Several years ago, a couple of guys I know in Newfoundland went out hunting for black bear. one was using an 8mm mauser, and when they came upon a cutline for the power lines, they saw a bear about 400 or 450 yards away. He cocked his gun and we began the stalk. They got to the area where the bear was, and spent the next half hour looking for it. After they concluded they wouldn't find the bear, they continued onwards. My friend put the safety on the loaded rifle and continued walking. They eventually came to a heavily wooded area and while going through the thick brush, his rifles safety was dis-engaged by (we assume) a branch or something he rubbed against, because a couple of minutes later, a thicker sized stick caught his trigger (while holding the rifle with both hands nearly horizontal) and set off the gun. He shot his friend in the hip and it was quite troublesome for the 2 guys to get him back to a hospital. (due to the distance from the road, and that his hip was broken and movement was slow, plus bleeding was pretty good).
Anyhow, for that reason alone, I leave my gun loaded but chamber empty. It only takes half a second to get the chamber filled, and if that means the difference between getting an animal or not, I guess it wasn't meant to be. I wont rely on mechanical safeties because ANYTHING can fail. Thats just me. Too safety conscious I guess.