Round in the Chamber

[Yukon Cornelius]

My response is like many…it depends.

When I hunt with someone, how do you carry and what are you ok with is discussed. When my boat hits the shore, my rifle will be chambered. I hunt with an AR and you can’t load one quietly.

My bolt guns are a little different.

 

[ozyclint]

I've also seen more people flag others or have negligent discharges with "empty" guns than when everybody was chambered 100% of the time. When every person knows every gun is chambered, every person is very muzzle-conscious and safety oriented.

If every person knew everyone had empty chambers and everyone was less muzzle conscious and less safety oriented because of that, I'm not hunting with you.

It does not take a round in the chamber to make me act more safely.

I always carry empty unless a shot is imminent. The bolt does not go down until it's time to shoot. The bolt being up is my safety. I never use the safety itself.
The bolt being up is a visual sign to anyone nearby that the gun is in a state in which it can not fire. Simply having the safety on is not so immediately obvious to others.

Try walking around a clay target club with an unbroken under and over shotgun with the safety on. You will get an ass kicking in very quick time. There is no way for bystanders to tell the state of that firearm. A broken action shows everyone nearby that that gun is in a safe condition.

All that said, I'm not hunting lions or wounded Cape buff with double rifles. There are times when the gun should be loaded with the safety on.

 

[Dos Perros]

I’ve heard stories of people mauled with an empty chamber.

But your point is true.

I do carry a Glock with one chambered in the grizz woods. I am somewhat comforted by their triple safety.

 

[Macintosh]

This is a western or stand hunting thing, pure and simple. This site is a bubble in that regard, as is HT to a large degree.

Literally zero % of people hunting around here (far northern new england) carry with an empty chamber—Ive never heard of anyone hunting with anything but a loaded chamber here. The ONLY kind of hunting we have is still hunting (or the equivalent) where a gun is in hand and a shot is potentially imminent at any moment. Even hunting from a stand you generally “hunt to your stand”. Northeastern states do not have a higher rate of accidents than other states as a result, at least not that Ive ever seen. Hunting in the west as Ive done it is simply different, and is far, far more forgiving of having an empty chamber.

To me, carrying rifle on pack is not “hunting”, thats “hiking to where Im going to hunt”. So im not counting that.

 

[Skydog]

Literally zero % of people hunting around here (far northern new england) carry with an empty chamber—Ive never heard of anyone hunting with anything but a loaded chamber. The ONLY kind of hunting we have is still hunting (or the equivalent) where a gun is in hand and a shot is potentially imminent at any moment. Even hunting from a stand you generally “hunt to your stand”.

Same here in the South. Until I saw this thread, I didn't even know that hunting without a loaded chamber was a thing. Unheard of around here.

 

[peterk123]

The 10MM is always loaded and ready to go. The hunting rifle may or may not be loaded. WT hunting and sitting behind a bush? Loaded. Still hunting? Loaded. Turkey hunting? Loaded. Two mile hike in? Not loaded.

 

[MuleyFever]

If I am just hiking to a spot in open country I usually dont chamber until I get to where I am going. If I am in an area I think I could jump something then one is chambered.

My wife lost the opportunity on a bull elk because I didnt chamber a round. We were hiking to the top of a ridge so I didnt chamber a round. I usually carry her rifle for her. We stopped about 3/4 of the way up and were just resting when a cow came around the corner at about 15 yards. Then a bull came up behind her. I tried to chamber a round and they herd it and spooked.

 

[CMF]

This is a western or stand hunting thing, pure and simple. This site is a bubble in that regard, as is HT to a large degree.

Literally zero % of people hunting around here (far northern new england) carry with an empty chamber—Ive never heard of anyone hunting with anything but a loaded chamber here. The ONLY kind of hunting we have is still hunting (or the equivalent) where a gun is in hand and a shot is potentially imminent at any moment. Even hunting from a stand you generally “hunt to your stand”. Northeastern states do not have a higher rate of accidents than other states as a result, at least not that Ive ever seen. Hunting in the west as Ive done it is simply different, and is far, far more forgiving of having an empty chamber.

To me, carrying rifle on pack is not “hunting”, thats “hiking to where Im going to hunt”. So im not counting that.

Agree,
Same in the southeast, I'm hunting to the stand. I'll unchamber to pull my gun into the stand and then rechamber, this actually cost me a buck one time as I forgot to chamber one.
Very dependent when I'm out west, and haven't rifle hunted much in the west. If I'm alone I'm more likely to have one in, if the wife or kids are along probably not.
I don't understand the "absolutely never" guys maybe it's there style of hunting, but I want to be able to take advantage of an opportunity if I jump an animal. You could say it's totally unnecessary, but then again so is hunting with a rifle to begin with.
That's exactly what happened on our Oryx hunt a few weeks ago. We cut fresh tracks and started tracking an oryx. It was me and my 14 and 11yo sons, the 14yo had the tag. If we just wondering around we'd have been empty, but being on fresh tracks we were chambered. I told them we'd likely jump him and he may run out 100yds and stop and look back. That's exactly what happened and he gave us long enough to get the gun on the tripod and get a shot. Would he have stayed while we chambered, maybe. Maybe the sound would have spooked him.

