Traveling With Firearms: From Slings To Airports

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No matter where you hunt or what you hunt for, at some point, you're transporting a firearm either on your person or in a vehicle. Before the hunt is probably the most vulnerable time for a firearm to be damaged. Whether you're hiking into a remote elk camp or flying across the globe for an adventure, your firearm needs to be protected to ensure it will be in the same condition as when it left the target range for its final zero confirmation. The proper slings, packs, rifle cases and locks will help maintain the safety of your firearm all while keeping it in great shape as it travels along your side for an adventure.

Airport Travel

Traveling abroad for destination hunts requires a bomb-proof gun case and lock system. I have had nearly every rifle case damaged or destroyed by TSA and they will not willingly replace your case even if they damage it. I have had an open claim with them for over a year now with zero resolution for their reckless ways. Fortunately, all my damaged cases have been on the return flight home so I didn't have to deal with a damaged rifle before a hunt.

I recommend buying a solid, double rifle case with plenty of room inside for more than just your rifle. Consolidating tripods, knives, trekking poles and other essential gear inside the case helps fill voids that can then be layered with clothing to add extra protection for your rifle. This also reduces the number of checked bags required to get your gear to the destination and saves you some money with today's high checked bag fees.

Be sure to purchase a rifle case with wheels to help manage the rifle case from the carousel to your pick up vehicle. Carrying a 50lb rifle case with one hand gets tedious and straining when you're having to switch sides while wheeling luggage around the airport. I recently had the wheels snapped off my ancient SKB double rifle case and it made for a horrible travel day carrying a 50 lb case across Atlanta's airport terminal. I am now running a Pelican Air Rifle case for travel and it has been great thus far.

Make sure your rifle case has TSA locks and two keys for peace of mind knowing you have the right locks and a spare key while traveling. Running Zip Ties or extra cable locks to keep the case well sealed can prove invaluable after your initial check-in at the airline. I have also duct taped the rifle case closed with 5-6 wrap in two places around the width of the rifle case. This has kept TSA from doing unannounced checks without my knowledge and keeps thieves from peeking inside. Ultimately it lets me know if the case was opened without my knowledge. On a recent flight to Kodiak Alaska for a Brown bear hunt, I had a previously damaged rifle case duct taped and zip-tied shut. The rifle case was crushed again during travel by TSA and nearly cracked wide open. Fortunately, my extra security kept everything together and inside the case until its final destination. I highly recommend that once a case is damaged do not travel with it again. This is the one time in life Duct tape is not the right solution.

Soft Cases and Scabbards

When traveling light in a vehicle, I prefer a soft case to protect the rifle and optic during transit over a hard case. Hard cases take up a lot of room in a vehicle and I prefer to keep my rifle in the cab of the truck with me for safekeeping. A soft case helps keep a low profile in the cab while still keeping the rifle protected. While traveling down a dirt road may seem like the ideal time to keep your rifle out and ready, it is often illegal in many states to transport a rifle loaded with a magazine in the front cab during hunting season. Be sure to read the local hunting regulations in the state you plan to hunt to be sure you're legal. Also having a rifle riding in the front seat often yields a dust-covered rifle and optic that may require more cleaning than you desire to maintain. A soft case prevents all this while taking up minimal extra room.

Rifle scabbards are often used for transporting rifles on horseback into the backcountry but also work very well for safe transport in a vehicle as they offer a slim profile with a semi-rigid case to protect the rifle and optic. I have used the Boyt Scoped rifle scabbard and Trail Max rifle scabbards for over a decade now. My rifles have always stayed clean of debris and protected from impact in these scabbards whether on horseback or in the truck cab.

In the Field Transport

When transporting your rifle in the field, the options are endless and ultimately situationally dependent on the best method of carry. I'd venture to bet 95% of hunting rifles in North America and carried with a traditional sling over the hunter's dominant hand and shoulder (IE Right handed, Right shoulder). For many hunting situations, this method works well and has been an American tradition for decades. I, however, do not subscribe to this method for two reasons.

First, the rifle has a high probability of slipping off your shoulder while hiking and either falling directly on the riflescope turrets causing damage or falling directly onto the muzzle, spearing into the dirt and mud beneath your feet. Either one can be catastrophic to your rifle and potentially your hunt. Second, I hunt mostly in remote country riddled with grizzly bears and having a rifle in hand and ready is usually the most common sense approach. I have spoken with a couple of hunters that were attacked and mauled by grizzlies in the lower 48 states and the common denominator was the pure speed in which the attack occurred. Both hunters I spoke with about their attacks had their rifles slung on their shoulders and admitted the sling, hung up on their pack and they were unable to retrieve the rifle to defend against the bear.

While a grizzly bear encounter may not apply to you in your hunt area, it's a good practice to have your rifle in hand for surprise encounters with game. Every hunter has a personal story or knows a friend who missed the shot on a big buck when they couldn't get the rifle off their shoulder fast enough. Tags are far and few between, capitalize on every potential encounter by being ready. The same applies for strapping your rifle to your pack. This can be a great method of carry for those hiking deep into the back country for miles with shot opportunities being very rare until your X miles into a remote drainage. Dropping your pack and unbuckling a rifle is not conducive to surviving a bear attack or taking a mule deer buck as he stops for a brief moment to look over his shoulder at the bumbling fool walking down the trail. The pack method is by far more secure and offers better protection compared to the traditional sling when the rifle is strapped in properly. Folding chassis have made this style of carry very popular as it reduces the length of the overall rifle so the muzzle is below your head for easy carry and doesn't snag tree limbs when navigating timber. I have had great success strapping the rifle to the side of my Stone Glacier Sky 5500 pack when packing in or packing out with a heavy load and need my hands free for trekking poles. During these types of transports, I always have a pistol in my chest holster ready to go at a moment's notice.

Regardless of how you choose to carry your weapon in the field or transport them across the globe, safety is the number one concern. Be sure to keep your firearms locked and secure at all times when traveling abroad and be sure you know the state, county or country's laws and have all required paperwork and locks in place for security. As I write this article I am preparing for a trip to Africa and working on getting the proper paperwork, gun case and locks in place for the safari. All the time, money and energy it takes to organize these trips, the last thing you need is a damaged or seized rifle due to errors in your planning. When you arrive at your hunting location whether it's via a 20-hour flight or a 10-minute drive in the truck, ensure your rifle will be ready to go with the proper case, sling or pack attachments to keep your rifle secure till you need it at that critical moment we all dream about.

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