Traveling to far-flung destinations for a hunt is always an adventure. However, when traveling with a firearm, that adventure can quickly turn to disaster. Following a recent successful big game pursuit in Scotland, here are a few tips to make your own overseas United Kingdom travel a breeze.  

Prepare in Advance

Getting the correct firearms permits can takes months. We wouldn’t think about bringing a rifle to the UK without a minimum of four months lead time, though more certainly wouldn’t hurt. From the date our outfitter received the serial number to receipt of the finalized permit filled that time frame. 
 

Forget the Handgun

As much as we’d love to traverse the moors, rolling heather, and bubbling springs with a hunting handgun, there’s simply no way to bring one in. In fact, it seems quite impossible to use a handgun for much in the UK. Sad to say, but that excludes dedicated handgun hunters from enjoying some splendid outdoor ventures. 
 

Secure the Gun

The first part of this refers to packing the firearm securely, which we do inside a gun sock, and then into a quality airline-approved locking hard case secured with quality locks. A copy of the firearms permit and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Form 4457 remain in the case, while keeping a duplicate copy on your person. Call it overkill, but I also retain a digital copy on my devices. 
 

The second part of securing the firearm means considering additional security measures. Because of the unique nature of our Magnum Research custom rifle and the hunt depending on having said rig, we added Apple AirTags into the mix. Regardless of your brand, there are small tracking devices that allow the traveler to know the location of the item. This is equally handy for luggage. Being able to pinpoint a bag’s location inside an airport has proven handy more than once. 
 

Allow Extra time, Every Time

This is not exclusive to the UK. In fact, we found better treatment inside of Scotland than in recent U.S. airport customs, border patrol, and airline contacts. Though the security in Scotland admittedly sees very few firearms passing through the country, they took the time to ensure both their and our paperwork was correct and did so efficiently and with respect. The same cannot be said for all locales, including Chicago and Newark. 
 

Though it often means dreadfully boring dead time, allow extended layovers to ensure the firearm makes the flight. In addition, that ensures the traveler has ample time for delayed checks. Even with all paperwork in order, Is dotted, and Ts crossed, it’s rare to NOT have a hassle somewhere along the line. Building in extra time means you can take a deep breath and remain on schedule. 
 

Be Professional

Traveling with firearms, especially when hunting, means subjecting yourself, rightly or wrongly, to a higher level of scrutiny. Inside the UK – and we received this information from several outfitters – it is either illegal or highly frowned up to wear camouflage apparel on flights, in airports, and in some cases, in public. Dressing more professionally will ensure things go more smoothly. 

What’s more, most local stalkers in the UK wear drab colors, tweeds, woolen outfits, and solid colored raingear. Camo is fine on the hunt, and we appreciated our Kuiu rain gear immensely, but solid colors would have been equally dandy. In addition to attire, conducting yourself with control, even when hassled or questioned, goes a long way to smooth sailing. Hunters get a bad enough rap from antis, so keeping a cool head and providing a positive public image never hurts. 
 

Book with a Legit Outfitter or Gamekeeper

The entire hunting experience, including lodging and travel, is better, safer, and more successful when working with proven outfitters. We had the pleasure of hunting with two such fine outfits. International Adventures Unlimited – the family of Michael, Danielle, and Justin Grosse – see to every detail from flights to food, harvest to taxidermy. 

In addition, we spent several delightful and successful days afield with Sean Emmett, longtime gamekeeper of Ballindalloch Castle, who proved not only a master of the stalk, but also a fine conversationalist afield. Both operations were familiar with everything from permits to game processing. 
 

Tailor Your Rig

Firearm storage restrictions vary by location within the UK. For instance, some lodging required the rifle be disassembled with the bolt kept in one place, the action in another, and the stock in a third. Many proved more lax, while still others required the rifle be stored at a police facility when not on the hunt. For that reason, we opted to travel with one do-all rig set up for multiple purposes. 

The Magnum Research Mountain Eagle bolt-action rifle chambered in .280 Ackley Improved would allow for cleanly harvesting game from massive red deer or stags to the smallest roe deer. Topping the rifle with a Leupold VX-3HD with the CDS-ZL customized for our specific ammunition – Nosler 140-grain, to be exact – made this a user-friendly, do-all outfit. 
 

Prepare with Lead-Free Ammo

At the time of our hunt, Scotland had not yet enacted lead-free ammunition bans nationwide, but things are trending that direction in the UK. In fact, some hunting locations and game processors require animals to be harvested with lead-free projectiles. 

Though we had shot largely with Nosler’s 140-grain Accubond rounds, we also prepared and traveled with Nosler’s 140-grain E-Tip non-lead ammunition, which necessitated very minimal adjustment even at extended ranges. What a horror it would have been to arrive in the UK with only traditional lead ammunition, as finding something like 280 Ackley on a gun store shelf would have been akin to the haystack’s needle. 
 

Prioritize the Trip

If you want to hunt Scotland or England with your own firearm, make that trip a priority. Whether pursuing big game by rifle or the plethora of game birds by shotgun, Scotland is a game-rich country with breathtaking terrain, some of the best whiskeys in the world, five-star cuisine, and passionate local stalkers. The current state of firearms restrictions is only tightening, and nobody can say how long even temporary imports, which is what happens while hunting, will be allowed. 
 

Conclusion

Having “been there, done that,” as they say, we’ve made mistakes, learned on the fly, and taken note of things we wished we’d known sooner. So, we hope these notes help make your next travel with guns a low-stress success. Whether the destination is the UK, or elsewhere on the globe, we’re confident many of these tips apply worldwide.