Building a hunting kit
 

i have tossed around the idea for many years. Usually when i go hunting i am always looking for certain things. Deciding what rifle im going to take. making sure i have everything with me. Over the years i have set up a backpack with all the small gear I need and it hangs up on my gear shelf. Now what i am trying to put together is a hard case i can just grab and go. I have tossed around ideas for so long on what rifles i will put into a hard case. I have ordered a 53" hard case. i will have plenty of room for what ill need.

So here's my question...... If you were making a grab and go kit for hunting, and almost all your hunting trips are the same, what would you take? Most of my hunting is whitetail on our property in georgia. I also go out and clear out coyote when they start getting really bad in our area. The only other hunting i do is whitetail in Wisconsin from time to time but not often and the rare trip out west to hunt mule deer. I was always considering 2 bolt actions and my backup pistol in the case. the caliber choices are endless there. the second option is to build a complete AR-15 or an AR-10 and then have a second upper to go with it. my top choice in calibers so far for the AR-15 is a standard 223 upper and then maybe my 350 legend upper. the problem is range. In Georgia my longest shot is only 150 yards but in Wisconsin it can be as far as 300 and out west it is usually 400-500 yards when we hunt there. Going with an AR-10 gives me the ability to go 308 and gain more range. i can go with a 243 upper for predators.

I used to be a bit more concerned with rifle choices,
now the hard case I throw in the truck..
most years I have a weatherby fibermark/stainless 340 wby ,loaded with 250 grain bullets at about 2800 fps
used for open areas with a bi-pod ,sighted to hit 3.5" high at 100 yards
thats about dead on at 300 yards and 33 inches low at 500 yards
keep in mind most years I shoot most game at under 200 yards, simply because you can't see further , simply because I prefer to hunt elk and mule deer where they ARE!
aspen and conifer in remote rugged canyons
and a browning BLR in caliber 358 win, loaded with 250 grain bullets and sighted to hit 3.5" high at 100 yards,
for slinking through the thicker timber slopes
I can't remember regretting either choice in 40 plus years
that allows the trajectory to be about dead on at 200 yards and about 10 inchs low at three hundred yards

that’s good ballistics. Might have to look into a 340. I have a few friends hat love the weatherby cartridges. I have never had one. I was thinking something 30 caliber to do it all

Personally I don't think a grab and go hard case of rifles should even be considered. Animals being hunted, terrain, max possible range and other factors come into play as are specific state game laws. Take PA for example. If you brought an AR or any semi-auto for big game you'd be SOL because they're not legal (yet).
Now for a pack that's another animal. There are a bunch of things that you can throw in it that can be used for every hunt. Examples: first aid kit, flashlight, fire starter, knofe, sharpener and a host of other items. Things like binos, spotting scope etc can be added depending on the hunt.

i agree to that but 90% of my hunting is in the exact same place. I don’t hunt a lot of different places. We have family land so I hunt there every year. Only change is when I go up north or out west. And the only thing that changes there is the deer are bigger and the range is further

Don’t leave your rifles, even AR’s, packed in hard cases.

I have several “kits” which are always packed and ready with specific gear for the task. Doing so does mean I have a lot of duplicated gear which adds a lot of expense, like rangefinders, wind meters, multitools, etc, and of course, the packs themselves.

I tend to keep really small packs for this purpose. 900ci and less, typically, smaller than a typical backpack. I keep a few other packs which can accept those kits’ contents plus extra gear, for example, if I go deer hunting out of state and need extra room for extra clothes or camp gear, so I’m never stuck in any one kit.

But each kit is unique to its application. My back country elk hunting pack (Mystery Ranch 6500 + Load Sling) is specialized for that kind of hunting which can carry 12 days (or more) of supplies and all of my hunting gear. My little day pack for in-state deer hunting is basically a tactical purse (5.11 Push Pack) which only carries bare essentials for day trips into the blind/stand. My precision rifle match pack (Kifaru Tailgunner + Admin Pouch + bottle pockets) contains everything I could need with me during matches. My pistol range kit (Midway range bag) is always packed and ready to accept whichever pistol/revolver and ammo I choose and hit the range. My coyote calling kit isn’t a “pack” but is actually a Mil-surp load bearing “vest,” which has everything I could need on stands right out front where I would need it while sitting on stand, always packed and ready to grab and go.

Just read your post. These are the words of an experienced hunter. I absolutely agree with your list. I always take first-aid kit, my flashlight from olight store, knife, and sharpener. I have a bino and I take it with me (it would be weird to buy and not use it), but it's true that Iit s the most important thing.

For Gatorhunter, I've found over the years, I've developed lists for different types of hunts and tend to keep those items in individual plastic bins with a lid. Obviously guns don't fit in those bins but a lot of the gear I'll use does. Some can overlap quite a bit like deer/bear but others can be kind of unique like pheasant or turkey. It mainly depends oh how you hunt, where you hunt and sometimes just your preferences. Bottom line is it's handy for me to grab a bin and know I have most of my gear for whatever type hunt I'm going on. Tends to cut down on those "guess what I forgot" moments. :D

I agree keeping a rifle or shotgun in a hard case or any case is an invitation for rust. A gun should be kept in an environnmemnt that allows sufficient air to circulate around it and not be affected by changing tempreatures which cause moisture to collect on your firearm. I keep certain items in my back pack that never are removed unless they are being replaced. These are items I kmow I may or will need when huinting big game.