F-Class Nationals in Lodi

[Turbulent Turtle]

So, who's fault is that?

I want to see you bring you handloading gear and consumables on the plane.

It took me 2.5 days to drive to Ottawa, about 28 hours of driving. By myself. Thankfully, I'm entertaining.

 

[XTR]

Denys, I have a kit that I can pack for reloading with a nice little Harrells 308 press, I seat with a Wilson and an arbor press that breaks down quite small. Bullets I can carry (though heavy) the powder and primers I'd have to get delivered out there. I've already entered into discussions with someone who is going to drive about having the consumables delivered to him in advance.

I am actually registered with DOT as a HAZMAT shipper so I could ship them to myself but I'd have to get my companies permission to use their account. My personal FedEx acct isn't a HAZMAT acct.

My long term challenge is getting everything delivered to Pretoria in a few yrs.

 

[Turbulent Turtle]

Denys, I have a kit that I can pack for reloading with a nice little Harrells 308 press, I seat with a Wilson and an arbor press that breaks down quite small. Bullets I can carry (though heavy) the powder and primers I'd have to get delivered out there. I've already entered into discussions with someone who is going to drive about having the consumables delivered to him in advance.

I am actually registered with DOT as a HAZMAT shipper so I could ship them to myself but I'd have to get my companies permission to use their account. My personal FedEx acct isn't a HAZMAT acct.

My long term challenge is getting everything delivered to Pretoria in a few yrs.

That last one is a doozy. I have some friends in SA who are pressuring me to show up for that event. Maybe they can be of assistance to you as well.

 

[clowdis]

So I need to make it simple and block out most of September for New Mexico.

I hate flying to big matches. If I shoot SOA on the front end it may be worth driving 32 hours each way. Take the whole month off and call it done. If I fly I might have to reload in the room for this one.

You can ship your ammo to yourself at the NRA Whittington Center. They will hold it and you can pick it up when you get there. Just let them know what you're doing.

 

[memilanuk]

You can ship your ammo to yourself at the NRA Whittington Center.

The question being, how do you ship it *back*? A few hundred rounds of spent brass adds up to more weight than people count on... seen people get dinged for over-weight baggage charges as a result.

 

[spclark]

...seen people get dinged for over-weight baggage charges as a result.

To say nothing of delay / detention when airport bomb-sniffers detect something odd inside packed luggage from the powder residue they carry.

 

[Jay Christopherson]

The question being, how do you ship it *back*? A few hundred rounds of spent brass adds up to more weight than people count on... seen people get dinged for over-weight baggage charges as a result.

You could pre-pay/print a UPS bill and have UPS pick it up at the hotel the day you leave (or day after). That's what I've done in Lodi and Phoenix.

 

[memilanuk]

To say nothing of delay / detention when airport bomb-sniffers detect something odd inside packed luggage from the powder residue they carry.

Never seen or heard that one... and I've traveled via air with guns a bit. I've had my stuff swiped for residue by the TSA folks literally an hour after leaving a live-fire range, and nada.

 

[memilanuk]

You could pre-pay/print a UPS bill and have UPS pick it up at the hotel the day you leave (or day after). That's what I've done in Lodi and Phoenix.

Now that... just might be the best idea. I've done the usual 'bribe someone local-ish' to take it home with them and then ship it back to me... but that can take a while, sometimes weeks (or more) if you get someone who can't figure out the hazmat shipping labels.

 

[skiutah02]

You could pre-pay/print a UPS bill and have UPS pick it up at the hotel the day you leave (or day after). That's what I've done in Lodi and Phoenix.

I basically did this when I flew for the first time with rifle/gear to Ben Avery for 2015 FCN. I sent (most) of my rounds in prelabeled box for return trip in an inner box, then boxed that up and sent it to BA with permission so that they would be ready for it. Box within a box, worked great. Took the max allowed on plane so that if the mail was delayed I could still shoot for 2 days. Dropped it off on drive back to airport. Drew

 

[rardoin]

You could pre-pay/print a UPS bill and have UPS pick it up at the hotel the day you leave (or day after). That's what I've done in Lodi and Phoenix.

