Do you hunt with loaded or empty chamber?

Only hunted with bolt guns (recently) and with a lever gun (long ago)and I follow the list below:

Mag full, chamber empty, safety on (When setting out on the hunt: verify chamber empty, lock the bolt, safety on, load mag).
If I fired a shot, and I'm not ready to shoot again, I leave the empty case in the chamber and don't cycle the gun.
If hunting in a group, one person is designated "RSO" and verifies everyone following the above.
 
Good discussion. I am re-thinking my actions, and thinking that as I walk in with my hunting partner, it would be wise to have mag full, but bolt closed and chamber emtpy. I doubt I will lose a deer in the time it takes to chamber a round. It is sometimes a tricky walk in, with many trip and fall hazards, and having an empty chamber sounds like the way I should go. I have gotten so used to hunting alone, but now am walking in with my son in law, and that poses an additional hazard.
 
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Hand Skills said:
Depends on the rifle. I used to be a '1 in the pipe' kinda guy, but had the safety on a Rem 700 move from S to F while slung.

Not a good feeling. I re-evaluated my conventions there and then...

Now I am a chamber empty guy unless the rifle is *in my hands*.

(Win M70's and Browning BLRs get the odd exception, they are about the only rifles whose safeties I completely trust)
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If it makes you feel better I cocked my muzzle loader at a deer and walked the entire way back to the car with the hammer still pulled back....that gun doesnt have a safety.


MDR said:
Empty for spot and stalk. Loaded in a blind. I haven't lost an opportunity due to the time it takes to work the bolt.
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You'd think was the opposite....
 
Thunderhog said:
Correct, we are de-cocking the rifle while lowering the bolt or hammer.

Yes, the bolt has to be lifted straight up and then lowered. This maneuver is lightning fast and leaves no opportunity for a mis-feed or jam. I have practiced this for over 40 years, one gets very quick with this action.

Safe muzzle control and proper firearms safety are always used.

A cocked rife can fire if the safety fails, a un-cocked rifle cannot. Accidents do happen to many people, we are extremely careful when hunting. This technique works for us and apparently Maifire as well. It's personal choice.

Everyone be safe out there and always practice good muzzle control.....:)
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So how do you do this on most bolt action rifles? You have to pull the trigger as you lower the bolt, on a loaded round in the chamber.

If there is anything more stupid than this when it comes to negligent discharge I do not know of one.

There are some guns that have a half #### notch that are designed for this but a firing pin should not be resting on a primer without having a stop point and most guns do not have this feature, outside of those with a half #### setup.

Practise safe muzzle control and it does not matter if your gun goes off, if you leave the gun with a firing pin on the primer you are significantly more dangerous than leaving the gun cocked with the safety on.
 
canadian hunter312 said:
It’s actually mind boggling how many people here don’t trust themselves to handle a gun safely while it’s loaded. I don’t think I’d feel comfortable hunting with someone like this. If you can’t trust yourself, I sure as heck won’t trust you with a gun for the short time it is loaded in your hands.

My gun is loaded during the entire hunt, when legal. I’ve never actually heard of people hunting without one in the chamber until I read it on CGN years back.
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I only hunt alone, I do not trust anyone other than myself. That come after 2 close calls. One, far too close for comfort!!!
 
Fox said:
So how do you do this on most bolt action rifles? You have to pull the trigger as you lower the bolt, on a loaded round in the chamber.

If there is anything more stupid than this when it comes to negligent discharge I do not know of one.

There are some guns that have a half #### notch that are designed for this but a firing pin should not be resting on a primer without having a stop point and most guns do not have this feature, outside of those with a half #### setup.

Practise safe muzzle control and it does not matter if your gun goes off, if you leave the gun with a firing pin on the primer you are significantly more dangerous than leaving the gun cocked with the safety on.
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The key to doing this safely is once a live round is pulled from the box magazine, the trigger is held depressed while lowering the bolt. The gun cannot fire as the firing pin tension is not engaged while lowering your bolt.

