Where to start? First trip, lots of options!

[DE KLERK SAFARIS]

Hello Wildfowler
Welcome to the site.
Very good info on this site.
PM sent. Let us know if we can be of any help.
Sincerely
Hans de Klerk

 

[Eric Anderson]

I am not as experienced as many posters on this forum on African Hunting. Based upon my 3 trips to RSA and gobs of Whitetail here in the states though, .270 is a fine cartridge that will serve you well. It is a very popular Elk cartridge here in the states.
I personally think that a rifle that you have lots of hunting experience with is much better than one you don’t.
Yes, a 30-06 is probably a bit better until you factor the fact you are more familiar with your .270
I am a huge fan of Barnes monometal tsx bullets.

As for prices on shipping, I can’t help you on shipping cost because I usually don’t have them shipped. I just bring them back in checked bags the next time I go. Not sure about UK rules, but in the US, I just declare the tanned hides upon reentry into the states.

You can definitely nickel and dime yourself on a hunt. For me personally, I have a simple system.

I am going hunting, if I wanted to go to a 5 star resort, I would stay in the states. Hunting in the US is a very blue collar tradition.

So I start with my flight, I fly coach, I figure every dollar saved on the flight is one more dollar for accomplishing my primary mission.
I pick my game list, and add the daily fees. I figure a 10% for various tips of my daily fee+ trophy price.

Taxidermy is laughably cheap in Africa vs the United States. So I have tanning and skull mounts done there, like I said before, I don’t ship those items, I just bring them back the next year.

Taxidermy cost can be quoted from your PH. They have a very vested interest in it getting done right, they want you to come back.

After that, I bring $1000 in hundreds as emergency cash and $300 in rand for walking around cash.

The $1000 is a true emergency fund.

 

[ActionBob]

First off, save your money and use the 270. No doubt at all that with Bonded 150 grain bullets it will do great. Try to get A Frames or Trophy Bonded.

Sounds like you are going to RSA so try to get to the Karoo for large properties, great springbok, kudu, black wildebeest. Add red hartebeest, fantastic critters! Think about a gemsbok unless you will get to Namibia for that (and another springbok!). Maybe try to find a real good blesbok, cheap but fun. And take a steenbok, good ones in the Karoo.

Skip the Nyala until you can do it proper where it is indigenous and free range like Kwa Zulu Natal or Zimbabwe. They are expensive and tame if farm raised. Same with red lechwe. Just try to hunt animals in their indigenous areas as much as possible, you will come away much happier with better experiences and trophies.

The Taxidermy is a tough call. It's worth getting all the facts together and taking a hard look. Do visit any taxidermist you seriously consider and get him to write down expectations and prices.

 

[JKO HUNTING SAFARIS]

Hello Wildflower,

Welcome to the forum and enjoy planning your safari. As Bob said your 270 will be more than enough gun for what you are looking to hunt... We offer clients a opportunity to hunt a very large (55 000acres) reserve in the Free state province of South Africa. It is close to Lesotho so the terrain is very diverse with rolling hills, thick valleys and open plains. You will have a good safari spot and stalking while seeing thousands of animals.

On the taxidermy we can offer you several different options in several different price classes but I agree with you on not cutting corners on taxidermy as that is what you will have to look at on your wall. We can take you to a few different taxidermists while you are in South Africa, that usually helps with the decision on who to use.

Let me know if you would like me to put together a package for you, we will take good care of you and we will provide a first class hunting experience.

All the best planning sir.

Best regards,

Jacques