Hunting & Fishing Hunting Africa, Suppressed! (Blood, gore and pic heavy)

[LegioX]

Howdy Gents.
The wife and I just returned from an abbreviated 7 day hunt in Namibia. We were seeking to fill in the cracks of our plains game collection, hence the short time period and limited amount of game taken. Regardless, it was a hell of a good time, we met some awesome people, tried some killer new ammo and traveled some long miles.All the following pics are chronological so they skip around a bit.
The loads used are in 375 H&H caliber and include 275gr Cutting Edge Bullets Non-Conventional @ 2700fps and Barnes 250gr TTSX @ 2825fps. Both are sledgehammers! The wife used an old Anshutz in 22 mag to take the tiny antelope.
The rifle is a Rem 700 Safari Custom KS, massaged by Jered at APA and capped with a Brevis, DeltaP Design 9.5mm suppressor. My PH's were oh so grateful! They love to hate a muzzle brake....

As we live in Alaska, it was a long flight via Minn/St Paul, Detroit, Frankfurt, then arrived at Windhoek, Namibia. Then a 5.5 hr drive in a pickup to the camp. We had a hot shower every night and fresh game for lunch and dinners. Breakfast was cereals, toast, yoghurt etc...
Africa time is awesome, a 0500 getup, breaky at 0600, hunting by 0730, lunch at 1300 followed by a 2 hr nap, hunting from 1500 till dark, wash rinse and repeat...
I'll attempt an explanation for the pics as I ramble on.....


Roadkilled Spitting Cobra on the way to camp

Checking zero

Lounge area, braii (grill for the meat cooked over blackthorn coals) and dinner table

1st kill, a Blue Wildebeast, 275gr Non-Con at 207 yds, frontal quartering shot on left shoulder

Entry hole on shoulder

Exit

Recovery

A nice little Gemsbok (Oryx)

 

[LegioX]

Bennie the PH (Professional Hunter) and Bushman, Dam. Pronounced "Dom"

Here's a crippled Kudu we found near a local's cattle fence, we put it down and gave the meat to said local, he was pumped to say the least
Entry hole of Non-Con

Exit

Local's house and family

I whacked a jackal one day, here's the Bushmen taking his skull for me, the 375 pretty much chopped him in half

The hunting rig is a fairly new Toyota Hi-Lux, 4 cyl diesel. A damn nice truck

Set up at a waterhole hoping to ambush a good warthog

 

[LegioX]

Dead hog at 37 yds across waterhole

Next few shots are entry and exits from a raking front shoulder shot

Traditional "Holy Crap thats a huge hog!!" pic

Bushmen Dam and Fanie ("Funny")

 

[LegioX]

The Wife's Steenbok taken with the 22 mag

Dam, up a tree looking for game

A tortoise at a dry waterhole

This eland was in a bad way, either a bad ankle or hip, the wife smoked him with a rear quartering shot in the back of the neck at about 50 yds, smashing his spine. The Barnes TTSX performed as usual, it weighed 248grs after recovery.

This'll make your 'nads itch just looking at it...

 

[LegioX]

Recovering the Eland, those Toyota Hi-Lux trucks are the shnizzle

A lot of giraffe pics next, initially I hesitated to hunt one. The last trip to South Africa I coulda knee capped 'em. I asked a friend of mine who had been here in Namibia if he thought they were a challenge to hunt, he said "Oh Yeah!" Well, after 5 days of hunting and several blown stalks we dropped this one. If you spook any other game animal while stalking a giraffe, the giraffe will run off with said animal. Let me tell you, it's tough to Injun up on a giraffe in the thick bush without bumping something else.

Also, from a distance the giraffe can look down on you pretty easy, when you're up close in the bush all you can see is their bodies, as their head and necks are above and obscured by branches making a bull tough to identify. This one dropped to a frontal brain shot, the shot looks low until you realize he's looking down that long nose at you, hence the bridge of the nose shot placement. The bullet used was the Non-Con.

The "Horns"

Definately an OLD bugger

Tics on the 'ole pooter hole, yow!

This pics for Papagallos, I had no luck shooting a giraffe so I changed hats, Thanks Papa!!!

 

[LegioX]

Note the holes dug to get the recovery trailer lower to help with the loading process

Caping, gutting and quartering. The cape can be up to 1" thick!!

 

[LegioX]

Mmmmmm.... guts

Fanie the Bushman with the heart for their dinner, they had a fire built and were ready to roast up some meat before they were done butchering, them fellers worked up quite the appetite!

