Traveling Question: Shipping ahead to a match

[CJW]

I am doing my second big traveling match (meaning, plane not car) this year. I have a few questions for those of you who do this more often than me.

Other than ammo, what do you ship ahead? Last year, I managed Texas 3-Gun only because I had enough points to buy a first class ticket, which bumped my luggage allowance to 3 bags of 75 pounds each, and I barely made that. For Nationals in Vegas next month, I am not so lucky, and I want to figure out how to get out there without paying excess baggage fees.

So, what are your suggestions for an efficient flying trip to a match?

Thanks!

[soterik]

Fly Southwest.

Ship your ammo to your hotel in advance.

[fishsticks]

Fly Southwest.

Ship your ammo to your hotel in advance.

Agreed. Though I shipped ammo to the match director the couple times I flew. Southwest has (in my limited experience) treated a large pelican case as "sporting equipment", thus avoiding extra or oversize/weight baggage charges.

I've also heard tell of using a hard sided golf club bag to transport firearms thus getting the same result.

Edited March 5, 2016 by fishsticks

[Dan Sierpina]

Southwest agents have held to the 50 pounds when I fly. I use the golf club case for guns. Ammo gets shipped, everything else goes with me. I check 2 bags (free) and take a back pack with me that will have my rangefinder, camera, and other things that will put the checked bags over weight. I do have a baggage scale with me too.

[BigBets]

They have always held to the 50 lb limit on any bag and I fly around 10 matche a year. If you are filling 3 bags to 75lbs you are definitely taking too much stuff!! I pack my gun case with 3 guns and chokes. 4 AR mags and 4 pistol mags in one checked bag with clothes. Backpack for carry on with broken down belt, glasses, toiletries.

[JOThompson]

I ship ammo (over the 10 pound limit), magazines, stocks, buffer tubes, shotgun barrel and sometimes the upper itself. The reason is that my case is relatively small and I don't want to get into the $200 checked baggage realm. I think the overall dimensions for normal baggage fees is something 60-65" (linear). Usually that means I can get by with the $50 regular checked baggage fee and about $35 for shipping (each way).