How many bullets/rounds do you carry in the woods with you? Just to be clear, talking elk hunting here. If I carried zero with me the last few years, I'd have been OK. But always seems like I end up with 20+ in my pack by the end of the season. I guess if I have to take on foreign invaders in some Red Dawn scenario, I'm prepared. This year, I'm think maybe three mags total or 12.

My buddy carried 1 mag full (3+1) until a few years ago when he ran out of ammo shooting at a bull 406 yards away.

How about all of you?

10 in my ammo wallet on my belt, 4 (or 3 depending on the chambering) in the mag of the rifle.

I figure if I shoot all my ammo up the elk deserves to get away.

Casey

That's how I roll, too.

3 in the rifle, 2 in my pockets, 2 more in the day pack.....a superstitious tradition......but I damn sure never needed even that many....

4 in my rifle
10 in my back pack
2 in my chest pack
one or two in my front pocket
30 more in the truck

Maybe ten or so.

I've killed more than a few elk and that's surely enough for eight or nine elk.

kd

3+1 in the rifle and 2 more full mags

Used to not carry anything more than the magazine held. That plan went to hell one time so depending I carry 5 or 10 in my pack plus a full magazine.

4+1 and a couple extry's in my left chest pocket next to the Longcut....

15-20 rounds. Rifle may get jarred off zero several miles from the truck, may wound an elk and need more rounds, you never know. I have never thought to myself, "man I wish I had brought less ammo today."

9 on or in the rifle, with another ten or so in an ammo pouch in the pack.

I have a folding leather pouch that holds 14 rounds.... so 3 in rifle and 11 in the pouch. memtb

10 in the bullet wallet plus a full mag, empty chamber. Often the bullet wallet has 5+5 of different cartridges, 5 for my primary and 5 for my backup rifle.

A few extra is good insurance. Case in point: A few years ago I took a hard fall on shale and landed on my scope. I shot it a couple times and all seemed fine. A few weeks later, I shot an elk with it at about 200 yds. I put her down but the hit was back a ways from where I thought I'd aimed. She slid down hill in the snow and into a pile of brush. I needed a kill shot and got to about 10 yds where I could easily see her neck. It took me 4 shots to hit it, even from a good rest. I was worried that I'd run out of ammo before I got her dead.

I went through a lot of ammo sighting and resighting before I finally found the problem. I'd have it perfect then it would shift. About drove me crazy. It turned out that my fall had broken an ear off the dovetail on the back ring. I couldn't move the scope by hand but recoil could shift it just slightly, enough to throw me off about 4 MOA.

That'd better be Cope Longcut..........


Casey

I load the magazine and go hunting. Whatever fits in the rifle is what I take with.

At least a dozen.

I load the magazine, then take another 10 just in case there's a shoot-out with a herd of grizzly bears somewhere along the trail.

3 + 1 in the rifle, 1 in each front pants pocket so that they don't clank together, 6-8, wrapped so they don't clank, in an outside pack pocket. I have once used the pants pocket ones when right next to my partner and he ran out - same caliber, almost identical load. I try to only need 1, but will follow up if any doubt.

Is there another kind?

Whatever the rifle holds plus one in my daypack.

That's called my "thinking round"...as in think about what I've done wrong to get to this point. Only used it once thus far.

Dave

3+1 in the rifle. I use those old red plastic Federal ammo holders that the factory ammo came in to hold 8 or 10 more in my pocket. It holds them tight so there's no noise from loose brass.

I load the rifle then take an ammo wallet with another 8-10.

Free advice is worth the price you pay. I'll freely advise that you should have an extra magazines worth in close reach - ammo wallet, belt pouch, pocket, etc. If you ever need that extra ammo, you'll likely need it fast, and floating around in the pack doesn't qualify.

Another great idea from CH............NOT!

I now understand how you fired a 280 in your 338 a few years ago. Not sure why you continue the practice, though.

A box, can't have too many.


