Having just come back from my second trip to South Africa hunting here some learning/hints and tips. I flew Virgin to Johannesburg then on to Port Elizabeth
Paperwork
Temporary Export Letter from UK Border Force, I E mailed them at ukba.firearmslhr@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk they E mail you a form to complete that covers
Copy of passport
Copy of FAC
Copy of flight itinerary
Rifle and ammo details
Letter of invitation from outfitter
My letter took two weeks to come through. I also asked at Heathrow when BF where checking my weapon if they would issue me with a Temporary Export letter to check this out, they did produce one it took circa 10 minutes
SAP 520
Filled it all in using one of the online guides from Africa Hunting web site the key thing is do not sign it in the two laces you have to do that in Johannesburg Airport at the police station. TIP print a full set of the paperwork they ask for ahead of going it saves time and admin in the SA police office
Copy of passport
Copy of FAC
Copy of flight itinerary
Letter of invitation from outfitter
Temporary export letter from BF
Letter of Intent (Simple letter to SA police stating what you intend to hunt, outfitter and area) they do not always ask for this
Sad Operation guy that I am I took two sets of the above documents just for safety
Heathrow
Prior to trip E mail Virgin to say you are bringing rifle and ammo. Process, take all your bags to check in including rifle you need to have them tagged, Virgin give you a simple in house form to fill in Virgin call BF and once your regular bags are sorted you go to the office and BF check serial numbers against your FAC. This is where I asked for a Temporary Export Letter as I was going to SA, they produced it in 10 minutes, its simpler than the one that BF send you if you contact them prior to going. Whole process took 20 minutes including waiting for rifle
Johannesburg Airport
Go through all the usual Immigration and pick up your bags. You should be on the ground floor head for the main entrance and where the lifts are the police station is there. I got there before the rifle had arrived, they get you to wait. Once it turned up hand over all your pre printed pack of documents this speeds thins up and saves them work. They check serial numbers and issue the temporary permit. On leaving the police station within 10 yards a porter in uniform will make a beeline for you and for circa 100/200 Rand will shove your trolley to the next check in desk for Port Elizabeth, again rifle and ammo tagged and baggage dropped off the porter will take you to the internal police officer who check your serial numbers against your paperwork. They take the rifle and ammo and you are good to go, after a strong hint 200 Rand changed hands but everyone was happy and helpful
At PE Airport
Small airport, go though and pick up your baggage, the police office is a few yards to the left of where the check in is. One other hunter in front of me, showed my paperwork checked serial number and handed over rifle and ammo, no hints for “tips” at PE, took 10 minutes
Return leg
Arrive at PE check everything in and get tags for rifle and ammo, go to police office they check serial numbers and take rifle and ammo, 10 minutes all in.
Land at Johannesburg
No passport control as internal flight, collect baggage, DO NOT leave the baggage hall to the right of the doors is the office to collect firearms with no sign and no logo. Guys takes your temp permit and passport and fetches rifle and ammo box, you sign for them, took 15 minutes and I was behind 4 Americans.
Now go to Virgin desk get everything tagged and your luggage checked in, they call security who come and take you 15 yards to where office is and check serial numbers, strong hint for tip, Rand exchanged owners, took 15 minutes.
Heathrow
Go through usual passport control, collect baggage head for Virgin desk in baggage hall, they get your rifle and ammo and walk you a few yards to where the Nothing to Declare exit is and next to that is BF, they check paperwork and serial numbers and you are good to go
Observations and Tips
At no time in either UK or SA did anyone ever ask me to unlock my ammo box, however that may be the exception not the rule, ensure rounds are in manufacturers box and match the round count. Provided you get prepared with your paperwork in advance the process is straight forward. After the “scare” stories about Moderators, my rifle was in a Peli case with the Mod separate but on show no one asked anything about it at either SA airport
I had a Peli case for both rifle and ammo, I wrote in permanent marker
England
My FAC number
My county
As ammo boxes look like expensive camera boxes I wrote the above plus “Ammunition” in large letters, there is enough detail then if the boxes go missing
Admin Over !!!!
Experience
This being my send trip to SA hunting I was much clearer when selecting outfitter and destination in terms of what I was after. I met the guy at the NEC Shooting Show in Feb, summary of what I was after
1 Single area to hunt in, not moving from farm to farm for different species
2 Large area to hunt in, I did not want to feel I was chasing them around Whipsnade Zoo
3 All walking and stalking no shots off trucks or walk 50 yards from truck and shoot
4 Reasonable standard of catering and amenities
Others will have a different view and physical mobility limits some guys this list is just what I was after.
Kit and Stuff that worked well
1) Viper travel quad sticks with extra wide kit fitted, I practiced with these before going they were good on 3 fronts. Rock steady for shooting out to 300 yards (most shots 150-250). Secondly they make a great “third leg” for when you have to climb/descend steep inclines, thirdly great binos stand for when you are glassing at distance
2) Z Aim 3 point rifle sling. I modified mine prior to going as I have a thumbhole Sauer and so made a quick release that went through the thumbhole. These keep both arms free for difficult terrain walking, when you crawl you have both hands free with rifle secure on back
3) Federal Premium Trophy Bonded Tips in 300 win mag 165 grain, recovered 8 of them including the one out of just under the skin on the opposite side on an Eland that was huge, great mushrooming and very good weight retention, my very experienced PH was impressed
The above are just my personal observations and tips, I have only been to SA twice so I am not painting myself as “Tazz of Africa” I enjoyed my fort trip and learned a great deal, I enjoyed my second 14 day one much more and learned much more. For anyone thinking about it stop watching You tube videos and go, but be sure about what you want your experience to be.
