I have my tickets booked to Darwin for next months buffalo hunt and my rifle has been sent by courier to Katherine for the hunt. I found out I cant send my ammo by courier as well ,so I will have to take it in my checked in baggage. What is the story nowadays with taking loaded ammo (and rifle bolt, but no rifle) on planes in check in baggage. Is there still some rule about them not being able to be carried in the plastic MTM ammo containers? What approval do we have to get before we take them on the plane?

Hi Rod
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APB

quote:

Originally posted by cr500:
I have my tickets booked to Darwin for next months buffalo hunt and my rifle has been sent by courier to Katherine for the hunt. I found out I cant send my ammo by courier as well ,so I will have to take it in my checked in baggage. What is the story nowadays with taking loaded ammo (and rifle bolt, but no rifle) on planes in check in baggage. Is there still some rule about them not being able to be carried in the plastic MTM ammo containers? What approval do we have to get before we take them on the plane?

Qantas you need approval just email them and they will send you a confirmation letter.Virgin just front up with your rifle, with locked case and a no more than 5kg of ammo.mtm case guards are fine.Flew both in june to NT no probs, just virgin wrecked our suitcase and dented the shit out of my rifle case, but they gave us new ones.



cheers cc

Laurie Willoughby is the man to speak to at Qantas . He heads up dangerous goods compliance . Phone 02 9691 8463 .
They will want your firearms license and flight details and you will need to send them a declaration that you will not be carrying more than 5kg of ammo in your checked luggage and that it is in original or MTM type containers .Qantas will issue you with a 12 month permit .
Why did you bother sending your rifle by courier ? No problem carrying it on the plane in a locked case as long as the bolt is in another bag .

Do the same requirements re. rifle and ammunition apply to New Zealand? I will be flying Quantas there in April of 2006.

quote:

Originally posted by patrkyhntr:
Do the same requirements re. rifle and ammunition apply to New Zealand? I will be flying Quantas there in April of 2006.

For the airline, pretty much identical. You'll need to contact the closest US Qantas office for the permit/approval letter. This has more to do with the ammo [as Dangerous Goods] than the rifle. See this Qantas page - says airline approval required.

For the NZ end, see the 'NZ Hunting' thread here!

...I think it was back in '97 I was flying into Catherine, but can't remember exactly where from on that particular leg.

Some mordril there, while in transit from Melbourne tried to tell me that "no centerfire ammunition greater than .17 caliber can be carried on flights".
I had to explain to him... well a lot of things (like the fact that a .17rem hold a lot more powder than a .22lr, blah blah) and finally backed him into a corner when he gave up, realized he had been talking shit and made it look like he was doing me a favour by letting me continue my journey with the .375H&H ammo.

When you're flying try and carry copies whatever laws, forms, policies, for the relevant airlines and countries/states you're travelling to. Don't assume that the people in the airports, even thoug it's their job will have the faintest idea what to do and will often improvise to try and hide their ignorance.

Be polite but insist, and know where you stand.