Let’s talk gun cases

Ucsdryder

WKR
Joined
Jan 24, 2015
Messages
6,775
What is everyone using for airline travel, specifically Alaska? Skb golf club case, harbor freight Apache case, pelican 1750? Who’s removing the foam and using just clothes? Any tips or tricks?
 
Joined
Jan 11, 2021
Messages
75
I use Pelicans with custom cut foam and put what other shooting accessories I can in there. Binos, spotter, or whatever needs protecting and is valuable enough to where I feel better if it is locked up.
 

finner

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Feb 14, 2019
Messages
244
What is everyone using for airline travel, specifically Alaska? Skb golf club case, harbor freight Apache case, pelican 1750? Who’s removing the foam and using just clothes? Any tips or tricks?
Pelican with optics, ammo, and tripod jammed in. After the beating it took coming through Seattle this August, I'm glad I left the foam in and sprung for the higher end case
 

gentleman4561

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Sep 18, 2022
Messages
126
Pelican 1750 with my rifle in an Armageddon Gear soft case. I then pack clothes and such around the rifle case to hold it all tight.

I used to go the cut foam route, but that was a pain for changing guns.

Then I just did softer foam sandwiching the gun and realized that would allow the gun to slide.

Soft case in the hard case has worked great for me.
 

WCB

WKR
Joined
Jun 12, 2019
Messages
3,642
Boyt H51 Double case...add a piece of foam under the supplied (harder foam) to tighten it up. Never had the guns slide in it. I will throw my range finder and extra pair of binos in the case also. I use the same case for my archery equipment except I "custom" carved out my bow in the foam. Sorry no way I am using just my clothes. I normally don't bring enough that it would secure the firearms and if one or the other doesn't show up I only have one problem to solve.
 
Joined
Nov 16, 2017
Messages
8,939
Location
Central Oregon
Pelican

I did the cut foam for the big trip I did, but I can’t remember why I did do a soft case and clothes etc inside, i think weight.
 

cumminsbassguy

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Sep 1, 2016
Messages
251
Location
Chugiak, AK
Cabelas double gun case. Basically a pelican, rough cut the middle foam to the two guns, cut the lid foam fron 2" to 1" stuff the excess with clothes.. have been using it for 11 years meow
 
Joined
Aug 4, 2014
Messages
2,415
Location
Phoenix, Az
Rifle lives in a soft case and I put the soft case inside a Pelican Hard case. Typically on any fly out trips or boat rides, your gun needs to be removed from the hard case and to protect it, I bring a soft case. I usually stuff any additional larger clothes in there as well to ensure my rifle has maximum padding.
 
Joined
Sep 10, 2014
Messages
2,881
Location
hawai'i
harbor freight apache for me with rifle inside a soft case surrounded by clothes so it doesnt move around. case alone is 22 lbs though. so plus a 10 lb rifle you only really have 15 lbs to play with so youll likely need to check another bag.
 
OP
Ucsdryder

Ucsdryder

WKR
Joined
Jan 24, 2015
Messages
6,775
harbor freight apache for me with rifle inside a soft case surrounded by clothes so it doesnt move around. case alone is 22 lbs though. so plus a 10 lb rifle you only really have 15 lbs to play with so youll likely need to check another bag.

Pelican 1750 looks like it weighs 25 pounds with foam.

With a 50 pound max, that’s my concern. 25 plus 10 pounds, plus ammo and clothes is about all you’re getting.
 
OP
Ucsdryder

Ucsdryder

WKR
Joined
Jan 24, 2015
Messages
6,775
Surprised nobody is using a golf bag hard case, I saw a lot of people talking about using them to throw people off the gun trail…
 
Joined
Sep 10, 2014
Messages
2,881
Location
hawai'i
Pelican 1750 looks like it weighs 25 pounds with foam.

With a 50 pound max, that’s my concern. 25 plus 10 pounds, plus ammo and clothes is about all you’re getting.
when ive go for southern whitetails ive flown with american and had the aa credit card which gave me free checked bags (i think it was 2). southwest also has free checked bags. then id bring a cooler backpack as a carryon and freeze the meat and bring the meat home as a carryon. I think i brought a duffle bag too and threw a backpack with clothes in it/rubber boots /and other crap on. the backpack was my daypack on the hunt. week long back trip would be trickier) you have to get creative. optics always keep in your carry on.
 

thinhorn_AK

"DADDY"
Joined
Jul 2, 2016
Messages
11,310
Location
Alaska
I used to use a Plano tactical case (similar to a pelican) with the foam completely removed, I’d use clothes and other gear to pack my rifle, optics, ammo, trekking poles etc.

Now I have a larger pelican case which I use in a similar way but I havnt torn the foam out of it.
 
Joined
Dec 27, 2012
Messages
5,252
Location
Colorado
I’ll use a pelican for my travels with a rifle, regardless of how I’m traveling.

I do not have any foam in my case, I’ll put my foam mat for sleeping in the bottom and pack the rifle case with everything except what I’m carrying on the plane. I’ll even take my pack apart and put it in the rifle case along with all my camp gear. In my carryon lll have all my clothing and optics.

I tend to travel as light as possible, keeping to a 50lb limit as that’s what most bush planes seem to limit hunters to.

My packing list has been whittled down over the years, making my traveling much more streamlined.
 

Nicaburns

WKR
Joined
Dec 16, 2022
Messages
340
Most of the time, I use an SKB GOLF case with boots and clothes to stabilize the soft case. If traveling with a buddy or one of my sons, we share the pelican vault v800 with the magpul daka system.
 

Cmb213

FNG
Joined
Jan 14, 2021
Messages
33
Boyt H51 double case, custom cut the foam. Flown a bunch of times with it and zero issues.
 
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