Hunting, walking around with a loaded rifle?

[Nic3500]

Mag loaded, one in the spout, safety on. I've seen several lost opportunities due to unloaded rifles.
I also check my safety every couple minutes, and unsling and cover safety and trigger in thick bush.

I have a couple questions though, for the OP: People pay you to sight in their rifles?? What constitutes "properly" zero'd, as opposed to whatever (evidently flawed) method others might use? Is paying someone else to shoot your guns for you a common Quebec thing?

It is offered as a service to shooters at the range I go to. Most hunters could not be bothered to learn how to zero a scope so they pay us to do it. Us == a couple guys hired by the range during busy season. So we verify the rifle, the scope, tighten the screws, and zero the rifle. I do not know if such a service exists at other ranges (there are so few to start with in Québec!).

What we often see is guys shooting 1 or 2 boxes of ammo to zero their scopes but they do not hit paper at 100 yards (ya I know...). So if you factor in the cost of ammo, paying us 15$ do to it in under 5 shots is quite cheap.

Frankly the quality of marksmanship is very bad for the average hunter. I have seen a guy miss a bear in June at 20 yards! I am not afraid in the woods, except when there are hunters around. But that is another discussion, for another thread...

 

[burnt_servo]

I've never met a real person that hunts without a round chambered, only hear of it on the net.

at some point , if you intend to shoot something , you have to chamber a round

 

[prairie lover]

round in the chamber with safety on for the most part. when sitting on stand, and remember some of mine are really short range stuff, think 25 yards max, the safety comes off as quietly as possible when I hear something approach. don't worry I am not gonna shoot you walking around the bush, gun lays on my lap safety off waiting for deer or whatever to shot. in my experience bucks showing up are unmistakeable cause they make a lot of noise coming in. does do not. safety will not go off for a doe cause there quieter than all the squirrels and I cant shoot them anyway. reason the safety goes off is so it does not make a loud click when a buck is 25 yards away. some have come in quietly and this click did not seem to bother them so.....but you just never know.

otherwise my safety stays on all the time. I don't want anyone hunting with me who hunts with safety off or has no constant control over there muzzle. there is no reason anyone cant flip off a safety when a deer crosses an opening when walking in or calling coyotes and a coyote shows up. all my safetys flip off fast and easy when the time comes. some are better than others, x bolts are the best, tikkas are the worst if you ask me. everything else I got is inbetween. none will cost you a deer cause you couldn't flip it to off, ever!too much can go wrong if you sit and wait for mr coyote to show with the safety off. I have seen accidental discharges when someone thought the safety was on and lay the gun down to do something. boom. muzzle direction was controlled so no harm done but......keep the dam thing on, make sure it works before you go hunting and keep your finger off the trigger till it needs to be on it!

 

[prairie lover]

if I had to cycle the bolt to chamber a round when I wanted to shoot I wouldn't have shot 75 percent of the deer I have. unless you hunt texas style from a latter stand or are sitting over an alfalfa field where you know all shots will be long, you wouldn't have a chance to chamber one most of the time. I like hunting natural funnels during the rut, shots will be close, and windows will be short. the deer will be halfway to the next valley by the time you finish cycling the bolt if you plan on doing it when you finally do see one.

 

[blasted_saber]

Has anyone in this thread said they rely on the safety? I doubt it. Using the safety and relying on it are two very, very, different things.

I almost always hunt alone, so loaded with no safety. If you rely on the stupid safety for safety then you are not at all safe. And when you meet someone in the woods, you open your action for safety and courtesy anyway, do you not?

I get mostly jump shots in my style of hunting. And of course I spent some time as a civilian hanging around with SOF types and have been heavily corrupted by them, leading to my posting this very predictable video clip:

 

[dustycool]

Looking at the results of the poll, I'd say this thread closely reflects the results of discussions I've had with other hunters. I usually carry my rifle mag loaded chamber empty, I've also gone with one in the chamber, safety on. Depends on the situation, I guess my hunting situations have not often dictated the need for a quick response. Makes me a little nervous to hear so many talk about the need to fire at a moments notice, when I want to be sure of my shooting situation and target. I know I choose to play on the safe side.

Hunting with my 303, I have also found one technique that allows me to get a round in the chamber a little quicker and quieter. I hold the trigger while closing the action on an empty chamber. Uncocked, there is less tension and I can cycle the action much more smoothly to get the first round in. Might not be my choice for every situation, but it has worked well for me.