No fun looking a wounded, but standing animal,

It depends on how late in the week it is getting. I'd walk up that #*!& mountain every morning and I'd say to myself, I didn't need 10 rounds yesterday, and 8 would be a little lighter today. I never needed more than what already fit in the rifle.

The magazine full then 7-10 in a ammo punch.

2 20round bandoliers for balance plus 4 in the rifle. ELk need a lot of killing

All kidding aside a magazine full plus easy access to 4 more and then the rest of the box in the backpack.

6 total. 3+1 in the rifle. 2 more in my pack.

2

12-12 total for Elk...

Some people seem to have forgotten that 3 shots in succession is an old signalling tool if you get stranded, injured, require help.

5 in the gun and 2 or 3 in the pocket.

A full magazine plus two in a stock cuff, five on my belt and five in my pack. I load the chamber from the stock cuff.

5 in the magazine, 1 in each front pocket and a wallet with 10 in my pack. Have a Mule deer tag for the same season as my elk tag, so gotta be ready if they both charge at the same time!

I carry two loaded magazines, three rounds in each magazine, one mag in my rifle and one in my pocket. I also carry half a box (ten rounds) in my pack. The reason I carry so many is that I go into the field with both a bull tag and a cow tag. I want to have enough ammo to screw up at least once and still have enough left over to kill both animals several times. I rarely use more than a couple of rounds, but I believe in the Boy Scout motto; Be Prepared.

KC

+1. I use those ammo holders also.

3 in the gun, 1 in my pocket, 6 in a custom made rifle sling and 10 more in a plastic ammo holder sealed in a ziploc baggie in my pack.

I hunt 5 hrs away from home and want to have enough if something happens to the scope.

Elk Country

Full magazine plus 10 in a belt carrier.

Took a friend bear hunting in the Snake River country one year. I tagged a blonde bear early so was helping him. He empties his gun at a brown phase across a canyon, hits it but it's wallerin' around over there. I say, "That's your sheit, go fix it, I'm stayin right here and watch the show." He gets ammo and proceeds across the canyon to dispatch said bear post haste. Get's there, finds bear, , shoots a time or two, I forget how many now, comes back. "Out of ammo", says he.

I say,"How many you take?"

He says, "1 (or 2). I don't remember which, but anyway, not many to be chasing a wounded bear. He opens his gun to reload, again, and lo and behold, there's another one in the chamber.

Some people are their own worst enemy.

a box.get lost 3 shoot burst is a signal.never have used it .

4 in the gun. 4 on the sling.

4 in the rifle and 7 in one of those neoprene slip over deals that fits over the buttstock. And 1 extra round in my right front pocket. So a total of 12.

Bullets? None extra, usually other than the nine I have in the cartridges I carry...

2.....just in case I loose the first one

I fill the magazine, and then have one of those black elastic stock carriers things in my day pack with 8-9 in it. Seems like a shell ends up in my chest pocket once in a while also.

4 in the magazine, 9 in a butt buddy, a lot in the truck.

Not an elk hunter but for deer usually 4-5. I guess it's from years of shooting shotguns but I generally load 3 rds. at a time. That is unless I'm shooting my #1. Never been an issue.

I box of 20 with 5 in the magazine and 1 in the chamber.

I hunt with a Tikka. I carry 3 in the mag and 5 in a 5 round spare mag just in case I lose a mag in the steep and rough. Have never needed the spare

Trystan

^^^^^ THIS ^^^^^

Plus, I have those black elastic "bullet bands" on most of my rifles with another 8 or 9 cartridges, so in total, around 20 in total.

A butt buddy, huh?

Naw, too easy.

Three or four in my rifle and nine in the pack..

DD is usually spot on. I never knew he had a butt buddy though... What in the hell is this world coming too???

