Another sound approach is to employ a cheap plastic gun case, contained within its cardboard shipping box. It adds plus/minus $30 to the cost of shipping but is well worth it.
Last one I received was packed as above, still UPS managed to poke a hole through the outer cardboard box and compress the plastic case hard enough to snap off a scope right at the front mounts. Sako Finnwolf and mounts were not damaged. Took six weeks but they paid for the cheap scope. Don't underestimate these shippers as they could destroy an anvil. GW
I'm the buyer not the shipper, so I didn't have any say in how it came. Anymore I expect the worst. Just about everywhere actually.
