have not had the pleasure yet of visiting the dark continent. I am shocked at the lack of classic African Calibers being absent in availability but in our Wal-Mart dominated world I guess maybe I am just too niave. I would have expected at least 9.3x 62?

Curious as to which classics are you referring?

 

[Bruce]

Major centre's will stock all the ammo mentioned in posts above.. Even 9,3x62..

 

[Hearties]

Yep, you’ll find ammo for almost all the “classic” cartridges in all major centres - particularly metrics and big bores.
Supermagnums - not so much...

 

[MS 9x56]

Curious as to which classics are you referring?

404 Jeffrey,450-400 nitro, 416 Rigby 318 Wesley, 8mms amused, 375 express. Take your pick. Or are all of these old classic firearms out of circulation?

 

[shark_za]

Top 5 are
.223
.243
.270
.308
.30-06

This will also be regional where the fast ones are really popular in the Karoo and the .30's in the Bush.
Second line would be 7x57, 7x64, 7mm Rem Mag, 300 Win Mag, .22-250 , .303 , .375H&H , 9.2x62 (worst case all loaded by PMP)
Seriously popular these days are .260, 6.5CM and 6.5x55

In smaller shops in the hunting areas like Vaalwater, Thabazimbi etc you will even find .458 Win and Lott, .404 and 375H&H.
Any DG PH will know where to find this ammo too.

Whats more interesting is popular calibers that you will struggle to find.
7mm-08
.280 Rem
.338 Winmag
Anything Weatherby

 

[mark-hunter]

404 Jeffrey,450-400 nitro, 416 Rigby 318 Wesley, 8mms amused, 375 express.

If you look from other perspective, just research which factories today make this ammunition?
Very few.

Generally, what someone has said recently, it is not guntopia, there in Africa to make a pick.

Available rifles calibers in camp where I was hunting, were: 375 HH, 300 win mag, 300 HH, and 223.

The calibers you mentioned, only recently, maybe since nineties, are just making revival on the west and clients are bringing them.

Apart for commom ammunition in medium caliber (.30 or so), speaking for DG calibers now:

At one low point, in seventies, or eighties - the only commercial rifles and commercial ammunition were 375 HH and 458 win mag, for bolt actions, as big factories stopped producing ammo in tropical calibers, and rimmed cartridges for doubles.

Only recently few factories started producing "classic" cartridges, and thing change slow. Gun makers follow with new rifles chambered for "classics" but they are not cheap, so revival is slow.

 

[Roguemeister]

I also think that a lot of the guys with the slightly more hard to get ammo, or more expensive ammo (404,416, etc) generally reload their own ammunition, so the demand for factory ammo is lower, hence gunshops not carrying a readily available supply...

 

[MS 9x56]

Top 5 are
.223
.243
.270
.308
.30-06

This will also be regional where the fast ones are really popular in the Karoo and the .30's in the Bush.
Second line would be 7x57, 7x64, 7mm Rem Mag, 300 Win Mag, .22-250 , .303 , .375H&H , 9.2x62 (worst case all loaded by PMP)
Seriously popular these days are .260, 6.5CM and 6.5x55

In smaller shops in the hunting areas like Vaalwater, Thabazimbi etc you will even find .458 Win and Lott, .404 and 375H&H.
Any DG PH will know where to find this ammo too.

Whats more interesting is popular calibers that you will struggle to find.
7mm-08
.280 Rem
.338 Winmag
Anything Weatherby

My point exactly. This list comes to you via wal Mart.com

 

[Ryan]

How is the 30-06 not classic? Over 100 years old, used by countless hunters including Hemingway. It's older than the 375 H&H, which is pretty 'Classic'. The 7x57 is even older. The 270 is over 90 years. Heck even the 308 and 223 are over 60. All have great track records for taking game within their respective limits.

People buy what works. Walmart sells what people buy, nothing more or less.

 

[Hogpatrol]

One of my PHs, fourth generation South African boer now in his mid 50s told me the story about his desire for his first centerfire. It wasn't a "classic" African cartridge. It was a .243 Winchester. His father eventually purchased one for him in a Model 70. It's still on the farm and still used by his son and daughters along with .308s and AR15s in .223.