How many cartridges for a big game hunt?

hoytcanon said:
Probably, but he could also be standing on watch holding an empty rifle and feeling pretty foolish as a big bucks walks away...

Why take a chance for the cost of a couple boxes of ammo...
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If it takes 4 or 5 shots to put down a deer it may be best to take up another hobby, yes?


If anything, going into the woods with a limited amount of ammo will force one to take only high percentage shots to prevent wounding the animal in the first place. This isn't directed at you and is just a generalization, but far too many people these days have this spray and pray mentality. Whatever happened to the "make the first shot count" days?
 
if I had a round that worked really well in my gun ( like my 30-30 ) I loaded up 300 rounds and kept with it for hunting. its proven and it took allot of work to get to that point. Even when 30-30 was $11 a box, I still reloaded it and used factory to help supply new brass into the mix.

I recently have a sweet 303 brit recipe and I loaded up 300 of them, so Im good for a bit. The gang in our camp all have 303's as back up bush guns and they like the recipe as well.

What Im getting at it is, if you are happy with the 300 round you had, buy some gear and start to reload, you will save in the long run cheap 300's are running $40 a box, ($2 a round +) and you will gain ammunition freedom knowing that you control your own supply and destiny and its easy and fun

for me factory ammo fills in a gap to gain brass or cover you in a pinch.
 
OP here. Thank for all your sage advice.

I take everyone' s input seriously.

On the matter of taking up loading myself, sorry, but for a number of reasons it ain't gonna happen.

I've loaded enough with a buddy to realize that I just don't like it.

It's kind of like fishing for me. I like the result but I don't like the process.

Besides, I've got enough hobbies already.
 
MD said:
OP here. Thank for all your sage advice.

I take everyone' s input seriously.

On the matter of taking up loading myself, sorry, but for a number of reasons it ain't gonna happen.

I've loaded enough with a buddy to realize that I just don't like it.

It's kind of like fishing for me. I like the result but I don't like the process.

Besides, I've got enough hobbies already.
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if you know that you won't be reloading anymore, it's best to just bite the bullet and get the factory ammo. You are gonna have to do it anyway shortly, just as well do it now and be done. Those 7 rounds will serve you better as backup to your factory stuff. Or just mount the 7 rounds in a frame and put them on the wall in the man cave as "stuff I made" to show your buds you are a serious shooter. You roll your own and are bold enough to display them!!!
 
sgt.rock said:
if you know that you won't be reloading anymore, it's best to just bite the bullet and get the factory ammo. You are gonna have to do it anyway shortly, just as well do it now and be done. Those 7 rounds will serve you better as backup to your factory stuff. Or just mount the 7 rounds in a frame and put them on the wall in the man cave as "stuff I made" to show your buds you are a serious shooter. You roll your own and are bold enough to display them!!!
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I do have factory ammo.

Oh, I have a Lee classic loader kit and a RCBS 505 scale for my 270 and 7x57 and bang a few up when I need to, but as far as investing in a press and dies for each cartridge and all the accompanying bells and whistles, I'm just not interested.
 
MD, have you asked this question to those guys who go Sheep Hunting... as in the ultra lite type of hunting.
Might be an interesting observation when comparing their ideas about min. amount of ammo to take with.
Rob
 
canadian hunter312 said:
You have 7 remaining, so that's 3 for checking zero and 4 left for the hunt. I can understand why some people like to be prepared, but if you've only got one tag and you're not party hunting it makes very little sense to bother switching ammo. Not everyone needs to shoot 50 rounds before the season to verify they can still shoot accurately and for me personally it's a waste of ammo, but I still practice for the heck of it.

Like you mentioned, it rarely takes two shots or more. I say you'll go on your hunt and come home with a few of those handloads left over....
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Until you slip, fall and bang your scope and want to check your zero. Then you're running a real risk of being squarely ####ed.
 
canadian hunter312 said:
If it takes 4 or 5 shots to put down a deer it may be best to take up another hobby, yes?
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My father is an excellent shot... about 25 years ago we were hunting deer over a four year old cut... a nice buck walked out of the forest at 100 yards and slowly walked broadside... he looked through the scope centered the crosshairs and fires when the buck stopped... no reaction, he fired again, the deer didn't react... an empty clip later the buck walked back into the forest. We followed up and there was no blood or hair or any indication the deer had been hit... I know my father's ability and found it hard to believe he could have missed... so we recreated the scene and discovered what had happened... there was a screen of wispy aspen regrowth... and several were shot off or hanging... apparently his bullets were diverted enough to completely miss at 100 yards.

A long story to say; "If you hunt long enough shyte happens."

There are enough uncontrollable factors in a hunting excursion, why take a chance for a few bucks... dumb decision in my mind.
 
for a day hunt 10 cartridges will do. for a week or more away two rifles and 10 to 20 rounds for each rifle. if I damage a scope I would rather switch rifles.
 
