When do you chamber a round while hunting?

[dfanonymous]

I'm sure all of us spend the bulk of our time unchambered.
When I'm living in the brush I found after years of having my rifle with me everyday that the safest way for me and my situation was chambered and on full safe.
Now that I live a more rural as opposed to "wilderness" life.
I chamber and safe up when I leave the road.
I know guys that hunt with an empty chamber and never could get so they were at peace with being chambered and safe. However for situations in the bear protection dept they carry chambered and on safe. They don't like it but much prefer it to the alternative. That being ending up under a bear.
It doesn't bother me they are unchambered when we hunt together and likewise they aren't bothered by me being chambered and safed. Muzzle control is something we all take VERY Seriously. As I think everyone should.
Shame this thread turned into a scuffle over this issue.
I would never hunt with someone that chose option C.
Enough bad things can happen without that.
One of the easiest things a person can do is fall down. When that happens not if that happens I think it's best to have as many things in your favor as possible.

I will say that with my AR , as it's new to me and I've never hunted with an AR. I'm studying how things go with the safety staying in the safe position. Tho I qualified with and shot M16s in the service. That was a long time ago. It wouldn't surprise me if I carry it chamber empty. But then I'm not using it for bear protection.

It stays in the safe until something flicks it off safe. Like most guns. Not being sarcastic, it just umm is that way. If you pull out the fire control group there a notch to let the hammer fall. When in safe, there's no sear slip or anything like that.

 

[packgoatguy]

Depends on how and what I am hunting. If I have a group of young hunters with me, we almost exclusively will be setting up for shots from solid rests. Their lack of experience will mean a miss or worse a wounded animal if they do otherwise. Because this requires some amount of set up time, we train them to be racking a round in with the bolt as they are brining the rifle to the rest (and once the barrel is pointed in the direction of the target.) No need to have a round in the chamber sooner. Have we had deer jump up in front of us while walking through the woods that we didn't get to take a shot at because of this policy? Absolutely... but they likely wouldnt have hit it anyways. I watched a guy take an offhand 50 yard shot at a running deer this fall... missed clean thank goodness... but its just not worth it IMO.

On the other hand, stalking through thick brush, purposefully trying to kick out some kind of game like a rabbit, birds, or a hog, then it makes sense to have a round in the chamber.

 

[FIGJAM]

One of the neat things about the lowly Savage Accutrigger is the trigger blade serves a secondary safety. It offers an extra layer of protection in case the main safety on a rifle, with a round in the chamber, accidentally has the main safety disabled for some reason.

This is a good point - another reason my kids both use savage.

 

[hunter0528]

Just curious what everybody's thoughts are on hunting with a round in the chamber? C only applies to bolts, but I think I tend to favor C; although I have my 11 year old hunting without a round in the chamber until we are ready to shoot something. How do you prefer to hunt - when do you chamber the round?

I have a Blaser R8 and chamber the round upon exiting the Vehicle or transport. I then immediately de-cock the rifle and carry it that way. Then when it is time to shoot I just push the cocking button forward and the rifle is cock. Never a chane of it going off accidentally (as long as I'm not stupid and forget to de-cock it)

 

[Rick Richard]

I am fairly sure this thread was not started to gain info, but to stir the pot as long as possible for the entertainment of the op. Previous threads started by the op show the same pattern. This site has been free from this kind of induced conflict until recently when the op of this thread began posting. I am sure he will have another controversial topic in the near future that he will demand proof and tell those who differ from the side he takes that they ate insufficient in there claims while he shows no data to back up his claims. Meanwhile calling members that disagree with the position he takes names and using the eye roll emoji whenever he is shown to be wrong.

Disgusting that one person can draw so many into a train wreck.

Absolutely! That is why I posted the definition of a troll. I have also noticed the same pattern on other post by the same OP.

 

[.300H&H]

FINALLY THEN,.. THIS ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ A few of you Guys ARE,.. WRONG !!!!
Mud and Fig this, Option "C" is, an UNSAFE,.. "CONDITION" !!!

BS, in my humble opinion...

 

[.300H&H]

96% use option A or B
ONLY,.. 4% use option "C",.. the UNSAFE, option !!!!!!!!!!!!
Mud and Fig are,.. WRONG,.. case CLOSED,.. IMO BYE !

Until you prove us wrong you're just another opinion, kinda like an arsehole we all
have one. Good luck getting that option C to fire by the way...

