I recently returned from a Spring black bear hunt in Manitoba. It was a very good hunt and I saw many bears before taking a 350lb Chocolate phase black bear.

On my return trip, my welded aluminum Kalispel rifle case was severly damaged, but did not fail. In fact, my rifle did not have a scratch, and at the range it shot to the same point of impact as before I left.

I called Kalispel and they sent me a new case that day, just super customer service. As you will see from the pictures at the link below that case was pushed pretty hard. Only a small portion of the hinge came loose, but the pictures don't really do the damaged cased justice.

Flying these days is a real test of patience, delays, damaged bags. I don't think anything has changed from a security stand point and frankly I don't think that some of the airlines care about customer service anymore now than they did before 9/11.

BTW, the rifle is an Echols legend with Echols proprietary scope mounts and a Leopold VariX III.

Best wishes to those who travel...your baggage and you will need it!

http://photos.yahoo.com/benaskin2002 then click travel

Ben

I have to ask, how and who damaged the case? Was this done by an airline? If so, please tell us more, as in which airline.
I think that you were very fortunate that Kalispel took it upon themselves to replace something that was obviously damaged outside of warranty. Action should have been taken against those that caused the damage.
By the way, nice chocolate.

My first flight with my Kalispell (in 1987) resulted in the corner (the corner!!) of the case being crushed in about 3/8". Can you imagine the force it took to do that?? The point of the corner is a very tough spot. The rifle was undamaged and shot to POI.

BTW, I could not view the photo so did not see the damage to your case, but it must have been extensive.

Tim

Ben,
I would file a claim with the airline. Those f**kers must have run the case over. I have always used Kalispell cases, and the fact that your rifle still held zero is a testament to both rifle and case.

Don't let the airline slide on this!

George

That is a good size bear,nice looking too

I agree with George. Don't let the airlines off on this one! I have a nice aluminum travel case and after the very first trip they dented one of the corners!

I am having flashbacks to Ace Ventura Pet Detective with Jim Carey as the Parcel delivery guy.

Only think missing is the forklift guy getting in the mix!

Hello everybody

I have to ask, do Kalispel gun cases have a
web site???

When I had "The Wrath of God" built (my .338/378 Weatherby Magnum, 1500-yard target rifle), I picked for its transport and safety... a custom-built Kalispel case. Because my rifle is 52.5 inches long, I couldn't find a "good" off-the-shelf case. They built one and I had it in a week from when I called. I'm quite pleased with them and their products.

They are online at http://birkana.com/kalispelcaseline for your shopping convenience.

I "HIGHLY" recommend them.

Cabela's sells them, too.

Russ

Ben,
I love the bear. Well done!!!!! I'd like a color phase bear myself. In the last 3 weeks I've emailed and/or phoned about 3 dozen outfitters in Manitoba. Anyone you would recommend? Feel free to email me.

BenS,

Looks like they took a spliting maul to your case. I'm wondering how they did that? If it had been me and I had a Legend in that case, I would have been too Hot to touch.

Many Thanks

HBH

Hrrrmmm, I a luggage handler here at the local airport in nothern Sweden. The handling of luggage can be a bit ruff from time to time but we try to be gentle as far as possible. I can�t justify any broken cases at all but I can understan why it happens every now an then.

At my airport we have 15-20 min. to unload and reload the cargo and luggage at a turnaround. We mostly have Boeing 737:s with up to 179 seat configuration. There could be as mutch as 4-5 tons of luggage and cargo handelled manually during the 15-20 min of standstill!! With that amount of luggage handelled in a 15-20 min. period we cant afford to be super gentle with eatch and every bag, unfortenally

I think I know what happened with Ben S guncase. A long guncase extends a bagage trailer a bit and if you cut a corner a bit to mutch and the gunbox is packed in tigth with other heavy bags......... You will catch something in the way, by the picture it looks like the luggage handler found something really heavy to chrush the case against

I don�t know the rules in US but here in Sweden the airline would have replaced the guncase without any doubths!! Check with the airline!

The only problem could be that you is supposed to let the airline know about damaged luggage at arrival at the airport.

Nice bear btw. Well done!

Stefan.

Ben, that is a very fine bear, and with beautiful coloring. Nice photos as well. Congratulations! It looks like your Echols rifle is doing its stuff in fine fashion, alright! What scope do you have on it? A Leupold 3.5-10X AO or a 4.5-14X AO?

A agree with your concept of using a high-quality guncase for airline travel. It's reverse-economy to buy expensive hunts and then ship expensive guns in cheap cases. I could swear that the airlines have a vendetta going against hunters...

The Kalispell case has proven itself for at least thrity years around the world, and it's probably one of the best cases available. One of my friends bought one in the early '70s, and he's literally used it around the globe. The case looks pretty battered, but it's never failed him in all those years.

AD

Ben,

What a great bear....both size and color!! Contrats!! Boy, did your case take a beating! Thanks for the follow-up!

Good Hunting,

Bob

Beautiful animal.........congrats.....................J

I have a similar Cabela's case, and my brother and I drove his Taurus over it to get the car unhung from an obstacle. It is one tough case, as is the one in question.

It looks to me as if someone put a forklift blade down on it with the lift loaded with some heavy stuff. I agree with the person above who indicated had it been my custom rifle, I'd have been a hot tamale.

Nice Bear! Ku-dude

Hey, Ben S! What ever happened with the airline/airport? Are they paying for your new case or what?

Russ

Thank you all for the fine comments!!

Let me clear a few things up!!

Kalispel did not send me a free case, but they did ship me a new one the day I called. United Airlines/ Air Canada is who I flew with and I suspect, but I don't know that it happened at O'Hare in Chicago. United handled everything professionally after I presented them with the invoice for the new case and they never balked at all about paying for it.

I was very hot when I got my case because my luggage was 7 hours behind me in Winnipeg to start off with. This all happened on the flight home, on the way there my luggage was late, but not damaged. I didn't arrive in camp until 1am the next day. Then on the way home (to Virginia, 7days later), my 3 hour lay over in Chicago turned into 6 hours. When I got off the plane in Norfolk, I saw my rifle case on the luggage cart and thought "That doesn't look good". It was dark and I was sure that it wasn't damaged that badly, well, it was.

I purposely waited to post follow up to see how United would treat me when I returned to get reimbursed, and they did what they said they would do.

When you put your money on the line, it pays to have the best case you can afford. When I was looking to replace my Kalispel, I looked at some others and found Kalispel to be very affordable and obviously very good. Replacement cost for a single rifle case is $205 and a double is $230.

Ben

Thanks for the feedback, Ben. I'm glad things worked out for you -- and even more glad your rifle wasn't crunched.

Russ