I'm a few days away from packing for my trip to Namibia and had a question related to carrying rifles in the TuffPak. Do you all remove the bolts from your rifle before putting them in the soft cases? It seems like that would eliminate the potential for one bolt to beat up against the other rifle. It would also make a bit easier to prove to the airline folks that your rifles are unloaded. I would wrap the bolts in a jacket and store them in the TuffPak, so they wouldn't get separated.

What do you do? Any seasoned TuffPak travelers care to comment?

I wouldn't fly anywhere with any firearm in a soft case. Baggage handlers tend to throw stuff. "Fragile" is Latin for "Throw this". Hard, preferrably metal, cases with a good lock, only.

Yes, remove the bolt. Nearly mandatory, definitely wise. Place in the same case. Don't do like some have tried and put it in your carry-on!

I remove the bolt and place it in a soft cloth sack tied to the trigger guard so I don't forget it.

It makes the rifle a lot easier to slip out of the case for inspections at the airport.

Although its not required, the agents at the airport always seem pleased when you tell them the bolt has been removed from the rifle.

Arts:

As someone who hasn't travelled by air in over 10 years, your advice about not carrying the rifle bolt in the carry on is very important. (frankly, I thought it would save a lot of questioning to do so but apparently I'm wrong) I hope readers listen to you. It's posts like yours that may help hunters to get along a little easier with 'the powers that be". ( I would hate to be in discussion with someone who wants to know "what this is" - and with my Irish temper fighting down the wish to shove it down his/her throat. Boy! That should get me led away in chains as a terrorist!

No, but that is just my personal preference from the days of the old cheap plastic rectangular hard cases. When my Doskocil case got to the baggage area at the airport in Casper, Wyoming in the 1980's for a mule deer/antelope hunt it was shattered, and a large section was missing near the middle of the case. The separated bolt was sticking out of the foam lining, and easily could have been lost. Since then I have used heavier duty cases, and left the bolt installed. That way if the rifle gets there, at least the bolt will be with it (whether it will be in useable condition is a completely different question ). I have no idea what happened to the baggage on that trip, but the lock was also broken off my duffle bag, and the stuff sacks that I had inside came out one at a time (thank goodness they all got there, including my ammo).



Jim

DesertRam,

I always take the bolts out of my rifles before putting them in the Tufpak.

If you haven't traveled with a Tuffpak before, here's a tip. When you have to take your rifles out for inspection, don't take the softcases out. Just unzip the softcase and pull the rifle out and leave the soft case in the Tuffpak. The rifle will easily slip back in the softcase. If you pull out the rifle and the softcase, you will have to repack in order to get everything back.

Regards,

Terry

I remove the bolt and then place it in a heavy hunting sock.

I always remove the bolt and put it in a small bag inside the gun case. Bolt storage is exactly what the little purple "Crown Royal" bags are for .

I wrap the bolt or bolts in my heavy jacket and put that in the bottom of the Tuff Case...then my guns in the soft cases..I pack around them lightly with shoes, binocs and cameras also wrapped in clothing..I just lift the gun out to the action to show the serial number and drop in back in without removing the case..Use a stiff soft case btw..

If one was to have the serial number engraved on the recoil pad or butt plate, you would not have to remove them at all, and the African Customs guy could care less where the serial number is...I mark my recoil pad with a marking pen, and that has worked so far and with a few raised eyebrows followed by a grin!! but the serial number engraved on the bottom of the trigger guard ala double rifles would always acceptable on a bolt rifle and in the tangs bolt slot also.

Well you guys have pretty much reinforced what I had in mind. Thanks to all.

Terry, I haven't travelled (at least by air) with my TuffPak yet, so thanks for the tip.

Ray, your MO is pretty much what I had decided on.

gsganser:

I always felt guilty about throwing those Crown Royal bags away years ago! (I go back to when you couldn't buy Crown Royal in the States)

Funny this thread just appeared. Just yesterday, I packed my rifles in a Tuffpak for my trip to NZ starting Friday. Since I'll be hunting in the Southern Alps for tahr, I'm bringingt along my insulated Gore-tex gloves.



As I went to pack them I said to myself, "Self, those would make dandy padded cases for your rifle bolts."



The extractor ends fit neatly into the middle finger, and tightening the wrist strap a bit at the bolt handle end secured them well. I then put each one inside the soft case with its matching gun. -TONY

Plan ahead a bit when you buy your soft cases. I bought two soft cases with the zippered side compartment. Wrap the bolt in an old shop rag and insert into it's own zippered carrier that is attached to the soft case carrying the rifle.

Just don't leave the bolt on the bench at home, or on the night stand in Africa!

This is not African lore but if you ever travel to Argentina with a firearm, the law of the land dictates that the bolt should be separated from the gun. Contrarywise it is a felony.
May the gods of the hunt give you good aim!