 

[Orange Dust]

I'm not taking any sides here, but I highly doubt his whole point of starting this thread was to troll the entire website... I know people do that sort of thing, but that would be beyond ridiculous. We rarely have any of that activity here.

But you say that never happened before, I beg to differ... We've had people start 7mmRM vs. 300WM threads for years that -----near started a civil war amongst the members here. And some folks still are butthurt and hate my guts for my opinions because of those threads. Some topics are just more interesting and inclusive than others... Safety is something everyone practices, therefore everyone is going to have an opinion of their way being right. Facts are facts.

I agree. The thread was more than worthwhile. The video opened some eyes. Some who use option C or B have changed their minds, at least for some conditions. An honest debate about Safety is never a bad thing. We and many of you have weekly Safety meetings @ work. This should have never become a personal attack on anyone. The reason we are is to learn and share knowledge. It is entirely possible that this thread made someone, maybe even someone who didn't even comment, stop and think about the way they hunt and change just enough that a tragedy becomes avoided. None of us will ever know either. Pretty sure more folks read these threads than post. I know I do. Fighting and personal attacks ruin it for everyone, and makes you quit the thread when you could have possibly learned something. We are better than this.

 

[.300H&H]

There's about a safety much possibility of a model 94 win with one in chamber/hammer down going off prematurely as option C with a bolt action. How many here use the hammer down as the 'safety'. Let that sink in...

 

[Rick Richard]

I agree. The thread was more than worthwhile. The video opened some eyes. Some who use option C or B have changed their minds, at least for some conditions. An honest debate about Safety is never a bad thing. We and many of you have weekly Safety meetings @ work. This should have never become a personal attack on anyone. The reason we are is to learn and share knowledge. It is entirely possible that this thread made someone, maybe even someone who didn't even comment, stop and think about the way they hunt and change just enough that a tragedy becomes avoided. None of us will ever know either. Pretty sure more folks read these threads than post. I know I do. Fighting and personal attacks ruin it for everyone, and makes you quit the thread when you could have possibly learned something. We are better than this.

Agree for the most part, but when it becomes an argument for entertainment rather than a healthy discussion or exchange of different opinions, than it is a waste of time. I sure hope this forum does not digress as some others have to a level of total disrespect and condemnation to the good membership.

 

[Orange Dust]

Agree for the most part, but when it becomes an argument for entertainment rather than a healthy discussion or exchange of different opinions, than it is a waste of time. I sure hope this forum does not digress as some others have to a level of total disrespect and condemnation to the good membership.

Me too. I have been reloading for 45 years, and am still learning. I have picked up some good tips from you guys I would have never thought of. This is the best source of info on long range shooting and reloading I have ever found. I'm sure most folks on here would agree. We all need to respect that. Its fine to tease, that makes it fun. Totally different to assassinate someones character. If they are a Troll, admin needs to take care of them, not us. Just my opinion, and as always, it is free and worth at least what you paid for it.

 

[J E Custom]

Well we certainly agree to disagree on this site.

I did not vote on any of the options but if i had it would be A because there is only one safe way to handle a rifle/pistol SAFETLY , Empty and pointed in a safe direction !!!.

No procedure or safety device is completely safe. So the owner has to chose how much risk he is willing to take. In my opinion no game is worth hurting or killing your self or someone else because of time or convenience. Only when dangerous game is being hunted are the risk of a loaded weapon less than the potential for injury.

The first thing I do when looking/testing a firearm for function is to check for an empty chamber. Then I remove the firing pin if I intend to check the weapon with live ammunition. and even with the firing pin removed the muzzle is always pointed in a safe direction.

Remember, No matter which option you chose, The only safe way to carry/hunt with a weapon is unloaded, and even then safe handling is
still necessary. Rely on your brain, not a mechanical means of being safe.

Just my opinion

J E CUSTOM

 

[NEMTHunter]

This is a good point - another reason my kids both use savage.

One of the neat things about the lowly Savage Accutrigger is the trigger blade serves a secondary safety. It offers an extra layer of protection in case the main safety on a rifle, with a round in the chamber, accidentally has the main safety disabled for some reason.

Its still not fail safe. In fact its far from it. All it takes is a branch or twig or a finger to set it off. No different then any other gun. The only difference is unless the blade is compressed it will not fire. Most times when a trigger gets hit by a branch the whole thing is hit full on the face. Its a sale gimmick that get annoying.

 

[FIGJAM]

@RockyMtnMT I just PM'd you. I am not opposed to hashing out our differences or the personal shots if that is what you want to do. But lets keep them off the threads. If you want my cell I can give that to you as well.