Check out the arteries on this thing, Damn!

Augus the Bushman. Modeling on a termite mound

An Eland, victim of the summer drought

And the final sunset on a great experience, now how to get back again soon........

 

[bower4311]

Wow that's out of this world. What happens with all the meat? Goes to the locals?

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[Wildwillalaska]

Very cool report--love the picture of the leopard tortoise. How did the suppressor work out on the H&H?

 

[LegioX]

Bower, yep, the meat goes to locals, safari operator employees and some is also sold.

Wildwill, the suppressor was BADASS!! Little recoil and no one had the ringing ears.

 

[JohnP123]

wow incredible a place i need to get to . congrats on the hunt

 

[Scotty22]

Africa is definitely on my bucket list. To the OP your pics were awesome and it looks like you had an all around great adventure.

 

[RSA-Raven]

Stunning photos!
Glad you enjoyed hunting in Africa!
We often take this place for granted... And I need to go visit Namib again, stunning place.

Rgds

RSA-Raven

 

[Cinch]

Awesome pics! Looks like you had a great time. Thanks for posting...

 

[GUNNER10]

not into the whole hunting thing but your trip looked like an incredible experience.

couple questions, how tough is it to get your weapons in country? also, what happens with the animals you took? do you get to keep the meat? pelts? get to have them mounted?

none the less cool trip, going on a real safari allways seemed like it would be a blast

 

[dustinoif3]

What didn't you hunt!? Thats awesome!

 

[LegioX]

not into the whole hunting thing but your trip looked like an incredible experience.

couple questions, how tough is it to get your weapons in country? also, what happens with the animals you took? do you get to keep the meat? pelts? get to have them mounted?

none the less cool trip, going on a real safari allways seemed like it would be a blast

Gunner,
Getting the rifle and suppressor in is a walk in the park. They do an import permit right at the airport, no problem.
As far as the meat, the trackers and skinners get plenty as well as their families. We ate game twice a day too. Any leftover meat is sold to the local butcher who in turn sells it to other local peeps.
The capes, backskins and skulls are cleaned and either mounted there and shipped home or just shipped here for the final mounting.
Nothing is wasted, the trackers/skinners even took the guts, lungs and giblets home to eat.

 

[1911fan]

Getting the rifle and suppressor in is a walk in the park. They do an import permit right at the airport, no problem.

I was headed to the Northern Cape this June but the trip fell through. I was also planning on hunting suppressed. No ATF paperwork? I realize SA in general doesn't regulate suppressors at all, but figured our .gov would make the process annoying.


1911fan

 

[bower4311]

Bower, yep, the meat goes to locals, safari operator employees and some is also sold.

So the people that complain about Americans going to Africa to kill for sport are essentially full of shit?

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[GUNNER10]

i wondering how many people are fed odd these hunts, it seems like it really takes care of those communites. good stuff non the less

 

[bharvey574]

That looked like an amazing trip!

 

[skinney_7]

Phenomenal!!!
now that's how you get shit done! Great post buddy, amazing pics !

 

[Southbreeze]

LegioX, thanks for the heads up on the suppressors. I never even thought about it, assumed atf nightmare. Looks like I just changed my weapons for a predator hunt in S.A. Fookin' Sweet!

Breeze

 

[LegioX]

Seems to be a few hunting with a can fans, this evening I'll post up my experience taking a can over there. Takes a bit of time but its perty easy.

 

[_RJ_]

I was surprised by the amount of fat that 'ol giraffe had on him. Great photos chronicling the hunt.

 

[LegioX]

So the people that complain about Americans going to Africa to kill for sport are essentially full of shit?

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

In a nutshell, YES!

 

[LegioX]

I was surprised by the amount of fat that 'ol giraffe had on him. Great photos chronicling the hunt.

If you mean the pics showing the thickness of the hide, thats skin, not fat. It runs from 1/2"- 1" thick, unreal and heavy as all get out.

 

[Graham]

No issues getting the cans through Germany and into Namibia?

 

[Tucsondave]

Absolutely awesome pics and report. Looks like the ol H&H did as expected. You guys are gonna have to get a bigger house for all those trophy's. Maybe put the giraffe up through the roof.

 

[_RJ_]

If you mean the pics showing the thickness of the hide, thats skin, not fat. It runs from 1/2"- 1" thick, unreal and heavy as all get out.

