I have a Doskocil Double Scoped Rifle All-Weather Gun Case FAA Approved.
Its a sturdy case but I'm wondering if I need an Aluminum Case as this ones a heavy hard plastic case for flying to Australia from the U.S. and back again?
It locks via two pad locks.
I believe it can take some abuse.
Are these types ok? And on ammo can I ship my ammo in the same case or do I need a seperate case?
Also is 50rds. enough enough to take on a 1 species hunt (Water Buffalo)?

Since it holds 2 scoped Rifles and I would only be taking 1 rifle there would be plenty of room for 1 rifle and the ammo and my knifes in the same case.Is that legal and a good idea?

Never having flew with a rifle before I don't have any ideas on the ins and outs of flying with a hunting rifle and ammo and would appreciate your opinions and experiances on this.
Thank You
Wolfsangle

Which model of Doskocil do you have Doskocil Gun Cases?



Personally, I think the only model of Doskocil I would use would be their AW Series.



If you are thinking of a new guncase, I would choose the Tuffpak over an aluminum one. Tuffpak



If you use the Doskocil with the padlocks, then you need to use the locks that are TSA accessible. Or put two new padlocks in the case with a note to the TSA to replace the locks if they cut your original padlocks.



On the ammo shipment question, you need to look at the airline's website and see what their rules are (and make a copy of the rules and take them with you).



I would think 40 rounds is plenty of ammo.



You need to take your rifle to a local US Customs Office and complete a Form 4457 before you take the firearm out of the country. Keep the Form 4457 with your passport as you will need it upon return to the US.



You need to declare your firearm and ammunition to the airline when checking in (you can't use curbside check in). They will ask to see the firearm to ensure it is unloaded. You can transport no more than 11 Lbs (5 Kg) of ammunition.



Regards,



Terry



P.S.

Some airlines, like Qantas, require advance notice before they will transport firerams. So better check with your airline.

Yes It is the AW Series Doskocil case.
Ok thanks I'll research this all thoughly!

I have found plastic cases to be quite sufficent for air travel. Not that it dosen't happen, but I have actually never had catastrophic (or lesser) damage to my rifles when travelling on air-carriers (touch wood!). The plastic cases sometimes get a bit banged up, but I guess that is the nature of the beast. A lot of the aluminium cases are undoubtedly of a lot better quality than my plastic cases (Doskocil included), I'm sure they would provide better protection as well. However, often there are pretty strict weight limits when travelling by air (North Atlantic routes being the obvious exception), and with a good quality aluminium case and the rifle(s), you are sometimes very close to your total weight allowance, and then it can get expensive pretty quickly. Like I said, just a personal view, I know and understand a lot of people prefer the better quality and better protection offered by a high class aluminium case.

Post-9/11 rules for air travel with firearms and ammunition have been tightened quite considerably. Your air-carrier may have different rules, but count on the following general rules for air travel:
- guns locked in an approved case
- ammo separate from rifle, a lot of carriers also demand ammo is in a locked case. If this is the case, make sure you bring a locked case for this purpose from home, rather than find out at check-in time.
- report fact that you are travelling with firearms to your carrier prior to departure. Call up the reservation central, and have them make a note on your reservation in the computer. When it comes to checking in, it will be a lot easier to show that you have done your utmost to adhere to rules, when this note shows up on the computer.
- IATA rules specify 5 kg (11lbs) max weight for loaded ammo.
- have your papers ready - i.e. in Aussie land, if you have papers allowing you to import and hunt with the rifle, be ready to produce this documentation. The World over, nothing goes down as well as an official looking piece of paper....
- try to get the airport personnel to put any orange "firearms" and "ammo" stickers INSIDE your bags - makes it less obvious there is something interesting to steal. One advantage of the post-9/11 hoopla is that the heightened security awareness also seems to have had a positive effect on how bags with firewarms are handled. Many carriers hand deliver such luggage - inifinitely better than letting the luggage manglers have a go at it...

- mike

Personally, I won't use plastic cases, only aluminum. I know that plastic works most of the time. But I have seen them destroyed on planes enough to know it is not a freak event. Aluminum lessens the chance of this happening. I literally live in the air and know all too well what happens toall luggage. Many people think that there is some sort of left wing conspiracy against gun cases. Fact of the matter is that all luggage must undergo some rough stuff. I am not complaining. Quite to the contrary, I don't see how the airlines do as good a job as they do. Gun cases are large and awkward, so they tend to get banged more than a suitcase. Just the nature of air travel and should be expected. I have wound up in other countries with no rifle or no ammo. It is just part of it. No telling how many times I get some where in another country or here in the US and don't have my bags on regular trips. Just part of it, so don't get up tight when it does happen. Anyway, I will not change my policy of only using aluminum gun cases. ANd I will only use 100 Al cases. SOme have Al frames and composite panels. No way I would use those either. Only all welded Al case for me. 125 flights a year has shown me what understandably happens every day of the year in airports, in countries all over the world.

