How many rounds do you carry while hunting?

For a day trip, usually 9 rounds on the rifle. When in camp or away from home approx. 50 rounds.

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If rifle hunting, 8. I use a plastic sleeve from a Federal box to carry them in. 5 in the gun, and three left in the sleeve. Exception is my levers, I just load the mag tube and thats it.

If im punching bush for deer with the shogtun; 5 slugs and two bird shot. 3 slugs in the gun, two slugs in a pocket, two bird shot in a buttstock holder. With my Wingmaster I can eject a shell, manually push the lifter up so another slug doesnt pick up out of the mag tube, and insert a birdshot. I can do it under ten seconds, so if a bird is dumb enough to stand around I have plenty of time.
 
When I am deer hunting I carry; a full rifle (5) plus one full magazine (4) and 5 more on a belt slide carrier which makes 14 rounds total. I have never used more than 5, so I guess I am over prepared. WK
 
I keep my hunting ammo in one of those slip on buttstock cartridge holders with the stretchy part cut away so it's only the cartridge loops, mostly because I don't feel the need for a full box and it stops loose ammo from making noise in my pack. It holds 9 rounds. I'll fill my magazine (4rds), put one into the side pocket of my bino harness and another in my pants pocket, the last few stay in the holder in the lid of my pack.

If I'm going for a multi day trip then I'll pack more, but when I walk away from the truck I typically have 6 on my person, 9 if I'm bringing my pack.
 
Big game with rifle I generally carry a full magazine plus extra rounds to fill the magazine again. So, depending on the firearm, about 10 rounds (currently using Savage Model 99 in 300 Savage).
 
Depends on the hunt and firearm(s) along for the hunt.
With one firearm, I will have a full detachable magazine full plus a spare magazine full in the pocket, or a rifle magazine full plus a belt carrier with 8-10 more shells (depending on magnum vs non-magnum cartridge carrier), plus a full box in the daypack (whether it is on my back, in camp or back in the truck on short hikes.
On long says in the field, we normally like to breaks in other areas where we can practice in various types of terrain, from field positions to keep skills sharp. This usually uses 1-3 extra shells per session. And if needed we can recheck zeroes after falls, drops and bumps. Has proven useful over the years.
With spare firearms, whether they be 22 or shotgun, I will carry a full magazine plus a full spare (10/22) plus a another full box, or at least one full box of shells for the shotgun. I usually like to plink at some point to keep field shooting skills sharp so having spares is handy. Or in the case where you have someone else along that also wants to plink.
 
If I'm out walking pastures or not in deep woods then I only take a full mag (4) + 1 in the chamber. If I'm back in the bush I throw a few extra in my pockets in the event I need to signal.
If I'm hunting with a .22 then it's usually a pocket full
 
Lots. Several years ago, while moose hunting, I shot me a calf moose. Now the camp was using signal shots at that time, and I had 2 mags plus a couple of loose rounds with me.

I'd used one on the moose, and each series of shots in the signal uses 4 shots with timed spacing.

So I fire off the signal shots. There are two other guys who's watches are not far from me, so I get busy gutting my moose.

Part way through Momma moose comes back and it not happy with me, but I manage to scare her off by waving arms and dancing around yelling like a damned fool. I realize nobody is showing up, and it's getting dark. That's when I realize they are all likely sitting around the table in camp having a beer while supper gets started.

So I fire another signal shot series, aimed in the direction of camp. Camp is over the hump of the ridge. Not far, but still over that hump.

Finished up, as it's getting real dark, at this point I realize I have no flashlight. Good thing the stars are out, and I flag my moose in a few spots for easy finding, and start walking through the bush to the trail. Finding that I walk towards camp where finally I meet the 'rescue' party, wondering where I was. "one of the guys thought he'd heard shooting" My comment: "Some of us come here to hunt moose eh?"

So, I'd used 9 rounds. I had two left. I had probably 30 more in camp, so the rest of the hunt was not hindered by me only having two rounds. Not that I needed them, it was the only moose seen that year.

Stuff happens when you're hunting, be prepared.
 
It's a safety vs. ammo weight decision for me. I prowl lightly-hunted backcountry areas where weather conditions are often extreme. I am always thinking signal shots.

Long-legged critter hunts: One in the chamber, two mags, a full plastic holder. 19 rounds, never varies.

Wolf and coyote hunts: Add ten. Protected bullet tips wherever I go.
 
I carry 8 rounds. Two magazines that carry 3 each, and two more in pocket so I can chamber an additional for 4 total loaded. I always carry the magazines in separate pockets so the chances of losing both are close to nil.
 
For a day hunt about 10-15. If I’m going out for a few days a couple hundred with a different gun locked in the truck.
 
John Y Cannuck said:
Lots. Several years ago, while moose hunting, I shot me a calf moose. Now the camp was using signal shots at that time, and I had 2 mags plus a couple of loose rounds with me.

