Road Trip!! How to stash a rifle while on a car trip/staying over, etc.?

[Mrs. Peel 7,157]

In several weeks I'm taking a little road trip into PA. I'll be taking a rifle with me and shooting at a range on Sunday, but I decided to turn it into a full weekend at a B&B. Fun, right? But then I realized... I have no idea what to do about the "logistics" of having a firearm with me, especially a long gun which is obviously more unwieldy to store than a handgun. 

Here's the itinerary... I'll be arriving on a Friday, checking into the B&B, then heading out to dinner somewhere in my car, and returning back to the B&B. (They have off-street parking btw and it's in an area known to be safe). The next day I'll be out and about, again in my car, doing touristy things... shopping, lunch, etc. Then, on Sunday morning, I'll check out of the B&B and head off to the range - and later in the day, head home. Sooo, as you can see, multiple times in and out of the room, multiple times in and out of the car, etc. throughout the weekend.

So, what in the heck do I do with my big awkward rifle case during all of that? Do I move it into the room Friday night, put it under the bed (in the case with a trigger lock on the gun), and then just leave it there until I remove it on Sunday morning? Do I ask questions about who has access to the room like cleaning staff or maintenance, or only the owners (or does that kind of question just raise alarms with the B&B owners? They'll think I'm cooking meth, lol.) Or is it safest/wisest to just leave the rifle in the locked car (again, with a trigger lock too) as I go about my weekend? Am I supposed to remove it from the room each time? (Either way, the gun is inevitably left unattended SOMEWHERE... either in the room or in my car). What are the legalities? (FOPA? something else?). I know some of you travel to go shoot at a friend's property out-of-state, or you travel to competitions, for instance... so how would you handle this? 

[JohnnyB 4,325]

1 hour ago, Mrs. Peel said:

how would you handle this? 

I would transport the rifle in it's case with the ammo in a separate case.  Do not leave it in your car!  Put the rifle under the bed and leave the ammo in the car.  Put the do not disturb sign on the doorknob if you worry about the maid. I would not worry about it, nor would I say anything to anybody about having the rifle.  You are in America in PA.

Enjoy your trip and don't overthink this!

[Bomber 1,092]

1 hour ago, Mrs. Peel said:

. I'll be arriving on a Friday, checking into the B&B, then heading out to dinner somewhere in my car, and returning back to the B&B. (

Personally, I'd rather not be shlepping a rifle case in and out of where I'm staying.

Surveillance cameras and nosey people everywhere these days. 

[bennj 215]

I wouldn't leave it in the car. Maybe check with the range and see if you could have them safely secure it for you. If so, drop it off on Friday. Either way, enjoy the weekend.

[winmag45 14]

Is there a way to break down the rifle into something more discreet? Then I would think you can just put it in a closet as B&Bs are usually pretty safe and accomadating.

My worry is more when I am traveling and we have to stop. I have a Tahoe and what I did was find a point where I looped a piece of aircraft cable, then put a bike type cable lock through the loops, then through the cases and luggage. My alarm system alerts me when it goes off so I feel I would be able to shut down a smash and grab pretty quick. Perhaps you can find a place to anchor a cable lock in the trunk. Best of luck.

 

[Krdshrk 3,877]

Does the rifle break down in any way?  Do you have any long bags that are more discreet?

[Scorpio64 5,156]

4 minutes ago, Krdshrk said:

Do you have any long bags that are more discreet?

I was actually thinking along the lines of a garment bag.  Sandwich the rifle between a couple of dresses and zip it up.  Can eve store it hanging in the closet.  Nobody is going to look twice at a garment bag, unless you try and fold it over your arm.

[Mrs. Peel 7,157]

13 minutes ago, Krdshrk said:

Does the rifle break down in any way?  Do you have any long bags that are more discreet?

 

56 minutes ago, winmag45 said:

Is there a way to break down the rifle into something more discreet? Then I would think you can just put it in a closet as B&Bs are usually pretty safe and accomadating.

Even if I take the back section of the chassis off... it's still a pretty long item. The barrel itself is 31 inches. It's not like I'm going to get it into a small package per se. 

It's interesting though...there are as many different ideas here as there are posts! Obviously, I'm just going to have to figure out what feels best for the situation. Right now... I'm thinking that's wrapping the rifle case in a blanket with twine, stashing it on my luggage carrier, with my weekend bag bungeed in front of it, and maybe something else - like a laptop bag - bungeed on top of that... roll the whole shebang in the front door of the B&B with a big, disarming smile on my face. Who the heck will know what any of it is? Who will really care? And then I'll look for some way to securely store it in the room with a cable and let them know that I don't need room service for the 2 nights I'm there. I'm not going to overthink this more than I need to... totally destroys the "zen" of a weekend away!