WOW! Thats even more impressive. Moose ain't got shit on that lol

 

[Southbreeze]

Those are some great pix, i'm looking at a couple possibilities in Namibia for plains game. Thanks for sharing them. Any help in the "cans' area will be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,
Breeze

 

[CrazyDonkey]

Absolutely awesome pics and report. Looks like the ol H&H did as expected. You guys are gonna have to get a bigger house for all those trophy's. Maybe put the giraffe up through the roof.

I was thinking they could make a nice hole in the roof for it and a plastic dome around it...maybe some lights in it's eyes to scare people at night.

Awesome pictures, can't wait to see how the giraffe suit turns out.

 

[killborn]

Great pics and detail. Mind sharing the name of the hunting outfit?

 

[T J]

It looks like the Cutting Edge Non-conventional bullets you were using were the Raptors; correct? I 've been wondering how they perform.

Thanks for taking the time to post some great pictures.


t

 

[piglatinhater]

That is awesome!

 

[El Valle]

Very nice!

 

[jcfd2201]

Thanks for sharing your experience and the pics. Congrats on the kills to both you and the wife. I hope to get there someday and experience it myself.

 

[Teamor]

Hey thanks for sharing the pics they were awsome

 

[Nortex]

Nice pics, looked like a blast.

 

[LegioX]

It looks like the Cutting Edge Non-conventional bullets you were using were the Raptors; correct? I 've been wondering how they perform.

Thanks for taking the time to post some great pictures.


t

Hey T J,
I couldn't use the Raptors as they are too long to fit in the mag well, I can load them one at a time tho, here's a pic of the two types of rounds I took over with a 17HMR for scale.

 

[robozebra]

Awesome pictures. Didn't know that you could take a suppressor to Africa. Now I need to see if I can get my rifle threaded in time...

CWJ

 

[vetski]

Great write up! I use the Cutting Edge HPBTs in me 280AI and they are fantastic bullets. I also have a 375h&h threaded with a brake on it right now, but after reading this think I might start getting paperwork started for a suppressor. Will be interested to hear about the import/export. Do you know if it's any different with SA vs Namibia?

 

[evilcoon]

One of these days... Thanks for sharing!

 

[LegioX]

Great write up! I use the Cutting Edge HPBTs in me 280AI and they are fantastic bullets. I also have a 375h&h threaded with a brake on it right now, but after reading this think I might start getting paperwork started for a suppressor. Will be interested to hear about the import/export. Do you know if it's any different with SA vs Namibia?

Well Fellas,
I'll explain the process I went thru to verify the legality of taking my can with me. It took nearly a month of waiting on phone calls and emails from .gov agencies but when the smoke cleared it wasn't too bad. Let me also say I've had a couple Hiders contact me with their concerns and I appreciate it. If anyone out there has experience in the same I'd like to hear about it.

First off I did a ton of searching on the net, looking at the sites of the ATF, State Dept, Customs and Border Protection and the Embassies of Germany and Namibia. Germany because I couldn't check bags thru Frankfurt because of a long layover, they issue a permit to have it in country. During the layover German Customs keeps possesion of your firearm and suppressor, both of which are listed on the permit. This permitting was handled by my agent, Susan of "Travel with Guns".

Namibia doesn't blink an eye at the can, you just fill out an import permit (Available on the web) for your firearms and the Police copy the info at the airport on your arrival at Windhoek.

Now for the US bidness.
After searching hell and highwater on the net, I started with the emails and phone calls. Here's a copy of the advice I received from US Customs,


Recently you requested personal assistance from our on-line support center. Below is a summary of your request and our response.

If this issue is not resolved to your satisfaction, you may reopen it within the next 7 days.

Thank you for allowing us to be of service to you.


Subject
Howdy Folks! My question concerns leaving the US to hunt in another country usi...

Discussion Thread
Response (PIO Ross-McCullough) 12/11/2012 07:25 AM
Thank you for contacting U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) INFO Center.

You should contact the Department of State, Directorate of Defense Trade Controls at 202-663-1282 and the Department of Commerce, Bureau or Industry and Security at 202-482-4811 to see if either agency will require an export license for you to travel out of the U.S. temporarily with the "silencer."

As to your return, if the "silencer" has a unique serial number, it can be listed on a 4457 as evidence that you had it in the U.S. before you departed. You can register any goods with serial numbers at your local Customs and Border Protection (CBP) port of entry, or the port from which you will be departing. You must physically take the equipment to the office and a CBP Officer will record the description of the item and its serial number on a CBP Form 4457 Certificate of Registration for Personal Effects Taken Abroad. For information about how the silencer is handled you should discuss it with the CBP Officer at the port of entry.

