what method and condition do you carry?

method and condition of carry?

  • Slung

    Votes: 104 24.2%

  • Unslung

    Votes: 126 29.4%

  • Chamber loaded, cocked, safety on

    Votes: 256 59.7%

  • Chamber loaded, cocked, safety off

    Votes: 29 6.8%

  • Chamber loaded, uncocked

    Votes: 54 12.6%

  • Chamber empty, cocked, safety on

    Votes: 11 2.6%

  • Chamber empty, cocked, safety off

    Votes: 16 3.7%

  • Chamber empty, uncocked

    Votes: 61 14.2%

  • Other, please explain...

    Votes: 12 2.8%
  • Total voters
    429
A

AG

Regular
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The other poll about safety's has gotten me wondering so here's the poll:
When walking in the bush within game habitat and actively hunting, stalking, still hunting, etc what condition do you carry your rifle in?
I'm also going to try to include in the poll options for carry slung on shoulder or unslung, that way you can vote twice indicating method of carry and condition of carry. Please, I ask that folks only vote for two options in the poll, i.e. vote once for either slung or unslung, and vote once for the remaining choices to keep the poll relevant :)
 
Most of the time it's slung chamber empty uncocked. Usually on a good stalk when I get close I will chamber a round but just close the bolt enough to hold the bolt closed. There should be no chance of firing with the bolt mostly open. When I'm ready to fire I just need to finish closing the bolt and squeeze. I try to never ever use the safety, I've had a couple of bad experiences with safety's.
 
Method of condition of carry?
Pertaining to what?
How can I or anyone explain an answer when a fragmented ambiguous question isn’t even explained?
Go fish, please!

Driller
 
It all depends on what it is. 30-30 is chambered, 1/2 cocked so it is the safety.
shotgun chambered with safety on.
 
Totally depends.....if I'm dogging it's either in hand, loaded, safety off, right hand cupping trigger guard, or same condition only reverse slung (muzzle down) and safety on if I have some climbing to do.....a rifle should never be slung if you are dogging/on an active stalk. The only thing your sling is for is to free up your hands when they are needed elsewhere, and then only temporarily.
 
chambered, cocked, safety off when actively hunting. If I come across some obstacles I'll unload and or put the safety on as needed.
 
If I expect that I might have to shoot, the rifle is in my hands, the action is cocked, the chamber is loaded, the safety is off, and my strong hand protects the trigger guard. All other times the rifle is slung muzzle down, the chamber is empty and the action is cocked to make cycling the bolt just a tad quicker. The only exception is that the rifle might be slung muzzle up when I'm in very deep snow or when negotiating rough sea ice.
 
When carrying my 870 for bear / cougar protection I carry both slung (Off side muzzle down) and in hand depending on terrain. Chamber empty, uncocked and safety off. I can bring it up and rack a round in the chamber and be ready to go in a matter of seconds. I would rather lose a second than to get brush or a fall cause a NG. While out hiking this weekend I took a fall and fell on my gun side while slung. I checked the muzzle and found about 3 inches of dirt pounded into the barrel. I think I'm going to buy a small pack of small black ballons to place over the muzzle, if I have to shoot its not going to make a difference, but in a similar fall I think a little protection over the muzzle might help keep crap out. Just my 2 cents.
 
If I were expecting to run inot bears I would have a round chambered. I have seen those things move quicker than you can imagine. 30 feet in "a couple seconds" and you will prolly need a couple shots to put the thing down. But just hunting I'd think twice about chambering a round trudging through the bush. In an open field chambered round with the safety is ok for me. So this thread I don't think is asking the right question. Too many variables. Type of gun, type of hunting, where you are, etc?
 
I voted unslug, condition one. meaning locked & loaded safety off. But not neccissarily all the time.

When I am in active habitat and I expect to see game at any second, I usually have the firearm to my shoulder, muzzle pointed down with my finger off the trigger, one round in the chamber safety off.

If I am walking from point a to b (ie: Bluff to Bluff here in the praries)..... Chamber empty, bolt down and fired, slung on my shoulder Muzzle down.

If I am hunting in a Boreal area (ie: Moose or Elk) I will have one in the chamber, saftey engaged, Slung Muzzle down.

Personally I find I can get my rifle into play quicker if the muzzle is down as opposed to up. YMMV

Cheers!
 
I know terrain being hunted, along with type of hunting being done will greatly influence the way folks carry. I was just curious and asked since I got an impression from a couple other threads that a fairly large number of folks carried with an empty chamber.
I've yet to see the west, or anything further west than Toronto for that matter, but I'm under the thought that hunting differs alot from east to west. I think out east in NS and NB it would be unpractical to stalk or do any kind of walking expecting to see game with an empty chamber. I'm willing to bet that if an accurate study were conducted in NS or NB the results would show that most kills were made at less than 100 meters. However, in an area that game may be taken from distances say over 200 meters regularly it could be more realistic to carry with an empty chamber.

Personally, in NS I have slings on all my rifles (a rifle without a sling is like a handgun without a holster) but the only time I sling a rifle is when I'm carrying something or the rifle is unloaded. If I'm in a hunting situation, ready to take game if a shot presents itself, the rifle is always in hand, chamber loaded, safety on, finger off trigger laying outside trigger guard, and thumb on or near safety ready to manipulate it. Or if using a rifle/shotgun with safety manipulated with finger instead of thumb, it's the same as mentioned before except with trigger finger on safety mechanism ready to manipulate it.

Now, we all know that the most trustworthy safety is muzzle control and finger out of the trigger guard until ready to fire. Personally, I do not rely or trust any mechanical safety but I won't take one step in the woods with a loaded firearm with the safety off especially in thick brush. With that said, there are all types in the woods. I've come across a guy in the woods walking with a lever action, chamber loaded, hammer cocked, no safety, ready to fire at all times.
 
I prefer to go uncocked or half-cocked with one in the chamber but it depends on the action type and if the firing pin will be resting on the primer in this state.

Often go with one in the chamber and the bolt up on a bolt action holding the rifle with a thumb over the bolt as I stalk. Its also very easy to open and make safe in a hurry.

Most of the guns I use don't have a conventional saftey and the ones that do I don't use the saftey or I don't use them for hunting.
 
I have a 2 km walk to the stand. I always use a sling along with my backpack. The chamber is always empty with safety on (The bolt is secured with the safety on).

When I am ready to shoot the chamber will be loaded and safety off....
 
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