That is my plan for Phoenix....UPS ship a large wheeled box containing my rest/bags/ammo/gear to the hotel and ship back to my business when done for the week. I will fly with my rifle as additional baggage in a 'Pelican' case.

 

[memilanuk]

That is my plan for Phoenix....UPS ship a large wheeled box containing my rest/bags/ammo/gear to the hotel and ship back to my business when done for the week. I will fly with my rifle as additional baggage in a 'Pelican' case.

If you don't mind me asking... what size 'wheeled box' are we talking here, and how much did it cost to ship, round trip? Or have you not actually done this before?

The one time I looked at shipping a bunch of gear, and the UPS rates were thru the roof (at the time), to where it would have been about the same $$$ to just pay for an extra bag (or two).

 

[Brian H]

Are there official results posted from Lodi?

 

[Jay Christopherson]

If you don't mind me asking... what size 'wheeled box' are we talking here, and how much did it cost to ship, round trip? Or have you not actually done this before?

The one time I looked at shipping a bunch of gear, and the UPS rates were thru the roof (at the time), to where it would have been about the same $$$ to just pay for an extra bag (or two).

I ship all of my gear and ammo, not including my rifle, in two Pelican 2620's (boxed up in double-wall cardboard boxes). Each box weighs ~60lbs (a little less coming back, but I just use the same weights). It costs me about $120 to ship it over and $120 to ship it home, so $240 total. Add in the $75 charge for my rifle when I check it, and I pay $315 all in to move my gear.

By the time I pay for overweight baggage, excess baggage, etc... on Alaska, I'm paying $300 over and $250 back, so $550 total.

Also, FWIW, the only damage I've ever had (including a couple missing rounds from an ammo box when it was TSA "inspected" :-/) came from checking my gear as baggage.

 

[spclark]

Never seen or heard that one...

Recalled that from conversation with someone who’d shot over in England. Had to
leave brass behind, no way to deal with it at airport when it was discovered by authorities. They more rigorous over there maybe?

 

[memilanuk]

Recalled that from conversation with someone who’d shot over in England. Had to
leave brass behind, no way to deal with it at airport when it was discovered by authorities. They more rigorous over there maybe?

We had some hiccups in '09 when some people figured their spent brass was just that - spent, inert, not offensive in any way... and tried putting it in their carry-on. That snowballed into security going thru luggage under the plane, having kittens over the packaging - all for people trying to *leave* the country.

Later the Brits implemented some nonsense rule where spent brass had to be ultrasonic cleaned and certified as such, or you couldn't bring it on the plane period, even in checked luggage. Loaded ammo okay, spent brass not. Makes perfect sense - to someone, somewhere.

 

[XTR]

The question being, how do you ship it *back*? A few hundred rounds of spent brass adds up to more weight than people count on... seen people get dinged for over-weight baggage charges as a result.

Plan ahead, save the boxes you shipped out there in, and ship from the hotel via FedEx or drop it at UPS. I'm not sure you can get UPS to pick up at a remote location with out an account. This may have changed, but I know that in the past they would not so if you are planning to use UPS verify that one.

Make sure that the brass isn't rolling around and making noise or they may have issues with it.

Remove the ORM-D markings you used on the way out unless you still have some loaded rounds in the package, in which case you better make sure it's not making noise or there is a high probability that they will have an issue with your package.

If you are shipping it back with some ammo and you want to ship some of it ORM-D you have to take it to a real UPS office, not a UPS Store location. The employees at the UPS Store do not have the necessary DOT training to handle HAZMAT and cannot accept the package, if you are on your way to the airport this will not be a good discovery. Take it to a regular UPS package location and they can accept it.

