Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Back Country ?

As we all venture into the back country this season I was thinking, I wonder how many rounds of ammo folks here at the fire carry with them. Rifle ammo that is. Anyone got a lucky number they take with them? Anyone ever run out not take enough!

For starters I take 11 as my only daughter was born on the 11th of July. Suppose I could take 8 for the month in the year she was born. Or maybe 20, the two added together. One things for sure. I'm not gonna take 2009 rounds with me!

When I backpack into the Cascades for the High Buck hunt here in Washington, I take 10 rounds of .25-06 ammo.

When I went into the Wind Rivers for elk, I think I took 20 rounds of 7mm Rem mag, and six .44's in my revolver. That was a horseback trek in though, I went heavier than I'd go while backpacking.

Typically use only one anyway.

I take seven.

Five in the rifle itself, one extra at the bottom of my pack that I have to work to get to...so I have some time to think about what I might be doing wrong... and one back at camp to give me time to REALLY think about what I did wrong.

For a day, I generally whatever the rifle holds + 10 since my Uncle Mikes cartridge carrier holds 10. Same idea with a handgun but it's + 12.

If I'm going to stay overnight (doesn't matter how many nights), I usually double it, half the spare ammo on my person, half stays in my pack if I'm backpacking or in the truck if I'm car camping. That's 24-25 rounds of rifle shells depending on the rifle, 30 rounds for the revolver. In both cases, that includes what's in the gun.

Tom

On my sheep rifle, I have one of those stretchy ammo carriers on the stock. It holds nine, so nine I take. I generally have to cross recreational areas and or parks to start off with an unloaded rifle, hence nothing extra in the magazine.

I take 8 to 10 rounds but based on my shooting for the past few years 4 would be more than enough.

As a kid, my dad liked to reload more than he liked to hunt. I thought it was normal to hunt with 600 rounds in the truck. We'd hike to the top of the hill in the morning, if by early afternoon we had not seen a deer, we'd head lower and hunt jack rabbits. A .30-06 isn't the best rabbit gun but we had a lot of fun.

Now I tend to carry 6 in my rifle and 10 in my Uncle Mikes ammo carrier but I still have at least 50 in the truck.

A few years back, I got away from my fathers ideas and only took 10 rounds on an elk hunt. I fell pretty hard and dinged my scope. Took 8 of those 10 to get the scope back on target and I was sick using my Nosler Partitions for target practice. Now I have cartridges loaded with cheap bullets in the truck for that situation.

I'm about the same as T O M.

If I'm carrying bolt action and pistol - 25 rounds of rifle, 17 of pistol. (.308 weighs less per round than .45 acp).

If I'm carrying AR and pistol - 20 rounder in the rifle, 30 rounder in the pack, 8 rounds in pistol.

If I'm carrying only pistol - 28 rounds.

For actually taking game, whatever is in the rifle is enough.

That last, most of the time ... even shooting a Ruger #1 or a sidelock. Occasionally I have 2 tags in my pocket so I'll allow for reloads in that situation.

The extra ammo is for other stuff that "needs shootin'" or a sight check or even a sight-in after a fall. I haven't had that happen in a very long time but the possibility remains .. I might even be overdue.

Tom

Just so you don't have bad luck befall you for not taking the lucky number of bullets with you....July is the 7th month. 8 plus 11 is 19, not 20. So if you use 7 plus 11 you should take 18, which I personally think is a pretty lucky number for ya! In any regards, I hope you find the lucky number and are successful this year!

8 always always always, 3 in the rifle 5 in the pouch, then, when I get back to the car i can account for all of it.

I pack about 6-8 rounds total for day hunts or backpack hunts it does not matter.

4 in mag on the hunt.
3 in uncle mikes side carrier.
5 in strip in ruck.