Ammo must be in A locked container. You can now put it in with your rifle, which is the only way I will do it. As stated above, I've been in other countries with no rifle amd I've been in other countries with no ammo. Having them in one container takes out 50% of the lost baggae equation. If you don't have your rifle, your bullets don't help anyway, so may as well not have either.

Be sure to get the CUstoms form mentioned above.

I take 40 rounds any where I go

Thank You Genltemen GREAT INFO!Being I'm in the planning stages only at this time I'm trying to gather all the knowledge as possible.Haven't flown since 1978 an have no ideas whats what now.
I appreciate your opinions and experiances
Thank You
Wolfsangle

Marc,

Does the ammo have to be in its own locked container inside of your locked gun case, or can it just be inside the locked case? If you use a separate locked container, what kind do you recommend? I have used a small steel box with three digit combo lock inside my luggage but this weighs as much as two boxes of ammo.

The rules used to state that the ammo and firearm(s) had to be in separate pieces of luggage. Some airlines now allow you to put the ammo in with your firearm(s).

There has never been a universal rule that ammo had to be in a seperate lockable container. However, you might get a gate agent who thinks this is the rule.

So, it is probably best to put your ammo in a seperate lockable container (I use a plastic pistol case) and put it in a piece of luggage separate from your firerm(s). Unless you know for certain that your airline allows the ammo and firerarm(s) to be shipped in the same container.

Regards,

Terry

I found that altering a GI .30 caliber ammo can to lock works great for the ammo.

Therein lies the problem. There are no hard and fast rules. It is up to the indivivdual airline, and many check-in types don't know what their own rules are, or as the TSA guy said to one of their newbies: It is none of our business how many rifles they travel with, it is up to the airline.

For the past couple of years, TSA has said that ammo can now be in the same locked container as your fires arms. I fly with fireamrs on many airlines and they all do it this way. TSA likes to see it this way, as everything is secure in one package.

I am sure Korean Air would not like it, because they do not like guns, ammo, people, animals, minerals, palnts, themselvese even. Screw Korean AIr.

Anway, all airlines let it go in the same package as the firearms. And as I spoke o fearlier, when you wind up some where with a rifle and no ammo, it sucks. So I prefer it this way. Through an unusual set of circumstances, i wound up flying last month with 2 rifles and 7 boxes of ammo in one aluminumm case. I usually put alot of stuff in my rifle case, but it was hard to do with all of the ammo boxes in there this time.

I did not fly with a rifle in the past few months, but I have flown a lot with guns since 9-11. I have never used TSA accessible locks - I open the case for TSA, then watch when they relock it. T. Carr, please clarify your TSA accessible lock comment - is this new?

The only thing consistent about flying with shooters & ammo is that nothing is consistent.
Unfortunately as has been pointed out above you are at the mercy of TSA & airline personell & whatever foolishness they wake up with that morning.
MOST TSA set ups have you standing right there to unlock your guncase & lock it back up afterwards. There are exceptions,Wichita Kansas on my way to Zim I had a TSA monkey cut my locks off with me standing in close proximity, he was just out of sight, not busy at all & further more didn't ask me to unlock, he just cut them off. TSA agent in Atlanta told me that they were not allowed to do that!! Gee thanks! Ketchikan Alaska, gun cases must be presented to TSA locked, but the TSA agents stand with their bolt cutters in hand, behind a 5' green portable screen & make you stand on a chair in the baggage area & try to identify your guncase as it comes out of the xray machine, if you do not scream out that you have the keys they immediately cut the locks off. (There were about 20 hunters with gun cases, TSA knew what they were & were just jacking with us, but it happens)
I have heard the original case only scenario for ammo. I have also heard the locking case only story for ammo. I have never personally heard of being allowed to carry ammo in the same case as the shooter, but I am certainly not saying that you can't! I have had cartridges counted, but have never had anyone try to match head stamps, but I wouldn't say it can't happen.
I have had bad experiences trying to get any type of "cleaning solvent" in a container past TSA, I now just soak a couple of patches & have them in a sandwich baggy, it has worked so far. Leave your trusty Zippo lighter at home also, they won't allow lighter fluid either.
Damned good advice about having an "official" looking document on hand (including the 4457).
The best advice I can give is get there waaayyy early,be curteous (it is darned hard to win a pissing match with them), be prepared to be a bit flexible & prepared with extra locks & the capability to re arrange your baggage.