Edit: the garment bag idea is interesting... I have an older garment bag in the house somewhere. I'll have to see how that looks. Otherwise, like I said... wrapped in a blankie. None the wiser.

[High Exposure 5,664]

Guys, this ain’t a 16” barreled 6lb M4. The rifle may be taller than she is!

Peel, what’s the overall length of this beast?

Have you tried contacting the range? When I have traveled out of state for classes and had to stay in a hotel, the range would often offer to lock participants rifles in their secure armory for safe keeping.

I would try to make it as secure as possible in the car. I wouldn’t keep dragging it in and out unless I had a discrete and secure method to carry and secure it. With a hotel, you can often find a back or side door. With a B&B, there is usually title to no chance of “sneaking” it into the house/cottage.

A locking hard case cable locked to something in your car works as well.

FOPA covers you for travel if the gun is legal at the starting location, and the end location of your travels, even if it would otherwise be illegal at some locations you drove through.

I have a couple of lockable hard Pelican cases if you want to borrow one.

 

[Mrs. Peel 7,157]

Hmmm... I'll reach out to the range as a couple of you have suggested. None of the ranges I've ever belonged to had that kind of service... I didn't know it was even an option in some places. Can't hurt to ask. 

To answer your question, HE, the current gun case is 52 inches long - the gun barely fits in. So, I'm guessing about 4 feet total length. Kind of hard to "hide"... of course, though I was hoping to make it look like I bought a mirror at an antique shop on the way up, and want to store it in the room so it's not bouncing around in the car all weekend.

I'll figure it out... lots of good ideas here, as always (even if they are not all in agreement with each other, lol).

[Krdshrk 3,877]

Wow... what did you get?!

[JohnnyB 4,325]

[father-of-three 243]

1 hour ago, Mrs. Peel said:

Hmmm... I'll reach out to the range as a couple of you have suggested. None of the ranges I've ever belonged to had that kind of service... I didn't know it was even an option in some places. Can't hurt to ask. 

To answer your question, HE, the current gun case is 52 inches long - the gun barely fits in. So, I'm guessing about 4 feet total length. Kind of hard to "hide"... of course, though I was hoping to make it look like I bought a mirror at an antique shop on the way up, and want to store it in the room so it's not bouncing around in the car all weekend.

I'll figure it out... lots of good ideas here, as always (even if they are not all in agreement with each other, lol).

As tall as my 9 year old!!

[15636215 454]

Must be a really long gun!. Bring it in and place, LOCKED, under bed!. Do Not leave in car!! Then forget about it, Don't stress.

[Mr.Stu 1,922]

When I travel I take handguns in my range bag into my room and leave long guns in the trunk out of sight. I take the range bag back out to the car when I go out from the hotel.

As you say, it will be unattended at some point either way. By moving it into your room, you are exposing its existence. By leaving it concealed in your trunk, you skip that step.

Additionally, it is not the type of gun that would be desired by miscreants. They would be far more interested in a handgun that they could conceal.

[High Exposure 5,664]

15 minutes ago, Mr.Stu said:

When I travel I take handguns in my range bag into my room and leave long guns in the trunk out of sight. I take the range bag back out to the car when I go out from the hotel.

As you say, it will be unattended at some point either way. By moving it into your room, you are exposing its existence. By leaving it concealed in your trunk, you skip that step.

This is the method I subscribe to as well, if I don’t have a secure location to store them or a very inconspicuous method of transport for them.

[gleninjersey 2,141]

Just tell the owners you don't wish to be disturbed during your stay and leave it in your room.  Under the bed or in a closet.

 

[Mr.Stu 1,922]

The only wrinkle I see with keeping it in the car is that PA has similar to/from laws as NJ unless you have an LTCF. 

[10X 3,298]

I'm watching the thread with interest, not because I can add to whatever has already been stated, but because eventually (gotta get this house ready to sell, gotta find the new house in Idaho) I'll be moving cross-country.  That's usually a 4-5 day drive.

Movers won't take the guns or whatever ammo and components I might have left by then.  So the car will be packed to the gills with my shooting stuff, though what I have will be legal in all of the states I pass through, and I'll be giving Chicago (maybe all of Illinois) a wide berth just the same.

It's not practical to take everything in to a hotel every night.  I'd be a nervous wreck leaving them in the car if I'm not in it, no matter how invisible they are.  I'm not excited about sleeping in the car every night and only getting meals at drive-throughs.  And I haven't yet found anyone willing to share the drive straight-through in a single push.   My wife is quite supportive of my shooting habit, but not quite that supportive.  No good options, it seems.

