Round in the Chamber

[rayporter]

No round in the chamber here in WY. There has yet to be a situation where that was necessary. That's just not how it is out here. You know your shot is coming well in advance. Odds of accidentally killing your buddy, or shooting a horse are zero without a chambered round.

When I lived and hunted in the hardwood timber of New York, you probably would never pull off shooting a deer with no round chambered. Everything happens too fast in dense timber.

It has its place, but if it isn't necessary, I'm not sure why you would be compelled to take unnecessary risk.

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in a nutshell, this is what the two sides do not grasp.
in the east, the deer rarely stand still, they always move because of the hunters kicking the briar patch to see what runs out.

 

[grfox92]

Your not at risk of killing your friends if your not sticking the muzzle at them either.

You can accidentally point en empty chamber at your buddy and pull the trigger and he's not going to die. Now try it with a round in the chamber. Let me know how it works. Accidents happen. We are human.

Special Forces guys have negligent discharges and get sent back to conventional units all the time. This happens. Im willing to bet we can count on one hand the amount of guys on this forum that are as proficient or safe with a fire arm as an SF Operator.

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[RockAndSage]

You can accidentally point en empty chamber at your buddy and pull the trigger and he's not going to die.

And when everybody is chambered, nobody does stupid $h*t, like not be hyper aware of where their muzzle is pointing, at all times.

Im willing to bet we can count on one hand the amount of guys on this forum that are as proficient or safe with a fire arm as an SF Operator

I'm willing to bet you a whole lot more, that you'd need at least both your hands and both your feet to count the number of people on here who are significantly more proficient and safe with their weapons than the average SOF operator. Our SOF is excellent, but they're nowhere nearly as good as most people think with their individual weapons, on average, and most treat their guns and weapons-craft no differently than they do any other tool in their kit. Some are far more into their electronics or medical gear or their dive or climbing gear, than they are their guns. Their job isn't shooting - it's operating as a system at the extremes of military capability. The difference matters.

 

[grfox92]

And when everybody is chambered, nobody does stupid $h*t, like not be hyper aware of where their muzzle is pointing, at all times.



I'm willing to bet you a whole lot more, that you'd need at least both your hands and both your feet to count the number of people on here who are significantly more proficient and safe with their weapons than the average SOF operator. Our SOF is excellent, but they're nowhere nearly as good as most people think with their individual weapons, on average, and most treat their guns and weapons-craft no differently than they do any other tool in their kit. Some are far more into their electronics or medical gear or their dive or climbing gear, than they are their guns. Their job isn't shooting - it's operating as a system at the extremes of military capability. The difference matters.

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[seand]

Empty chamber generally unless I’m stalking in on game or ready to shoot.

Always empty chamber if I’m with others.

The typical hunting rifle does not have a drop safe trigger like an AR15 or a Glock. If you trip/fall or drop a typical bolt action rifle it can easily go off.

Safe gun handling always - loaded or unloaded. But two guys walking single file, the guy in front slips and the rifle drops off the sling and hits the ground barrel to the rear. Stuff like this happens.

 

[deadwolf]

Your not at risk of killing your friends if your not sticking the muzzle at them either.

Trip and fall with a holstered carry pistol, no big deal. Trip and fall with your buddy above the hill from you, possible big deal. It’s just not worth it.

The OP asked a question about rifles, when rifle hunting. And we’ve turned it into all weapons in any given scenario. This thread went exactly as the last few I’ve seen over the years.


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[grfox92]

Trip and fall with a holstered carry pistol, no big deal. Trip and fall with your buddy above the hill from you, possible big deal. It’s just not worth it.

The OP asked a question about rifles, when rifle hunting. And we’ve turned it into all weapons in any given scenario. This thread went exactly as the last few I’ve seen over the years.


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I was just coming back to ask if any of these guys have ever tripped and fallen while hunting. If they haven't, they aren't hunting the brutal country that I've come to the conclusion doesn't warrant having a round chambered.

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[Leaf Litter]

I hunt, so round in the chamber. If I were to start doing something lame like golf or PRS, then I'd walk around with an expensive paperweight.

 

[K9kodi]

I understand there are diff hunting styles and areas. On my farm, as stated, the second I’m out of the house I officially hunting. Round is in the chamber. Might be a diff story if hiking the badlands or way out west with a waypoint in mind to glass from.

 

[EastHumboldt]

I carry my rifle with an empty chamber, unless it makes sense to put one in . I only hunt the mountain west because it’s where I live. I’ve had exactly one situation where not having a round chambered cost me a shot. I spooked a couple bucks out of their beds and watched them lope off over a low rise. I figured they were gone and my stalk was over, so I took the round out of the chamber. I walked up the hill to where I’d last seen them, and they had only gone about 30 feet. They jumped up and ran out in front of me, and if I had a round in, I could’ve had either one of them. Like most here, when I’m stalking, I have a round in the chamber. My mistake was in thinking that the stalk was over. I won’t make that mistake again.

I can see where it makes sense to have a round chambered, if you’re hunting thick, brushy country.

 

[Wildstreak]

That's why I posted on HT. Thought it was a little bold for Michael to call us all "dumb".

Yea…the “ridiculously stupid” was very bold.

 

[MTguy0341]

If I’m by myself I’ll hunt with a round in the chamber. When hunting with clients or my wife, no rounds in the chamber. Accidents can happen. Doesn’t take that long to cycle the bolt. Obviously situations dictate

 

[crowlja]

It really depends on the situation and what terrain I'm in and also who I'm with. Also, if I have an action that doesn't lock the bolt when the safety is on, I don't have one chambered or the magazines inserted because of how many times I've found my bolt open.

 

[Babarkidd]

Not any more. Never had an issue with mine

 

[MallardSX2]

You guys can do whatever you want to do but I never killed anything with an unloaded gun…..

 

[mitchellmountain]

When hunting by myself, round in the chamber. When hunting with others, chamber empty while moving from spot to spot. But while stalking or on stand round in the chamber even with others. Raising my kids hunting I've seen too many failures to control where the barrel is pointed to be comfortable with a round in the chamber hiking. I've become hyper aware and I have seen it enough too with seasoned adults. Hunting is a passion of mine but it's nowhere near important enough to take those kind of unnecessary risks for potential tragedy.

 

[Dave0317]

How are you supposed to carry then?

This is a bit ridiculous and I concede I was a weak man to be baited in to such a topic.

Edit: I made a comment about the trolling going on, some people just can’t/won’t defend their own position, won’t follow a line of logic. Not worth spending more time talking about it. Like you said, just cheap bait into a dumb internet argument.

… Carry on (loaded or not, lol) back on topic.

 

[Dbevans]

I don’t and don’t see a need to. Had a general idea on where this bull was but not too sure because willows. Anyways he stood of 10 yards in front of us and started to run away but I had plenty of time put one in drop him.


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[RS3579]

You aren't at risk of killing your friends with a properly holstered pistol.

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You aren't at risk of killing your friends with a properly holstered pistol.

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If a person decides to have a round in the chamber and it’s not illegal you can voice your opinion to them but that’s it. You can also make the decision to not be around that person. I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news, when in public, there are people very close to you with one in the chamber and you have no clue of their training or understanding of firearms. Good luck!

 

[Felix40]

I think it’s foolish to have one in the chamber while hiking around in the mountains. I’ve fallen down and/or ended up with my gun pointing the wrong way too many times. Still hunting, sitting, walking slowly on flat land…of course it makes sense.

As for the handgun thing, a striker fired handgun trigger inside a holster is a very different animal from an exposed hunting rifle trigger.