I guess it all depends on the rifle:

338wm: 4+1 (5 rounds in rifle), 6 in hunting vest, 1 in shirt pocket= 12 rounds total

30-06: 6+1 (7 rounds) or sometimes just 6 in rifle, 6 in vest, 1 in right side shirt pocket: Lucky 13

New Tikka T3 superlite 7mm rem mag: 3+1 in rifle, 6 in vest and 1 in right side shirt pocket: 11 total

I carry a full magazine with a couple extra in a front shirt pocket. I usually have another 10 somewhere depending what gear I am using. As another posted, I have never wished that I had less with me. It does no good back at camp.

Whatever the magazine holds, 3 in a magnum, 4 in a Kimber, 5 non-magnums in a Winchester. 5 in a leather wallet on my pack's hip belt. 5 more magnums in a plastic Federal holder in a hip-belt pocket, 8 more if non-magnum in a plastic Federal holder (saved from the old 24rd value-packs) in the hip-belt pocket. Typically have a nearly full 50rd ammo box in the truck for each chambering I have on any given trip.

20 for my 30-06 and 6 for the .357. I store the 30-06 in a variety of places though so if I set my pack down, lose some, or some other crazy thing happens I will always have 5 in the gun, 5 in my pocket and 6 .357 on my hip. I would rather not shoot my elk only to then be mauled by a bear. Besides I'm young so the weight isn't a huge deal.

Full compliment in the gun and 10 backups in a plastic federal holder in my pocket.

12

Usually 4 in the gun, 8 in my pants pocket and whatever is left of a 50 box in the truck but seldom less than 20. That changes on culls; with the numbers being whatever the gun holds, all I can carry and everything I have loaded at that location at the moment in the truck.

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!!

Ten.

Definitely some anti-Boy Scouts on this thread. Working a major hunt with only 5 rounds on board is both hubris and foolish. Or else people must hunt awfully close to their vehicle. Just because one usually gets it done with one, certainly doesn't mean it will be that way every time.

Exactly!

Plus, do these guys not shoot at coyotes? That can be an ammo intensive exercise. In this part of the country, if a coyote appears, regardless of what else is being hunted, it becomes a coyote hunt.

I like a rifle full, a few on the stock, four in separate pockets (no jingle) and a combo flashlift/ammo pouch that holds ten. I don't mind carrying ammo, never did as a kid, later in the Army and all the years in-between, ha. I am a "firm Believer" that there are THREE THINGS a real man can never have "too much of'..(1) Coffee (2) Grandbabies (3) ammo!

In the southern whitetail woods, just 3 in the rifle. It used to be 3 or 4 for me anywhere I went. That changed when I had a blacktail down deep in the wilds of Kodiak with but one round left. That made me a little nervous.

I used to hunt with a guy that carried 4 in the rifle. "One is all you should need"

Then he co starred in a story one day with an unfortunate bull elk.
It started with him hitting the bull,
it ended after he found a buddy with more cartridges, then went and found the poor bull.

After that, he liked to carry a box and a few.

I have a rectangular leather ammo pouch with a top lid that holds 20 cartridges. It is worn on a belt always on the outside of all my clothing in the front and is easily accessible. When I start the hunt. I load from the 20 cartridges whatever it takes to fill my rifle capacity. The rest are staggered in the pouch making room for my large fingers to easily grasp extra rounds, especially when dexterity or frozen fingers don't operate easily. The leather pouch dampens noise, removes reflection and insulates from extreme weather and pressure spikes. Especially in hot weather when the sun heats up the cartridges causing case sticking and bullet flight unwanted changes. The buttoned flap is extra security.

I don't like the open type elastic cartridge holders that slide into the rear of the stock. In Idaho a friend was dragging a deer downhill to a road and when he got there, the 7 cartridges he had in it were missing. Obviously fell while navigating through brush. When he got to the dirt road he began to hear wolf calls around him but did not see them. The hair stood at the back of his neck which made him check his weapon and that's when he discovered the ammo lost. He had left his pistol back in camp trying to save weight. He had 2 loaded cartridges in his rifle.
Every body is free to make their own choices. If you hunt ranches, stands, guided hunts... you can get away easily with just a loaded rifle. If you hunt wilderness, predator country, it's prudent to be cautious.
If hunting deep wilderness via float trip, plane or horse back, I carry an extra 20 cartridges in a waterproof container and it stays in camp. If I have a partner and is using the same caliber, then I only carry an extra 10 cartridges in the emergency box in camp.
I also carry a 329 44 in a chest holster with 12 extra cartridges.
I guess the scout motto is worth living by, at least for me.

