Best Soft rifle cases

[Altitude sickness]

Ok, we all agreed which rifle hard case is best. :>))))

Which brand and model soft case do you prefer for protection. And ease of packing in luggage or hard case. And for riding around in the truck rack.

 

[Hunting Hitman]

The last few trips to Africa I have used this case that I purchased on Amazon:

WAYNE'S DOG Canvas Leather Rifle Gun Case, Soft Padded Scoped Rifle Bag for Hunting Shooting Range

It’s easy to pack while offering your rifle protection when in the vehicle trucks gun rack.

HH

 

[RLL]

Murray leather soft folding rifle case is fantastic. Had one made out of buffalo hide. I’ve also used a cheapo Allen soft case that served its purpose.

 

[Tango]

The classic Boyt Hawkeye. I put my rifles in them, then inside the hard Pelican for travel. Great system that provides travel protection and soft cases for use in the trucks on the hunt.

 

[Papa72]

Ditto the Boyt.

 

[Altitude sickness]

I have a nice Boyt. And other heavy thick cases. My nicest is a leather with sheep skin. But it’s not practical to keep a bag under 50 pounds.

I use scope coat flak jackets to protect the scope. So I guess I’m looking for iron sight and finish protection. In a lighter weight packable case

 

[mdwest]

Whatever is cheapest and long enough to fit the intended rifle

I dont put a whole lot of thought into soft cases.. I only use them to protect the rifle/shotgun while bouncing around in the UTV or a truck.. I maintain control of how the rifle is stored on the UTV/truck and usually have a hand on the rifle while in the UTV/Truck unless I am the driver.. so anything that is reasonably padded works for me.. I then generously coat them with 3M weather proofing spray to help keep water from penetrating on those days that are rainy/snowy, etc..

I do intend on having a nice soft case made from a couple of my hides at some point.. I just havent gotten around to making that happen.. but that will be for range days, and not for hunting (Im not throwing a several hundred dollar, custom case that has hair on hide exposed on the outside on the UTV so that it can get splashed with mud, rain, etc as I go bouncing down the trail)..

 

[Tango]

The Hawkeyes are thin enough to fit inside of your Pelican hard case without removing foam, which I find makes for a great protection system. They're also classic leather and canvas construction,......first class and right at home in an African hunt environment. Two of mine were my dad's from the 70's. Boyt will still repair them should they show any signs of wear.

 

[WAB]

A couple of eland hide sleeves I had made by Colletts Wildlife Artistry. They are felt lined, providing good protection in the rack, are quick on and off, and roll up compactly for packing.

 

[jpr9954]

I'm not sure if I have any specific brand that is best. I do have a number of features that I like to see in my soft cases. Things like a zipper that goes end to end and a way to strap the rifle in the case so it isn't flopping around.

I have a couple that I picked up recently from MidwayUSA that were $30ish each that met my criteria. In addition, they were well padded.

 

[Altitude sickness]

WAB those look perfect.

 

[rookhawk]

Ok, we all agreed which rifle hard case is best. :>))))

Which brand and model soft case do you prefer for protection. And ease of packing in luggage or hard case. And for riding around in the truck rack.

I haven't found any US retailed gun slips that are satisfactory for the rough handling of the African truck racks. The welded metal hooks in the cruiser racks really damage checkering of rifles.

What does work very well is exactly what the African's have, and thus used for a template when they made their truck racks: Heavily padded game skin rifle cases in your choice of exotic leathers. They are 3x thicker than the normal gun slips I use in the States (everybody uses Boyt gun slips these days I think?).

 

[rookhawk]

A couple of eland hide sleeves I had made by Colletts Wildlife Artistry. They are felt lined, providing good protection in the rack, are quick on and off, and roll up compactly for packing.

Yes. Colletts gun slips are the way to go. Made by hand in Bulawayo, Zim.

 

[Altitude sickness]

Thanks. Good point.

I’ll take 20” of foam pipe insulation and some duct tape for the hooks. And carry a lightweight case.

 

[Doug3006]

I’ve used Boyt canvas cases in Africa. A bit heavy and bulky for packing, but they offer better protection when the gun is in the back in a rack.

 

[rookhawk]

I’ve used Boyt canvas cases in Africa. A bit heavy and bulky for packing, but they offer better protection when the gun is in the back in a rack.

Point of order: a Boyt gun slip is about 5/8" to 3/4" thick when laid flat on a counter. A padded gun slip from Africa is over 2.5" laid flat on a counter.

I have found myself steaming dents and repointing checkering on rifles when I brought a Boyt's on safari. They are too thin to prevent wood damage in the racks.

 

[375Fox]

I found soft gun cases on sale for $5 each at the cabela’s register 10 years ago. I still have both I bought after a lot of safaris and trips to range. I wish I would have stockpiled them if I knew they were that durable. Any new soft gun cases for me will likely come from a garage sale. I also won’t spend money on a rifle I’m afraid to hunt with or scratch up.

 

[mdwest]

I found soft gun cases on sale for $5 each at the cabela’s register 10 years ago. I still have both I bought after a lot of safaris and trips to range. I wish I would have stockpiled them if I knew they were that durable. Any new soft gun cases for me will likely come from a garage sale. I also won’t spend money on a rifle I’m afraid to hunt with or scratch up.

Yep!

I'm guessing I've got 10-12 soft cases on hand.. the "newest" one I own is probably 7-8 years old.. Ive got a few that I am sure are 20+ years old.. a few have some small tears or small places where seams have popped for an inch or so.. but all are still perfectly serviceable..

I dont think Ive ever paid more than $15 for any of them..

The only exception are a couple of "tactical" cases that I got a billion years ago when I was throwing "tactical" rifles in and out of my personal vehicle, a govt vehicle, etc.. a couple of times a day for several years.. I paid quite a bit of money for them.. not because they offer that much more protection so much as they are built for a specific purpose and do a bit more than just carry the rifle..

 

[BeeMaa]

I've been using Bore Stores soft cases for a while now. They are a thick gun sock with velcro on one end. No handle or strap, but offer good protection when riding in the back of a truck. They also pack easily with your rifle for a little added protection inside your hard case. Easy to wash & dry when you get home.

 

[Luvthunt]

Back in the 80/90s Uncle Mikes was a decent soft case.