Newbie from Central Pennsylvania

[Steel Candy]

Hello, long time lurker that decided to officially join. Interested in plains game from 150 lb to eland size.

 

[AfricaHunting.com]

Welcome to AH Steel Candy!

 

[Nyati]

Welcome to AH !

 

[BRICKBURN]

Welcome to the posting side.

 

[Hogpatrol]

You are on the right site. Any questions, ask away. What part of central PA?

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

Welcome! You are in the right spot to find out everything about hunting Africa.

 

[htx519]

Welcome!

All the information you could possibly want here on AH.com to plan your dream safari!

 

[nztimb]

Welcome to our place @Steel Candy

 

[cls]

Welcome to the other side

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Welcome to AH Steel Candy! Glad to have you on board. Please let us know if we can assist in any way.

Take Care,
Marius Goosen

 

[cpr0312]

Welcome aboard!

 

[cagkt3]

Welcome!!

 

[Steel Candy]

You are on the right site. Any questions, ask away. What part of central PA?

Not far from Harrisburg.

 

[Steel Candy]

TY all for the warm welcome! Planning a 2020 plains game trip. Thinking the .300 Win Mag with 200 grain Nosler Accubond should be good for that trip. Any suggestions if that is not a good combination of cartridge and ammo for this?

 

[Shootist43]

Welcome aboard Steel Candy. Your rifle (caliber) and bullet combination will serve you well for the game you mentioned. Dude those Eland are big. Some are over a ton. You will however need to make your first shot a very good one. You will be inundated with offers from the Outfitter / Sponsors of AH. Start by making a spreadsheet of the offers and prices. When you get it narrowed to one or two ask them what they think. The guys here will give you a straight answer. I lived and hunted in PA for a while back in the 70(s) when I was working on Nuclear Power Plants. Please tell us a little more about yourself as it relates to hunting. Things like what have you hunted in the past, what kind and caliber rifle(s) do you own, do you reload.

 

[sierraone]

Welcome to our forum. As mentioned above the .300 Win mag might be a little shy on eland, but will be plenty of rifle for all the other plains game.

 

[Bwana Bob]

Hello, long time lurker that decided to officially join. Interested in plains game from 150 lb to eland size.

Welcome from another central PA guy located about 50 miles north of Harrisburg

 

[Steel Candy]

Welcome aboard Steel Candy. Your rifle (caliber) and bullet combination will serve you well for the game you mentioned. Dude those Eland are big. Some are over a ton. You will however need to make your first shot a very good one. You will be inundated with offers from the Outfitter / Sponsors of AH. Start by making a spreadsheet of the offers and prices. When you get it narrowed to one or two ask them what they think. The guys here will give you a straight answer. I lived and hunted in PA for a while back in the 70(s) when I was working on Nuclear Power Plants. Please tell us a little more about yourself as it relates to hunting. Things like what have you hunted in the past, what kind and caliber rifle(s) do you own, do you reload.

I have hunted everything Pa has to off except bear. Some huge black near here, over 800 pounds but they are not always easy to find. Now for what I actually taken, deer, hogs, turkey, all of the small game, elk and 1 thing I was not planning on. Deer, feral hogs and elk all with my old .270 Win, miss that rifle. Deer, feral hogs and a coyote with a .300 Win Mag, small game with .22 and shotgun.

I was hunting private property near a high fence area and met 1 of their employees that mentioned they had a semi aggressive watusi that was out of his area. Less than 20 minutes later said watusi and I met up less than 40 yards away. He lowered his head, stomped the ground and I told the guy if it took 1 step towards me I was head shooting it. To make a long story short, .300 Win Mag between the eyes made it turn, 1 more behind the ear dropped it. Range was about 25 - 30 yards. I am not looking for that kind of excitement again. Weight was around 2000 pounds. I consider this to be my biggest hunting failure in letting it get that close before noticing it.

Currently I own 2 .308 AR 10s (1st AR10s and 1st .308), 30-30, .300 Win Mag, .22 LR, .22 Mag, AR 15 in 5.56, 6.8 SPC and .44 Mag. The ARs are semi auto, 30-30 is lever action and the rest bolt action. Favorite is the .300. Due to living in town at the moment I cannot reload, stupid regs on loose powder.

 

[Shootist43]

While you can take only one rifle to Africa if you want to, my advice would be to take two. That way you have a back-up you are totally familiar with. Simi-autos are not allowed, and you cannot take two rifles in the same caliber. Bolts, levers, pumps and single shots are ok. For my first safari I took a 35 Whelen and a 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser; for my second I took a 404 Jeffery and a 35 Whelen. Both of the rifles you take should be capable (in a pinch) of taking the largest game you intend to hunt. I asked previously but the question is unanswered at the moment, have you already booked with an outfitter?

 

[Hogpatrol]

No powder in a municipality? How is that possible? I've never heard of a restriction like that. What about loose chemicals that could be combined to be explosive? Besides, who goes around checking?