AFRICAN CALIBRE REGULATIONS

[Joe Plante]

CAN ANYONE TELL ME WHAT REGULATIONS THEY ARE CURRENTLY IMPOSING AS FAR AS MINIMUM CALIBRE FOR HUNTING PLAINS GAME IN EITHER TANZANIA OR NAMBIA?

[DPhillips]

Here's a link to the Namibia Professional Hunters Association.  It should give you the info...
http://www.natron.net/napha/english/huntinglaws.html

[Ratel]

Hi there

As far as I know in South Africa we have a minimum limit of .243 on plains game, some farmers as ourselves do not allow any weapons smaller than .264 for bushveld use. I'll try to find some more info for you if you still need it. For Buffalo the minimum is .375, but not adviseable.

Most peolpe prefer not to hunt with calibres smaller than 30.06 in the bushveld, we used our  .270 with no problems on various occasions including Blue Wildebeest. Kudu,Impala Springbuck etc offer no problems with a .270.

Let me know if you need more info
Cheers

[Aliakber kassam]

The Tanzania government permits each hunting client to import a maximum of three firearms. 200 rounds of ammunition per firearm are allowed. The minimum calibre for dangerous game permitted by law is .375. The minimum calibre for non-dangerous game is .240. Automatic and semi-automatic rifles or shotguns, and all handguns are prohibited.

I suggest a good medium rifle such as 7 mm. or 300 calibre, fitted with a quality variable scope, such as 3 to 9, e.g. from Zeiss, Swarovski or Leupold. You will use this rifle for most of your shooting, and for all of your plains game. For a 21 or 28 day safari, 160 rounds of soft nose ammunition is adequate for the 7 mm. or the .300.

Are you planing a hunt in Tanzania? Check out our company: www.francolin-hunt.com. Let us know about your plans or if you have any further questions. Go to contacts and send us an e-mail or contact us through phone.
Best regards,
Ali hassan

[kfadel]

The post by DPhillips on March 6 may be in error. I saw that too before I went, but it referenced the South African Police and its code. I asked my Namibian PH about that and he told me that Namibia does not follow that; that info was posted for hunters passing through Johannesburg to Namibia. I know for a fact some of these restrictions do not apply

[Blaze]

I have a question about the caliber regulations.  I realize they have caliber regulations but I have a close friend who went on a hunt with his father and brother and the PH asked and allowed him to hunt and shoot a cape buffalo with his 300 wby.  He also hunted and killed a leopard on a prior hunt with his 300 wby.  He had a larger caliber available but the PH preferred that he use the rifle he was most comfortable shooting.  This was 10 years or more ago.  I am curious if this is unusual for a PH to allow the use of lesser calibers or if the regulations were more relaxed 10 plus years ago. 

[Accuracy Sports]

Irregardless of what caliber you choose --- GO TO AFRICA!  Do it while it is so affordable. 

I have been three times since 2007 and always used a .338 Win Mag with 225 gr. bullets for everything from springbok to eland.  You can't kill them too dead.  My hunting pal always uses a .300 Win Mag and has great luck also.  We had a female PH on one occasion and she carried a .30-06. Our master guide PH uses a 7mm Rem Mag.   We were hunting in Namibia so dangerous game was not a problem. 

Shoot the biggest gun you can shoot well.

[Gerard.]

The South African regulations have taken a turn for the worse in 2011 already.  In fact, it borders on the absurd and are so non-sensical that few hunters bother to take any note.  The regulations are pretty much unenforcable in any case.

Minimum bullet weight regulations have been set with no regard to speed or bullet construction.  Some examples are:

These regulations allow a person to hunt dangerous game, including elephant, with a 300gr soft cast lead bullet and a 45ACP pistol but I am not allowed to do so with a 265gr GSC HV or 270gr FN and a 375H&H (or 378 Weatherby).

I am allowed to hunt kudu with a 158gr cast lead bullet and a 38 S&W revolver, but using a 7mm RM and a 140gr bullet of any description is illegal.