 

[Megalodon]

But it's also absurd for some to act as though it's the only "right" way to hunt.

That is exactly the stance of a moderator here, to the point that he locked the last thread about this. Pretty childish. Surprised this one has lasted so long.

Edit: I was thinking of the safety use discussion.

 

[BlackHillsShooter]

I carry one in the chamber of a concealable weapon for self defense. Always makes sense. Don't touch it unless it's clear you need to. And that's up to you to decide.

I also carried one in the rifle chamber for 35 years of hunting in the big woods of Maine. Quick shots and even quicker lost opportunities dictate that. I moved out west and now I don't feel the need to carry one in the rifle chamber for hunting. There always seems to be time to rack a round in the way I hunt now. Kinda nice.

 

[twall13]

The way the NRA teaches it, there are three main firearm safety rules.

1. "ALWAYS keep your firearm pointed in a safe direction." It's on you to know what direction is safe in every scenario. To me this is the most important rule and if always followed you won't have any issues no matter what. Since it's not always followed, the other two rules can help to greatly reduce accidents.

2. "ALWAYS keep your fingers off the trigger until ready to shoot."

3. "ALWAYS keep the gun unloaded until ready to use it." The key here being "until ready to use it". If I'm walking a field hunting upland, I'm ready to use my firearm and it's loaded. If I'm hiking to my glassing spot to look for big game, in my mind I'm not ready to use it so I keep it unloaded. You could argue that you are hunting at that point and ready to use it and that's great, just keep the other two rules in mind and you'll be good. That said, if it's strapped to your pack you'll have a tough time convincing me you're ready to use it.

Sent from my Pixel 9 Pro using Tapatalk

 

[EastHumboldt]

The takeaway for me is this. If the kind of hunting you are engaging in may require a snap shot, carry your weapon in battery. If you will 99% have time to set up a shot, carry with an empty chamber.

Muzzle awareness is key. I won’t hunt with a “ hoser”, no matter if he keeps his weapon charged or uncharged. It just takes all the fun out of it for me having to watch this guy like a hawk and constantly be dodging his line of fire.

 

[DangerRanger]

Sitting yes, hiking no

No deer is worth my friends or my life, even if it’s unlikely

 

[KenLee]

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

Same here. I would have lost out on hundreds of quick shots over the years on deer, pigs, packs of wild dogs and yotes if I'd needed the extra time to chamber a round.

 

[KenLee]

I’ve seen a Bergara go off right as the safety was clicked off. That alone right there was enough for me to never have one in the chamber as I have seen safeties get turned off just from walking through brush. Then the trigger gets stuck on brush as well and a fun hunting trip turns into a bad day real fast.

Good reason not to hunt with a Bergara or Remington bolt action.

 

[KenLee]

It's fine if people don't want to carry a round chambered when hunting. They're not wrong. But it's also absurd for some to act as though it's the only "right" way to hunt. I bird and rabbit hunt with a round chambered, CCW is 100% always chambered, people who have ever carried a gun to work do so with a round chambered.

I've also seen more people flag others or have negligent discharges with "empty" guns than when everybody was chambered 100% of the time. When every person knows every gun is chambered, every person is very muzzle-conscious and safety oriented. It's inconsistency with personal carry, and transition-zones where guns must be unloaded, where I've seen people get into the most trouble.

I didn't even think of rabbits, birds or turkey when answering. Those are obviously a yes to me on having a round chambered

 

[T_Widdy]

It takes about 1 to 1.5 seconds to chamber a round. I have never had a missed opportunity due to having an empty chamber on a rifle. Condition 3 for me.

 

[Seak_angler]

Nothing in the chamber till I get ready to shoot.

yep. Exactly what I was going to say

 

[TaperPin]

I’m an empty chamber guy and don’t usually hunt with guys who aren’t. A gun carrier gizmo that guys struggle with is asking for trouble if you’re locked and loaded. Hunters do quirky things in the heat of the moment - after a shot almost happened there have been a number times the guy I’m with forgets to empty the chamber or put the safety on. I’ve personally know four guys who shot or grazed themselves and none of them had empty chambers.

Empty chambers aren’t without risk. Short stroking the bolt in the heat of the moment cost a hunting buddy a big deer that heard the click and hauled ass. I’ve short stroked a bolt antelope hunting, but was able to chamber a round and make it happen.

Guys who normally hunt with empty chambers still need to practice using the safety until it’s automatic to thumb it off if it was put on or not. I’ve had a buck jump up, I chamber a round and almost get a shot, safety on, run up a hill, get another shot, but flipping the safety off didn’t happen and the deer walked away. Under time stress and excitement actions automatically match training.

 

[madcalfe]

It takes about 1 to 1.5 seconds to chamber a round. I have never had a missed opportunity due to having an empty chamber on a rifle. Condition 3 for me.

It also takes what 3 seconds for a g-bear to cover 50 yards?