Safety or bolt decocked?

[collector67]

Hi all
I was just wondering how everyone carries their rifle while stalking game in the bush. Cocked with safety on, round in the chamber, or bolt decocked, with a round in the chamber? (no safety).

 

[yidava25]

If I'm in a situation where I'm carrying it with a round chambered I use the safety. I don't know if it's possible for the gun to go off when it's decocked but I'm not comfortable with it anyway.

 

[9.3mauser]

I know the striker down/no safety/round in chamber is popular with some African PH's, but I personally don't like it. The firing pin is resting against the primer, and a jar or bump could cause a discharge, and this is not just theory.

I almost always carry round in chamber/safety on. One exception is my Marlin .22 mag... safety is backwards to what I'm used to (forward is safe, back to fire... wrong, wrong, wrong!). In that case I carry chamber empty and only load up when I'm offered a shot. The primary safety is the one between your ears; the one on the gun is secondary.

 

[Suka]

IMO unless you're going to shoot there shouldn't be one in the chamber. If you can't rack a shell fast enough with your bolt, buy a lever. Then you can.
.

 

[dand883]

IMO unless you're going to shoot there shouldn't be one in the chamber. If you can't rack a shell fast enough with your bolt, buy a lever. Then you can.
.

For me it's less about how fast i can rack a shell in, but more about how loud it can be doing it. When it's still and quiet out some guns can make quite a bit of noise working the bolt, alot less then a small click of the safety.

 

[trykillthis]

The sound of cycling the bolt is enough to spook a deer if you walk in close to one you didn't know was there. I can't see why you wouldn't have your gun loaded and locked when walking around, unless you knew the safety was not working. Muzzle control first.

 

[LordEvilPepper]

cocked and locked myself; unless of course im crossing a fence, then I unload it PROVE it safe, slide it under the fence, cross the fence at a difrent point pickup my rifle and PROVE it safe again (those crafty gophers might have loaded it) reload and carry on....