Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/554642
S P O R T I N G C L A S S I C S 7 3 checked baggage if stored in the manufacturer's original or other sturdy packaging designed for small quantities of ammunition. Tell the agent that you have boxed ammunition in your luggage, which you will secure with a TSA-approved lock. Don't mention handloads; let it be assumed that it is factory fodder. Real or synthetic black powder is verboten. Most airlines limit you to 11 pounds (5kg) of ammo. If you're planning on a week's hunting where birds and ducks are plentiful, consider shipping your ammo via Federal Express or UPS, or buying a few boxes when you arrive. In the wake of 9-11, international rules for traveling with firearms and ammunition continue to evolve. They vary slightly but significantly from country to country. My rule of thumb is this: Ask your outfitter to brief you on the laws of the country in which you plan to hunt. But don't rely solely on him, the airline that is flying you there, or online info, which is at best unreliable. Consult with the country's consulate in the biggest city closest to your home, or better still, its embassy in Washington. Confirm what they say with your outfitter. Do so at least a month before your trip. That way you have time to complete and submit any forms that may be required. I'll jump through whatever bureaucratic hoops may be required to take my traveling rifle on an international hunt. The situation with shotguns is different because so many foreign lodges carry a number of guns for their clientele. At Los Ombues, an Orvis-endorsed wingshooting lodge in Argentina, I was astounded at the bevy of over-and-under and autoloading shotguns available— Berettas, Benellis, and Brownings— all for rent for about $100 per day. Ammo runs about $15 per box, and you'll burn though a case or two at least. Expensive? Sure. But you didn't book an Argentine dove hunt to save money.