BigUglyMan said:
Until you slip, fall and bang your scope and want to check your zero. Then you're running a real risk of being squarely ####ed.
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Amen!

Been there, done that, and really didn't much like it. Stuff happens. Carrying a couple extra rounds with me won't make my feet hurt more by days end. But it might keep me from having to go back to the truck, or the camp, or back in to town, when I could be out hunting.

Cheers
Trev
 
sometines you are too far from getting any ammo before few days if you can dream about getting ammos ...

i ve heard stories about people going on a fly out and mixing ammos .... not everybody is going on an hunting trip only few hours from town ...

that is why checklists are very important ... not only for ammo ...
 
sgt.rock said:
I always take too much "backup" stuff with me. I usually have a set of rifles. (one has to have backup irons) I take 2 green MTM boxes (50rd each) of the required ammo. I also have a "new-in-box" Leupold scope with the correct mounting tools( gunsmith tool box, scope level-level-level, multiple rings/bases and loc-tite) in case I(or a hunting partner) have a catastrophic spill and wreck a scope. I have mounted hundreds of scopes for myself and friends, so I could get any gun backup and running within an hour back at my truck. (I take a lead sled with me to hold the gun for scope mounting, and then use the lead sled as a rifle holder while shooting to zero the scope) This has occurred 2 times now in about 14 years, and it saved a hunt for me and for a hunting partner.........I rolled my quad and bent a scope tube, and he ran over his gun when he leaned it against the tailgate, forgot that he did that, and then got in the truck and backed up)
I suggest you buy the factory ammo, get to the range, re-zero, and have at it. 7 rounds is not enough cause if you lose some or all of them, your hunting trip just turned into a berry-picking trip.
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Got to say this...
This season I am on a fly in, guided, and horseback elk hunt.

Imagine this turning into a fly in, guided, and horseback berry picking trip, WTF...
 
Seven rounds for the actual hunt is plenty, unless it is a multi species hunt. A couple of rounds per animal in real hunting situations seems to be what is actually used up.

I once went twelve years of bear hunts with one 20 rd box of .308 win factory ammo before I decided to get another box. This was when I was younger and money was real tight. And yes, I actually came home with bears every year, a handful of times with the two I was allowed. :)
 
You are not likely to truly need any more than a half dozen rounds, but I feel more comfortable with a couple of boxes in case that guy Murphy dictates that I lose or misplace one of them.
 
kamlooky said:
Teehee, seven rounds in grizzlie country.
Maybe one or two to nawk yer fur down and five rounds left.
Hmmm.
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Teehee worried about how many rounds you have in "Grizzly country"? You mean stepping off the back porch nearly any ware in BC? So what about everybody out with 22's and 410 looking for chickens, do you snicker at them, or are they snickering at you? The internet fear these conjur up is almost more amazing than actually watching them. You LML'ers are silly :p
 
I usually pack mawr'n 7 rounds oh 12 gauge on me belt with some slugs
on each end and a couple in me pawkitt when dewn cheek'uns............:onCrack:
 
If it was me, I'd take the time now to figure out what factory ammo my rifle likes and when I did I'd buy 2-3 boxes of it. The 7 rounds that were handloaded need not go to waste. I always have a few rounds that are no longer sighted in for hunting that I use as greasers after I clean my rifle. My gun always shoots better after it's been fouled with a few shots so they'd be good for that.

Or as someone else mentioned maybe test a factory round or two against your handload to check POI. You'd be lucky as hell if they were the same BUT if it's out just a bit just write down in a notebook how many clicks you'd have to make with the windage and up/down turrets to be sighted in based on 1/4" per click for a 100 yard target.
 
hoytcanon said:
My father is an excellent shot... about 25 years ago we were hunting deer over a four year old cut... a nice buck walked out of the forest at 100 yards and slowly walked broadside... he looked through the scope centered the crosshairs and fires when the buck stopped... no reaction, he fired again, the deer didn't react... an empty clip later the buck walked back into the forest. We followed up and there was no blood or hair or any indication the deer had been hit... I know my father's ability and found it hard to believe he could have missed... so we recreated the scene and discovered what had happened... there was a screen of wispy aspen regrowth... and several were shot off or hanging... apparently his bullets were diverted enough to completely miss at 100 yards.

A long story to say; "If you hunt long enough shyte happens."

There are enough uncontrollable factors in a hunting excursion, why take a chance for a few bucks... dumb decision in my mind.
Click to expand...

You mean a long story to say "don't shoot through brush"? Seeing as the buck was walking slowly, your father had plenty of time to be sure it was clear before unloading on the deer. Not exactly an "uncontrollable factor" and was a dumb decision in my mind as this could have easily resulted in a wounded deer.


Gone are the days of making the first shot count...
 
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