The only thing that would be negligent would be your muzzle not pointed in a safe direction while doing this, or pulling the trigger after the bolt has been lowered.

If you are practicing safe firearms handling and muzzle control, the firearm will not discharge. And it does matter if the gun accidently goes off, or if the fellow behind it is stupid. (your eloquent words)

The firing pin resting against the primer is not dangerous at all. You may want to research this to understand how a firing pin works in order to dent the primer which causes powder ignition.

And your statement of the firearm being more safe with the safety on is actually false. Any mechanical safety can fail if the firing pin is cocked. It cannot fire if the spring is relaxed.

I hope this educates you a little on how a firearm firing pin actually works.

Follow good firearms safety, and never point your gun, loaded or un-loaded at anything you do not wish to destroy!
 
Wellse said:
Heard of a story from the States,
few guys in an Aframe goose hunting, loaded shotgun was knocked over and discharged when it hit the ground. One of those guys didn’t make it home, and the rest of his friends have to live with that memory for the rest of their lives.
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Modern guns are all drop safe
 
Thunderhog said:
The key to doing this safely is once a live round is pulled from the box magazine, the trigger is held depressed while lowering the bolt. The gun cannot fire as the firing pin tension is not engaged while lowering your bolt.

The only thing that would be negligent would be your muzzle not pointed in a safe direction while doing this, or pulling the trigger after the bolt has been lowered.

If you are practicing safe firearms handling and muzzle control, the firearm will not discharge. And it does matter if the gun accidently goes off, or if the fellow behind it is stupid. (your eloquent words)

The firing pin resting against the primer is not dangerous at all. You may want to research this to understand how a firing pin works in order to dent the primer which causes powder ignition.

And your statement of the firearm being more safe with the safety on is actually false. Any mechanical safety can fail if the firing pin is cocked. It cannot fire if the spring is relaxed.

I hope this educates you a little on how a firearm firing pin actually works.

Follow good firearms safety, and never point your gun, loaded or un-loaded at anything you do not wish to destroy!
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Not that I’ll ever hunt like that but I’m curious as the only time I ever do this is with empty chambers on say a rimfire, I’ll have to try it on a live round with both cóck on close and cóck on open rifles I have.

Most of what I hunt with have a 3 position safety that both blocks the sear and locks the bolt in the fully engaged position, between the safety which I check for function periodically and finger/muzzle control I practice having a loaded gun in my hands while hunting doesn’t concern me in the least.
 
For a few years I hunted with a “sporter” 98 that the safety couldn’t be raised enough to engage, so I usually had one in the chamber but bolt handle still up. My old 32WS was at half #### one empty chamber, depending on being alone or not.
 
canadian hunter312 said:
It’s actually mind boggling how many people here don’t trust themselves to handle a gun safely while it’s loaded. I don’t think I’d feel comfortable hunting with someone like this. If you can’t trust yourself, I sure as heck won’t trust you with a gun for the short time it is loaded in your hands.

My gun is loaded during the entire hunt, when legal. I’ve never actually heard of people hunting without one in the chamber until I read it on CGN years back.
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Who said they don’t trust themselves with a loaded firearm?

If there’s no reason to have firearm loaded, why have it loaded?

If I’m anticipating a shot it is loaded, if not, well…

My firearms are handled the same way regardless of loaded or unloaded — muzzle control being the most important. An unloaded firearm does not mean one can get careless.

Accidents are called “accidents” for a reason, otherwise they would be called “on purpose”.
 
Relying on a safety mechanism on a firearm or a firing pin resting on a loaded round in a decocked firearm to not discharge in either case is low but never zero.
Regardless of what a person does. muzzle control is paramount.
Cat
 
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Full magazine, extra ammo in my pocket, round chambered and safety on.
If I need to cross a creek or somewhere sketchy, I will unload before crossing.

Grouse hunting, I have my not at all wise dog with me usually, and I will leave the gun empty. I'm not wing shooting.
 
So everyone saying they wouldn’t hunt with a loaded chamber has never hunted with a double barrel, break action, crossbow or muzzle loader I take it?
 
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