Round in the Chamber

[T_Widdy]

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

I use bear spray for bears

 

[madcalfe]

I use bear spray for bears

you do you boo.

 

[KenLee]

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

Probably less for a pack of wild dogs. Worse than a pack of yotes to a human. Pack of Feral dogs isn't skeered of a man.

 

[RockAndSage]

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.

*Sigh*

Just when I thought everyone here was sharing informed thoughts and practices, while studiously avoiding making any of it personal.

What's next, asking if I go hunting with my guns loaded in the vehicle? If I cross fences with a loaded gun in my hand? If I hand a gun to someone loaded and chambered? If I carry a loaded and chambered gun in a gun case, or in a backpack?

For clarity, the answers are no, no, no, no, and no - but the rules are absolutely, rigidly consistent. And it's still always inconsistency and transition zones where I see people get into the most trouble with safety. Because people, in large numbers, over time, make mistakes, lose concentration, and get distracted in ways they do a lot less when everyone knows everyone's chambered.

Listen, if it wasn't clear, nobody was telling you that you have to have a round chambered to act more safe. Water is wet, fire is hot, if an individual personally needs to be chambered to be 100% safety conscious, they're an incompetent who shouldn't be walking around with a gun. There, clear enough?

What I am very much saying, is over the course of decades and being around literally thousands of chambered guns in various types of field conditions, I've seen more "accidents", negligent discharges, and bad muzzle awareness when people are walking around with "empty" guns, than when everyone knows everyone's chambered. It's not a you problem, it's a problem of people over time and numbers that aren't you. And again, it's made worse with inconsistency.

Also, if it wasn't clear, this topic was about hunting chambered, not firing ranges. But yes, I still see far more unsafe behavior at ranges than when hunting, because everyone *knows* the guns are "empty" when not on the firing line and in somebody's hand.

 

[BuckRut]

What's @Formidilosus take on this one?

 

[6.5x284]

Every rifle or pistol is loaded unless I'm packing in with the rifle strapped to my pack, or in technical/rough terrain and then I just lift the bolt until I'm through. An unloaded gun isn't very appealing to me.

 

[Wapiti1]

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.

Interesting. Can't say I've tried it, but I see zero reason to do it given the mechanics involved.

I have seen numerous slam fires, but they were all due to broken parts (springs or pins).

Jeremy

 

[Bcleck90]

I’ve never heard of anyone in the SE carrying without one chambered but get the reasons out West. I don’t think it’s that big of deal either way as long as you practice what you’re used to.

Personally carrying chambered unless it’s strapped to the pack. No reason not to for me. Sometimes I’d like to shoot my buddies anyway so it could be a good win/win

 

[Skerhunter]

Walking around with a round in the chamber of my rifle makes zero sense. I definitely don’t walk around with an arrow nocked the second I leave the truck !

I guess if you are in the “it’s brown it’s down camp” it would make more sense to you? I won’t even chamber a round until I have identified my target and decided I want/can shoot it.

I will load the chamber if on stand where I am calling animals who may quickly approach and unload it before I get up. I do see the value of keeping a rifle loaded where personal safety is concerned.

 

[gbflyer]

from Imgflip Meme Generator

 

[Deadspace]

I’ve personally know four guys who shot or grazed themselves and none of them had empty chambers.

You have any details on how all of those happened? On packs, taking off packs, walking through thick brush, etc.

 

[K9kodi]

When on duty I work with a round in the chamber. I trust the gun.
When driving in my truck to the woods, when the rifle is in its case on my atv, it’s an empty chamber.

As soon as I’m off the atv or out of the truck my hunt begins, and you can’t shoot on an empty chamber.

What are yalls reasons for being in the outdoors hunting and keeping it empty? No wrong answer. Where I hunt it’s the mountains or piedmont of the mid Atlantic. I could turn a corner and jump a deer at any time.

 

[FDme]

Hiking into a spot while on REI trails with rifle on my backpack or battling PNW brush nothing in the tube. Otherwise always one chambered. Bolt locks shut with the safety on for both of my rifles.

 

[7RemMag]

When actively hunting or carrying a firearm with the intent or potential to use it, it's only useful if it's loaded. There are rare occasions where I might briefly open the action for added safety measure, but those circumstances are damn few.

As has been mentioned, growing up hunting whitetails in PA, a mature buck seldom gave you time for a "perfect" shot, much less time to chamber a round and then shoot. I suppose it's just trained into me.

I WILL NOT carry a firearm aside from a handgun in the vehicle with the action closed and a round chambered, even where/when legal.

 

[mtnbound]

I have seen several ADs from folks who thought the firearm was unloaded. If they had followed proper firearm safety protocols, there would not have been an AD.

 

[wowzers]

Foreign concept to me. It’s frowned on to enter a vehicle in my circle with a loaded rifle but in the woods I don’t know anyone that carries empty.

 

[DKlaty]

Situationally dependent for me. By myself and actively still hunting or glassing round is typically chambered. Moving locations with gun on pack typically unloaded.

 

[BigNate]

This topic always just becomes a virtue signaling bunch of BS.

 

[Rich M]

It depends on where you hunt and how.

Most of my hunting is in the thick and if you think you’ll have time to quietly chamber a round it aint gonna happen.

Hunting antelope or mule deer allows time to load cause you can see em a mile away.

A lot of bird hunters w dogs dont load til dog is on point. Cant do that w a flushing dog or no dog bird hunting.

Chalk it up to folks unwilling to understand diff situations and hunting styles.

 

[justinspicher]

I judge people based off this question. If you chamber a round and walk around you’re a fuggin idiot. There is no exception.

Now we are openly judging and name calling based off an opinion.

It’s no wonder anti hunters don’t like us, we don’t even like us.