The ideal number of cartridges to carry while hunting

[Fatback]

For DG, I’ve got 4 in the rifle and 9 in an ammo slide on my belt. Solids and soft ratio based on what I’m hunting. If there are many elephants about then I’ll have a few more solids in a pocket, even if I’m not actually hunting one.

For PG and North American hunting, it’s what ever the rifle will hold, typically 4 or 5, depending on the rifle and then 6 on a neoprene ammo sleeve on the butt stock of the rifle. So far, I’ve never needed anywhere close to the amount of ammo I am caring during a hunt.

 

[Rafiki]

To all the respected AH members out there , how many rounds do you carry while hunting (DG or else) ? For me it would be about 40 rounds for non-dangerous game. For DG it would be 7 in the rifle , 6 in another magazine/ stripper clip and 15 on my ammo belt. Do you guys think that is enough? your opinion would be valued.

This is a joke, right?

 

[Ontario Hunter]

One more than you think you could possibly need, lol
NOT TOO FEW LIKE IN ALL THE MARK SULLIVAN VIDEOS WHERE THE HUNTER IS OUT OF BULLETS AND MARK HAS TO FINISH OFF THE BUFFALO!

Yeah, he probably cherry-picks clients to video who he knows from their range episodes can't hit the broad side of a barn. Or he hires actors. Wouldn't surprise me.

 

[Franco]

I would say for any given hunt or choice of rifle, the consequences of running out far exceed the inconvenience of carrying "too much".

 

[Hunter-Habib]

Ah,I am vindicated, we carry a similar number of rounds when elephant hunting too! I was beginning to feel like this character :

View attachment 725233

The first elephant I ever shot (Botswana 1976), took six RWS 300Gr round nosed cupronickel jacketed FMJ solids (an entire magazine of a BRNO ZKK602) to the heart-lung region and then required a 45 minute tracking job before we found him dead.

This ordeal taught me a hard learnt lesson about always carrying enough cartridges in the field.

As the old adage goes, "It's always better to have & not need, than to need & not have."

 

[Franco]

The first elephant I ever shot (Botswana 1976), took six RWS 300Gr round nosed cupronickel jacketed FMJ solids (an entire magazine of a BRNO ZKK602) to the heart-lung region and then required a 45 minute tracking job before we found him dead.

This ordeal taught me a hard learnt lesson about always carrying enough cartridges in the field.

As the old adage goes, "It's always better to have & not need, than to need & not have."

There is a similar adage in aviation: "The only time you can have too much fuel is when you're on fire."

 

[NIGHTHAWK]

I bring the maximum allowed up to the weight limit. Then I gift what I don’t use to my PH. This includes .375 H&H and .243 because he uses those rounds. I won’t do this for my 450 Dakota, because he can’t use that Caliber.

DG: Carry 4-5 loaded (Depending on the rifle) 4 on my rifle sling, 2 in each front pocket or just 2 in my left front pocket.

 

[WyoBull]

10 in my belt cartridge holder plus 4 in my rifle.
I take a total of 40 rounds per rifle with me to Africa.

 

[SRvet]

On DG hunts I have 5 in the rifle, 10 on my belt and an extra 5 in a pocket ammo wallet. I should give the tracker an extra box really but I never have so far.

 

[Altitude sickness]

How many should you carry?

One more than you will use.

 

[LimbNoMo]

We were stalking a Kudu this summer when the PH stopped us. Around 15 buffalo crossed our path. Three of them stopped and stared us down, while the others spread around us in a semi-circle.

I had 4 in the .300wm I was carrying and no spares. The PH was only carrying sticks. He looked at me and said, “You have one in there, right?”

Not sure it would have mattered with that many buffalo, but next time I’m bringing a whole bunch more ammo with me when I get off the truck.

 

[Jon Glajchen]

I carry a fully loaded rifle (4 or 5 rounds) plus five in a belt slide on my belt. I have never yet needed more than two rounds.

 

[Andrew62]

Regardless of what I am hunting I load my gun with 4 bullets then have a belt holder that holds 6 shells.

On this last trip I was hunting elephant, buffalo, possibly hippo, I took a total of 30 rounds to Africa,
20 softs, 10 solids.

 

[Surgeon1]

To all the respected AH members out there , how many rounds do you carry while hunting (DG or else) ? For me it would be about 40 rounds for non-dangerous game. For DG it would be 7 in the rifle , 6 in another magazine/ stripper clip and 15 on my ammo belt. Do you guys think that is enough? your opinion would be valued.

