How much ammo do you carry when hunting?

[scotjute]

I had a friend in high school years ago bragging about how he and a friend had killed 50 ducks on a hunt. After observing him shoot, I concluded that he must have around 250 shells to have killed that many. I couldn't imagine taking that many rounds on a hunt.
I always traveled light when hunting, seldom more than 10 shells. When deer hunting, seldom more than 8-10 rounds. If I couldn't kill something by 10 shots, I'd be embarrassed.
So how many rounds do you carry when hunting? Any particular logic or reason for that amount of ammo?

 

[FunGunner]

5 rifle

25 shotgun

 

[Virginia7]

For deer hunting I'll have the 4or5 in the rifle, plus a belt carrier with an addtl. ten rounds. When out small game hunting with my 22, it's a clip full plus a box (50rounds). Shotgunning gets 3 in the mag., plus a box of 25.

 

[tuna]

Small game with a .22 I'll carry a box of 50 or 100 (whatever I've got on hand).
Bird hunting I'll pack my bag about two months prior to the season with a handful of 12, 16 and 20 gauge and take them when I get to there, depending on what I'm carrying. I don't usually take more than 10 -12 rounds into the field at any time.
Deer Hunting I'll either take 10 slugs (5 in the gun and a spare box) or 2 reloads for the muzz.
Bird hunting, I always leave the plug in the gun so that I never fire more than 3 shots. This way, if people see me firing a pump only 3 times, it looks like I've got self control (has anyone ever hit on the 4th or 5th shot?). That's another reason why I like doubles or single shots, even if you miss, anyone that hears one or two shots will think its a hit and not come over to find your missed bird, giving me another chance to find it.

 

[DigMe]

Duck hunting: Usually 10 shells or so but I hunt on my own land and I can easily go back and get more if I need them and then be back at my hunting spot in five minutes.

Deer: Just the five rounds of .30-06 that my rifle holds. Plus I usually have a .357 mag with cast loads on my belt.

Hogs: 6 rounds of cast loads in my blackhawk and usually another 10 to 15 rounds in my pockets

Dove: a bunch in a fanny pack or something

Chupacabra: 6 wooden stakes in special stake holsters on my belt

brad cook

 

[Lennyjoe]

Deer, 4 in the gun and 4 extra in the fanny pack.

Birds, pouch with 25 shells and 4 extra boxes in the truck.

Sidearm is a 10MM with 1 full mag and 2 spare mags. What can I say, I hunt near the border.

 

[Guns_and_Labs]

Deer/Elk/Boar/Bear: four rounds in the rifle, ten in the pouch. I've never touched the pouch.
Birds: two boxes of shells, remainder of the case in the truck. I miss a lot.

Plus a 10mm or .44mag on the belt with one reload.

 

[SLCDave]

Brad, do your special stake holsters dispense the necessary goat's blood, or do you have to dip them manually?

 

[Art Eatman]

CenTex deer hunting, I was either in a stand--occasionally--or walking hunting within a mile or two of camp. So, I'd carry maybe five spare cartridges.

Out here in the Terlingua back country, I usually would carry a spare box. Aside from misses on long running-deer shots, there was always the potential for needing the old three-shot "I need help!" signalling.

Art

 

[nico]

I usually just stick a box in a backpack, along with knives for field dressing, rubber gloves, and a poncho.

 

[sumpnz]

Deer/Elk hunting - 5 in the gun plus 2 stripper clips (5 rounds each) in a pocket. Total 15 rounds. The clips aren't useful for loading, but they do keep the rounds neatly together.

Rabbit - 17 in the gun (tube mag) plus a handful of spares in the pocket.

 

[ACP230]

I've gone out with just four rounds for my deer rifle.
Usually take 10, and have the rest of the box in the truck.

For bird hunting with my 20 gauge OU I fill up my hunting vest and add two in the gun making 12. More in the truck then too. I've missed enough grouse on occasion to get low on shells on the way back out of the woods.

I usually have Smith snubnose too. I carry five in the gun and two Bianchi Speed Strips with six in each for 17 rounds.

One of the reasons is to have extras is for signalling, although I've never needed them. Another reason is so I could break one or two down and use the powder to start a fire. Never had to do that either.

 

[dakotasin]

big game- whatever the rifle holds. usually 4 or 5.
calling predators- usally whatever the gun holds plus that many more in a pocket.
pheasant- whatever the gun holds (limit is 3 birds, so no need for more shells).
goose/duck- 25 total.
prairie dog- usually bring 400 for each 22 centerfire, and 100 for each bigger centerfire. no 22 rimfires on a dog town.

