What do you use to transport Ammo on airplanes?

[PantherCreekFarms]

I'm all set on the luggage to transport my rifles. But knowing that we can have up to 10 pounds of ammunition in "ammunition containers" that has to be separate of the rifles; what do YOU put your ammunition in when flying?

Obviously I will have my ammo cases. But what do you put the ammo cases in and how do you keep it from slopp'en around inside that luggage?

Has anyone had their special loads get "out of wack" from excess vibration or dropping after a long trip somewhere?

 

[SidecarFlip]

Unless you are planning on engaging in a conflict somewhere......

A couple boxes of cartridges is all you need, in fact, I take a half box for each rifle and I usually take 2 rifles so thats one box of 20 or 10 per. That allows me a couple fouling shots prior and 5 for the hunt. If you need more than 5 for the hunt, you better go practice somewhere..............

I put mine in my luggage. TSA regs say the ammo must be seperate from the firearm.

Don't forget to have the magazines removed and the rifles stowed in a TSA approved case (gorilla proof), with TSA approved (cheapo) locks attached and have the rifles in the case with the serial numbers showing.

I don't remove the bolts and never had an issue, though some remove the bolts.

Don't chintz on a case. Forget the cheap Plano crap. Thats fine for the range but it won't last one trip on an airplane because the baggage jockeys will use your rifle case for volleyball practice.....

I'm sold on Pelican Storm Cases or a top end Cabelas aluminum, reinforced gun case with locking bar.

Things get lost (guns included) so I take one exotic tifle and one plain jane. That way, if my ammo gets lost with my luggage (happens), I can get plain jane ammo at the local wallyworld.

Better safe than sorry.....

Have fun.

 

[PantherCreekFarms]

Thanks Sidecar...

I'll be honest, where I live I will not have many opportunities to hunt in similar terrain. I was hoping to do some practicing in different conditions, elevations, etc. If I calculated it right, just 5 .338 Lapua Mag rounds weighs a little over 1/2 pound, so 100 rounds would be the 10 pounds. Depending on how many days I had to take practice shots, I could see going through 100.

Once I'm comfy, you are right, I could pack much lighter on the ammo. With my 300 Win Mag, I could definitely see packing just 10, but I am very comfy with that setup and the ranges I hunt with that (Mid to LRH). I'm new to ELR and the .338 LM round. The more I read the more I realize I have a LOT to learn and the number variables to manage with ELR.

But regardless whether I take 10 or 100 rounds, has anyone seen any ELR accuracy affects on handloads traveling like that?

 

[SidecarFlip]

Well, take Hogdgon Powder as a for instance.

It comes from Australia so it did a helluva lot of bouncing around in the overseas container, on the dock awaiting shipment, on the truck, on the road, travelling to the dealer where you bought it from and probably more bouncing and jouncing in another box, from the dealer to you, provided you ordered it on the Internet and had it shipped to your door....

Nobody, especially UPS is gentle with your package, despite what the commercials say. Those guys (and gals) use packages for basketball practice, everyday.

Thats a lot of bouncing, jouncing and it wasn't adversely effected at alll....

I don't think your hand loads will be adversely effected either.

Extruded powder is pretty stable unless impacted by an igniting primer......

You have a much better chance of it (cartridges) in your luggage getting lost......

I hope you aren't planning on lugging that 338 up any mountains... They at stupid heavy.....

 

[geargrinder]

Do not put TSA locks on your gun cases. They are not required in any sense.

TSA is not allowed to open your guncase outside your presence.

Put good sturdy keyed locks on your case. I also put unlocked locks with a note inside the case with instructions to replace the locks if the case did need to be opened.

Putting TSA locks on an obvious gun case, is just an invitation for any TSA agent with a key to open them.

 

[geargrinder]

To the OP, I wrapped my 50 round MTM case in a few t-shirts inside my checked bag.

No problems, they didn't get jostled too bad.