Hunting, walking around with a loaded rifle?

Hunting: walk around with loaded rifle?

  • Never, no rouns in the rifle at all.

    Votes: 2 0.4%

  • Load mag only.

    Votes: 101 21.2%

  • Load barrel only.

    Votes: 1 0.2%

  • Load both mag and barrel, with safety.

    Votes: 350 73.4%

  • Load both mag and barrel, no safety

    Votes: 23 4.8%
  • Total voters
    477
Nic3500

Nic3500

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So I was at the range yesterday when I overheard two guys discussing the fact that they always load their rifles in the woods when walking around. Lets say from the camp to their blind or tree stand. Or from one spot to another. One guy was explaining to the other the importance of the safety.

During hunting season I adjust scopes at my local range and I always test the safety on rifles I adjust. I would "guess-timate" a failure rate of about 3%. And the owners always claim they did not know it was broken and have trusted it for years.

It makes no sens to me to do that. You are not in Vietman and VC are not hot on your trail. Load up the mag but do not load one in the barrel. And do not trust your safety to prevent accidents. This way you can cross fences, get in your boat, climb into your cache, trip, slip, fall, etc without shooting yourself or a friend.

Well that is what I think, what do you think?
 
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If I'm somewhere that I might see game, and it's legal, I'm loaded. I carry one in the chamber as soon as I walk away from the vehicle.
I've hunted for a long time, and saw buddies give up and unload their gun too soon only to miss an opportunity on the walk back to the vehicle.
If you don't have a round in the chamber, does that make it safe to point your gun at your buddy, sweep them with your muzzle, or use your scope instead of binos? Of course not, you treat a gun like it's loaded all the time. I won't condemn someone for erring on the side of safety, but I chamber a round and apply the safety as I walk away from my truck. Maybe if your hunting Antelope at 400 yds you might be able to chamber a round when you're getting into position, but not Whitetail or Elk in the bush.
 
Ardent said:
Depends what you're hunting. Grizzlies in the salmon run in cold jungle? I won't look down on a loaded and ready rifle one bit. Quiet treestanding? Same. Mountain packing in grizz country? Same. Casual stroll or woods loafing? Sure mag loaded chamber empty. No one answer.
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This.

Also, dafuq is a cache? I mean, in the context you're using it in, OP?
 
Depends on the situation.

Also, some guns don't really lend themselves to not having one in the chamber. Like single shots or break open shotguns.

In the end, muzzle control is the most important part.
 
I never use the safety. Everytime I carry or hunt, it's in the chamber, as mentioned already, or mag is full.
When I'm using a shotgun for protection against wildlife, I know I rack and fire. It's how I've trained my muscle memory. That's my preference.
I read a horrible report about a man who couldn't function his firearm against a bear because of safety on. It has stuck with me.
I treat all firearms as they are loaded and ready to fire, so the safety being on is a non issue to myself.
But I believe everyone uses firearms in different scenarios on a regular basis and should figure out what is legal where they are and how they want to practise.

EDIT - anyone spending several hours or days in a tree stand knows.. When the game pops up, it feels like a deep breath, let alone a rack of the action or a click of the safety even, may ruin that perfect shot. My opinion only. I hate noisy hunting partners.
 
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I hunt with a Remington 700. (270, but that is irrelevant). I chamber a round, then release the trigger. (Open the action, hold the trigger down, close action.) It isn't shoot ready, but it just takes a quick #### of the action to be shoot ready. Kind of a compromise between the two positions. Safety is NOT on.
 
muzzle awareness is something one should be taught from the moment one is taught to load the rifle..

where I hunt there is no one else, I personally know the difference between man and deer.

i do not shoot at movement or glimpse of brown stuff.

everyones situation is different and as mentioned.... some guys hunt next to grizzlies!!

A loaded rifle is no match for a Drop bear.. loaded or Not, you are in strife down here
WL
 
grimblyd said:
I hunt with a Remington 700. (270, but that is irrelevant). I chamber a round, then release the trigger. (Open the action, hold the trigger down, close action.) It isn't shoot ready, but it just takes a quick #### of the action to be shoot ready. Kind of a compromise between the two positions. Safety is NOT on.
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That's something I haven't seen before. It is, as you mentioned, a reasonable in between. I've never thought of that.
 
It makes no sens to me to do that. You are not in Vietman and VC are not hot on your trail. Load up the mag but do not load one in the barrel. And do not trust your safety to prevent accidents. This way you can cross fences, get in your boat, climb into your cache, trip, slip, fall, etc without shooting yourself or a friend.
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- I go loaded, chambered, safety off in good terrain. Muzzle awareness 110% of the time and booger picker off the bang switch until its happy time is my safety.
- I have missed multiple good shots because of fumbling with a safety
- Safety goes on for any questionable terrain, mud to slip in, branches to catch trigger, etc
- Crossing fences, entering vehicles or boats, climbing to stand, I am unload & open action.
 
Just because my gun has a round in the chamber does not mean that I am "relying on the safety". I still follow all four firearms safety rules that I follow 100% of the time.
 
The scenario assumes the gun is being carried on a sling instead of in the hands. A pump/semi/lever action will be carried with the safety off, hammer down on an an empty chamber. The only rifle I'd consider for bush carry with a loaded chamber and safety on is one with a three-position Mauser safety in the fully locked position.
 
grimblyd said:
I hunt with a Remington 700. (270, but that is irrelevant). I chamber a round, then release the trigger. (Open the action, hold the trigger down, close action.) It isn't shoot ready, but it just takes a quick #### of the action to be shoot ready. Kind of a compromise between the two positions. Safety is NOT on.
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Doing it that way the firing pin is against the primer. A fall or sharp bump has the potential to cause an unintentional discharge. I first read about that from Capstick many years ago.... thought it was a bad idea then, still do.

Where I hunt encounters with game are usually close and often unexpected. The noise associated with having to rack the action would likely result in a lot of lost opportunities. If I was out on the open prairie, or in the mountains where there is more time to react, I might do things differently. I load up as soon as it's legal, hot chamber, safety on. The gun is in one or both hands from then until it's time to quit. If I have to set it aside, I empty the chamber(s).

I've managed to get through four decades of hunting without an incident. Even when I've slipped and landed on my a$$, I was quite pleased to note the muzzle was still pointing straight up.
 
grimblyd said:
I hunt with a Remington 700. (270, but that is irrelevant). I chamber a round, then release the trigger. (Open the action, hold the trigger down, close action.) It isn't shoot ready, but it just takes a quick #### of the action to be shoot ready. Kind of a compromise between the two positions. Safety is NOT on.
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MackForce said:
That's something I haven't seen before. It is, as you mentioned, a reasonable in between. I've never thought of that.
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emerson said:
I have and it's a bad idea. Chambeting a round while pulling the trigger. Hmmmm, what could go wrong??
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9.3mauser said:
Doing it that way the firing pin is against the primer. A fall or sharp bump has the potential to cause an unintentional discharge. I first read about that from Capstick many years ago.... thought it was a bad idea then, still do...
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Letting the firing pin down on the primer is a really bad idea. As 9.3mauser has stated a bump can fire the rifle. This is a really bad, dangerous practice.
 
Is this another example of discussing safeties? I walk with a loaded rifle and have the safety engaged however I know where it is pointed and my finger is not inside the trigger guard.
 
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