Last minute Packing questions

Im taking a scoped bolta action 375H&H and a 407NE double rifle to South Africa in September. The double rifle is worrying me. Ive never packed one before and "Ive heard" it should be disassembled for travel. Thats what has me confused. If I was taking two bolt guns it wouldnt be a issue, Id pack them both in a double rifle case. Id like to avoid taking two cases. Can I just take the double apart and pack it with the bolt gun.

What if I wanted to use a Tuff Pak? Can I put the double in two soft cases, plus the bolt gun in another soft case, then put them both in the Tuff Pak, along with my gear? How should I load them (3 side by side--or stack the two halves of the double along side the bolt gun)?

If you are packing your rifle in the same case. there should be no issues provided you are under weight.

Your double rifle does not have to be broken down...just unloaded...

You could put a trigger locks on the rifles if that makes you feel better.

You will have to sign a statement that your rifles are unloaded.

No ammo in your rifle case while traveling over sea's.

Thanks, I had in my head that it was a terrible idea to pack the DR assembled, because of greater possibility of it breaking..... Dont ask me where I heard it; but Ive been freaking about this for a month. Im such a newbie on this, its my first hunt that Im flying to get there. My Canadian hunts were all by car so I could be sure my rifle(s) made it with all the care I could give them.

Im still struggling with the Tuff Pak VS Pelican case issue. My first reaction is the Tuff Pak because it would cut douwn on luggage; but a Pelican just seems safer, especially for two guns.

EW I worried like you do my first trip 14 yrs ago. I wound up putting both of my rifles in soft cases and then inside a hard travelers golf case. I packed clothes around the soft cases and everything went just perfect. I've now used flat cases by Red Head and last time, this year, I borrowed an all aluminum, welded seam cargo box. You could of driven a truck over it and not done any harm. Just get a GOOD gun box (this isn't where you want to go cheap), Put both of them in it, don't go through London or New York and you'll be fine. If you go through Amsterdam make damn sure you get their "transit" permit from an Embassy months before you go. Now a days the airlines have to positive bag match to all the passengers on board so luggage problems seem to have been improved in the last 5 or so years. Not to say there aren't some problems but it's much better now from my perspective.

I use hard cases for my firearms when traveling. For my Africa trip I bought 2 double rifle(one for my daughter and one for myself) alum cases from ICC. I already had 2 custom cases from them for my 50BMG rifles and they are super strong. I ordered one of the .080 cases with wheels then decided to get another and they had a special on the .063 cases. They turned out to be Cabela's "Bulletproof" Alum gun cases at about half the price. I could find no defects with it except it was last years model that has 90* and the new ones have 45* corners. It was about half the Cabelas price. Looks like ICC makes the Cabelas cases for them.

The peligan(sp) cases are also good. I have two of them for ammo. I got the 1200 model. ICC also makes ammo cases but I had the peligan ones already.