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
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.

X2! When you're hunting, you can start a game animal at any time. Even fumbling for a safety can be enough to miss a shot. Just like in my old military days (back before the Dead Sea was even sick), you have to be ALWAYS aware of where your muzzle is pointing and where your trigger finger is. Respect for a loaded firearm, good and safe firearms practices, and common sense should rule.
 
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.

This prettyuch echos mh thoughts perfectly.
 
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.

This
 
A few years a range body went deer hunting. The gun was loaded, safety on. He fell down and in the process his hand touched the safety - disengaging it - and when the gun hit the ground it fired.
 
Mag loaded and inserted and one in the tube and safety on while hunting. When a club member approaches my ground stand/watch to chat briefly(usually the dogger) I drop the one in the chamber as soon as I see/hear him approach. I am generally going to change watches( via truck /ATV) to another watch anyway.
 
Every gun should be considered loaded at all times, until it is proven otherwise, and even then one must be aware of the muzzle direction and keeping the finger out of the trigger guard. I think the gun should be loaded with the safety on or in a lever rifle in half #### with the safety on if the gun is equipped with it. In the heat of the moment while hunting is no place to load a rifle, where the slamming ahead of a semi's bolt or the slip of a thumb off of a wet hammer on a lever gun could cause it to discharge.
Buck fever can make people do some stupid things.
 
Mag loaded only. I don't rack one into the chamber until potential quary are spotted. Safety stays on until the finger enters the trigger guard. Muzzle control at all times. "The heat of the moment" is typically slow and methodical. If an animal is running away, we simply wait till it stops or find another animal.

This has never prevented us from filling the freezer.

I don't let myself worry about being preyed upon. Bear spray is a better defence for sudden attacks anyway. People who are afraid in the woods shouldn't be there.
 
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Always hunted birds with my Win. 370(single shot) with the hammer at rest on a live shell.
With the .303 Lee Enfield, cartridge in chamber, bolt not pulled back.
 
Mag loaded only. I don't rack one into the chamber until potential quary are spotted. Safety stays on until the finger enters the trigger guard. Muzzle control at all times. "The heat of the moment" is typically slow and methodical. If an animal is running away, we simply wait till it stops or find another animal.

This has never prevented us from filling the freezer.

I don't let myself worry about being preyed upon. Bear spray is a better defence for sudden attacks anyway. People who are afraid in the woods shouldn't be there.

If you cant walk around safely while hunting with a loaded rifle you shouldn't be in the woods.
 
A few years a range body went deer hunting. The gun was loaded, safety on. He fell down and in the process his hand touched the safety - disengaging it - and when the gun hit the ground it fired.

Don't believe this always repeated scenario because if you know where the rifle is pointed, know your footing and protecting the safety and triggers this is impossible. Negligence gets yourself shot. There is always more to any story and he is too embarrassed to fill in the blanks.
 
Mag loaded only. I don't rack one into the chamber until potential quary are spotted. Safety stays on until the finger enters the trigger guard. Muzzle control at all times. "The heat of the moment" is typically slow and methodical. If an animal is running away, we simply wait till it stops or find another animal.

This has never prevented us from filling the freezer.

I don't let myself worry about being preyed upon. Bear spray is a better defence for sudden attacks anyway. People who are afraid in the woods shouldn't be there.

Bear spray is better? What if he's upwind of you? Or charging from 20 or 30 yards? You think a can of pepper spray will turn or dissuade a charging bear, or one who thinks you are too close to her cubs???

Ive been bear sprayed before by some punks trying to rob me and two friends otw to a party one night. It was hands down one of the worst experiences of my life. That said, i would NEVER rely on it to dissuade a bear. Ever. And I bet anyone who has been sprayed would agree with me.
 
Depends on the firearm I am using on how/why the safety is operated.
But one in the chamber is needed for making barrel noise tewt sweet....................:sniper:
 
For the most part chambered and safety on. I have a strong but not exclusive preference for rifle safeties that lock the striker, often to the point of choosing the rifle for a particular hunt (or style of hunting) by the safety type. Surrounded by people, striker block. By myself, whatever I want. Climbing mountains with someone, probably empty chamber. Long range hunting with a magazine rifle, probably empty chamber and loaded mag. 15 pound rifles are probably just empty altogether.

How come shotgunners seem to be able to carry their scatterguns without triggering a major debate or killing themselves? Never seen a hunter with a double carry an empty gun yet. Ever see a goose hunter chamber a round when the honkers commit, but not before? Neither have I.
 
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