I’ve been reading about hunting Africa for 30 years but started to consider it seriously when I retired a few years ago. Taking sufficient time off from work to travel, hunt, and recover from jet lag just didn’t seem possible, much less prudent with children in college. But I found Cape buffalo fascinating and kudu bulls extraordinary and the dream was always in mind. With retirement I’ve had more time to shoot and ended up with a lightly used Kimber Caprivi in .375 H&H and with buffalo in mind, soon another in .458 Lott. I didn’t want to be one of those poor souls who die with those rifles unhunted in the safe.
The internet has made it easier to research such adventures and the Accurate Reloading forums have been a wonderful resource. Zimbabwe appeared to be a logical choice with buffalo and kudu as goals, and both my reading and web browsing consistently mentioned the Save Conservancy in the southern lowveld and Roger Whittall Safaris. My wife and I were both biology majors at university and I’ve spent more time pursuing natural history than hunting game. The Whittalls were obviously dedicated to wildlife conservation, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles, and I thought they would be a good match for my goals. Both Guy and Hannah Whittall were very responsive and singularly helpful in answering my queries and shaping my plans.
Travel With Guns was recommended on AR and indeed of assistance in planning the trip and preparing the required documentation. I flew into Seattle, claimed my rifle case and suitcase, and went to the Air Emirates counter. Air Emirates was very accommodating about flying with rifles but they do want advance notice for approval. They also want the ammunition in a locked container separate from the rifle case. A TSA lock on the ammo container is a good idea!
I flew economy on Emirates from Seattle to Dubai, arriving about 7 PM Dubai time. Even in steerage the service was good and the food was superb. The Bose QuietComfort 25 noise-cancelling headphones were a blessing and work with both the in-flight entertainment and my ancient iPod. A one-liter Nalgene bottle of water was also appreciated.
Full report available at on AccurateReloading.com