When you ship out to the match the ORM-D has to go ground. That marking isn't proper for air shipment so plan your delivery time accordingly. You can't "2 day" or "overnight" the ammo.

 

[rardoin]

If you don't mind me asking... what size 'wheeled box' are we talking here, and how much did it cost to ship, round trip? Or have you not actually done this before?

No Monte, I have never done this before. I have only been competing about 18 mo. and this will be my first 'fly away' event. I am likely to purchase one of these for all gear besides my rifle (for F-Open):

http://www.allcases.com/products/parker-white-shipping-case-with-wheels-sw3023-14/

Jay's method of using the two smaller Pelican cases is appealing if I can get all my gear, sans rest, into one. I already have my Neo in the same Pelican with hand cut foam to contain it in the broken down mode so no more room in the first one. I never considered just using a second one. Thanks for the info Jay.

XTR, I did not consider issues with having a pickup but i do have a business account so i will get that clear first.

 

[Jay Christopherson]

No Monte, I have never done this before. I have only been competing about 18 mo. and this will be my first 'fly away' event. I am likely to purchase one of these for all gear besides my rifle (for F-Open):

http://www.allcases.com/products/parker-white-shipping-case-with-wheels-sw3023-14/

Jay's method of using the two smaller Pelican cases is appealing if I can get all my gear, sans rest, into one. I already have my Neo in the same Pelican with hand cut foam to contain it in the broken down mode so no more room in the first one. I never considered just using a second one. Thanks for the info Jay.

XTR, I did not consider issues with having a pickup but i do have a business account so i will get that clear first.

FWIW, I get my rest into one box (including a NEO when I still used one) and my rear bag in the other with the ammo and it all fits nicely. The box with the NEO was closer to 70lbs though. I had to pack carefully to keep it under the limit for UPS. I also used a piece of 3/8" stall mat on the bottom, to keep the NEO from abusing the case. The stall mat keeps the rest from sliding around too.

 

[memilanuk]

When you ship out to the match the ORM-D has to go ground. That marking isn't proper for air shipment so plan your delivery time accordingly. You can't "2 day" or "overnight" the ammo.

Funny you mention that...

Had to ship some ammo out for an event I was attending. Went to the UPS depot, they gave a delivery time/date that was a little tight - doable, but tight. Asked if there was any way to get it there faster. Guy says "yep, we'll ship it 3-day priority." That was a Thursday, before a holiday weekend. Needed to be there no later than the following Thursday. Was told it would be there Tuesday. Sweet. Paid the extra, and went about my merry.

Friday morning, I'm literally checking my luggage at the airport, and I get a text from the person who is supposed to be receiving the ammo for me... they'd got a package delivery notification from UPS, saying my ammo wouldn't be there til late Monday... the day we finished up and I headed *home*. I had a very tough time keeping my happy face on long enough to get thru TSA check-in, and then proceeded to tear a strip off of UPS customer service in the waiting area. Turns out the package got to Redmond, WA by Friday, where someone wised up and said, "Crap, we can't send ORM-D stuff via 3-day *AIR*"... and so it sat on the loading dock til Tuesday (after the Monday holiday), and was now somewhere in the Midwest on a semi headed for Kentucky. I needed the packaged *that day*, or the whole trip (and a lot of other things) were going to be wasted - literally. Nothing to be done for it, so sorry, etc. etc.

Got on site, scrambling to arrange for bullets, powder and primer to reload (several times) the extra rounds I'd brought in my luggage. Then we get another UPS package delivery notification... my ammo was delivered, Friday afternoon, to the place it was supposed to be. Huh? That morning it'd been on a semi headed for Kentucky?

Found the package, opened up, all good. Then I noticed... all the ORM-D stickers had been removed - as in cut off. Apparently the package got to Kentucky, and some well-meaning employee found out about the row over the missed delivery, and said "I got this!". Cut the labels off, and threw it on a plane. Problem solved...

Now why can't *I* get away with that...