# How many rounds



## MarkM (Sep 7, 2007)

How many rifle rounds does everyone carry when rifle hunting? I carry four in the gun and another 6 on a stock shell holder.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

I usually have 3 or 4 in the rifle and 3 or 4 in my pocket. 

But have easy access to more.


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## Clarq (Jul 21, 2011)

I've always taken a full box of 20; 4 in the rifle and 16 in the box. Why? I guess it's just because that's how my dad always does it.


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## 3arabians (Dec 9, 2014)

I take a full box also. I used to carry 8 or so but ran out one year. It really sucks to have a buck stare you down when you're out of bullets.


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## KineKilla (Jan 28, 2011)

No less than a box of 20. 4-5 in the rifle, 15-16 in my backpack.

I don't think I've ever used more than 5 in a hunting season but unlike mama's meatloaf, these leftovers never go bad!


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## AF CYN (Mar 19, 2009)

MarkM said:


> How many rifle rounds does everyone carry when rifle hunting? I carry four in the gun and another 6 on a stock shell holder.


I do the same, but my extra 6 are in a hip pouch on my backpack.


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

One shell per tag in my pocket.:mrgreen:


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

I used to carry 2 full boxes of ammo, but now that my shooting has improved I only carry 1 full box.:grin:


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

I hunt with a single shot rifle. I carry 5 additional rounds. If I can't get the job done with that, I don't deserve the meat in my freezer.


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## Karl (Aug 14, 2016)

MarkM said:


> How many rifle rounds does everyone carry when rifle hunting? I carry four in the gun and another 6 on a stock shell holder.


For rifle, I carry 4 cartridges in my shirt pocket and none in my gun.

I treat my Remington 700 like a Springfield trapdoor 1873.

For archery, I carry 8 arrows in my bow quiver.

I have found each of these to be plenty.

Never needed more than one cartridge or one arrow.

My longest successful gunshot on a buck was 425 yards with this Remington. That was after the other 2 guys in my group had emptied their rifles and were out of ammo. I was not going to take the shot due to the distance but they urged me with extreme prejudice.

Longest bowshot was 42 yards with a recurve Hoyt Gamemaster2. Par for the course.

Shortest bowshot was 25 yards. The buck was chasing a doe. Lucky.

Shortest rifle shot was 5 yards. The buck tried to scale a box end canyon and fell back down. The fall stunned him, and he just sat there while I loaded and fired. Incredible.

Every time there was plenty of time to load.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Went out shooting the other day, out of a brand new box of Winchester 270 bullets, 5 of them failed to chamber. The shoulder isn't set back to SAAMI spec. 

Now I'm paranoid again about factory bullets...

But I usually keep the mag full (4) plus 10 more in my pocket.


-DallanC


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Karl said:


> Never needed more than one cartridge or one arrow.


In my life I've had at least a dozen factory rounds fail to fire, due to bad primers. Murphys law and all that... I'd rather have a few spares with me.

-DallanC


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## Karl (Aug 14, 2016)

Federal ammo has never let me down.


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## willfish4food (Jul 14, 2009)

Watch out Karl, you're asking for trouble with mama Murphy. ;-)

I usually carry whatever my mag well holds, 4 extra in my pocket for quick access, and the remainder of a box in my pack. I've never used more than 2 shooting at an animal.

I carry 20 total cause you never know when you'll fall and break a leg and can't get out, or get lost, or a dozen other reasons you might need some extra to signal that you're in distress and indicate your location. Repetition of three is the universal indicator for distress; that could eat up shells quickly if you're not located in a day or two.


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## Karl (Aug 14, 2016)

willfish4food said:


> Watch out Karl, you're asking for trouble with mama Murphy. ;-)
> 
> I usually carry whatever my mag well holds, 4 extra in my pocket for quick access, and the remainder of a box in my pack. I've never used more than 2 shooting at an animal.
> 
> I carry 20 total cause you never know when you'll fall and break a leg and can't get out, or get lost, or a dozen other reasons you might need some extra to signal that you're in distress and indicate your location. Repetition of three is the universal indicator for distress; that could eat up shells quickly if you're not located in a day or two.


