Any lost ammo stories?

[effendude]

Over and over, I hear and read comments about the benefits of selecting a common cartridge for hunting so you can "go to the local hardware store" if the airline loses the ammo, (or I guess if you are a real train wreck, you forget to bring your ammo completely). How often does this really happen? Realistically, in terms of odds, you have just a great a chance of your rifle being lost by the airline as you do your checked baggage that carries your ammo.

Let's say the airline does in fact lose your ammo along with your clothes and everything else in your checked bag, are you actually going to go to the local hardware or sporting goods store and buy enough ammo and gear to continue the hunt? Or worse, they lose your rifle, do you then go to the local sporting goods store and buy another 30-06 or .270 so you can hunt?

The same logic applies to shooting competitively but I never hear anyone recommend we give up our Shehanes or Dashers so we can purchase .308 ammo at the local store if our ammo becomes lost or forgotten.

Thanks for allowing my Thursday vent...
Scott

Scott

 

[expiper]

yep...bak in the 70's a very famous shooter from Arizona flew east to the Super Shoot and his rifle did not make it,,,,sooo one of his fellow competitors was kind enuff to loan him his old bak-up rifle (which had a new bbl. ) Im sure you see where this is going,,,,I dont remember exactly whre he finished but it was wayy up in the top twenty (7th or 8th if memory serves me )and the kind hearted fellow who loaned him the gun was wayyy bak in the pack with me,,hahaha,,,,Roger
ooo wait,,,I remmber now ,,,,the rifle got here but he left the bolt at home,,,,,this gettin old aint for sissys,,,

 

[Hopkins]

Airlines are bad enough to cause worries about your guns and ammo but mix in customs agents in 3rd world countries and you can have a real rhubarb brewed up. After my first trip in to Mexico 30 years ago to shoot white wings I learned to be happy with the shotguns and ammo an outfitter could provide at the destination.

 

[OIF/OEF]

The airlines lost my bag with two pistols and ammo....needless to say they were scrambling due to the fact someone with other plans could have gotten hold of them during a layover. I was coming home on leave while in the military and they lost everything....Uniforms, clothes I couldn't believe it. They told me if they find it they will call and I can come get it. I told them I wasn't driving 3 hours one way to get something they lost. The lady said someone would bring it to me. I laughed because we are in the sticks out here. I gave them Lats and Longs the guy pulled right up to the house a little after midnight, we both had a laugh and he was on his way.

 

[dalewoolumjr.]

Going to visit the in-laws in Poland one Chrstmas my father-in-law and I were going hunting. I wanted to take a special rifle something that would show off what I do in the shop. Well I took a beautifully wood stocked 264 Win. Mag. This would be great for Red deer, Roe Deer and Boar that we hunted. After getting our bags, going through customs, and all of the fun stuff we get to the final airport. I grab our bags and my case, inspect the rifle and felt good with its journey. When we get to the house I start unpacking as we were going to hunt that night as it was the night before the full moon. I unpacked my bag and where my 2 boxes of ammo were in the middle of the bag was a tag. The ammo was removed for not meeting some type of storage specification. It was in Factory boxes. Needless to say that trying to Find 264 Win Mag ammo in Poland was not going to happen called several large stores nobody had anything. Luckily my Father-in-laws good friend was coming up from Czech Republic and found a box in Brno. After that I only fly with a 308 win. or 30-06. Not much out there I can not hunt with those and find ammo anywhere.

 

[Ggmac]

A few years ago I was going to Pa for some fun time . Rifle arrived , my luggage had a sticker saying ammo was removed . Tag saying it was not in factory boxes . Which it wasn't it was reloads .
I still had fun , went to the little general store town , picked up 3 boxes of 30-06 , re sighted .
Ever since I either UPS the ammo well before time or have backup available.

 

[jghoghunter]

Some people claim this never happens. But I guess it does. Just seems to be simple insurance on your expensive hunting trip. Even thou I guess your rifle could go missing just as easy.

 

[Screamineagle]

Not airline related, but I lost my ammo one time. Drove down the road with a box sitting on my rear bumper. Whoops!

 

[dragman]

I know a guy who packed up to go to a match, drove the whole way 3 hours and unpacked to realize he forgot his ammo.
He was lucky in the fact that he was shooting factory class and ran to Walmart and bought 4 boxes of hornaday superformance and shot the match. he ended up shooting around middle of the pack for score too.

 

[KMart]

I flew to Denver once for a trapshoot, about 1983. Checked into baggage an MX-8 and a TMX in a single breakdown case. Arrived in Denver and went to baggage to get my luggage and guns......no guns. after about an hour of stirring up anyone that would listen, one of the agents went to a locked cage and looked around. There they sat. He said since the luggage was guns, they put it there for safe keeping.

Then there was my friend that arrived in South Africa with his rifle and ammo, but his bolt was on the coffee table at home.

 

[alf]

I've been to Alaska and BC, and you could pack your ammo in the case with the gun....no ammo, no gun.

I wasn't worried about finding 358 STA ammo at Wally World.....

 

[JohnKielly]

I recall Jack O'Connor writing on one of his books that he lost his ammo when the bag was dropped overboard. His recommendation was to travel with the calibres that you could find ammo for about anywhere - was it 30/06 & .375 H & H.

 

[djtjr]

One trip airlines lost everything except my gun... I had to go to a local tourist store just to have some clothes. The pics were interesting. This is why everything of importance that I need on my hunt that isn't sharp or doesnt go bang goes in my carry on bag.

 

[d.id]

If my rifle makes it but my ammo does not.........I'll buy a rifle in a common caliber to get buy with......if no ones at home to send me more.
No way I would handicap myself the rest of the time just for that and I sure as heck can't get what I need from factory ammo anyway unless it's fluke luck.
I have a couple rifles that shoot eighth-quarter inch with handloads and.... two inch with every factory junk I tried threw it. Not worth loosing sleep over what the hardware store happens to have.
Just be dang sure to take every precaution.

 

[searcher]

I've seen more than a few guys show up at the range without the key to take off their trigger locks. That's like forgetting your tight-neck ammo I guess.

 

[people]

Then there was my friend that arrived in South Africa with his rifle and ammo, but his bolt was on the coffee table at home.

This is funny. How did he function check his rifle without a bolt?