I agree that Korean Air would rather not even mess with shooters & ammo, BUT since you have to declare it at each point of the trip, you get treated special (they hand carry your baggage increasing the % likelyhood of arriving at your destination with your shooter & ammo)even though they act a bit like it is distasteful.
Mike

I will taking handloaded ammo...can I put them in those plastic 20 round ammo boxes? Safari Arms loads them for me,and he puts his label on them. Should this be OK? Also DO I need to put the ammo in a locked box, and what is a sufficent locked box! I plan on putting the ammo in by luggage. Whew!

Technically, most airlines have it stated in the rules what the boxes must be made of. It usually says cardboard and wood, or something like that. I never understood that until I lived in northern MN. I had some MTM plastic boxes break due to normal vibration of moving around with ammo in them. THe temperature was about -35 to -40F, and plastic is pretty brittle at thhat point. Airplane cargo holds get this cold as well. The regs also say original container. If Superior puts it in plastic, then that is original containers. I have been asked if the ammo is in original container at times, but no one has ever looked. I used to use plastic boxes and I would just say "yes" and they did not care. But now I just use regular factory ammo boxes.

I strongly suggest locking the ammo in the gun case. If you don't do this, then have some type of metal or plastic case to hold the ammo which can be locked and will fit in your regular bag.

I personally use handloads on factory stamped cases & use old factory boxes. I have never personally been required to have it in a locked box, I always put it right in the top of my "checked" bag, so that it is easy to get to if required. I have never had any trouble like this.

My hunting partner shoots wildcat brass that he makes himself, he puts them in a plastic case & makes a label for them & likewise has never had trouble.

I would not worry a bit about carrying a "custom" box of hand loads.

I personally have never been questioned about ammo in any manner other than matching the quantity. As I have written in other posts, the more customs/government people that you deal with in different countries the less intimidating they get. It is certainly best to be as prepared as possible, but not worth worrying about, besides a US $20 carries a lot of clout in other parts of the world. (as a last resort only, I would never condone bribery )
Mike

the best thing about government officials is the farther away you are from "real civilizzation", the cheaper the, well, let's call it "unoficial governemtn assments" are. The ones who can really screw you can be happily greased for the least amount of cash

I have flown with doscoskil, pelican, alumomium and the Tuff-Pak. O like the Tuf-Pac best. You can carry other stuff in it besides your rifles. It is very light and it has wheels. I highlly recommend it. I have used mine to go to Africa and Canada.

Carry a set of Airline regulations on our trip...Put your ammo in factory "type" boxes (plastic is fine) in your suitcase....Lock your gun case after inspection and insertion of the Red Tag and check it to your destination...use TSX locks on your suitcase as they will cut it and check your ammo almost everytime...They will not break open your gun case...If you are familiar with Tuff Case for instance they lock from within and if they broke one open they could not lock it back up...

I have traveled to Africa and other foriegn countries every year for many years in succession, and I have never had a problem with guns and ammo...

I follow airline regulations and I have a set of regs waiting to show anyone that get up on the wrong side of the bed.....

Most of the folks that have trouble with airlines and anyone else while traveling bring a lot of it on themselves by making their own rules and not following directions, and having a bad attitude when confronted, do that in Africa and you will pay the piper...

Wolf

50 rounds is fine for a single buffalo plus plenty for some pigs, donkeys, etc if you get a chance.

Check with an outfitter about domestic flights in Australia and weight limits for your luggage. I really haven't had a problem when carrying way in excess weight luggage in Australia if carrying firearms as well and you being an American will get better treatment as well, but some American gun cases weigh like tanks and ....

Don't carry ammo in your gun case and it is illegal and against airline rules.

Some airlines require prior notice if you are going to carry firearms and for example Qantas will provide you with a faxed letter spelling out the rules and also providing you with a piece of paper proving it has been approved. Send me a PM or email if you need their phone number.

Your outfitter should have provided you with help on getting appropriate licences here. It is all pretty easy when declaring if you have the paperwork done and everything in order.

Luggage with firearms and ammo must be locked during Aussie flights.

Send me a line, who are you hunting with?

NitroX,
Still in planning stages haven't chose an outfitter as of yet! Conversed with 3 different ones and all 3 seem to have good deals.
Moneys are my problem at this time.Trying to make it happen if possible.
I may have to put if off till 2007-2008. $15K is alot of money for me and by then I may have to add a few more thousand.
I never realized that the blasted travel fees was higher than the hunt itself.
Still trying though!

Thanks All for the Info on Regs. Ect!!!!
Wolfsangle