Vacuum sealed ammo

[taliv]

i looked at the threads from a decade ago. Nobody had pictures. I’m sure lots of others do this.

I’m not looking for long term storage. Just want to carry 100-200 rounds of rifle ammo in my pack in a smaller volume. Four plastic ammo boxes take up too much room.

Any tips? Anyone put a jig together to position the ammo or is it just a tedious manual process.
Any good ideas for labeling?

Attached is 100 rounds of 6.5x47. I cut the 20 round bags 7.5” long. The ammo itself is about 5”x4”. The edges are flexible so I don’t count them. I cut a slit in the top above the seal so I can rip the bag open without a knife

 

[taliv]

6dasher packs about 1/4” smaller in both dimensions

 

[Offfhand]

I've already thinking of several commercial possibilities for this idea. Use your imagination and go for it.

 

[Odd Job]

I have an idea for labelling and a jig:


You get a tray made to the dimensions in yellow. Then you get a roll of paper strip the same width as the diameter of the cartridge head. You cut a strip of that paper and fold it so that it can fit edge-on in the red path I indicated above. You then unfold that paper strip and take all the measurements needed to make lots of those strips, prefolded. You then write or stick whatever label you want on the long outside edge of the paper strip, the surface on the opposite side to what touches the primers.
Then the next time you do that calibre vaccuum pack, you place a prefolded prelabelled strip in your tray, set out the cartridges one per divider then vacuum pack it.
I don't know what vacuum you have, but you should be able to figure out how to get from that step above to the part where they are taken out the tray and then vacuumed. Might need two clear sheets that can sandwich the rounds, but which can be removed from one side before you seal the bag.

 

[Odd Job]

My suggestion above has three benefits:

1) Weatherproof labelling
2) Separation of the projectiles at the time of vacuuming
3) A lot faster to set up once you've got all the strips prefolded

 

[cheygriz]

100-200 rounds????

Are we at war????

 

[taliv]

My suggestion above has three benefits:

1) Weatherproof labelling
2) Separation of the projectiles at the time of vacuuming
3) A lot faster to set up once you've got all the strips prefolded

Interesting. I’ll cogitate on this.

100-200 rounds????

Are we at war????

yes. We have been at war since the early 90s. You might want to catch up on the news. A lot has happened since the 70s.

Some of us shoot matches that involve hiking quite a bit. You should try getting away from the bench. The scenery is much better.

 

[taliv]

Btw odd job, part of the challenge is keeping the rounds pushed out. The sides of the bag tend to push the flat case head in toward the center. Then the bullet passes the shoulder of the cases on the other side and pushes them apart

 

[cheygriz]

Sorry. didn't realize you were doing that kind of shooting.

I've never heard of those kind of matches before. Tell us a little about them.

 

[Odd Job]

Btw odd job, part of the challenge is keeping the rounds pushed out. The sides of the bag tend to push the flat case head in toward the center. Then the bullet passes the shoulder of the cases on the other side and pushes them apart

Maybe the paper strip will prevent that.

 

[taliv]

Sorry. didn't realize you were doing that kind of shooting.

I've never heard of those kind of matches before. Tell us a little about them.

No prob. I’ve been shooting prs style matches since before the prs. Google mammoth sniper challenge and steel safari and of course the precision rifle series

Maybe the paper strip will prevent that.

Dang I didn’t realize it but I think you’re right. If I could pull the paper at both ends of the z it will push them apart.

 

[Peakbagger46]

I tried vacuum sealing bullets about ten years ago. I found that having loose rounds in the bags resulted in the seals being broken due to the sharp bullet edges. I have sealed some boxes of ammo with good results.

 

[Peakbagger46]

As a side note, vacuum sealing game bags for hunting is awesome. They shrink down really small and are kept clean until you need to pull them out of the pack for meat.

 

[HB]

I’ve come to really like bandoliers for shotguns/hunting. You might be able to chop up a rifle belt one in 20 round increments and achieve the same thing unless you just like to use the vac

 

[taliv]

yeah, my friends are using this thing, which i really like. https://www.cole-tac.com/product/ammo-novel/ it's essentially a bandolier style holder but in the form of a book for storage in a pack instead of a belt for wearing.

i prob should have just gotten one of them but what i like about vacuum sealing is the way i plan on organizing them at home and keeping track of how many rounds i have loaded, and it's easy to stuff in a cargo pocket if i'm not carrying my pack, etc.
the advantage of the book is that if i don't use rounds after a stage i can stuff them back in the book instead of letting them wander loose around my pack

 

[DaStray]

It appears to be a viable way to store ammo and keep it clean and dry. Perfect for your BOB or pack but I wouldn`t worry too much about not being able to access it in a hurry (that`s what a "ready mag" would be for). If nothing else, it would be a good way to take ammo to the range so the entire bottom of my range bag isn`t full of all those cardboard boxes. Thanks for the tip as my better half has a vacuum sealer already

 

[taliv]

anyone with ideas for labeling? sharpie writes pretty well on it, and doesn't smear. i could buy a little label maker off amazon for $60 or so, but i don't think that's really worth it

 

[243winxb]

rifle ammo in my pack

Soft pack? Fall, prime struck, KABOOM.

 

[mrmike7189]

A+ for effort.
and to think I had my ammo in little zip loc bags.

 

[sparkyv]

anyone with ideas for labeling? sharpie writes pretty well on it, and doesn't smear. i could buy a little label maker off amazon for $60 or so, but i don't think that's really worth it

I cut the description from the cardboard ammo box and place in bag prior to sealing. If reloads, I insert my own description.

 

[GooseGestapo]

Put them in stripper clips, or even M1 enbloc clips.
Magnum cartridges can be put in .303Enfield strippers. 6mmPPC and such in 7.62x39 strippers.

 

[Rembrandt]

Have done small amounts of loaded ammo, but for the most part I heat seal cleaned and prepped brass. Simply print out labels and insert into the bag before sealing.

 

[Random 8]

If you're using a "standard" .30-06/mauser case head, I would consider placing the rounds on mauser stripper clips, then vacuum sealing. Will keep them neatly bunched in 5 round strips. Haven't done this myself, just throwing it out there. 8 round Garand clips would be another possibility, but they will mar the brass removing them. Edit..I see Goose beat me to it, so +1

The Czechs also made a very compact Kraft paper 20 round box that readily accommodates .308 sized rounds. These boxes could also be vacuum sealed as-is.

 

[Scooter22]

I LIKE it. Might asked for a vacumm sucker for Christmas. I can add jerky, OTC pain killers and other snacks with ammo. Not joking. Just gave me ideas. Can suck down a bunch of .22RF to put in a hollow stock.

 

[HB]

Soft pack? Fall, prime struck, KABOOM.

I have never heard of this happening ever