When do you chamber a round while hunting?

[MajorSpittle]

Typically I don't hunt with a round in the chamber ever. That changes if I am in an area with fresh sign and chambering a round would most likely spoil a shot.

Honestly though, I don't ever remember shooting anything without chambering a round after I had seen it. I don't like "snap shots" with a scoped High Power Rifle (what I hunt with). It is just a real careless thing to do.

 

[FIGJAM]

Don't ask the question, or pose the scenario, if you can't accept answers. You can't handle the truth? Or you don't come to learn anything? If you already "knew best", why bother asking?

(This is the eyerolling emoji) Easy big guy...Lol. I was just curious what everybody does - this wasn't an "I need help, please educate me" post. I was listening to the meateater podcast and they posed the question to steve and he said he hunts with one in the chamber and the safety on when he is by himself and an empty chamber when with the cameras etc.

 

[bigngreen]

I've never had the safety knocked of, I have had the firing pin snap with enough force when dropping the bolt if I had been dumb enough to have a round in the chamber it would have fired, I had a Rem two months ago hang up then drop while testing a trigger on an empty chamber but I've probably ran bolts on guns more in a month than many will in a life time working on them. I won't play the odds cause it will happen.

 

[mogfan]

If rifle is in my hands or slung - B. Started hunting in heavy woods where fast shots are the norm - now hunt longer range and have more time but like to be consistent. If gun is in truck or scabbard, combo of A & C. - empty chamber with "hammer down". Allows me to check condition by feel - if cocking piece is in I can check by feel.

 

[Pdvdh]

Dropping a rifle on the pad is going the opposite direction you would need to fire it, dropping on the muzzle could drive the pin forward, again it would take a hit.
Dropping the pin on a loaded round you've full filled all but one requirement to fire, and you don't have any more safeties for that. To pack a rifle like that is litterally say to heck with all available safeties. I've played things dangerous when it was only my issue but now with kids and fire arms it just seems ignorant and tempting fate to not use the available safeties both by just not loading till ready and when loaded all available safeties are used.

Some folk find a way to break an anvil, or negate the safety installed from the factory.

For all the naysayers, call the manufacturer of your bolt action rifle and ask them if option C is considered safe. But no need to call if you already know better than the folk that designed, manufactured, and would inherit the liability, of selling (or promoting unsafe handling of) their firearms.

 

[FIGJAM]

Theres a fine line between ignorance and being a fool!!

.

 

[can1010]

It doesn't dent your primer because it's pushing the firing pin back against the spring pressure. It's still resting against the primer though. But you would need an tremendous amount of jolt to bring the firing pin back far enough to have the pressure needed to set the primer off. It's not good practice though.

finely someone that gets it.
you cant slam the gun weather on the butt or muzzle hard enough to have the firing pin compress the spring far enough to generate the speed and force to light off a primer. it just is not heavy enough to apply enough force on the spring.
it is not my way but don't condemn someone else if it is theirs it will be just as safe as a safety.

 

[FIGJAM]

Some folk find a way to break an anvil, or negate the safety installed from the factory.

For all the naysayers, call the manufacturer of you bolt action rifle and ask them if option C is considered safe. But no need to call if you already know better than the folk that designed, manufactured, and would inherit the liability, of selling or promoting unsafe handling of their firearms.

 

[FIGJAM]

finely someone that gets it.
you cant slam the gun weather on the butt or muzzle hard enough to have the firing pin compress the spring far enough to generate the speed and force to light off a primer. it just is not heavy enough to apply enough force on the spring.
it is not my way but don't condemn someone else if it is theirs it will be just as safe as a safety.

That is all I have been trying to point out - to each their own. I am not trying to pursuade one way or the other, but if you want to argue it at least be able to support the argument that the method isn't safe.

 

[bigngreen]

I've seen rifles fire with under .200 of pin fall with under 20 lb spring, it's not much, this is more of a what if question, what if you met everything needed to fire and it fired, it's no different that walking around chambered up without a safety on, you only need one more requirement and its of, why chance it.

 

[Pdvdh]

There's a fine line between ignorance and being a fool!!

Long ago I came to the conclusion that some of the most dangerous folks on the planet to associate with are the ones that don't know what they don't know. A hazard to themselves, as well as hazardous to others' health and safety.

I'm normally able to avoid self-destructive behavior. Much harder to avoid the danger from others' behaviors and actions.

 

[FIGJAM]

Theres a fine line between ignorance and being a fool!!

I am honestly a little disappointed in the support you provided for your argument - especially with what you do for a living. I am 100% ok to be wrong here, but I need more than your opinion and contradicting statements. So far all I have heard from you is because the safety is out of play it isn't safe. Is this your professional opinion or your personal one? What kind of force would it take for a disengaged firing pin to fire a round in the chamber? You obviously don't know. It would be a lot more than dropping a rifle or banging it againts something. I know that because I have tried it.

 

[mfk]

Depends on hunting style and other factors: Many times for Deer in NY, I hike in before light and and climb the stand then after I am setup in the stand I chamber a round and put the safety on. If it is stalking in the woods, it is chambered with the safety on ready for a shot since there is little time to get the shot off in that circumstance.

 

[Pdvdh]

Hunting with a live round in the chamber and the safety off doesn't ensure an accident must or will occur. Just increases the odds and risk.

What's the goal? Identification of the least safe method that might not result in harm?