Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Carrying cartridges

I use wallets similar to Uncles Mikes.

Just got a full set of these, I suspect they are from Pakistan but don't know, they are well made and I put some oxblood polish on them and they look like the more expensive ones now.

https://www.jeffsoutfitters.com/product/cartridge-carrier-5-round/

I carry inside mostly

Also use one of these in the backpack. It says 7.62x51 but I carry 280 ammo with no problem.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/939410668

Another vote for this product. I have one mounted via MOLLE to the outside of my light (poncho, woobie, food, water, first aid) overnight pack that I usually carry while out in the desert. It's never dropped a round even when pushing through tight brush or climbing sandstone cliffs.

I also have a USMC-surplus war belt with an M110 double magazine pouch. Turns out that with a little bit of foam to adjust the pouch depth, it nicely holds two ten-round 7600 magazines. That belt also holds my IFAK, radio, and a small utility pouch with a headlamp, lighter, map, compass, emergency marker panel, and a couple other things.

when deer hunting, i usually have a m-94 30-30 or a m-70 in 30-06. after wrestling with this question, it occurred to me that if i couldn't kill a deer with 5 shots, i shouldn't be out in the woods. same for the 7 in the 30-30.

i don't carry extra ammo.

I felt the same way. Then one day I killed a nice buck, 2 shots. On the way back to get the truck I ran in to a entire pack of coyotes in a field. Killed 2, missed one. So I had an empty gun and multiple targets in the field. For some reason the yotes just didn't want to leave. I carry spares in my pocket now. No reason to get fancy.

I have an old nylon ammo carrier made by Koplin that folds. Holds 12 rounds for my 7mm Mag and rides on the waist strap of my daypack. I have 3 in the rifle and 12 in the carrier. If I need more shells than that, I don't deserve to get whatever I am shooting at. But my old carrier is just about worn out so in the future I will need to find something else since they don't make what I use any longer. But my wife is seriously into crafting and I'm pretty sure she can tear it apart, use it as a pattern and make me a clone of it when I need her to.

Same here. For years I used a 300 WSM. The cases for those are wider and I had to leave every 3d loop empty. I'm back to an '06 and can use all the loops.

4 in the mag well is enough.

I like the buttstock carriers for speed and handiness, but they soak up rain and melting snow, and tend to lose rounds when navigating through thick brush. For years now, I have been using empty bullet boxes. I save the foam that the manufacturer packs in these with the bullets, or put my own foam in to keep the cartridges from rattling.

For a long time Speer was just about the only game in town for nice hard plastic boxes, though they needed a bit of masking tape to help keep them closed. Recently, Sierra, Barnes, and the newer Speer boxes have a much more secure latch to keep the boxes closed.

I mostly hunt with single shots, so still carry one or two rounds in a pocket for a quicker reload.

I use the uncle mikes but would prefer blaze orange. I do not understand the camo craz when it comes to small items that can be set down. Usually when the knives come out and I take extra items off.
I keep spare ammo in the wallet in a vest pocket or maybe a second in a pack, depending on how may tags I have and how far in the bush I am.

My dad once got caught out in late fall after wet snowfall and pulled bullets to get gunpowder to start fire on damp wood. I have had occasion to regret not having another round. I have never regretted having too many.

As others here have stated, if I can't kill an animal with the full mag in the gun, I have other issues.

I have been carrying spare rounds my whole life and never ever had to go to them. But having extra rounds for game is not why I continue to carry them. I do so in case I ever get lost, (call it "turned around" if it's less offensive to your maleness), or injured to the point of immobility. When rescue parties are out looking for you, 3 timed shots could save your life. Technology is a wonderful thing at times. But where I hunt,often times, there is no cell service.

I seldom carry "loose" cartridges. Less seldom I'll carry some in my pack (usually fanny pack), in a case like the MTM shown. As in above post, there are good reasons other than shooting a critter to carry extra rounds.

Mostly if I am carrying extra cartridges they will be in a cut down piece of the plastic holders the cartridges come in. This is electrical-taped (NOT DUCT TAPE!) to the stock, pointy ends back. The cartridges are inserted and taped into this to prevent loss. Fold an end of the tape over to make a readily graspable tab for quick removal if need be (almost never in my case).

After years of doing this I have no concerns about tape residue or finish damage on the stock or sticky in the chamber, but YMMV - especially if you are using a fancy gun. Mine are all tools, rather than art.....but these should not be left on "permanently. Remove after seasonal use.

I have lost more cartridges from those elastic POS things than I have ever used from them. Phooey on those!

What someone really needs to market is a molded-in inset in the synthetic stocks, with clips to hold the cartridges in, perhaps with a hinged or sliding cover. An after-market one that can be inset into either synthetic or wood stocks would be nice also, if it wouldn't reduce strength too much.

I usually carry a magazine full, plus a magazine count of spares. For the 98 this comes to 10 rounds, for the RU77 it is 8 total. It is rare I have to dip into the spares, except to refill the magazine. On a good day that means one round.....two if I use an insurance shot

I cary 13 in the lid of my pack...2 in my bino chest pack and one in each pocket

cape buffalo hide shell holder $35

One in black for my 45/70, otherwise an Uncle Mike's.

Here’s the same one that I’ve used since about 1989......made by Hunter. Very comfortable, virtually silent when brushed by clothing or brush, holds 14 rounds. Not certain if it is still manufactured.....but, it darn sure should be! memtb

I carry a round in my Ruger 1. Don’t see the need for more!😀

I will usually keep a mtm box of reloads back at camp , or in my truck depending on what and where I’m hunting. To carry on my person I take one of the plastic holders that come in factory ammo and I cut it down to hold 4 extra shells. It fits nicely in a front pocket, and keeps it much quieter then loose cartridges . I figure I shouldn’t need anymore them what is in my magazine, but on the other hand it’s good back up .

3 or 4 in the rifle and one in each front pocket. [3 is the limit allowed in the rifle] in my pack an mtm ammo wallet.

i cant see putting weight on the butt of a rifle i have worked at to make light weight, just dont seem right.