Round in the Chamber

[deadwolf]

Never a round in the chamber unless I’m in bear country and holding the rifle, safety on. I prefer my hunting partners also carry empty chamber as well.


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[BigNate]

When things can get sketchy I clear it. Pretty simple.

 

[wapitibob]

Nothing in the chamber till I get ready to shoot.

 

[Walkstoomuch]

It’s not a yes or no. Lawnboi and Marbles nailed my approach

 

[Speaks]

I voted yes but I guess it depends. I may not always have one in the chamber when in the woods but I am also rarely loading to shoot.

When I am bird hunting a spend hundreds of hours a year walking through the woods with a loaded shot gun, not sure why it would be horribly unsafe to do so with a rifle. I also keep one in the chamber of my carry pistol when going about day to day activities.

Its worth noting different practices in different places though. My experience is more MN and WI woods hunting than out west. My gun is usually in my hands not on a pack etc.

 

[Pony Soldier]

Always ride with nothing in the chamber. Always walk loaded. Everybody I grew up with did and does the same. I have never known anyone that hunted with an unloaded gun

 

[twall13]

I voted no, as that's typically the case for big game hunting. I'll load a round when I'm stalking an animal or think there is a high likelihood one is within range, but typically when I'm out the gun is unloaded. I know there are certain situations where doing it this way might mean the difference in a shot opportunity or not, but I've found that to rarely be the case and I'd rather err on the side of caution with that one.

That said, upland hunting I walk around with a round chambered, and I carry my pistol with a round chambered so I'm not necessarily against it. I just think it's a personal preference and somewhat situation specific. Always keeping firearms pointed in a safe direction is rule number one, but the amount of times I see people not minding their muzzle makes me think it's not a bad idea to have some other safety protocols in place with a group as well.

 

[bpitcher]

Definitely situation dependent.

Sitting? Yes. Hiking? No. Stalking? Maybe.

Use your noggin and assess risk/reward and act accordingly.

 

[madcalfe]

My gun is loaded the moment I get off the jetboat for sheep hunts.
I even sleep with one in the tube with the gun in the tent (barrel is always pointed down).
If I'm hunting around home, then no I don't have it loaded.

 

[Sundodger]

You are not going to kill anything still hunting Rosie elk or blacktails in the thick rainforest without one in the chamber. Hell, you need to practice taking the safety off without noise, they hate that metallic click.

Spot and stalk mule deer and bear I am a mixed bag, but mostly round in chamber. I grew up hunting upland birds, so pretty used to actively hunting with a round in the chamber.

 

[Jamr]

I hunt with a loaded gun. If I am crossing something were I am worried about slipping/falling or going through a brushy shit hole I will empty the chamber.

 

[SamsonMan22]

One in the chamber for me unless it is strapped to my pack.

 

[dirtytough]

Hardly ever do I hunt with a round in the chamber. If hunting with someone I definitely don't. I don't need to kill something so bad I'll risk it.

Coyote hunting solo I load at the truck. I hate the noise chambering a round on stand but if not hunting solo we chamber on stand.

 

[RWT]

I won’t hunt with you if you do carry one in the chamber. I’ve seen three “accidental” discharges.
If you are alone, it’s your business. With others. It’s everyone’s business.

And I hunt at night with a thermal often.
If you come back to the mule/truck, and this includes bird hunting, with a loaded chamber we are done hunting together.

OU cracked completely open is allowed.

 

[MedServ60Driver]

For the most part, yes. More specifically, if the rifle is being carried in my hands or I'm stationary, there's a round in the chamber. If it's on the pack or in the car, empty chamber.

 

[WCB]

Not any more. Never had an issue with my old Ruger M77 hunting in WI but with doing more out west hunts and switching to a Tikka I have found the bolt opens way to easily when strapped to my pack. Simply not as safe if something were to happen.

Walking across a hay field to a tree stand sure I don’t mind having it loaded but it’s in hand then.

How is it "unsafe" if the bolt opens?

 

[eaglemountainman]

I grew up stillhunting in the heavy woods of the NE. Shot opportunities can be fast and unexpected propositions. Everyone I've ever hunted with back east carries with a round in the chamber.
When hunting out west , where shots are usually much less rushed, I'll generally carry with an empty chamber. When I've located a buck/bull and I'm stalking in for a closer shot, my chamber is loaded and ready to go.

 

[WiscoHoundsman]

How is it "unsafe" if the bolt opens?

When I put the gun on the pack the safety is on and the bolt won’t open. While walking the safer has gone off numerous times and the bolt opened a couple. What if something in my pack pushed on the trigger wrong or some brush got in there and pulled it while the safety was off and bolt still closed. I simply won’t be putting a round in the chamber of my tikka while it’s strapped to my pack.

 

[PredatorSlayer]

Might want to rethink decocking with a round in the chamber if that is a standard bolt action rifle. The firing pin will be resting directly on the primer in that scenario. Dropping or hitting the rifle hard will fire it.

Unless it is a Blaser or maybe Steyr that have a decock feature.

Jeremy

I have heard people say that, but we have tried as hard as we could to slam a rifle hard enough to set off the primer with multiple bolt guns and couldn’t do it.

 

[Jpsmith1]

I have heard people say that, but we have tried as hard as we could to slam a rifle hard enough to set off the primer with multiple bolt guns and couldn’t do it.

Knowing what it takes to set off a primer, it's very low on my list of concerns.

Given the issues with R700s and their Walker triggers, it was a habit I built before my dumb ass figured out I could swap a trigger out.