Hard gun case for Alaska moose hunt

[mcseal2]

With the heat index hovering around 105 I've been working until noon and then again in the evening on the ranch, staying indoors the most miserable time of the day. Yesterday was spent locating, organizing, maintaining, and testing some of my hunting gear for fall. This morning I listened to a couple of the Avery Outdoors podcasts on Alaska in the truck while hauling mineral to cattle.

Since lunch I've been doing some work on my Alaska list for my 2018 moose hunt. I've been putting all my gear that goes on the list over my postage or fishing scale and then rounding weights up to the nearest ounce to ensure a little wiggle room. I then put the description and weight of each item I plan to take into an Excel spreadsheet I managed to program to add the ounces of everything I enter and divide it into pounds at the bottom. I figured this would be a good way to make my list while making sure I stay under the 100lb weight limit.

One of the things my fishing scale and I found out is that all my hard rifle cases are heavy. The aluminum one I use in the truck all the time is 17.5lbs. The plastic one I have is 8.5lbs. I definitely want protection for our guns when flying, but I wondered if anyone was using a brand that did the job without using up so much of the weight cap? There are two of us going so we can put both rifles in one case splitting the weight. I'll probably lock and Gorilla tape the case shut so that should help sturdy up a flimsier case too.

Thanks for the help.

 

[mobilefamily]

Most bush pilots ask you to leave the hard case in their hangar. Guns fly to camp in the bushplane stacked on top of luggage, without a case, or sometimes in a soft case.

 

[VernAK]

^^^^^^^^^^
This.....

 

[Jimss]

I have a browning travel vault guncase that I've been taking up to Alaska for the past 15 years. It is super sturdy, waterproof, and has protected my stuff well. I gut all the foam in it and fill it full of my weapon, fishing rods, trekking poles, etc. Then pad my rifle and everything else with clothes. It ends up at the 50ish lb maximum allowed. That saves me about 1 baggage charge both directions. Another nice thing about the Browning case is it has wheels on one side and a handle on the other. I load other baggage on top of the case and use it for hauling all my junk around the airport. This has been a lifesaver because I generally bring around 300 lbs of baggage, meat, capes, fish, etc home! Another way I've saved freight charges is to carry my loaded Kifaru pack as a carry on. I make sure it meets the max for overhead plane storage. I usually carryon 60 lbs in my Kifaru plus another oversized bag with my spotting scope, binos, camcorder, camera, etc. I've saved a lot of $ over the years doing this! I would hate to see what the airline charges for hauling 2 giant bulls home! Good luck and have a great time!

 

[mcseal2]

Sounds perfect, thanks. I'll check with my transporter and make sure.

I've been making a list of questions on the computer as I come up with them I can email him once I get everything I need to ask thought of for now. I figured it's less of a pain for him if I get it all sent at one time for him to answer at his convenience. I added this one to my list to be sure. I never want to be the guy who shows up un-prepared and is a headache, and where moose and Alaska is all new to me it's taking more planning to make sure I am ready.

Thanks everyone.

 

[VernAK]

If you have the time, drive to Alaska......a great trip......but most don't have the time.

 

[Yellowknife]

Most bush pilots ask you to leave the hard case in their hangar. Guns fly to camp in the bushplane stacked on top of luggage, without a case, or sometimes in a soft case.

This has been my experience and observation as well. Airline cases stay in town and the guns come out in soft cases or just stuffed in the load. If using a super cub, they often as not just end up in the wing boot.



The busier transporters will have a corner of the hanger or even a whole room piled with hard cases waiting for hunters return during the season.

If I can't leave the hard case for some reason, I do like Jimss and fill it full of clothing and food.

 

[Larry Bartlett]

copy roger affirmative what the pros have recommended here. solid

 

[KJH]

When I gun hunt, I travel to AK with a Browning travel vault case. I leave it at the hangar and put the rifle in a soft case for the trip to camp. I don't think I've ever been on a small plane where a hard sided case would fit with all the other gear crammed into it.

I fill my softcase with a few small heavy items since I've never had my gun case weighed. You get a couple extra pounds that way. I know it cheating...

 

[mcseal2]

Good advice, thanks everyone.

Our transporter says not to bring soft cases in his members section of his website. I added if we need to take the hard case in on the plane to my list of questions for him. Which makes me think of another good post to start so I can get all your advice, questions to ask a transporter. Make sure I'm not missing anything in my preparation for this hunt.

 

[geriggs]

Steve from papa bear told us to leave soft cases at home and hard cases will be left in bethel. Im guessing they will just ride on top of luggage. we shall find out in 16 days!!!

 

[SemperFiHunter]

MC,

I have an ICC, "Impact Case and Container" aluminum double rifle case. It has four heavy duty latches and two locking bars so it only requires two padlocks. I have taken it to Africa twice and Alaska once (not to mention 10 or so truck trips to lower 48 hunts.) It defies the Samsonite Gorilla baggage handlers and has never let me down. It is heavy, but with 2 rifles in it I have never had to pay extra for weight. And more importantly, I have NEVER had to adjust my scope after a flight and before a hunt.

As others have said, you will most likely leave your hard case in the hangar. My ICC will accept my 13 pound .375 H&H Mag. in it's soft case if I sit on it to close the latches.

A word of warning:

With locks latched, if a TSA agent can slide or pop other latches and stick even part of his hand in your rifle case: They will NOT let your rifle/case fly.

In my experience,checked baggage under 50 pounds doesn't cost extra unless it's beyond the number of bags they allow you to check for free, which is usually only one.

Good Luck, and God Speed!

SFH

"There are two of us going so we can put both rifles in one case splitting the weight. I'll probably lock and Gorilla tape the case shut so that should help sturdy up a flimsier case too.

Thanks for the help."