Guns for Argentina

There are two basic approaches to guns for Argentina: rent from the outfitter or bring your own. If you are physically Joe Average and view guns as tools, use the same approach you would for yachts, airplanes or distaff distractions: rent, don’t buy. Every major Argentine hunting estancia has rental guns. Costs are around $25 to $50 per day, about the same as two to four boxes of ammo. If you shoot for three to four days, that’s not a lot of money. Remember, too, that Argentina currently is charging $100 entry fee for each gun you take into the country. Some outfitters will include the cost of a gun’s entry fee. Some won’t.

The big advantage of a rent-a-gun is that you can get an immediate free replacement if it breaks. Remember the Technoid’s Third Aphorism: “Gas guns are like sheep. They know when they are alone, and they don’t like it.”
The big disadvantage is that shooting with a strange gun can be like running a marathon in someone else’s shoes. But there’s hope. Many of the Argentine rental guns are autoloaders—mostly Beretta 391 20-gauges or, less often, Benelli 20-gauges. Both have shim-adjustable stocks that are easily tweaked for a fairly close fit. Make sure to ask your outfitter ahead of time if he has that sort of gun and especially if he has the adjustment shims. If not, take some along and leave them as a gift.

Most Argentine outfitters also will have over/under 20s and 28s. Again, usually Berettas. Although the 20 gauge is by far the most popular dove cartridge, the 28 is a great choice in an O/U. The 28-gauge shells produced in Argentina are just fine. Temporarily fitting an O/U might involve a little moleskin and masking tape if the stock is too low. If it’s too high, you cry.

If you prefer to shoot one of your own guns, you will have sent your guns’ serial numbers to your outfitter a couple of months before the trip. On the US side, you’ll take your guns through a TSA inspection before boarding. If you put your case in the bottom compartment of a “rolling duffel,” make sure the weight and, especially, the size stay within the rules, or you may end up paying a whopping overage. It’s easy to exceed the 50 pounds and/or 62-inch L x W x H limits.

In the past when I flew to Argentina, I traveled directly to Buenos Aires and then drove northeast to the estancias in Entre Rios province. Gun inspection in BA went quickly and was handled by the outfitter. Recently, when shooting in Cordoba to the west, we flew into Santiago, Chile, and then swapped flights for the short hop over the Andes to Cordoba. There was a lot more checking of guns and permits. Doubly so on exiting Argentina. There were no problems and the SYC Sporting personnel handled everything perfectly, but there was an extra layer of delay.

As to guns getting stolen or lost in transit, I’ve seen more of that in domestic travel than foreign travel. One hears horror stories, but it’s mostly third hand. It’s really not a big problem, but if you will lose sleep over this sort of thing, rent or insure.

If you do take your own guns, which should you pick? You can’t go wrong by copying the outfitters and taking a Beretta 391 20-gauge. In addition to working for doves, they are ideal for perdiz and ducks if your hunt includes them. Any reliable autoloader is fine, but you really won’t need a 12, even on the ducks. Argentine ducks generally come within 30 yards and can be taken with a 28. Remember, too, that in Argentina lead shot is allowed on waterfowl.

If you want to bring your own O/U or side-by-side, that’s fine. A 20- or 28-gauge would be a great choice. But watch the weight. Guns that are fine for a 12-bird limit in the States may not be the right stuff when you shoot 100 times that in a day. Some people think that if you are going to shoot a great deal you want a heavy gun to lower recoil. Well, maybe. But you can reduce kick a lot with a strap-on PAST pad, too. If you shoot an eight-pound gun 1,500 times a day, you’ll be lifting six tons each day. Not only lifting but also holding it in the ready position while you try to figure out which dove to whack. A relatively lightweight 28 O/U plus a PAST pad really does make sense.

As to chokes, Modified is seldom wrong. When I was last in Argentina, I used a fixed Improved Modified 20-gauge B-80 gas autoloader (nee Beretta 302). Most of my birds were picked up right around 35 yards, so the choke was about right. If the doves have been shot a lot and there is the usual pampas winter breeze, they won’t come too close and they most definitely will never fly straight for long. A somewhat lively gun really has an edge over something ponderous when those doves are feeling sassy and it’s your job to dispense some discipline.

As an addendum, one of the best articles I’ve read on what you need for Argentine dove shooting is by John Wiles of SYC Sporting. He really knows what he is talking about. You can read what he has to say at http://www.shotgunlife.com/Wingshooting/argentina-wing-shooting-101-or-a....

That’s it for now. Boots off. Beer open.