Two!

This is whitetail, not Elk, but I think it well applies.
We had supper and returned to the barn to do some repairs. About 9 pm we finished up. We were silently walking to the house in that fluffy crunchy snow that lies on the ground in 0 degree weather. I was looking at the Big Dipper when Dad stopped and asked, "did you hear a shot?" I hadn't. When we got to the house Dad loaded the ole 300 Sav, steeped out the back door, and let one off. There was a barely perceptible answer a long way up the river. Dad shot again and the vague answer came back. He grabbed two boxes of shells and fired up the Ski Doo. A new invention in those days. I think it was around 1960-61. I waited outside and in about a half hour, I heard the 300 and then that long off answer. Later it happened again, than once more, and than no more shots. I went inside and Mom and I kept watch out the kitchen window. It felt like hours when we saw the dim light of the snowmobile crest the hill.
A hunter had wounded a buck and followed it. Those Adirondack breezes had blown snow into his tracks and he was lost. At sundown he fired his first three distress shots and no answer. After doing that a few more times spaced about half hour each. He took inventory and realized he'd soon run out of ammo. He gutted his buck, scrounged around and found enough dry brush to build a small fire, and shot once every hour. Mom insisted he eat something hot and and have a couple of large cups of hot tea. WE drove him to his car about three miles up that old gravel road. Dad and he made arrangements to get his buck the next day. When we got home we looked at the thermometer. -16. It was a good thing for him that sound carries a long ways on those cold crisp silent nights in those mountains and that he had enough ammo to guide Dad in. He had two left.
Nice 8 point!
After that, for the last 60 +- years, when hunting, I always carry way more than I think I'll ever use. I have a treestand that I can see from the house and take 10 with me even there.

10...

i load 10 rounds for the hunt...

If I shoot any, I reload those rounds, if I am still going to hunt...

end of season, I disassemble them...


That is the end of a life time of having left over from each season...

15 one year, 11 the next, 17 the next, 15 the next... X 20 years...

dates on ammo, date back from 1993 or so...

so now, 10 and refresh if needed, disassemble at the season end..

I consider myself a good shot and practice often.

But in the past elk have have taken me lots of ammo to put down. My first was in Idaho where I proceeded to shoot a rag bull 6 times at about 30 yards. I actually had time to reload while the bull was standing there with his head down. Turns out the 180s from the 30-06 were blowing up and not penetrating the vitals. A few years later I shot a spike at 200 yards. First shot anchored him, then I missed several times, end up shooting 8 times. Last elk took 1.

I typically carry a magazine full, plus 10 in the ammo wallet.

Good story Rug3. I'm glad it had a happy ending. As you know, many do not end so well

We still teach in Hunter Safety class that 3 evenly spaced signals is a sign of distress. In fact, it's on the test. They can be shots, whistles, flashlight flashes, mirror flashes, 3 fires in a triangle, anything you think you can use. Obviously, you can run low on ammo awfully quick using this method, but it is effective, especially after dark.

I carry 2 or 3 mags and a wallet of 7 to 10 rounds depending on caliber.

Just pray you’re carrying more than that grizzly!

Whatever the rifle will carry fully loaded plus 10 rounds on me, will also have a big bore 5 or 6 shot revolver on me too.

Rifle magazine loaded, with spares in an ammo pouch on my left hip. I used to carry a single round in each front pants pocket too, but 7mm Remington Magnum rounds loaded with a Barnes TTSX cured me of that (at least with that round). Getting into a crouching or kneeling position could sometimes cause an uncomfortable jab in rather delicate places...