[PK90 3,570]

2 hours ago, 10X said:

....  That's usually a 4-5 day drive......  No good options, it seems.

Ask a friend to go along and share the driving to go straight through non-stop, then pay for his flight home.

[10X 3,298]

1 hour ago, PK90 said:

Ask a friend to go along and share the driving to go straight through non-stop, then pay for his flight home.

That's been the solution I'm leaning towards, thought the people I've discussed it with thus far either don't have enough time off, or won't get on an airliner.  The search continues.

[Mrs. Peel 7,157]

17 hours ago, Krdshrk said:

Wow... what did you get?!

It's a bolt-action rifle (single shot/no magazine) built on a Remington 700 action with a 31" Bartlein bull barrel and set into an Elisio chassis system... it's chambered in 6.5 Creedmore... and it's got a Jewell trigger that's set to a few ounces of pull. That's what it came with, and I added a Vortex Golden Eagle scope to it. (Forgive me if I worded anything incorrectly... I'm still learnin' some of this this new-to-me rifle lingo. ). But basically, it's a gun designed very specifically for F-Open and/or benchrest shooting, because after careful study and trying out others' rifles, I figured that those are the 2 rifle sports I want to pursue. Oh, and it's for mid-range distances (so, roughly 300 to 600 yrds, though this gun is very accurate out to 1000 and probably beyond. I think if you want to go really long distance though, to be competitive you are more likely shooting 7mm caliber? Others can correct me if I'm wrong.) 

F-Open and benchrest are both very gear-intensive sports - yes, the gun is big and heavy, but it's designed for a big heavy rifle rest, and a big heavy rear sandbag - so all of that weight is supported. Because of the greater ease of shooting, the targets are appropriately shrunken down from other precision rifle sports at similar distances. You have to be shooting well under 1 MOA to do well.

The upside (for me personally) is that this type of shooting seems to mitigate my weaknesses: my lack of upper body strength is not an issue, because the gun's weight is supported... and I've found my cross-dominance which has sometimes vexed me is suddenly not a problem either, because the scope is aligned with my right eye, and I'm right-handed. Also, I don't have the fastest or most graceful gross motor coordination in the world, lol (which is why, I think, I struggle with shotguns). 

In 10-plus years of (admittedly casual shooting) and trying out different things... so far, F-Open (laying on a mat, being very still, and taking careful precisely aimed shots) is BY A LANDSLIDE the most "natural feeling" shooting I've ever done. The few times I shot it from a bench was even easier. And I'm a SMITTEN KITTEN as a result. Obsessed! Money has flown out of my savings account at a speed I can barely comprehend.   And I'm not even fully set up with reloading gear yet. That's the next financial hurdle to cross.  Precision shooting is VERY expensive! (And I'm not even at the highest end of gear. I'm seeing people with $10,000+ custom rifles... $6,000+ scopes... all kinds of fancy electronic gadgetry. Yikes! I'm not close to that).

Other than the big dent in my savings, the downside (again, just for me personally) is that not only is the gun itself is heavy and cumbersome (it's 4 ft long and weighs about 20 lbs), but there's a lot of ancillary gear, and all of that is heavy & cumbersome, too. I have a fancy rest with a joystick called a Seb Neo... it's like maneuvering a small engine block, lol.

"Getting ready to go shooting" when I'm heading to my indoor range with a pistol is as simple as checking to make sure I have ammo and then throwing the range bag over my shoulder... done! But with this gear?...  oh, Lord... it's like I'm preparing to invade a 3rd world nation. (Or, if you 've ever seen people with a newborn baby pack for a weekend trip... yeah, pretty much the same thing). There's just a TON of stuff to pack into the car - some of it (because I'm a weakling), I need to roll out on a small dolly, all bungeed up, etc. It takes me at least 10-15 minutes just to assemble the gear, load it on the dolly, bungee it up, navigate the porch steps, lift it into the trunk, repeat the next load, etc. But it's sooo worth it... because once I'm shooting, the ENTIRE process focuses on things I am pretty good at (trigger coordination, remaining VERY still, etc.) The only thing that remains to be seen is how I'll do with windage (haven't really shot at long enough distances or windy enough weather yet to know that). But I figure anything can be learned. And after the money I've spent, there's NO WAY I'm not going to learn to do that well!

