Namibia Plains game- extra costs??????

[elmacho]

I am thinking of going with a buddy to hunt plains game. I have seen the going rates for guides, trophies, and airfare. Taxi work will come to US to complete.

Is a 7mm Rem Mag up to taking the plains game up to and including Kudu????They tell me it is not quite enough....

Need help with the cost of additional expenses like: dip and pack? other costs?

How is the quality of the tanning, if I have them do the skins with felt backing there??

Thanks in advance for your help

Mark

 

[bpnclark]

A 7 Mag should be fine for PG. My father took my 270 on his last trip and took a Gemsbok and Hartebeest with it.

Your prices and services are all going to depend on who you hunt with. Some PHs/Outfitters have dipping and packing included and some work with Taxidermist that could give you a good deal.

Good luck.

 

[SDHNTR]

Dip, pack and ship costs run the gamut. You best ask your PH. I've seen it go from a few hundred on up to a few thousand depending on how much you shoot. Savings can be found if you join in with buddies and have everything shipped together. I plan on about $1500-2000 to get my 5 or 6 animals home from RSA. Not sure about Namibia.

 

[jjhack]

The reason many PH's and outfitters will say that the sub 30 caliber rounds are "not enough" is due to the ZERO blood trails shown.

The calibers .308 and over bleed much better then the calibers .284 and under. Since the typical rule is If we find blood you pay the trophy fee most outfitters recognise that the sub 30 calibers can hit game and not leave a drop of blood. Since they expect to be paid for the game you hit, they want to show you the blood and then be able to follow it to find it.

Africa has much different conditions then NA. It's a normal situation to hit a single Blue wildebeast, zebra, hartebeest, blesbok, impala, etc. in a group of 20 to 50 or even more. At the shot this big herd spooks and explodes out of the area leaving a "fog" of thick dust in the air. By the time you walk there and look for blood it's settled and covered any sign. Now try and sort out a single set of tracks from the one animal you shot from the group. There will be thousands of tracks there too.

Bigger holes allow more blood, exit holes bleed far more then entry holes. Hence the feeling the sub 30 caliber rounds are not big enough. Even a .22 rimfire will kill the animal. But the object is to find it quickly, and without wasting part or all of a day tracking it. Your time is limited in country. gotta make the most of the time there hunting for game, not searching for what you have already shot. Heck I don't care what gun a guy brings, Bow and arrow, Muzzle loader, sharps I could not care any less about what my hunters bring. So long as they fully understand the limitations and don't go back to the USA upset that I did not explain exactly what it was like here.

With knowledge about the habitat, hunting herds, the dry conditions, the ranges typical, you should be able to make a very educated choice.

 

[Duknutz]

Elmacho,
The 7mm rem. mag is a quite suitable cartridge for plains game.Shoot a heavier bullet weight and a quality bullet and you won't have a problem.My buddy and I both shot 7mm's over there and they worked great.Try the 175 gr. Swift A-Frame bullet,they performed awesomely for us.We also took small plains with a 220 Swift and 22-250's,just get to the range and do some research.
Look in this forum at past posts and JJhack has some really great info on bullets and hunt expectations....

 

[Gray Ghost Safaris]

Well stated JJ. I met you last year (mid February) in the Jo'burg airport. I was returning from a scouting trip in Zim and I believe you'd been doing likewise in RSA. I believe it was on the return trip to the States but we only had time to talk while waiting in line to board.
Good hunting,
GGS