Do you actually use the safety in a bolt rifle? I don't.

[jjjjeremy]

A friend of mine in high school was killed when his .22 pistol dropped and discharged - empty chamber would have prevented that. Another friend shot himself in the leg with a .22 rifle he thought was unloaded, but he didn’t check - verifying and keeping an empty chamber would have prevented that. Just a year ago a friend had a pistol discharge while in the holster and he took a bullet - an empty chamber would have prevented that.

It’s nice to see safety minded people - and we should all be teaching our kids and young adults safe habits, AND giving them to knowledge to recognize different types of actions and how they should be safely handled. I guarantee every year teenagers take friends out plinking with grandpas 30-30 out of the 1970’s, and half of them don’t know how to safely handle it. Same for old revolvers. Same for dozens of weird safety setups on new guns.

It seems like a lot of people were first introduced to firearms that had convenient safeties, or any safety at all. I don't have any confidence in a safety working, so my firearms handling revolves around the idea that they're not there at all.

 

[jjjjeremy]

With a carry/protection pistol, you're at a huge disadvantage without a round in the chamber. A quality holster will not allow a pistol to be fired from inside the holster.

This is a different issue, though. Carry guns are an entirely different use case than a bolt action.

 

[TaperPin]

It seems like a lot of people were first introduced to firearms that had convenient safeties, or any safety at all. I don't have any confidence in a safety working, so my firearms handling revolves around the idea that they're not there at all.

Yes, the idea that a safety makes the gun safe is false sense of security.

 

[jjjjeremy]

I always do this with rifles, especially when storing the gun. just to take pressure off the spring. So my safety isn't "on" until one is chambered. Usually I'll chamber one when I'm getting close to where I think animals are going to be. Don't want to take the time and make noise chambering one if I have to be quick or quiet about the shot.

Yep, except I'm not hunting with a bolt gun in situations where I need that fast shot.

 

[Dos Perros]

Do the empty chamber guys also hunt with an empty chamber when using a shotgun for upland birds?

Most of my upland hunting is with one or two other souls, and a dog or two on the ground. Generally, we walk with shells in barrels, but shotguns broken open (we all hunt with doubles). Usually guns carried on the shoulder. If dogs go on point then approach and close guns as you get close. Wait for flush for safety to come off. I will sometimes close the gun and carry the shotgun at the ready position if dogs are getting birdy and birds could get up within range.

 

[Jason Snyder]

Not true. I can see a rifle across the room that has the hammer dropped and know for a FACT that rifle is unloaded and safe (not a substitute for safe handling techniques) but a fact.

Carry on.

 

[BBob]

I don't have any confidence in a safety working, so my firearms handling revolves around the idea that they're not there at all.

How many millions was Remington sued for because they a had a faulty trigger safety design that failed repeatedly?

There's been at least one known instance on a Remington where the cocking piece/firing pin cross pin failed and a rifle went off at the feet of people at a pre shoot safety meeting. In that instance no safety would have saved you. Good on the guy for muzzle control.

 

[jjjjeremy]

Not true. I can see a rifle across the room that has the hammer dropped and know for a FACT that rifle is unloaded and safe (not a substitute for safe handling techniques) but a fact.

Right? Having the rifle cocked all the time defeats the purpose of the cocking indicator.

 

[Jason Snyder]

Now I know why I largely hunt alone.

 

[COelk89]

A mod considered deleting this thread because it is such a non debate.

Do you not wear a seat belt because you follow the speed limit? It is called redundancy and it will save your ass (or the person hunting with you).

 

[TaperPin]

So you are trying to say you are safer then someone using the actual saftey?

There are a bunch of us that would say that putting your finger on the trigger and pressing it off target is a bad habit. Regardless of the intent.

About half my friends hunt with an empty chamber and half don’t. The ones that are chambered with the safety on I have go first and walk in front of me. If someone checks for an empty chamber and let’s the firing pin down, I don’t even think about where they are. So, yes, an empty chamber is safer than trusting the safety.

 

[Eargesplitten]

I haven't hunted with a bolt gun, so maybe I'm out of my element here, but when I'm hunting with a shotgun or doing move and shoot competitions with my AR, the safety goes on until I'm getting on target. If I fall and faceplant, I don't want the firing pin dropping even on an empty chamber. I specifically only buy guns that I can easily take the safety off while shouldering so at this point it's just part of my muscle memory. That said, I haven't done hunting that's hours of walking around with the gun slung so I might not keep it chambered in those cases, but if I'm going to be thumbing the safety either way why not have the safety on? And hey, having the rifle already cocked with an empty chamber saves .010 seconds on cycling the bolt so it's a benefit /s.

I do frequently have my Tikkas off safe at the range, but that's because when the range goes cold I'm dropping the magazine and opening the bolt and I'm not even sure if I can actuate the safety with the bolt open. IDK maybe I should turn it on even then if I can, but with the gun on the bench with the bolt back, chamber empty, and magazine out it has pretty thoroughly been shown clear.

 

[BBob]

Do you not wear a seat belt because you follow the speed limit? It is called redundancy and it will save your ass (or the person hunting with you).

Silly analogy.

If I took the engine out of my car would it be safe to sit in without my seatbelt or would it still be required?

 

[TaperPin]

A mod considered deleting this thread because it is such a non debate.

Do you not wear a seat belt because you follow the speed limit? It is called redundancy and it will save your ass (or the person hunting with you).

If seatbelts are the only possible safety, how do people ride 4 wheelers safely? Busses?

 

[307]

Same, I don't have any hunting scenarios that would make me want to carry a loaded chamber in a bolt gun.

Grizzly country

 

[307]

Silly analogy.

If I took the engine out of my car would it be safe to sit in without my seatbelt or would it still be required?

Plenty of people are involved in car accidents while sitting completely still.

 

[COelk89]

Silly analogy.

If I took the engine out of my car would it be safe to sit in without my seatbelt or would it still be required?

I don't know anything about your car it could be dangerous just to try to get in and out of!

The whole argument/debate/whatever deserves a much stronger word than silly. You all can keep whatever technique you prefer. I use all strategies when they fit my situation but this thread is stupid. The OP only does hunting where he needs time to set up so more power to him.

 

[BBob]

this thread is stupid

I agree and stated that awhile ago. This will never be settled.

 

[Reburn]

About half my friends hunt with an empty chamber and half don’t. The ones that are chambered with the safety on I have go first and walk in front of me. If someone checks for an empty chamber and let’s the firing pin down, I don’t even think about where they are. So, yes, an empty chamber is safer than trusting the safety.

No you are wrong.

You are trying to make the arguement for an empty and decocked chamber.

I am saying regardless of empty or not chamber.....
Pressing the trigger while pushing the bolt forward develops bad muscle memory and pushing the trigger while the gun is not on target is not safe.

 

[philos]

I agree and stated that awhile ago. This will never be settled.

And now we’re seeing one of the reasons I considered shutting this down.

Some of these arguments sound like a teenager explaining to their parents that they thought it was OK to speed because they were late to meet their friends at the mall

Thread to be closed.