I'm very happy though. Grinning from ear to ear actually. After all this time, I feel like I've finally found my niche in shooting... and I'm having a total BLAST! I already have NEXT YEAR's calendar filled with match dates. Like I said... obsessed!  The lesson for me (and perhaps for others still exploring?)... is that there are a LOT of shooting sports, and you should really explore as many as you can. There's 1 or 2 that will undoubtedly fit you better than others. I'm just sorry it took me a whole decade to figure out mine. (Sorry for the long-winded tangent...)

[brucin 923]

Sorry to side track your thread Mrs. Peel but I have a suggestion for 10X. 

I don't know if there is such a thing but perhaps there is a way to rent a small travel trailer or RV and stow all your gear in that and sleep in it on your way out. This allows you to guard your gear and saves the cost of a motel for the night. The only issue I see is being able to leave the trailer or RV at your destination so you don't have to return it to the rental location.

You will not have to pay for a spot to stop as Walmart's and Cabela's allow you to stay overnight for free and you can make your meals in it as well. I've seen your cooking I'm sure you'll eat better than stopping for road food.

I'm sure this will not be the most inexpensive solution to your dilemma but piece of mind is priceless.

[Mrs. Peel 7,157]

1 hour ago, brucin said:

Sorry to side track your thread Mrs. Peel but I have a suggestion for 10X. 

Not at all...I say let the thread wander! And that's a great suggestion for 10X. 

[10X 3,298]

We've thought about the RV...it has potential to work out really well...but it's almost impossible to book a one-way cross-country rental.   Cruise America will do it for a Class C, but it's quite expensive.

Ironically, we plan to get an RV once we're further into retirement, but I'd really like to move first, because a) it won't cut deeply into our home-buying cash reserves, b) there will be a much larger selection of gently-used RVs out west, and c) it won't create the problem of having two move two cars AND an RV across the country.

Haven't ruled it out, but haven't ruled it in, either.

[Scorpio64 5,156]

8 minutes ago, 10X said:

it won't create the problem of having two move two cars AND an RV across the country.

You can tow one of the cars with the RV. 

[ESB 247]

On 10/7/2023 at 1:48 PM, 10X said:

I'm watching the thread with interest, not because I can add to whatever has already been stated, but because eventually (gotta get this house ready to sell, gotta find the new house in Idaho) I'll be moving cross-country.  That's usually a 4-5 day drive.

Movers won't take the guns or whatever ammo and components I might have left by then.  So the car will be packed to the gills with my shooting stuff, though what I have will be legal in all of the states I pass through, and I'll be giving Chicago (maybe all of Illinois) a wide berth just the same.

It's not practical to take everything in to a hotel every night.  I'd be a nervous wreck leaving them in the car if I'm not in it, no matter how invisible they are.  I'm not excited about sleeping in the car every night and only getting meals at drive-throughs.  And I haven't yet found anyone willing to share the drive straight-through in a single push.   My wife is quite supportive of my shooting habit, but not quite that supportive.  No good options, it seems.

 

Stay at motels and ask for the first floor where you can park directly in front of your room door.  You'll be sleeping 10 feet from your car.  Bring your CCW inside the room at night.   If you don't have a Utah CCW permit, get it.  

 

 

[10X 3,298]

2 hours ago, ESB said:

 

Stay at motels and ask for the first floor where you can park directly in front of your room door.  You'll be sleeping 10 feet from your car.  Bring your CCW inside the room at night.   If you don't have a Utah CCW permit, get it.  

That could help.  Motels are often less secure than hotels, but only a motel would offer the option to be that close to my car.  If I thought I'd get enough rest, I could also schedule to arrive right at check in time, sleep until 11 pm or so, then get back on the road, not leaving the car unattended during the hours when theft is more likely.

I've got CCW permits good clear across the route, except for Illinois and Pennsylvania, and I know I could get the PA permit without too much trouble.

[brucin 923]

10 minutes ago, 10X said:

I know I could get the PA permit without too much trouble.

Make a slight detour to Belfont PA. The sheriff there will have you in and out in 15 minutes with your permit. Then they'll apologize for the wait.

[Bomber 1,092]

5 hours ago, ESB said:

Stay at motels and ask for the first floor where you can park directly in front of your room door.  You'll be sleeping 10 feet from your car. 

 

Thats how we always did it when on road trips.

Back the car right up to the room door and unload, no shlepping bags through the lobby and down hallways or have some A-holes in the room above waking you at 6am taking a bath.

One time we were at a place outside of Rapid City in South Dakota, little did we know one of those f-ing tour buses was staying the night .

Zero dark thirty they wake us up as they all pile out their rooms to start getting on the bus to leave, yelling to each other, pounding up and down the stairs, the building was wood construction so you felt as well as heard everything.