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

Years ago, my brother talked my mom into modifying a hunting vest for him, just for dove hunting.

It has 48 shell loops and NO game bag.

 

[Dave R]

It has 48 shell loops and NO game bag.

LOL! Sounds like he hunts dove like I do.

Actually, there was one year when I harvested a dove with my first shot of the season. It was all downhill from there.

Upland hunting--I carry 25 or so.
Varmits--20 per hour of hunting time
Waterfowl--25 or so

I have never hunted big game, but always wanted to.

 

[MassHunter2190]

Deer- A slug and two buck in the mag with another couple slugs and 5 more buck in a pocket.

Varmint with 10/22- Usually 3 ten round mags for the ruger.

Coyote- 5 .223 HP in the mag, with another 5 or so in a pocket.

Grouse- 3 birdshot in the mag, another 10-15 in a pocket. (unless I decide to use the .410 super single, then It's one in the chamber and 20 ((for squirrels too)) or so in a pocket)

Pheasant- ^Same as grouse.

 

[birddog]

For deer:

5 in the rifle, 5 in my jacket
6 in the revolver, another 6 in a speedloader.
5 in the shotgun, 5 in my jacket.

For pheasants & woodcock:

1 box of 25 spread throughout my vest

For ducks and geese:

2 boxes of shotshells if it's practical to carry them. 1 box if it's a long walk.

For rabbits

1 box of shotshells.

 

[Dr.Rob]

Elk/Deer/Bear

4 rds 30.06 in rifle, 1 spare mag = 8 rds
6 rds 44 magnum in revolver, 18 on belt = 24rds

If I need to 'signal' I'll use a handgun.

Antelope:

4 rds 30.06 in rifle, 1 spare mag = 8 rds (extra boxes of shells in the truck)
handgun to taste w/2 spare reloads.

Upland birds:
Shell vest w/20 rounds or so. +3 rds in shotgun.
Large bore handgun (I hunt in bear country)

Small game:

(3) 7 shot magazines of .22LR, remainder of box of shells in fanny pack.
handgun to taste w/2 spare reloads.

 

[Lennyjoe]

Lately I have been conserving shotshells. I wait for 2 or 3 doves to line up and hit them with some 7 1/2 shot. Hate being down on funds until the next fiscal year.

 

[ARGarrison]

Deer, firearms
3 slugs in the shotgun, 5 on the stock.
6 rounds in the revolver, 6 rounds in a speedloader.

Deer, Muzzle loader
One loaded and five or so extra.

Small game
I'd say 50 rounds or a box of .22 LR.

Varmits
.22 LR 20-30rds, .223 Rem 20rds

 

[22-rimfire]

Handgun hunting-Big Bore > usually 20 rounds including whats in the gun.
Centerfire Rifle hunting> One box of shells although sometimes only take 10 rounds.
22> usually a box in the pocket. More in the car.
Shotgun> Depends on what you're hunting.... usually about 15 rounds total in the vest, and a full box in the car.

 

[Flyboy]

Two.

One in the gun, one in an EZ-loader.

Plus a can of black powder and whatever's left in the box of bullets.

 

[Zeke Menuar]

Rifle: 10-20 rounds

Milsurp Rifle: as many strippers as I can carry.

LW Commander: as many mags as I can carry, usually four mags.

ZM

 

[HSMITH]

Usually 15-20 rifle rounds when big game hunting, one to shoot my game and the rest for signaling should I break a leg or something. The hard part is carrying more than 5 or 6 quietly, it's not like they are heavy.

Duck hunting I carry 100+, it is my boat, and I have a big dry box with a season worth of gear in it.

Upland I carry 10-15 shells, I have gone out with 5 rounds before and had a terrible day shooting along with the LONG walk back to the truck for more ammo. Never again, it's not like they are heavy.

 

[TMM]

i've never hunted(yet!), but i planned on carrying 8 of .30-06 in my gun (Garand) plus a varying amount of En-Bloc's. maybe 1-2 for deer, 3 more moose, 5+ for bear country. or a 12g. mossy 6+1 with slug for bear, plus 10-20 shells. backup, a revo of .357 and one reload for deer; moose, maybe a .44mag and a reload, or a 1911 with 2 reloads; bear country, a BFR in .45-70 or S&W500 with 2-5 reloads.

for bird, probably as many as i can carry.
...i tend to overdo things. i attempted to remind myself i'm hunting, not getting ready for SHTF.

~TMM