I'd used one on the moose, and each series of shots in the signal uses 4 shots with timed spacing.

So I fire off the signal shots. There are two other guys who's watches are not far from me, so I get busy gutting my moose.

Part way through Momma moose comes back and it not happy with me, but I manage to scare her off by waving arms and dancing around yelling like a damned fool. I realize nobody is showing up, and it's getting dark. That's when I realize they are all likely sitting around the table in camp having a beer while supper gets started.

So I fire another signal shot series, aimed in the direction of camp. Camp is over the hump of the ridge. Not far, but still over that hump.

Finished up, as it's getting real dark, at this point I realize I have no flashlight. Good thing the stars are out, and I flag my moose in a few spots for easy finding, and start walking through the bush to the trail. Finding that I walk towards camp where finally I meet the 'rescue' party, wondering where I was. "one of the guys thought he'd heard shooting" My comment: "Some of us come here to hunt moose eh?"

So, I'd used 9 rounds. I had two left. I had probably 30 more in camp, so the rest of the hunt was not hindered by me only having two rounds. Not that I needed them, it was the only moose seen that year.

Stuff happens when you're hunting, be prepared.
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Years ago my wife and her friends went 4x4ing in two vehicles. On the way down my wife’s Jeep broke down and the friend in front didn’t notice. The friend drove to my wife’s mom’s place and sat there for THREE HOURS talking to her passenger. My MIL got home and asked where my wife was.

I don’t think my wife’s friend realized how close she was to being beat to death. They found my wife and her friend walking down the road still 15kms away.

Never rely on others =P
 
Two mags worth in my R coat pocket. Plus 10 more in my L coat pocket. I saved those plastic cartridge holders that some manufacturers packed there ammo in the card board pkge. I have them cut down and modified to hold what the particular gun will hold. Some hold 6 some 5. The 30-06 for will hold 6 rds. so I have two packs of six in the R pocket and a 10 pac in the L . They don't rattle around this way and it is easy to account for each cartridge.
A gun is just a useless piece of wood and metal without ammo, so I always liked to carry that extra 10 as a just in case.
 
mrgoat said:
Two mags worth in my R coat pocket. Plus 10 more in my L coat pocket. I saved those plastic cartridge holders that some manufacturers packed there ammo in the card board pkge. I have them cut down and modified to hold what the particular gun will hold. Some hold 6 some 5. The 30-06 for will hold 6 rds. so I have two packs of six in the R pocket and a 10 pac in the L . They don't rattle around this way and it is easy to account for each cartridge.
A gun is just a useless piece of wood and metal without ammo, so I always liked to carry that extra 10 as a just in case.
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Same as me, two full mags of five and ten in the plastic holder. Light weight and quiet. I carry two mags because I previously lost one in deep snow and didn’t find it till the next day.
 
Having extra ammo back at camp or in the vehicle is always a good practise.

So is an extra magazine, if your rifle requires one.

Depending on which rifle I'm using for a particular hunt, I have used a very successful system for me over the last 20 years.

Having extra ammo on hand is mostly a feel good thing. Most successful hunts seldom require more than two shots.

The issues come in, when you're in bear country and a shot is tantamount to ringing the dinner bell. Most bears wil only come in close enough to see/smell what's going on and walk/run the other direction. This really depends on how hungry/aggressive the particular bear is.

I've been charged a dozen times by young, usually male, aggressive bears. Mostly Blacks but a couple of Grizzlys. There was only one occaision that I had to retaliate and I didn't have a firearm with me at the time. I had to resort to a makeshift club about 3 inches in diameter and 5 feet long.

When it was used to whack the curious/aggressive Black across its nose, fueled by fear/adrenalin, there was a loud crunch, which was the sound of a breaking nose and branch/club at the same time. The branch was old, dry Fir but it was sound and solid. Yes, I was scared and shaking after the incident was over and the Bear ran off.


Now, I usually carry a full, usually three round magazine and a small ammo carrier I make up from the old flip phone carrier/covers, which can now be had for a Toonie at the Dollar Store. Then I cut one of those plasic cartridge holders found in Federal commercial ammo boxes to fit into the phone cover/carrier. They will hold 4 standard length/diameter cartridges, silently and easily gotten at.

The covers I have come with tabs to fit over your belt. I've lost them that way so now I just use those ID necklaces, around a Toonie, to hang it around my neck. Still easy to get at. This holds the spares in place, in a convient, easy to reach location and the cartridges can be readily removed with one hand.

I have these made up for about a half dozen different cartridges.
 
I usually carry 3 or 4 in the rifle. Mag only, chamber empty. Then another 5 or so in my bino harness and 5 in my pack and typically the rest of the 50 round box back at the truck.
 
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