It is perfectly legal to use a 22 LR pistol or revolver with factory 36gr ammo to hunt anything  up to the size of a dassie (rock hyrax) but illegal to use a 204 Ruger with any bullet lighter than 35gr, no matter how it is constructed.

One wonders who drew up these regulations...........

http://www.gov.za/documents/national-environmental-management-biodiversity-act-norms-and-standards-hunting-methods

[Marishka]

Namibia requires a minimum of 7mm or .284 cal for plains game and a round that generates a minimum muzzle energy of 5400 joules or 3,980 ft lbs

Tanzania requires a minimum of .240 cal. for plains game and, for dangerous game the minimum caliber is .375.

Here is the link from which the above figures were taken.
http://www.huntinginafrica.co.za/more-info/minimum-required-caliber/

When making a choice when hunting dangerous game understand that you do not shoot what you cannot shoot well. With that in mind and if further discussion comes about, consider the following published statistics.

Muzzle energy of certain .375s

.375 Ruger w/ 300 grain = 4,713 ft lbs
.375 H&H w/ 300 grain = 4,873 ft lbs
.375 Dakota w/ 300 grain = 4,857 ft lbs
.375 Remington Ultra mag w/ 300 grain = 5,073 ft lbs
.375 A Square w/ 300 grain = 5,679 ft lbs
.375 Weatherby w/ 300 grain = 5,224 ft lbs (these rifles can also shoot .375 H&H)
.378 Weatherby w/ 300 grains = 5,699 ft lbs

Compare the above with the following in .416
     .416 Rigby w/ 400 grains = 5,179 ft lbs.
     .416 Remington w/ 400 grains = 5,115 ft lbs
     .416 Dakota w/ 400 grains = 5,553 ft lbs
     .416 Weatherby w/ 400 grains = 6,474 ft lbs



 

[Gerard.]

Marishka you are absolutely correct.  Any regulation based on power, bullet weight or caliber cannot take into account the multitude of variables that will ensure that game is hunted in a responsible manner.

Regulation is about control and not about responsible hunting.  Recently I was asked what rifle a hunter should use on cape buffalo.  He did not have a 'regulation' rifle and asked whether he should borrow one.  I know that he is completely familiar with the rifle and load that he regularly uses for plains game and advised that he uses it.  He fired only one shot and his hunt was a total success.  Bottom line is that he shoots that rifle with complete confidence and we know it is more than capable of getting the job done.

What is next...  a fitness test.... no hunting with a headache?

[BigOrange44]

The South African regulations have taken a turn for the worse in 2011 already.  In fact, it borders on the absurd and are so non-sensical that few hunters bother to take any note.  The regulations are pretty much unenforcable in any case.

Minimum bullet weight regulations have been set with no regard to speed or bullet construction.  Some examples are:

These regulations allow a person to hunt dangerous game, including elephant, with a 300gr soft cast lead bullet and a 45ACP pistol but I am not allowed to do so with a 265gr GSC HV or 270gr FN and a 375H&H (or 378 Weatherby).

I am allowed to hunt kudu with a 158gr cast lead bullet and a 38 S&W revolver, but using a 7mm RM and a 140gr bullet of any description is illegal.

It is perfectly legal to use a 22 LR pistol or revolver with factory 36gr ammo to hunt anything  up to the size of a dassie (rock hyrax) but illegal to use a 204 Ruger with any bullet lighter than 35gr, no matter how it is constructed.

One wonders who drew up these regulations...........

http://www.gov.za/documents/national-environmental-management-biodiversity-act-norms-and-standards-hunting-methods

Gerard:  Given those ridiculous regulations, it sounds as if we Americans must have sent you folks a supply of our Government Bureaucrats who spend a lifetime sitting behind a desk writing rules and regulations governing activities about which they know nothing.  Those sleek-headed folks can get out of line in a two car funeral procession.