Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting How many bullets do you carry?

3 in the rifle, then 10 in a holder....in case I stumble onto a guarded illegal grow!

I drop about 5 in my pockets after I load my rifle.

If I hunt with a handgun I always take at least 6 more.

When I hunt with a muzzleloader I carry 2 extra patched balls in a block around my neck and a small flat horn with about 400 grains of powder in it.

2 herd clips, 10 rounds total. After that first one is empty, I start bearing down a little harder.

I DO NOT CARRY ANY EXTRA BULLETS
I have the rifle loaded and 6 extra Cartriges in a butt stock holder
charlee

In 7mm Mag 4 rounds, with 20 in a leather belt case. In 30-06 5 rounds with 20 extra in a belt case. Both cases have a red bandana in the top of the case to quell rattles. Marlin 45/70 6 rounds plus 5 in a rolled up bandana in my pocket. Never had to raid my extra rounds, but who knows?

I should have maybe qualified that this answer was for use on elk. I have 6 in the 44 mag and 6 in a speedloader as well. For other purposes. They could also be used for signaling. But in griz country, because we can, we carry 2-way radios for communication. That way if someone is late, they can tell someone "still in Sam's Meadow, may be a half hour after dark before I am out." If you need someone to find you describing where you are (or lat/longs), in addition to 3 distress shots is better. Emergency communication is a factor to consider in some places even more than others.

Jag

Varies. MINIMUM is what the magazine holds plus that many more. With the Ruger 338 that makes 8. With the '98, that makes 10. I may have several loose spares. I too use the plastic shell holders, cut to fit the extra load , taped to the rifle stock, and the rounds taped in place with a quick-rip tab on the end of the tape.

The most I ever take is a full box of "extras" besides what is in/on the rifle.--That would be on an extensive hunt. Might knock the scope off and have to re-sight.


The best answer I ever heard on this subject/forum several years ago was "14 - because once 13 wasn't enough!"

Two loaded magazines (4+4) one round in each of four pants pockets. Never needed more.

That's the spirit!

5 in the rifle and 5 in my pack. Most years I haven't needed any and a few years I have needed only one.

Jaguar.....I got lost once. Started firing shots.......no one came.

Spent the next morning looking for my arrows.

Anyways I have never wished I brought less ammo.

I have wished I had brought more

4 arrows minimum with a few broad heads in the pack.

12 to 15 minnumum for as John Wayne put it " KAR....tridge.....Jez."

12 for belted magnums.15 for standard rounds

I use a Ruger #1 for elk, despite my Dad's lamentations. He carried a Rem 760 in '06, with four extra mags in his various pockets, and at least one more spare box in the saddle bags. And he was never far from his horse. I have seen him run out of ammo, but that was in the day of party hunting (50 years ago), and meat was scattered over the mountain to be skinned and hung.

The #1 is carried cold. I have a Cordura and velcro belt wallet which holds ten rounds of 7mm STW. And I drop a couple into my front pockets for easy access when game is spotted. So about a dozen.

My rifle these days has a detacheable 4 shot mag.
So-

4 in the gun.

4 in a spare mag in my pocket.

If I am on a back country hunt, I will take 7 more in my pack for an even 15 rounds total.

Usually 8 bullet, case, primer, and powder combinations. Decades ago when I shot my first deer, I had one. Scrounged it out of the junk drawer in the kitchen. Now I need a trailer to haul all of my stuff.

full mag +1 and ammo pouch on the stock. I don't even know what that is?

Five total rounds. If those don't connect, I'm going to camp for the backup unit. More cartridges for the original arm are probably not going to help at all.
In most instances I'll probably stop at two rounds if the critter shows no signs of being hit. Obviously there is something wrong.

5 rounds in a leather belt carrier with flap. 3+1 in the rifle and my Barney Bullet in left shirt pocket. Never fired more than 3 at a critter and all of those were hits!

I used to carry 7 rounds of 7mm for everything deer or elk. Then I took 5 shots to finish a cow on the run using my fathers old 30-06 and couldn't find another round in my pocket, thankfully she dropped. Now I've got 3 in the gun, at least 4 in my pockets and another 7 in a Pack or binoculars case - so in my case it is usually 14 for elk...,,,but I often have 2 tags so 7 each seems right.

MAGA!!