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How do you carry your ammo?

I like the cheaper neoprene folding sleeves that hold 10 or so rounds and it's in the top of my pack always.

The rest depends on the gun I am carrying. If it's a bolt gun or my lever guns, I fill up the magazine. I do have a stock sleeve I use with my Ruger #1 that holds 6 or 7 rounds.

If I am by myself (usually), I will chamber a round if I am still hunting and am expecting a quick shot (ie I am tracking something and I know it's going to be quick). I am more comfortable doing this with the lever (Browning BLR) because I can lower the hammer. More comfort with the #1 safety - but it is quiet to load if gun is cocked on an empty chamber. I rarely chamber a round with a bolt gun, but I usually deer or antelope hunt with those and am not expecting a quick shot. If I have a chambered round, I never sling my rifle on my shoulder - it is always in my hands.

Muzzle control ALWAYS. Empty gun or not. It's been thumped into my head since I was little, and I do the same with my kids (even on their toy guns).

To each their own though, except when I am hunting with you :)
 
Laelkhunter said:
I might have to rethink the "one in the chamber". I know things can happen, but after 45 years as a LEO, I always carried "one in the chamber". I know apples and oranges, but muzzle control, and never laser anything are my important safety rules, and I never chamber a round until I am off the road/trail and away from my hunting companions. Like I said, I might have to rethink.
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I used to feel the same way, but then realized no one was about to shoot at me, so why bother.

TO the OP: full mag and 10 in a leather ammo wallet in the lid of my pack.
 
I have one of these on my western rifles: https://www.amazon.com/Allen-Rifle-...-5&keywords=allen+buttstock+rifle+ammo+holder
I like the flap to keep the ammo somewhat out of the elements but still very accessible. Also like always having 8 rounds with the rifle at all times. Usually just feed the magazine from it, so 4 in the gun and 4 in the carrier. That way, whenever i grab a rifle i know i have 8 rounds immediately available, regardless of what pack/jacket/belt i have (or forgot to bring) that day. For backpack hunts or hunts with multiple tags, i may throw another 4 or 5 rounds in the pack just in case.
 
I normally carry extra ammo in the red plastic carry from the manufacture that carries ten. I have never fired over 3, maybe 2 as I am old and cannot remember, NHY, paid off a basketball bet with some cash in a nice leather cartridge carrier this year. I will carry it this year,


NHY is CLASS. Hope I do not defile his gift.

On a side note, I screwed my tag and drew a unit I knowing nothing about. Will take a drive and figure it out. Will but some BLM maps.
 
I put 3 cartridges in the rifle magazine, 2 in side pocket of bino harness, and a handful in a internal pocket of my pack. Has starved me well so far.
 
tjones said:
Definitely, if you are not comfortable with carrying a round in the chamber don't.
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-Exactly, I am not. This does not mean others with more experience shouldn't.

Laelkhunter
My argument would be, and I'm parroting BigFin, my hunter's ED instructor, and as mentioned LEOs I know;
1. The worst thing that could happen is you miss an opportunity, no one is shooting back
2. That if you don't have time to work the bolt it's likely too fleeting of an opportunity for most to make an ethical shot and/ or to correctly identify the target, i.e. bull v. cow; legal bull versus spike; full curl sheep, boar versus sow, 50 inch spread, etc. I have spent at least 5 min and as much as a day watching every big game animal I have killed with a rifle, and I have dry fired almost all of them as practice and to cool my nerves before I take the shot.
3. If a neophyte like me has the time to work the bolt, someone with a lifetime of experience should have plenty of time.

Also I have a friend whose dad was killed in 2010 in Montrose from an accidental discharge when the guy he was with slipped and dropped his rifle.
 
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wllm1313 said:
-Exactly, I am not. This does not mean others with more experience shouldn't.

Laelkhunter
My argument would be, and I'm parroting BigFin, my hunter's ED instructor, and as mention LEOs I know;
1. The worst thing that could happen is you miss an opportunity, no one is shooting back
2. That if you don't have time to work the bolt it's likely too fleeting of an opportunity for most to make an ethical shot and/ or to correctly identify the target, i.e. bull v. cow; legal bull versus spike; full curl sheep, boar versus sow, 50 inch spread, etc. I have spent at least 5 min and as much as a day watching every big game animal I have killed with a rifle, and I have dry fired almost all of them as practice and to cool my nerves before I take the shot.
3. If a neophyte like me has the time to work the bolt, someone with a life time of experience should have plenty of time.
Click to expand...

