Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters How much is enough

When I first began hunting I carried a knife that actually could have qualified as a sword. That went by the wayside and today a 2.5”-3” blade takes care field chores.
Also during that learning period I also carried sufficient ammo to ward off a battalion of hardened infantry soldiers.
Since those long ago days I’ve reduced my ammo supply to 20 or less rounds which means 4-5 in the rifle and up to 15 more on my belt etc.
The longer I hunt the more I realize that beyond a certain number, whatever that is, more is as unnecessary as carrying the long gone sword.
So my friends how much is enough?

Depends entirely upon what I am up to.

I used to carry the rifle full which is 5 and then a buttstock carrier with 9.

Then I started pulling 5 from that carrier so I had 4 spares plus the 5 in the gun.

Now I load 5 and head to the stand. I figure I only carry 1 down the barrel of my .54 and 3 speed loaders so 5 in my centerfire should be more than enough.

I also only carry 4 arrows so why do I need a schitttload of ammo.

I would never carry cartridges in a butt cuff…alters the balance of the rifle.

I a bolt gun I load the magazine with 2 or three, never the maximum. I carry 5 in a little leather carrier in my pocket.

Desertranger, Your post made me chuckle. My first “hunting knife” purchased when I was in high school was a Buck Special. Overkill to say the least ! Enough rifle cartridges in my pockets I’m surprised my pants didn’t fall down. Over the years the knives have gotten shorter and the round count has shrunk for sure.

Buck 118, usually about a dozen rounds. I had a dozen 358’s last year. It wasn’t enough, pigs kept coming back out, should have had 20. It was a hell of a time.

One of our groups hunters carries a buttstock carrier with 10 rounds and a belt carrier with as many. Reminiscent of old photos of Pancho Villa with bandoliers, so he’s now “Pancho”. I carry 3 in the rifle and 5 in a leather belt carrier. Seldom carry extra mags for pistols.

Was once in a rodeo involving bad choices in handgun ammo.
Ran out, with a down, but not out buck.
Had to run up a mountain to get my rifle and finish it.
Literally crawled to the rifle.

Have known at least 3 "Deadeyes", who payed for not having ammo.
2 with elk, one with a turkey, who had a bad day, that got worse
when they used up the 3-5 rounds that were "Enough, I've never shot more
than X rounds before".


Now if thing go clear to schidt, I'm likely to walk to the truck with 8-10
loaded rounds. They ain't heavy, and my motto in everything is to
have what I wont need. Not, to need what i dont have.

Ha ha
The first knife I bought as a kid was a Rambo replica type knife complete with compass in the handle and snaring wire, etc. Just ridiculous. I can’t remember how long it was but I think I only ever used it on a few small game. As an adult I mostly used a Gerber GatorMate for close to 20 years for every animal. Only recently started trying different knives.

I load my rifle when I leave home, vehicle or camp, depending on where I'm hunting. In addition to that I carry 10 rounds in a nylon ammo wallet in my coat pocket. As for knives, a folder in my pocket has always done all I need in the field since I was a kid. Back then it was either a Camillus stockman handed down from my grandfather or a Ka-Bar trapper I bought from the hardware store. Today it's usually a "folding hunter" type lock back from Puma or Camillus.

I carried a WWII-vintage USMC KABAR knife when I started out as a kid in the mid-60's ($6 as I recall at the local Army surplus store) - you never knew if Jap snipers would be a problem in the deer woods. Probably why I too carried enough spare ammo to survive out there for six months 5 miles from home.

Now I'm a "less is more" kind of guy too. I deer hunt primarily with single shots, so there's the one up the spout and a handful in my pocket. (I too used the butt stock ammo sleeve a gazillion years ago but gave it up after I got annoyed by the subtle shift in balance of the rifle, plus I always thought they were kinda dorky.) If I'm lugging a repeater (I still say they're a passing fad ) there's one up the spout and a magazine filled with one or two less than maximum capacity to guarantee absolute flawless feeding, and another handful in the pocket.

I still have an early-war KABAR but it stays on an old web belt with a 1911 Colt and canteen - still prepared in the event of a Jap invasion. The knife of choice for deer gutting and salami cutting nowadays is a little belt knife I made for myself a couple years ago, made out of 1/8" thick A2 tool steel hardened and drawn to RockwellC52 hardness, whittled out entirely by hand with files and a crappy little 1" belt sander, and scales made from a piece of Pennsylvania curly maple I rescued from my Gramp's shop 50 years ago and saved for a special occasion (held on by epoxy that flowed between the two scales through a series of holes pierced in the steel). It holds a razor edge like nobody's business.



The first attempt at making a knife was also with A2 tool steel, but with rosewood scales. I didn't like the bevel I achieved, plus the blade is just a little too short, but I didn't throw it away:

A friend of mine that hunts an especially mountainous area of West Virginia only carries 3 rounds for his rifle. An accomplished marksman and hunter, he’s never needed more than one round to kill a deer. His choice of knives is similarly minimal, a Case trapper pocket knife.

I carry 5 rounds in the rifle, and have the rest of a box of 20 in camp.

10-15 rifle rounds,plus 15 in the10mm on my belt. We have hogs here, and they can deplete your ammo in a hurry.

Depends on what I'm doing. If I'm bird or small game hunting I usually have 30+ rounds on me, and I do the skinning/gutting at home so I usually don't even have a knife on me.

Deer hunting, I can't remember the last time I had more than 8 rounds with me, probably 15+ years ago.

I have a 5" Russel Green River I use for my gutting and skinning in my pack. Got it as a birthday gift from an uncle when I was 18, and it's been the only knife I've used deer hunting since.

I carry whatever the rifle will hold (depends on which rifle I am carrying) and 3or 4 spares.

As a rule I carry about 4-5 extra rounds and my main knife is a lock-blade Swiss Army. When after elk, moose or buffalo I also carry a lock back folding saw.

Now, if I am going to carry more then 5 rounds it's always for my handgun. I use the handgun for small game, coup-de-gras, sometimes for signaling, and for fun. So when in the field I seldom carry a lot of rifle ammo, but it's not uncommon for me to have 30-50 rounds of pistol ammo depending on the gun

For deer or big game, enough to fill the rifle, plus a nother reload. If you empty it to cross a nasty creek etc, and accidently dump those rounds in the creek its good to have at least another reload.

If squirrel hunting, at least a few dozen 22 lr or whatever rimfire you are using. If using a shotgun, about a dozen rounds.

if Waterfowling...... better bring a bunch if they are flying fast.

Be prepared.

A knife with a 4" blade, folding or fixed, no matter. Three shells in the gun, maybe a couple more in the pack or pocket. Good 8X binocs.

Depends on how far from the truck,etc I suppose. Its inconvenient for us if things go to pot and we run out of ammo, game is still wounded/suffering. Its a downright shame for the poor creature we may lose or have to leave suffering until we return with ammo. Its a balance.

Normally one shot is fine, but last year I needed all 8 I had with me.