Those are all good thoughts. Everyone needs their own procedures -- whatever works for them.

I carry a 45ACP with me when I hunt (except for archery) and 2 mags total, for 20 rounds. I could use these to signal with.

Rifle ammo is really heavy whereas 45ACP is relatively light.

And the pistol has come in handy several times over the past decades against 2 legged would be predators -- bandits who think a lone hunter is an easy target -- which I am not.

Regarding breaking bones, before I step anywhere I always ask myself what is the risk?

Murphy has only bitten me once, and that was decades ago when I got lost on top of a brushy type of plateau. But with my compass I retraced my steps through the high brush and got out fine. Then I figured out with the map how I had gotten myself stranded there.


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## Dunkem (May 8, 2012)

And the pistol has come in handy several times over the past decades against 2 legged would be predators -- bandits who think a lone hunter is an easy target -- which I am not.[Quote Karl]

Thats a bit harsh isnt it? I mean a persons life for a deer? I would walk away ,not into gun battles for a piece of venison


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## Karl (Aug 14, 2016)

Dunkem said:


> And the pistol has come in handy several times over the past decades against 2 legged would be predators -- bandits who think a lone hunter is an easy target -- which I am not.[Quote Karl]
> 
> Thats a bit harsh isnt it? I mean a persons life for a deer? I would walk away ,not into gun battles for a piece of venison


I have never had to battle over a deer. Maybe you have but I have not.

I have had petty thieves and criminals invade our camp and start nosing around.

I have also had desperate jeep bushwackers demand gasoline so they could get out while not caring if you could yourself.

And once these two hippy looking fellows looked like they wanted to jump me for my backpacking gear. Open carry discouraged them however.

Besides for signaling a 45ACP is very handy for many different situations. But I have never needed mine for signaling.

I have found that the 45ACP speaks volumes on its own simply by being present. You don't even need to draw it.


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## High Desert Elk (Aug 21, 2012)

Always have two boxes, but not on me. Carry a full complement in the magazine and the remaining 16 - 18 in my pack.


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## Dunkem (May 8, 2012)

Nope, never battled for a deer, you must hunt in a scary place,I mean if you have all those different thing happening. I'm not against open carry, you are correct it will make some people think twice if they were up to no good. As for folks coming around your camp, it really is to bad that the world is changing for the worst, never used to have to worry about things like that but times are changing. Be safe out there.


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## Karl (Aug 14, 2016)

Dunkem said:


> Nope, never battled for a deer, you must hunt in a scary place,I mean if you have all those different thing happening. I'm not against open carry, you are correct it will make some people think twice if they were up to no good. As for folks coming around your camp, it really is to bad that the world is changing for the worst, never used to have to worry about things like that but times are changing. Be safe out there.


I think there has always been crime. But I think crime is on the increase now with increasing populations and more mobility by criminals.

I suspect the pot plots are something that a lot of people especially hunters don't think about. But that is mostly a west coast issue not intermountain. But with Colorado going pot-legal who knows if that will change or not.

Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming are like an outdoors paradise, but bad guys sometimes show up there as well. These bad guys are mostly transient people. However occasionally a local resident grows up psycho as well. The neighbors always say he was such a fine boy.

I hunt alone a lot, and so I need to be my own policeman.


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## bekins24 (Sep 22, 2015)

I usually have about a full box of ammo with me. I load up the mag well then I will keep the rest in a leather hip pouch.