 

[Lucas269]

I normally hunt with one in the chamber, mag loaded, and safety on if I'm in a stand or walking. There are some situations where I have gone without one in the chamber like if I'm on and off a quad or in and out of a truck a lot where I would constantly be loading and unloading the rifle. I did own a remington 710 that had a bad safety and that one was always carried with an empty chamber. I check my safeties periodically throughout the year to make sure they work. I do not rely on the safety but I use it as an added measure. What I rely on mostly is muzzle control and diligence. My one friend who I have hunted with the most is a very firm believer in carrying his firearms with an empty chamber until the time comes to take a shot. His main reasoning is that something outside his control may happen like he trips over a rock or slips and this way there is no chance of his rifle going off. While his concerns do seem reasonable it played part in him missing an opportunity at a nice moose last year. Where we normally hunt this bush is quite thick and close shots are normal. There would usually be plenty of time to chamber a round but working a bolt is noisy and requires very visible arm movement that can spook game.

 

[atr]

Up in a stand i'm loaded , chambered and the safety is off . While walking i'm loaded , chambered and the safety is on .

 

[Big Bad]

Has anyone in this thread said they rely on the safety? I doubt it. Using the safety and relying on it are two very, very, different things.

What I've seen is that people do exactly that. Which you do not do if you don't use one.

In addition to the circs I already mentioned, when I'm with someone else I do use mine, especially if that's what the other person is used to because if they should have occasion to pick up my firearm, I don't want an ND to happen. And sure, an engaged safety always provides a bit of extra security but just a bit, a tiny and usually unnecessary bit.

 

[Urbansherpa]

Ready to rock as soon as I'm in my hunting area. Chambered, and with a full mag. Safety on.
Keeping the 'sharp end' pointed in a safe direction is the most important thing. Goes for rifles and shotguns.
I'll unload if I'm climbing a tree, or doing anything similar, though.

*I never use the safety while shooting clays. Don't need to.

 

[Superbrad]

I am dumbfounded by those that would hunt with a live round in the chamber and no safety on........ I can identify with some of the Hunters in say, BC, that hunt goat and sheep and don't need a chambered round....... But walking around cocked and ready to rock seems ridiculous to me....... Too much slip trip and fall / snag on a branch risk for me....... And if you have never fallen down or gone through thick brush while hunting, well sorry, you are just walking at that point.......

I grew up on upland game and a Cooey 84...... Raising the gun while cocking the hammer became second instinct to me........ For rifles, I hunt exclusively with Ruger m77's for this reason....... The 3 position safety is now reflex to me as well...... (I could likely do an m70 or Mauser for this same reason).....

 

[Longwalker]

I've been a firearm safety and hunter eduction instructor for over 30 years. I can state unequivocally that students who would load a firearm and proceed with the practical handling test without the safety engaged would not pass my course. I failed several students for committing that error. Consistently failing to engage the safety whenever a firearm is loaded is reason for failure for both the Canadian Firearms Safety Course and the Saskatchewan Hunter Education course. No amount of personal bias or wishful thinking makes it correct to walk around with a fully loaded rifle, without the safety engaged.

 

[Grizzly Adams]

Only time I have one up the spout is if there's a Grizzly in the neighborhood, but safety on. There won't be any reaction time spare if the #### hits the fan.

Grizz

 

[nexgen]

Two in the magazine and one in the chamber, safety on.

Most of my shots are 50 yards or less where racking a bolt or a lever would be game over,

 

[Rascal]

Making noise Chambering a round is the same as honking a car horn.
Game is gone

 

[bcsteve]

I am dumbfounded by those that would hunt with a live round in the chamber and no safety on........ I can identify with some of the Hunters in say, BC, that hunt goat and sheep and don't need a chambered round....... But walking around cocked and ready to rock seems ridiculous to me....... Too much slip trip and fall / snag on a branch risk for me....... And if you have never fallen down or gone through thick brush while hunting, well sorry, you are just walking at that point.......

X100! Live round in the chamber with the safety off while walking in the bush is an accident waiting to happen.

 

[coleman112]

I am dumbfounded by those that would hunt with a live round in the chamber and no safety on........ I can identify with some of the Hunters in say, BC, that hunt goat and sheep and don't need a chambered round....... But walking around cocked and ready to rock seems ridiculous to me....... Too much slip trip and fall / snag on a branch risk for me....... And if you have never fallen down or gone through thick brush while hunting, well sorry, you are just walking at that point.......
...

My thoughts as well.