That's enough to start a good battle, small war.

I take to Africa 5Kg on the airline. Typically take a 300 mag, 375 or 416 and a double rifle depending on
what country, how long I'm there and what I'm hunting. If it were just DG with no plains game, then a
a 416 and a double.
When I'm off the truck hunting where there is DG the double comes off the truck with me and a bolt gun with one of the trackers (300 for PG or 375/416 for DG). Culling belt has 10rds for double and 2 in the gun. Have quick on off sliders with 8rds for the bolt guns. They have loaded magazines on the truck and just get one up the pipe when we leave the truck. Culling belt has 8 softs & 2 solids. If I were hunting Ele, then 2 solids in the gun and otherwise 2 Softs. It is very consistent.

Had a PH jump off the truck in the middle of chaos with a wounded buffalo from an hour earlier, (he always took of his culling belt when getting in the truck) which was loaded with ammo, knife, small gear bag, and whatever else he could cram on it and the short of the story he had no ammo and an empty gun. He said he never had made that mistake in 24 years. Despite this it had a good outcome.

 

[SStomcat]

For DG, I go ultralight on everything except for ammo and water. I used to only carry a small amount of ammo (<10 rounds). However, after two buffalo hunts went south on me and I was left with only 2 rounds and 5+ miles back to the truck in DG territory I swore to myself I would never be caught short on ammo and water again. I now carry 2 in the double, 10 in the front slide and 20 in a specially made rear ammo box on my utility belt.

Why would you go after 2 buffalo on the same day? Not questioning but trying to understand the rationale. Was it one shot, and then it disappeared? After killing a trophy, one more appeared that you could not resist...or you had the deal to kill 2 and kill them on the last day of the hunt? I'm befuddled.

 

[Red Leg]

Why would you go after 2 buffalo on the same day? Not questioning but trying to understand the rationale. Was it one shot, and then it disappeared? After killing a trophy, one more appeared that you could not resist...or you had the deal to kill 2 and kill them on the last day of the hunt? I'm befuddled.

Two buffalo are on license and often on quota in Tanzania. Because other dangerous game is also typically on license, the buffalo are often hunted early for bait, and if there are two shooter bulls in a bachelor group of four, it would be foolish not to take the second if a shot is presented.

In areas like Mozambique, numerous hunters often book a hunt for two buffalo.

That said, I am not sure that is what @JD Noblin was describing.

 

[Nyati]

8 in an ammo wallet, plus a box which stays in the car.

 

[375Fox]

Why would you go after 2 buffalo on the same day? Not questioning but trying to understand the rationale. Was it one shot, and then it disappeared? After killing a trophy, one more appeared that you could not resist...or you had the deal to kill 2 and kill them on the last day of the hunt? I'm befuddled.

If you have multiple buffalo on your license why wouldn’t you? Tanzania you get up to 4 buffalo on license. Uganda hunters commonly take 2. Other countries you can book a double buffalo hunt or need bait for cat hunting. There’s typically a lot of other game to hunt in an area once you’ve taken your buffalo. I personally put a lot more value on an eland than a buffalo, much more of an accomplishment to me.

 

[JD Noblin]

Why would you go after 2 buffalo on the same day? Not questioning but trying to understand the rationale. Was it one shot, and then it disappeared? After killing a trophy, one more appeared that you could not resist...or you had the deal to kill 2 and kill them on the last day of the hunt? I'm befuddled.

Sorry if I was confusing. I made a generalized statement that was describing two separate hunts, one in Tanzania and one in South Africa that ended up the same way....both far away from the truck with low ammo.

Now, buffalo is my favorite DG to hunt so recently I have been adding more buffalo and less plains game on my trips. Thus, I have hunted multiple buffalo in the same day and have harvested multiple buffalo on the same trip. In fact, I have a future trip planned in which I hunt nothing but buffalo for two weeks.

 

[SStomcat]

Two buffalo are on license and often on quota in Tanzania. Because other dangerous game is also typically on license, the buffalo are often hunted early for bait, and if there are two shooter bulls in a bachelor group of four, it would be foolish not to take the second if a shot is presented.

In areas like Mozambique, numerous hunters often book a hunt for two buffalo.

That said, I am not sure that is what @JD Noblin was describing.

And that is what I want to know, the context, as to where @JD Noblin is coming from...