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## Dunkem (May 8, 2012)

Fowlmouth said:


> I used to carry 2 full boxes of ammo, but now that my shooting has improved I only carry 1 full box.:grin:


 Wow Fowl, you got what I think is DallanCs 2nd like on this forum:shock:


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Dunkem said:


> Wow Fowl, you got what I think is DallanCs 2nd like on this forum:shock:


Hahah. I was getting crap from people because I never used the "like" button. So I started throwing a few "likes" out there. I think I even accidentally "liked" one of goob's posts. :mrgreen:

-DallanC


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## Kevin D (Sep 15, 2007)

I only carry 2 bullets, the second just in case I loose the first one....8)

Nah, I carry a full box plus what's in my gun.


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## KineKilla (Jan 28, 2011)

I have always carried the full box, and will never forget my brother's voice screaming across our 2-way radios..."There are deer everywhere! And I'm out of [email protected]$&^~£ bullets!!!"

Fortunately for him I was just one ridge over and we both carried the same caliber. Good Times.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

I'm just carrying 2 bullets now on the bighorn sheep hunt.

uh....nevermind

.


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## Mavis13 (Oct 29, 2007)

Rifle holds 5 plus 3 or 4 in my pack. Never have emptied the rifle so never needed the ones in my pack. I guess I don't see the animals.


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## derekp1999 (Nov 17, 2011)

Depending on the rifle I'm using it either holds 4 or 5, plus a full hip pouch of another dozen or so... the rest of the box of 50 would be back in the car or the cabin.
For the muzzleloader I have a nifty little primer holder that holds 10 primers so I have the charge in the gun plus 9 speed loaders in the same aforementioned hip pouch... no sense in having ten primers but only carrying three speed loaders, right?

I've been left high and dry before standing there watching helplessly... I figure it's better to have them and not need them than need them and not have them.


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## Cazador (Sep 4, 2014)

I usually have one in the chamber three in the magazine plus two additional magazines full plus a leather shell holder on my belt that will hold a box so that is 30 rounds on me while hunting, plus I always have a box or two extra in the truck. 

Back when I was 17 I had a 450 yard shot at a 4 point with my 30-06 I knew roughly where my bullet would hit for the yardage (about 42 inches low), but shooting freehand I ended up shooting 7 times before I was able to put one on target. I still can't believe that the deer stood there and let me shoot that many times at it.


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## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

Anyways.......I carry quite a few rounds cuz I like playing around with them during the slow times.....ie 99% of the time. Sometimes I hold a 7 Dakota between my fingers like a stogie. But hey, I'm a sicko for bullets. Never felt like I needed 'protection' while hunting.......not even in Los Angeles County.-------SS


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## bugchuker (Dec 3, 2007)

4 or 5, if it takes more than that I deserve a long walk back to get more.


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

It is absolutely unethical and irresponsible of anybody with a tag in their pocket to call themselves a hunter unless they are packing a minimum 4 boxes of 27 rounds a piece in a KBG approved calibre. I personally have my own all-terrain arsenal trailer that I tow with me everywhere to ensure I have enough lead to put down all the deer, elk, pot smokers, hillbillys, vagrants, ragamuffins, miscreants and other riffraff I encounter in the woods. Don't even get me started on what I bring to deal with the coyotes and extra large "coyotes" that are behind every tree and bush in Utah


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## ZEKESMAN (Sep 14, 2007)

So I guess I am paranoid from my first deer. I am 16 and we are back at the trucks eating lunch. I am looking across the canyon. I see a deer, binos up its a small 2 point. I get my gun, sit down and everyone starts looking. I chamber a round. Everyone is saying it's a doe. I crack one off. miss. Now they are yelling IT'S A DOE. I empty my rifle, reload empty it again, reload, hit it. It goes down. My older brother he is 26 asks is it a buck I say yes. He says lets go get it. We do and it is. So 11 rounds. I carry 20 never needed more than 3 after that but we can't be too carefull:-?


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

MarkM said:


> How many rifle rounds does everyone carry when rifle hunting? I carry four in the gun and another 6 on a stock shell holder.


Rifle with a scope or iron sights?


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## 2full (Apr 8, 2010)

4 in the magazine, and two in the pocket. 
If it takes more than that, your not sighted in, or you need to take a breath and calm down........


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