How much ammo?

[thusby]

I walk in with 3 in the mag and 4 extra. If nothing is dead by the time those are gone, then I got bigger problems.

 

[DRS]

On my elk hunt last fall I carried a total of 9 rounds during a day’s hunt in including what was in the rifle. For the whole trip I packed two 20 round boxes.

 

[Dougfirtree]

I've usually got 3-4 in my rifle and another 7-10 in my pack. I usually bring a box of 20 on a trip.

 

[Sasquatchewan]

I carry 10-20 cartridges with me while hunting and keep an extra full box in my truck.

Also, I always bring a back up rifle on hunts that I am 1+hr away from the house. I've had one hunt wasted before when I broke my rifle with no replacement, never again.

 

[Wildabeest]

I generally carry 2 3-round mags on the hunt, and sometimes another loose round or two in a pocket. For the trip, usually a box or two. Backup rifle is different caliber, so usually another box for that.

 

[Dan O]

3 in the rifle, 9 in a butt stock ammo carrier and 10 in my pack. You never know when you might find a coyote or 2 that needs attention.

 

[Griggs]

I carry two mags, which is 10 rounds.

when I was younger my dad, his friend and I went out hunting caribou. Subsistence hunting, as that’s how we got our meat and his friend actually needed the meat. We saw no caribou at all, and promptly spent our time target shooting. On the ride back, we cleared a bluff, and saw a massive herd of caribou.

the lesson I learned that day was no matter what, always save a mag for the ride home.

 

[Roughwater]

How many rounds to take on a hunt? - As a kid I remember reading about a great pioneer hunter. His father gave him one round and he was scolded if he didn't bring back game, and if he didn't there was often no meat on the table that day. I usually bring one 20 round box of shells. But I hope I would normally need far less. If the gun gets knocked around one might need a few to re-sight it in.
Nothing personal but I think if a person is taking one animal and shoots more than 5 times he's doing something wrong and needs to reassess his shooting skills or his ammo choice.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

Interesting. I only have one unsuccessful hunt experience, but I’m surprised at the quantity of ammo - at least carried in the field. My consideration to date has been to bring a 20 count box of ammo in the vehicle. Given that I’m essentially day hunting, I carried 3 cartridges in the magazine and another 3 in a pocket/pouch. I couldn’t foresee a scenario where on a daily basis I’d need more than 6 rounds. I might need to re-evaluate.

My buddy ran out of ammo on a pronghorn hunt.

Missed his first shot low at 180, second shot hit the buck in the front should high in the void. Pronghorn ran 150 yards out, third shot hit the neck low. We stalked closer the 4th shot was low hit the same leg as the damaged should, right above the knee. Buck crested a hill no safe shot. We pursued, missed the shot at 450 and missed. I didn’t realize it was his last bullet or I would have suggested we wait till it bed down and get super close. At the last shot buck went on to private. Pretty shitty, animal wasn’t recovered, absolutely died from the wounds... happened really fast.

If I’m taking a new hunter I typically have them take 13 then grab a couple more and put them in my pocket.

Sometimes hunting is a messy business.

 

[MTLabrador]

My buddy ran out of ammo on a pronghorn hunt.

Missed his first shot low at 180, second shot hit the buck in the front should high in the void. Pronghorn ran 150 yards out, third shot hit the neck low. We stalked closer the 4th shot was low hit the same leg as the damaged should, right above the knee. Buck crested a hill no safe shot. We pursued, missed the shot at 450 and missed. I didn’t realize it was his last bullet or I would have suggested we wait till it bed down and get super close. At the last shot buck went on to private. Pretty shitty, animal wasn’t recovered, absolutely died from the wounds... happened really fast.

If I’m taking a new hunter I typically have them take 13 then grab a couple more and put them in my pocket.

Sometimes hunting is a messy business.

Yep, sometimes rodeos just happen, especially on an animal as tough as elk. Never had it happen on an animal I’ve shot, but I watched a friend misjudge the angle an elk was standing at and shoot too far back on the first shot. He only had 4 spare rounds and burned through them in a hurry, and I had to run him down and hand him my rifle to finish it off. We were lucky to recover that one.

 

[2rocky]

My father had a similar situation on an antelope. They are tough critters. Before his final shot he was thinking about how he was gonna have to cut his throat.

Arriving home scope was WAAAAY off.

 

[Jc2020]

I carry 20 I load my rifle then put what’s left from the box in my pack

 

[thusby]

Ugh, those stories remind me of a time my hunting "buddy" clean missed 7 different deer over a 9 day span with about 30 rounds expended. We don't hunt together anymore.
I can understand a sailed arrow but if you can't group shots through a rifle you can't be my friend. Everyone should be able to cleanly kill a deer offhand out to 100 yards, kill them off a knee out to 200, and kill them off a pack/prone out to 400.

 

[Zootownelk]

3 in rifle and 4-5 in sleeve on buttstock. I usually have a 5 or so in plastic sleeve somewhere in the pack. I have at minimum 1 full box with me for the trip. Usually between 1-2 boxes.

 

[Wildabeest]

As a kid I remember reading about a great pioneer hunter. His father gave him one

As a kid, I hunted squirrel, rabbit and grouse with a 20 gauge single shot that my grandfather handed down to my dad who handed it down to me. I loved that gun. For my 15th birthday, all I wanted was a Remington 1100 and somehow my parents figured out a way to buy it for me. My dad said it was the worst thing he ever did because my shooting went to crap after that. . Something to be said for knowing you’ve only got one shot!...

 

[diamond hitch]

I carry 4 in the gun, 6 on the vest, 14 on the gun belt and a couple in the pocket. I have never used them all and try to avoid running gun battles. Stuff happens in the jungle.

 

[Wildabeest]

 

[F250]

In the woods : 3 - 4 in the rifle (depends on the rifle magazine capacity) and 10 in my pack. On a trip, I take two 20 round boxes incase I need to re-sight in the rifle.

 

[DropTyne]

In the past I have always taken 60 rounds on a trip. That is overkill, and would say 2 boxes are plenty. However, it's nice never having to worry about ammo for any reason. In the field I take what is in my rifle plus I have a fold up pouch that holds 14 shells.

The most I have ever shot on a single big game trip is 11 rounds back in 2016. I harvested two animals, an antelope and a mule deer. I also had to rezero my scope upon arrival to camp (thanks to the luggage handlers) and recheck my zero twice after taking a nasty fall on my scope (once at a stump in the field and once back at camp to make sure).

 

[Griggs]

I’ve been lucky and only once needed a second round (misjudged the distance on an elk and spined it, then double lung within 3 seconds). But hearing that antelope story made me cringe for the lost animal, and immediately run what if’s in my head. Almost made me think my 10 rounds was too few.