The CBP Officer will then stamp and sign the form and give it to you to present upon your return. A registration can be used for more than one trip as long as it is for the same equipment. Our port telephone numbers and addresses can be obtained by clicking on the link http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/toolbox/ports/. Be sure to call and verify where you need to go to register your equipment.

To determine the requirements for entering a foreign country with firearms, you will need to contact the Embassy or Consulate (of the country in question) nearest you..

If you have any other questions or would like clarification on this response, please feel free to contact us either by calling our toll free number 877 CBP-5511 (227-5511) or if calling from outside the United States our toll number 202-325-8000 and speak with a Public Information Officer. Our hours of operation are Monday thru Friday from 8:30 AM-5:00 PM Eastern Time.

Please note that in our online tracking software, a “Solved” status simply means that we have provided you with the best information we have to your question. There may still be steps you need to complete before your situation is resolved to your satisfaction. Those steps are explained in our response. If you need further clarification on those steps, please feel free to contact us back.

This email is intended for Informational Purposes Only, final determination of admission is solely at the discretion of the CBP Officer based upon the inspection at the time of entry.

Thank you again for contacting the CBP Info Center.

Sincerely,

CBP INFO Center


On their advice, I called the State Dept and was told "No Problem"

I called the Dept of Commerce, Bureau or Industry and Security and they said "What the hell you asking us for? Talk to Customs"

I called the ATF, they said "We can't find a reason why you can't"

I called the Customs office at Detroit airport where we re-entered the US, the boss man said "Just have the serial number on a Form 4457 and you'll have no issues, but depending on the agent on duty there may be a slight hassle until its cleared up as we don't see this happen often"

I took the can to our local Int Airport in Anchorage along with my rifle. They had no problem issuing a Form 4457 for the can, they didn't even bother asking for my tax stamp. Neither did Customs on re-entry in Detroit.

Having said all that, the ATF and State Dept declined to send me a written permission slip, they said any issues would be spawned by the "Agent on duty" and would be addressed locally at the time. Not too comforting to say the least. My problem was finding a law that specifically forbids taking a personally or trust owned suppressor overseas. As far as the ATF, perhaps their reasoning follows that they allow easier travel with a can as opposed to a full auto and such.

So in my opinion, do your own research, contact the embassies of the countries you transit thru and the country you plan to hunt in. They are easy to find on the web.
I also advise using Gracy Travel or Travel with Guns as an agent, they know and can handle the permitting in various countries for your firearms. However, they have NO idea about the suppressor thing. I would urge you to work over the ATF and State Dept as well, a written approval would be nice. My take on the whole US .gov interaction is no one could tell me it was illegal but they were in no way going to put their name on the line appoving it.

 

[SouthFork]

It's going to be a pain in the ass to put two cans on my Double Rifle. Gracy Travel is great to deal with. I have used them for my 3 trips over there and can't speak highly enough about them.

Thanks for listing the above on the cans. It would be awesome to do a LR Baboon hunt with one. Make it a totally different game.

 

[LegioX]

Great write up! I use the Cutting Edge HPBTs in me 280AI and they are fantastic bullets. I also have a 375h&h threaded with a brake on it right now, but after reading this think I might start getting paperwork started for a suppressor. Will be interested to hear about the import/export. Do you know if it's any different with SA vs Namibia?

I believe it OK but I'd check with their embassy and do some searching on SA websites, a good outfitter can tell you. I know they do a lot of culling with them.

 

[30calDeath]

I can see hunting all the animals that you shot but one question. Why the Giraffe?

 

[Rhys]

I can see hunting all the animals that you shot but one question. Why the Giraffe?

TO see him fall from all the way up there.....

 

[LegioX]

Yup, 3 tons of pick up sticks.

 

[LegioX]

I can see hunting all the animals that you shot but one question. Why the Giraffe?

There's a few reasons, to me a giraffe is no different than any other African animal. I like them and think the shoulder mount would be cool.

In this case, for $1500 I can feed a hell of a lot of people, the food goes directly to the folks, not passed down thru several crooks who skim their share like they do with the money and food sent by the stupid American foreign aid packages.

If you could've seen the expressions of the Bushmen who hauled off that big ass heart you'd understand.

Most trophy hunting there targets the old males who have shot their wad. This old black bull had a nasty liver, his teeth were going bad and he wouldn't have made it much longer. Rather than dieing and ending up under a pile of vultures he served a much nobler end to my mind.

I hope I made a little sense to you.