Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Extra ammo ? for Mule Deer

MD,
Last fall I posed a thread asking the campfire how they carry extra ammo in the field. I'm sure you have tried many options and was wondering which way is your favorite?

Thanks in advance for your response,

Elk Country

Elk, not John but I've always carried extra ammo in an ammo wallet. It's the size of a wallet and folds out w/two sides and there are cartridge loops on each side. I usually carry a full rifle and 8 extra cartridges in the wallet. It has a Velcro strap to keep it closed and fits nicely into a fanny pack or your bare pocket(front or back). IF I CAN'T GET IT DONE W/12 CARTRIDGES...WELL YOU KNOW. powdr

I usually use something similar, though usually a model that slides onto my belt. Keep it on the right side of my waist where rounds are handy to grab with my right hand (am right-handed). Also keep a couple of individual rounds in pockets, especially when using a single-shot, when I keep at least one in one of the chest pockets of my shirt or jacket.

Besides the magazine and one up the spout I carry an additional equal qty in my left shirt pocket (if it is a button down flap). That means I usually have 4 rounds in the rifle and 4 in my pocket. In the truck or in my day pack will be an additional 12-15 rounds.

Rarely need more than one round.

The cartridge wallet on the belt seems to be the favored method. Mine holds 10 rounds. With 4 in the magazine, that's enough. I don't like carrying them in a pocket because they might jingle and spook game.

^^^This^^^

I use the fold-down ammo wallet on the belt with five loops on each half, and a loaded magazine. Sometimes I only carry eight in the ammo wallet, especially if the rifle magazine will take four or five down. I don't chamber a round until I am actually hunting. I usually have the remainder of a twenty-round box in the day pack, just in case. Weird things have been known to happen...

^^^This^^^ and it would probably prevent 95% of all the so called hunting "accidents"!

Indy,

I don't carry more than one round in a shirt, coat or pants pocket, because a single round can't clink against another. Have found one round in a chest pocket on a shirt or coat to really come in handy on occasion.

FWIW I prefer one of those elasticated cuffs that slips over the butt of the rifle. I find it a lot faster to access than something on the belt or a pocket, and especially handy for my single shot or double rifle. Sometimes, such as when culling, it is very handy to be able to access extra rounds quickly.

Another trick, for when you want to have a few more in a pocket, is to use a stripper clip of an appropriate size. For example, a Mauser stripper clip for rounds of the right head size, or a .303 stripper clip for, say, 7x57R or 9.3x74R (or .303 of course). Not to load using the clip, but because it holds 5 rounds in your pocket without them jingling together.

Used to carry all kinds of ways for quick access.

These days I carry an extra box in some type of MTM plastic box, in the top of my backpack.

I've yet to see the need for more than whats in the gun, in an instant anyway.

dan,

I've only used one of those buttstock bands on single-shots. Once in particular was a few years ago in Botswana, where my primary rifle was a Ruger No. 1 .375 H&H. Had the band filled with three different 300-grain loads: solids, easy-opening soft-noses for plain game, and Fail Safes for buffalo. It made using the right load for the situation easy.

If I'm out of a day hike/hunt I always keep 5 extra rounds(in my pocket) in one of the slim leather holders(Boyt's?).

That way if I drop my pack to go on a sneak and end up having a chitshow I have the ammo with me and not in the pack.

Otherwise I always just keep an extra 5 or 20 round on the dash.

I got in the habit of keeping more ammo on my person back when I was guiding. Never knew when somebody would put a bullet in the guts or leg, even if the guy shot pretty well at paper.

A lot of this was due to most of the people being guided coming from east of the Mississippi, and had no clue about shooting much beyond 150 yards, or shooting in the wind. In fact they would often argue with me about the range. This was before laser rangefinders and I used the reticle in my scope to estimate a much better idea of range than THEY did.

But many wouldn't believe me. Odd how somebody who's never even seen a pronghorn or mule deer before can know exactly how far away it is. Sometimes they were sure the animal was a lot closer, especially antelope, because they're so brightly colored, but sometimes they were convinced they were even further away. And sometimes they had no clue where their rifle shot beyond 150-200 yards.

There were some rodeos, because trying to get another bullet in a pronghorn that's packing a leg can eat up some ammo. And a lot of the guys wouldn't have any extra ammo on them, so I made sure some was on me, so I could either finishing the animal off myself, or let them use my rifle.

Can't recall needing more than one or two extra rounds after the first shot myself for a long time, and those have been finishing or insurance shots, since the first one was good. But old habits die hard, and I've found being prepared better than the alternative.

Hunting in Florida is of course, different than being out in elk country. Swamps, palmetto thickets, pine forests and oak hammocks.
I have extra ammo in the truck, but don't carry a lot with me. I like a lever rifle, and 5 or 6 rounds has never been a handicap. The Marlin 1894S, .44 Mag holds 10.
Only on rare occassions have I needed more than two shots to bag a deer or hog.
I can reload when I get the animal back to the truck.

You guys carry your own extra ammo? I go looking for a homeless person on my way to go hunting and give him a bottle of Skullpop to carry my rifle and spare ammo into the woods for me. His old shopping cart comes in handy too, for carrying dead deer out of the woods.

Tried to talk my wife into that, but it didn't work.

Never had one of those "elasticated" butt stock holders that would retain all the rounds that I put in it at the start of a day of hunting. I hunt with a couple of oddball cartridges and brass is not easy to come by, much less loaded ammunition.

+1

I've always had an ammo wallet on my belt with an additional 8-10 rounds. But I usually have 1-2 rounds in their own pocket since they are quicker (and quieter) to access when needed. And has been mentioned, a single round in a pocket has nothing to rattle against.

Triad Tactical makes a nice stock pack with the ammo loops inside of the zip up pouch.

When ordering, there is a selection tab for either external (default choice shown) or toggle it to select internal loops. The cheek rest is made of ultra suede rather than rubber, so it does not cause the cheek to sweat, which is nice. He also supplies some velcro strips to build up the pad height. It's not as heavy of gauge of fabric as an Eagle stock pack, but it is sturdy enough and reasonably priced.

Overall, it is a nice piece of kit for a reasonable price.

http://www.triadtactical.com/Triad-Stock-Pack.html