In modern times, hunters aren’t just enjoying pursuits near home. As technology and has enabled everyone to travel at a relatively affordable cost, it is only natural that hunters expand their frontiers and venture into new territories for new experiences and to chase new game. Traveling can have its challenges, but if you give proper attention to often overlooked details, you can get a jump on eliminating any unwanted surprises.
For starters, firearms need to be super-protected when it comes to traveling, especially if they are scoped and other people will be handling your luggage or bags. I had a nasty surprise this year with a rifle scope and the entire ordeal almost ruined one of my hunts. When it was all said and done, I could not really afford to fix the problem when I did and I will be paying for it for a while.
If you have a nice hard case for your weapons, don’t be tricked into thinking that is enough protection. Almost no firearm fits in a hard case the way it should. Most are either too loose or too snug. If your rifle scope is too snug, a traveling case can put pressure on your scope adjustment points and stress them enough to eventually cause failure. There are many incidents like this out there to read and learn from on the internet.
If a firearm with a scope fits too loosely in a hard case, it can move up and down. I think this is what occurred in my case. Even though the case fit the rifle and scope, it was too loose and as the baggage tossers performed their duties, my scope was pounded against the top and the bottom of my case. This was enough to cause me great headache and stress. Never again.
I should have put some bubble wrap around my scope and added a small layer of foam to my case’s liner so my gun would have fit more snugly. I think adding any form of padding is a great thing, but finding a way to eliminate the scope from sliding is the most important accomplishment.
Speaking of cases, buy the best quality case you can find, or borrow one. I always try to avoid buying new cases. There are plenty of used ones out there and if you take your time, you can always find a good one at a lot better price than a new one.