I agree with everything you said- All Good points. Safety first always. Live to hunt another day, and no one goes home with any extra holes in them. Good luck on the upcoming hunting season.
 
Four in the belly, five in a plastic carrier in my pocket and, if I'm going to be away from the truck a while, another 5 in my pack. If I'm in active pursuit in timber, such as still hunting, I'll put a round in. Since I hunt with my kids a lot more these days, I find that I'm much more selective of when a round goes in.
 
Three in the gun with the chamber empty and usually 4 in each front pocket. If the gun is not locked on the pack, I slide one in the chamber and leave the bolt 3/4 open.
 
wllm1313 said:
-Exactly, I am not. This does not mean others with more experience shouldn't.

Laelkhunter
My argument would be, and I'm parroting BigFin, my hunter's ED instructor, and as mentioned LEOs I know;
1. The worst thing that could happen is you miss an opportunity, no one is shooting back
2. That if you don't have time to work the bolt it's likely too fleeting of an opportunity for most to make an ethical shot and/ or to correctly identify the target, i.e. bull v. cow; legal bull versus spike; full curl sheep, boar versus sow, 50 inch spread, etc. I have spent at least 5 min and as much as a day watching every big game animal I have killed with a rifle, and I have dry fired almost all of them as practice and to cool my nerves before I take the shot.
3. If a neophyte like me has the time to work the bolt, someone with a lifetime of experience should have plenty of time.

Also I have a friend whose dad was killed in 2010 in Montrose from an accidental discharge when the guy he was with slipped and dropped his rifle.
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+1 spot on comments
 
Just a sidenote here (perhaps another Thread), I've never hunted with a muzzleloader, but do the muzzleloader hunters carry their rifle loaded, primed (cap, whatever) or do they prime it when they see game? If they do see game and then prime their rifle, if the shot doesn't present itself, does the hunter unprime it and continue hunting, or leave it primed? I know it would be impractical to carry the rifle empty, but is carrying it loaded and primed considered unsafe?
 
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When I've done some muzzleloading, I've carried it loaded, unprimed. I wore the primers around my neck and two quick loads in my pocket.
 
Pretty simple for me..

I usually have a box in my pack, just whatever I haven't shot, usually between 5 and 20 rounds.

When I'm hunting I have 3 or 4 loaded, depending on rifle. If quick shots aren't expected (say, pronghorn hunting) I leave the chamber empty. I do put one in the chamber if I'm trying to jump-shoot game (like busting hogs out of thick brush).

When I get in the truck, I unload and stick those 3 or 4 rounds in my pocket.
 
For those who refuse to carry with a loaded chamber, do you ever do any hunting where birds, rabbits, hogs, or anything else is flushed from cover? I'd have a tough time loading my single shot 12 gauge in time to hit a running rabbit in a briar patch.
 
Sawtooth said:
Three in the rifle and ten in a cartridge fold over case attached to my backpacks belt. Make your shots count and you shouldn't need more than the ones in your rifle. :rolleyes:
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I carry the fold over case on my pants belt. Spare ammo stays on me, as I have wound up shooting away from my pack.4 in the rifle. Every year is the ritual of shooting the last 3 from previous season to foul the barrel & rotate the ammo in the case. I never carry loose ammo in my pockets hunting,due the noise.
MZ stays loaded too,primed before hunting.Carry 2 speedloaders in pocket with caps.
 
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I carry 4 in the gun w/ one in the chamber and a few rounds spread out between pockets.
I primarily treestand and still hunt in the east and can't imagine not having a round chambered. My inlines always have a primer and my flintlocks always have the pan primed.
 
wllm1313 said:
That if you don't have time to work the bolt it's likely too fleeting of an opportunity for most to make an ethical shot and/ or to correctly identify the target, i.e. bull v. cow; legal bull versus spike; full curl sheep, boar versus sow, 50 inch spread, etc. I have spent at least 5 min and as much as a day watching every big game animal I have killed with a rifle, and I have dry fired almost all of them as practice and to cool my nerves before I take the shot.
Click to expand...

Sometimes it’s not a time thing. It’s the noise of racking a bolt. And it doesn’t take more than a second or two to tell if an elk is a shooter or not unless you are actually adding up inches. If you’re tracking a bull in the timber and come on to him in his bed, you’re already well inside his comfort zone and he’s not going to stick around while you pull the bolt back and push one in the chamber. That’s just a fact. I have watched very few animals for 5 minutes while within shooting range.
 
I carry a soft ten round fold over and whatever my rifle will carring in the magazine. I do not nor will I ever carry my rifle with one in the chamber while moving. I do chamber a round when I sit down.
 
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