Do you keep a round in the chamber?

[PredatorX]

And you guys also carry on empty in grizzly country?

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[tdhanses]

To me, rifle elk hunting was exactly the same style as bird or small game hunting. Things happen fast and at close range, there's no time to load a round when a bull jumps up in front of you at 30 yards in the timber. And very similar to archery hunting.......when I'm working a bull, I know I need to nock an arrow "before" he appears out of nowhere or I run into him. And I have run up and down slopes with an arrow nocked many times before too.

Yeah but you nock an arrow or chamber a round when close, do you nock your arrow as soon as you pull your bow out of the truck?

 

[bertha]

Following!this seems like a very interesting thread

 

[jt4]

For those that only chamber once on the “final stalk” or “within range”, what do you do if a shot opportunity doesn’t come as planned? Remove the mag, eject the round, put it back into the mag and then back into the gun so it’s unloaded again? Or do you keep that round in and continue to stalk hoping you’ll get back to a shot opportunity?


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[Wentworth6]

Not any more. I had a text in opening day of rifle for deer here. My friend texted me in my stand and told me one of our young coaches got out of stand and had a accident trying to still hunt to a buck he saw. Minutes later he Texted his dad who was on the same farm this/
Accident/ hurt

He passed away before his dad got to him.
I am so upset texting this. It’s hard to see right now.
Accidents happen but I want to minimize it all I can

 

[Rthur]

Yeah but you nock an arrow or chamber a round when close, do you nock your arrow as soon as you pull your bow out of the truck?

False analogy.
Missing a shot/opportunity on an elk is rarely fatal.
Stopping a bear attack, you have the rest of your life to get it done.

R

 

[Elkfitness]

Another vote for not having one in the chamber. Justin’s story / thought is the same for me.


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[tdhanses]

False analogy.
Missing a shot/opportunity on an elk is rarely fatal.
Stopping a bear attack, you have the rest of your life to get it done.

R

How is it false, you are hunting with a weapon. Most that hunt with a chambered round in a gun, chamber a round as soon as they get out of their truck and hike all day like that, so why wouldn’t one walk all day with an arrow nocked?

That said I always have my pistol chambered when on me, the trigger is always 100% covered and if I have a revolver the hammer has a strap over it.

But I think this discussion is more so about rifles then pistols.

Also your more likely to be hurt by the elements then any animal.

 

[PredatorX]

 

[Huntindog45]

With my rifles only under ideal conditions: standing, still, watching.... even then I am cambering a r round less and less. I can pretty much chamber a round in the time it takes me to get my gun to my shoulder. I cannot think of one single animal i have missed an opportunity at because I did not have a round in the chamber.
With my 300wsm, which i love to carry, only holds two in the magazine so i tend to chamber my third round more often than with other rifles while hunting. On the other end of the spectrum I still love to carry my model 99's for deer. 5 in the magazine and i can have one chambered before my stock hits my shoulder so i lose nothing by carrying unloaded. For the most part no the risk vs reward just doesn't add up for me.

 

[Rich M]

I carry a Model 70 with a round in the chamber and the safety on so that it locks both the bolt too - the bolt won't open if it hits brush that way.

That said, if I was a guide, I'd want folks walking behind me to carry empty.

 

[204guy]

And you guys also carry on empty in grizzly country?

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Yes all the time. But the sound of my brass balls clanging together kinda work like the bear bells.
There are obvious exceptions, if I'm in a situation where I feel a bear encounter is very likely I'll chamber a round then unchamber after that situation has passed.

 

[204guy]

I think this topic is definitely a regional/cultural thing. Seems pretty typically in the east, rifles are loaded and chambered at the truck. In the west/AK much more likely guys are carrying an empty chamber. It's function of hunting style, terrain and "how my dad taught me".
Being from the Midwest I used to always carry hot, it's just what we did and I didn't really consider anything else. Now with some western hunting experience I and anyone I'm hunting with will be cold 100% of the time unless it's a special circumstance. When your footing goes unexpectedly muzzle control goes out the window. If you haven't taken some spills you haven't spent much time in the mountains. I've also had numerous situations where a rifle in a gunbearer or strapped to a pack goes off safe, with no idea how or when.

 

[lyle_destroys]

Im probably one of the exceptions here, but I had firearm safety drilled into me since I can remember. Whether its deer, birds, small game I have one in the chamber. I also unload when going across creeks, in and out of vehicles, climbing ladders. But I am a stickler about keeping weapons pointed in a safe direction and have been known to chew on guys that have pointed a firearm in my direction at the range or field.
In my opinion if you carry concealed and DONT have one in the chamber then yiu are wasting your time and energy
Now for big game hunting, if you dont want to carry loaded then thats perfectly acceptable.

 

[KINGSNAKE]

Just sold my cooper because it only held two rounds in the mag.

 

[PredatorX]

I wouldn't trust myself if a grizz was barreling down on me to rack a round. I'd probably forget. Click then crunch is what I'd hear.

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[AK Troutbum]

The only time I keep a round in the chamber is when I’m bird hunting and I never know when I’m going to flush something. Under those conditions, I’m hunting with a double and the safety is on.


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[wyodan]

I personally never carry with a round in the chamber, even in grizzly country. I only chamber one if I am on a stalk, or right when I get ready to shoot. Even then, I never close the bolt all the way as I just don't trust safeties. Even when I jump an animal, I generally don't shoot as it's too hard to make a real good shot at my skill level. I would rather miss an animal than regret something the rest of my life.

 

[5MilesBack]

Yeah but you nock an arrow or chamber a round when close, do you nock your arrow as soon as you pull your bow out of the truck?

I chamber a round as soon as I start still hunting them, so pretty much after I leave the truck because I never know when or where they are going to be. For archery I have a pretty good read on them already from their responses to have a better idea when to nock that arrow. If they told me where they were during rifle, I'd probably not chamber a round until I heard one and started working in on him.

 

[tdhanses]

I chamber a round as soon as I start still hunting them, so pretty much after I leave the truck because I never know when or where they are going to be. For archery I have a pretty good read on them already from their responses to have a better idea when to nock that arrow.

And I think that is the answer, it all just depends.