Can ammo be transported in a 50 round box? I'm planning to take a 308 with 50 rounds and the 50 round plastic MTM case fits perfectly in the locked container. Any issues using one of these?

I don't see why not but call your carrier and download their regs as well as TSA regs. If you ammo is less than 11 lbs you are probably okay.

I understand that some carriers require it to be in a locked case. Mine was but nobody asked if it was locked. 11 lbs was specified.

I always heard that ammo was supposed to be in the manufacters box, even if you have to put reloads in there. Not sure if it's true or not though. I've been 3 times, and nobody has ever checked it to my knowledge.

The rules specify "original factory container", idea being that each round of ammo is separate from the other. Unfortunately, there are those working for the airline that don't understand this, and can make your life miserable....if they want to.
I bought some of the 20 round plastic containers (they are original, and from the factory)javascript:%20void(0) and didn't have a problem. I was told that they usually don't look at your ammo....not my luck!!! But the guy I checked in with told me that the week before he had some shmuck try and check his rifles and had his ammo loose in a plastic baggie!
Anyway, while you should be perfectly fine with a 50 rd box (as long as you are under the weight limit), I would personally just try and find 3 empty 308 ammo boxes at the range and fill them with your ammo.
Another thing that they have trouble with is kg vs lbs....it's 5 kgor 11lbs of ammo, but for some reason some folks will argue that you are only allowed 5 lbs....so do yourself a favor and when they ask you how much it weights, just tell 'em 3llbs.

If you are flying inside of South Africa, you will need a locked case that you can have outside your regular luggage, and check as luggage. For going from the U.S. to S.A., I had mine in a locked case, and added a spare lock inside....just in case homeland security just "had" to see what was in my luggage. I also added a note asking them to kindly relock the case in the event that they cut the lock off. When we got home from S.A., both my wife's and my bag had notes inside saying that we were inspected, but they didn't cut the locks off the ammo cases....my guess is that they somehow "hit" on the fact that we had ammo in the suit cases, and then after they opened it figured that we had been hunting (the camo clothing was probably a dead giveaway).

I packed my hanloaded ammo inside a TSA locked Pelican 1200

70 rounds of 30-06 handloads total

50 in a Berry's clear plastic snap box.....foam in the lid

20 in a slip top Berry's clear plastic box.....foam in the lid

I put a Sierra reload data sticker on each box filled out with all the load data

All locked up with a bunch of room to spare I put my pocket knife and some other small stuff inside

Dropped it all deep inside my TSA locked duffle

It don't matter they are going to steal it in JoBerg anyway!! Lost all ammo, cleaning supplies, misc small items,etc etc there . Would have lost guns had the lady whom owned the game ranch we were at, known police comm. personally would never have gotten them. Most stolen items of any airport in the world, will never fly to hunt through there again.

I have a buddy that travels to Africa twice a year and cull hunts. He takes hundreds of rounds every time. Never has a problem.

Not that it matters, but they asked my buddy flying to Camp Perry once agbout that original factory box. He told em he was the original factory and that MTM box was the box he, the factory, put em in.

They let him on...

I've never had the desire to fly to Africa, but I've never been turned down or hassled with ammo and I've not bough factory since I can recall... everything flies in MTM boxes. Up to 100 in a box.

Delta website says "small arms ammunition is packed in the manufacturer's original package OR securely packed in fiber, wood, plastic or metal boxes and provide separation for cartridges".

donsm70

I've traveled to Africa with hundreds of rounds, everything I could take up to the legal 5-kilo (11 pound) limit, and never had a problem.

However, when my wife and I went to South Africa in 2008, she had to leave earlier than I did, as I was committed to spending a month. There were some other Americans who left along with her, and the local airline flying them from Port Elizabeth to Joburg required that the ammo be in the rifle case, while Delta in Joburg required ammo to be in other luggage. Trouble was they never saw their other luggage in Joburg, just the rifle cases, so couldn't make the switch.

This meant they'd have to go buy another piece of luggage in one of the airport shops, just for the ammo, which also meant giving up their place in a very long line when time was short. Eileen just handed them her leftover .308 ammo and said, "Here, it's yours." They didn't want to take it, but eventually did. The other people did the same thing.

When she got home, she e-mailed me telling what happened. The rest of us just put our ammo in our luggage when flying out of PE, and nobody checked the luggage there. If they had, we'd have said, "Here, take it."

Have also flown with people into Canada who had their handloads packed in factory cardboard boxes that weren't for their rounds. Nobody said a thing.

Mine is always in an MTM plastic box wrapped with strapping tape. Makes them fell warm and fuzzy for some reason....

Ammo packing can be a bit tricky in international travel because rules vary. In the U. S. you can put your ammo in your rifle case, but that is not permitted most other places I've been. I believe that plastic cases which separate the individual cartridges are acceptable everywhere I've been.

Earlier this month I hunted in the Eastern Cape. Flying South African Air from Johannesburg to Port Elizabeth (and on the return), we had to take our ammo out of our luggage and check it separately in a locked case. Two years ago in the same situation, I could leave my ammo in my luggage going to Port Elizabeth, but had to check it separately on the return. I don't know how to explain that except by the saying, "This is Africa." I think it is best to be prepared. My booking agent alerted me to this on my first trip, so I was ready.

I packed my ammo in plastic boxes and then in a Plano pistol case that could be locked. It was good enough for the airline. I cut some other foam I had just to preserve the original. Here's the way the ammo was packed:



When we left Port Elizabeth, we only checked our bags to Johannesburg. After recovering our rifles and ammo at the proper place in the airport there, we put the ammo cases in our luggage for the flight on to Atlanta and beyond.

Hunted Namibia in 2013. Route was from Atlanta on Delta to Johannesburg, then on to Windhoek via South Africa Airlines.
Ammo inside luggage was O.K. with Delta. South Africa Airlines wants it outside and checked separately. Got to SAA counter to check in and was told "Just put your Ammo inside your Luggage". I guess they didn't want to print an extra luggage tag.

Lugerman

Thanks for all the replies. Turned out to be a non-issue. Nobody ever asked to see the ammo or the locked container. I had it in my checked luggage both ways.

When going through Jo-berg I was never asked about ammo. Transfer through Harare never asked either.

On the return checking in with SSA in Harare asked if it was in my checked luggage. I said yes and that was it. Transfer through on Delta and never asked about ammo coming back into USA...by Delta or CBP.

Maybe I got lucky but everything went smooth.

You never know what the geeks at the ticket counter are going to come up with. Leaving Dar es Salaam the ticket agent counted each round that my wife had for her 308 but never asked about my 375 which was lucky because I had given all of my spare ammo to my PH. She also had me rearrange each of my bags because 1 was 1 kilo overweight while some were under weight.
The other ticket agents were rolling their eyes.

Yes you can transport any ammo in a box like that. Can not exceed 11lbs or more than 200 rounds per firearm. Happy Hunting!