I don't think I ever carry more than a full box of 20 rounds, but rarely that many. I'd say 12-14 rounds is typical. On Monday I carried 9 rounds (but not for elk), because that's what I had left of my hunting ammo. It was over in one shot, so still have 8 left.

What ever a mag full is depending on the rifle, plus 10 rounds in a federal plastic cartridge holder. I don't carry "hot". so I don't fill the rifle, just the magazine. Occasionally I carry a handgun, but not often when carrying a rifle.

3 or 4 in the gun, whichever it holds and a 10 count shell holder in the pack. extras in truck or at camp./

Just returned from CO on an elk trip.

I kept 4 rounds in the gun.
5 in a Montana Sling Wallet on my belt
10 in a folding, Velcro wallet in my pack.

I like that.!!! Just don't do that, exactly.. Griz and me get along. Mostly. Kinda.

Now that is FUNNY!

I once needed 10 rounds (all I had with me) to kill a caribou in a 40 MPH wind at 10 degrees F., at 100 yards., directly upwind, my eyes watering badly. I hit her 5 times , 3 times fatally. Tough critter, bad shooting . She REALLY didn't want to come out of that hollow! Pretty embarassing...






.

3 in the rifle and 7 to 10 rounds on me

My m70 fw holds 5 rounds in the mag. So I hunt with 5 rounds. Sometimes I carry an extra round in my pocket.

So, Seafire, you disassemble them? Why? Just to have fresh powder? Would you install fresh primers too?

My cartridges last a long time, though granted, I'm not in a rainy state like Oregon. Just asking.

If I can pencil in a hunt this year, I'm likely to bring my 300 WSM, which is new to me. It is a honey, but not exactly light weight. I just received some fresh Federal Premium with 180 gr. Nosler Partitions for it. No reloads on hand in that caliber.

How's everyone doing?

Norm

I always carry at least 10 because an unloaded rifle is a club. I would never think of carrying 2 or 3 like some of you and the reason has to do with what happened to my Uncle years ago. He was fishing and a man across the river opened fire on him sending him running for his life. He never figured out who the guy was and the Police didn't catch him. But I don't trust people very much so I always have adequate ammo. I came out of the woods late a few years ago because I got turned around. The Game Warden was waiting for me when I walked out of the woods and he was alarmed because my gun was still loaded and he asked me about it. I said "it's for my safety". He asked if I was afraid of Bears? I said "No, people". He didn't argue with that.

I load the magazine before leaving the Jeep/home and carry another 10 rounds in an ammo wallet on my belt so 13-16 rounds depending on which rifle I'm using.

4 in the gun and 5-6 in my pocket. Just always have??

30 rounds 10 loose or in rifle and 20 in pouch.

I usually carry the rifle filled to capacity. That's 1. (besides me and Idaho_Shooter above, any other fans of the No1 out there?)

one more round in my front pocket.

4 or 5 more in the belt pouch (depending on caliber)

On the less common occasions that I carry a bolt action, I fill the magazine, don't carry 1 loose in a pocket but still have the belt pouch.

This year.... zero would have been sufficient.

Poole

One guy today carried a lot with him, I heard 13 shots! No, not me.

3 in the rifle (bolt closed on empty chamber while hiking) and 5 in the pack. 10 in an ammo wallet left in the truck or in camp. Sometimes, depending on how far I am from camp or the truck, just 3 in the rifle and 2 in a pocket.

On day hunts I’ve always carried a full magazine in the gun, 10 rds in an ammo wallet in my pack and 3 spares in my binocular chest pack for quick acces just in case shtf. If packing in I also carry an additional 20rd mtm box full in my big pack just in case the gun gets jarred off zero. Have never needed to dip into the mtm yet but karma is still a bitch.

One per cartridge.

best answer yet!

I always bring 7 (of each ). However many the gun will hold and the rest in my front pocket. Don't know why, just superstition, I guess.

Generally between 10 and 20..

a full clip and one extra, not going to war