Paperwork
Temporary Export Letter from UK Border Force, I E mailed them at ukba.firearmslhr@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk they E mail you a form to complete that covers
Copy of passport
Copy of FAC
Copy of flight itinerary
Rifle and ammo details
Letter of invitation from outfitter
My letter took two weeks to come through. I also asked at Heathrow when BF where checking my weapon if they would issue me with a Temporary Export letter to check this out, they did produce one it took circa 10 minutes
SAP 520
Filled it all in using one of the online guides from Africa Hunting web site the key thing is do not sign it in the two laces you have to do that in Johannesburg Airport at the police station. TIP print a full set of the paperwork they ask for ahead of going it saves time and admin in the SA police office
Copy of passport
Copy of FAC
Copy of flight itinerary
Letter of invitation from outfitter
Temporary export letter from BF
Letter of Intent (Simple letter to SA police stating what you intend to hunt, outfitter and area) they do not always ask for this
Sad Operation guy that I am I took two sets of the above documents just for safety
Heathrow
Prior to trip E mail Virgin to say you are bringing rifle and ammo. Process, take all your bags to check in including rifle you need to have them tagged, Virgin give you a simple in house form to fill in Virgin call BF and once your regular bags are sorted you go to the office and BF check serial numbers against your FAC. This is where I asked for a Temporary Export Letter as I was going to SA, they produced it in 10 minutes, its simpler than the one that BF send you if you contact them prior to going. Whole process took 20 minutes including waiting for rifle
Johannesburg Airport
Go through all the usual Immigration and pick up your bags. You should be on the ground floor head for the main entrance and where the lifts are the police station is there. I got there before the rifle had arrived, they get you to wait. Once it turned up hand over all your pre printed pack of documents this speeds thins up and saves them work. They check serial numbers and issue the temporary permit. On leaving the police station within 10 yards a porter in uniform will make a beeline for you and for circa 100/200 Rand will shove your trolley to the next check in desk for Port Elizabeth, again rifle and ammo tagged and baggage dropped off the porter will take you to the internal police officer who check your serial numbers against your paperwork. They take the rifle and ammo and you are good to go, after a strong hint 200 Rand changed hands but everyone was happy and helpful
At PE Airport
Small airport, go though and pick up your baggage, the police office is a few yards to the left of where the check in is. One other hunter in front of me, showed my paperwork checked serial number and handed over rifle and ammo, no hints for “tips” at PE, took 10 minutes
Return leg
Arrive at PE check everything in and get tags for rifle and ammo, go to police office they check serial numbers and take rifle and ammo, 10 minutes all in.
Land at Johannesburg
No passport control as internal flight, collect baggage, DO NOT leave the baggage hall to the right of the doors is the office to collect firearms with no sign and no logo. Guys takes your temp permit and passport and fetches rifle and ammo box, you sign for them, took 15 minutes and I was behind 4 Americans.
Now go to Virgin desk get everything tagged and your luggage checked in, they call security who come and take you 15 yards to where office is and check serial numbers, strong hint for tip, Rand exchanged owners, took 15 minutes.
Heathrow
Go through usual passport control, collect baggage head for Virgin desk in baggage hall, they get your rifle and ammo and walk you a few yards to where the Nothing to Declare exit is and next to that is BF, they check paperwork and serial numbers and you are good to go
Observations and Tips
At no time in either UK or SA did anyone ever ask me to unlock my ammo box, however that may be the exception not the rule, ensure rounds are in manufacturers box and match the round count. Provided you get prepared with your paperwork in advance the process is straight forward. After the “scare” stories about Moderators, my rifle was in a Peli case with the Mod separate but on show no one asked anything about it at either SA airport
I had a Peli case for both rifle and ammo, I wrote in permanent marker
England
My FAC number
My county
As ammo boxes look like expensive camera boxes I wrote the above plus “Ammunition” in large letters, there is enough detail then if the boxes go missing
Admin Over !!!!
Experience
This being my send trip to SA hunting I was much clearer when selecting outfitter and destination in terms of what I was after. I met the guy at the NEC Shooting Show in Feb, summary of what I was after
1 Single area to hunt in, not moving from farm to farm for different species
2 Large area to hunt in, I did not want to feel I was chasing them around Whipsnade Zoo
3 All walking and stalking no shots off trucks or walk 50 yards from truck and shoot
4 Reasonable standard of catering and amenities
Others will have a different view and physical mobility limits some guys this list is just what I was after.
Kit and Stuff that worked well
1) Viper travel quad sticks with extra wide kit fitted, I practiced with these before going they were good on 3 fronts. Rock steady for shooting out to 300 yards (most shots 150-250). Secondly they make a great “third leg” for when you have to climb/descend steep inclines, thirdly great binos stand for when you are glassing at distance
2) Z Aim 3 point rifle sling. I modified mine prior to going as I have a thumbhole Sauer and so made a quick release that went through the thumbhole. These keep both arms free for difficult terrain walking, when you crawl you have both hands free with rifle secure on back
3) Federal Premium Trophy Bonded Tips in 300 win mag 165 grain, recovered 8 of them including the one out of just under the skin on the opposite side on an Eland that was huge, great mushrooming and very good weight retention, my very experienced PH was impressed
The above are just my personal observations and tips, I have only been to SA twice so I am not painting myself as “Tazz of Africa” I enjoyed my fort trip and learned a great deal, I enjoyed my second 14 day one much more and learned much more. For anyone thinking about it stop watching You tube videos and go, but be sure about what you want your experience to be.