You can only go a few 100 lms further west of me until you are swimming, and I mostly hunt with a loaded chamber. Round chambered, safety on. Unload chamber if terrain or some other circumstances dictate. I usually hunt with bolt actions, but last season hunted with a Tavor. Popped in the mag, loaded the chamber and flicked the safety on. Never had a need to unload in this case.
Condition of carry when still hunting with a semi rifle.
- Thread starter delboybc
- Start date
You can only go a few 100 lms further west of me until you are swimming, and I mostly hunt with a loaded chamber. Round chambered, safety on. Unload chamber if terrain or some other circumstances dictate. I usually hunt with bolt actions, but last season hunted with a Tavor. Popped in the mag, loaded the chamber and flicked the safety on. Never had a need to unload in this case.
Wow, not sure how much hunting you actually do with these comments. Hunting bears or anything else with an empty chamber is just waisting your time. Maybe you need to come out west where real bears live. I and anyone I have ever hunted with in the past 25 years or so never walk through the bush in search of game with an empty chamber. Never has there been any safety concerns. However many tags have been filled because the person shooting had a loaded chamber and was ready when it was needed. A split second maybe all you get. Like BUM said earlier, carrying a firearm with an empty chamber is just a walk in the bush, not huntng.#
"If you bear hunt". "It most probably ". And the chances of". "If a bear jumps you". "Bolt slamming shut might be " "so that might explain". Holy cow all those could be's and ifs and you walk around unloaded. Wow your amazing
- Location
- In the shadows of the Rockies
(Hunting with a semi -)
I sure like my old 7400 35 Whelen. Aren't these about the perfect rifle to be carrying when multiple targets need to be dispatched in rapid succession?
This makes total sense to me when walking with the rifle in your hand or when patrolling, I am a total newby to hunting in north america but I have found when I am stopped, I am looking with the bino's, which means most of the time the rifle is slung with my hand no where near the trigger.
- Location
- Behind a large rock
Locked and loaded... I'm as far west as west gets.
cut it right there
you either served in the forces as you claim and know firearms handling or are just trolling.
One thing I won't do is chuck crap at someone for how they carry their firearm, unless it's truly dangerous. Especially if it's dangerous and they don't know it.
There are many different situations, many different schools of thought, few are truly wrong.
And with a new hunter, I will definitely insist on an empty chamber.
There are many different situations, many different schools of thought, few are truly wrong.
And with a new hunter, I will definitely insist on an empty chamber.
No trolling here, I am just trying to understand different points of view that people are putting forward, it seems that we are getting a bit of cross over with what people have done with military service and what people do while hunting, I see how they both have similar objectives with firearm safety in terms of not having an unauthorised/accidental discharge and harming someone.
Just from my experience the military training process was similiar to still hunting but because someone could shoot back at you, your training always had the weapon at the ready, were always told to just feel your safety to make sure it was on and your finger was always out of the trigger guard.
For me while hunting I have found it similiar to the military patrolling but also different as the prey does not shoot back, I am always looking with my binos', how many pts on that deer, there is a bear any cubs around etc... given this I don't have my rifle in my hands which means I cannot continually practice what I was taught when handling a rifle with a round in the chamber, check the safety, nothing near the trigger.
The consensus to the thread pretty well answered my questions about hunting with a semi which is have a round in the chamber, I guess my follow up question was more related to my own handling of the rifle while using bino's and you are unable to see or continually feel your safety if using a sling or the gun bearer
saskgunowner101
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- near Prince Albert
No matter if it's a bolt action or semi auto, it's loaded and safety on. Control the muzzle and you'll always be safe. I found out my first year deer hunting (first morning actually) that a slung rifle without one in the chamber is basically a pretty club slung on your shoulder.
I am hunting with a rfb, single point sling rifle hanging in front of me. As I walk I got 3 options, the most common isrifle hanging in front with my hand on the pistol grip controlling the rifle orientation and doing 20-30% of the weight bering of the rifle. This is fast as the grip rides about hip height so it is fast to shoulder and leave one hand free. Secondly is no jand carry, I just let the rifle hang free to bounce around, that is only done if I need both hands to move branches or whatnot and is usually not for more then a couple of secondsI also CAN do it to climb in a stand. Lastly and a bit harder to picture is, the rifle hanging in front of me I then swing it to my right, all around my back and clip the buckle on the front mount of the gun to the one I added to the slack adjuter (dead end of the sling) witch I have loop in my left belt loop. Hard to picture but it keep the rifle flat on my back immobile at the 8 o clock position with about 3 inch of muzzle at my left and 2 inch of stock on my right. That is ideal for climbing in a stand, hauling game or gear or any activity were you need to bring the firearm but can't have it in your way.
And I always have one in the chamber part from wen the rifle is attach to my back. Wen it is loaded, I alway keep my 2 safety, the guns safety and my finguer out the trigger guard and as alway with a firearm you point it in a safe dirrection!
And I always have one in the chamber part from wen the rifle is attach to my back. Wen it is loaded, I alway keep my 2 safety, the guns safety and my finguer out the trigger guard and as alway with a firearm you point it in a safe dirrection!
One up the spout ready in my hands to rock, for me it has made the difference between putting meat in the freezer and bushwhacking all day to swear at some critters arsehole. Still hunting to me means skirting games traiks in thick timber with shots of 10-30 yards at most so being ready is key, if you can't handle the absolute basics of gun safety what the heck are you doing out hunting
Not in my case. The only time I sling a rifle is if I cross a creek, climb into a tree stand, etc., at which time I unload. I find a slung rifle takes me too long to bring to the ready. Also, I don't have as much control over the forearm. But that's just me. I know there are guys that carry slung, and I'm OK with that.
From a young age, I was always taught to never trust a safety. So naturally my father instructed me never to put a round into the chamber unless I was ready to fire. If you don't trust the safety, you must always have the gun unloaded.
This continued until I started going on my own and I started to carry one in the chamber and ditched the browning bar in favour of something less cumbersome.
This continued until I started going on my own and I started to carry one in the chamber and ditched the browning bar in favour of something less cumbersome.
CreamySmooth
CGN frequent flyer
Any standard bolt or semi I carry one in the chamber, unload to get in/on a vehicle or over an obstacle. Control your muzzle whether it's slung or carried. This is where building good muscle memory and habits are importatant.
I will also add though, that I really like carrying my Blaser for this reason. There is no safety on it. The slide at the back is a completely quiet cocker/decocker. So while you are carrying with one in the chamber, you aren't cocked, and cocking the rifle is as easy as using a safety, yet the design of sliding it forward and up can not be accidental.
I will also add though, that I really like carrying my Blaser for this reason. There is no safety on it. The slide at the back is a completely quiet cocker/decocker. So while you are carrying with one in the chamber, you aren't cocked, and cocking the rifle is as easy as using a safety, yet the design of sliding it forward and up can not be accidental.
BigUglyMan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Scotland
I built a version of the Universal Gunbearer for my pack frame. As it turns out it is just long enough to hold my 12.5" 870 and, of course, holds everything else perfectly.
This I agree with.
