Curious: I have always carried my rifles chambered with the safety on - but some prefer to only chamber when preparing to fire. What is your preference?

When hunting locally, I chamber a round and don't unchamber it until Bull Winkle shows or I take it into the house or camp house. Sometimes I leave my rifles loaded for weeks.

Now, If I go hunting in another state or area, I unload every time I leave the field.

I believe your question was refering to being chambered while hunting well, you see my answer. The only folks I've ever seen chamber a round to fire was the TV guys. I like Primos' slogan "This ain't Hollywood."

Reloader

Back when there were plenty of woodchucks it did not matter much as it's a deliberate sport.

Otherwise I would never get a shot at a bird with the shotgun.

I read of someone who hunts with rifles that have problematic safeties and triggers. Is that what your getting at?

Others hunt with guides who call the shots?

When I am by myself I generally carry chambered with the safety on. (except for fence/river corssings, etc.) If I am in a situation where I figure I will have plenty of time to set up, I may leave the chamber empty.

When I have hunted with a guide they generally want to start out with an empty chamber until they get a chance to observe how I carry. (They usually don't put it quite that way.) I don't have a problem with that - they guide for a wide range of hunters, and arguing is not the best way to persuade them I am safe.

Alone, chamberd!

With others, in the magazine!

Scared straight!

Always in the magazine until I'm good and ready to kill something. Twice I've seen a gun go off that was on safety (the guns were carried as if loaded, no one got hurt other than jangled nerves). Thats way too many times, life's too short. There's almost always time to cycle the bolt if something presents itself or when you're starting the final stalk. If there isn't time, no big deal.

Confession time: I always rechamber a round after shooting an animal incase it gets up and needs a second "treatment". Last year I shot an antelope and was half way through boning it out and checked my rifle, still had a round in the chamber. Idiot!!

If I hunt with people who choose to chamber a round I stay behind them. My current hunting partner never chambers a round until the gun is in position.

How would you hunt birds? It seems that you might work the pump and eschew a break open shotgun?

I don't ever put a round into the chamber until I see something I am going to shoot OR I am certain something is about to pop out in front of me in a few seconds.

I've passed up lots of game for various reasons, I don't mind when I lose one because I was too slow to get loaded.

When it comes to birds though I couldn't tell you what I'd do. I don't bird hunt, its never been an interest of mine, but I can see how a person would have a much larger need to carry one in the chamber.

For the most part it depends upon the quarry. However when in multiple company... magizine only. When alone, more likely to be chambered. Dangerous game... get real. When man was the target... saftey off. Generally I urge new hunters to consider hunting as true sport, not warfare. Nothing would ever be worth an accident. Saftey first, second and last.

Depends on what type of terrain I am hunting & who I hunt with. With a single shot, almost always empty.

So there we have it. The majority of AR members hunt with empty chambers and presumebly don't hunt anything that flys or runs fast because they hunt with empty chambers!

Hunting in Africa, we chamber a round and put the safety on as soon as we leave the truck.

The rifles remain loaded while we are out in the bush, and only get unloaded when we get back to the truck, or when we shoot something and start butchering it.

Chambered, safety on, and always muzzle aware about 95% of the time. Climbing trees, fences, crossing creeks, etc. always unloaded. I started hunting purely with birds. Never have seen why carrying a rifle in the field is any different than a shotgun. I prefer to be hyper sensitive to wear the muzzle is pointed. I tend to feel that routinely carrying empty can be more dangerous because it can lead to complacency. I more concerned about the guy who thinks his gun is unloaded and it's not as opposed to the one who thinks it is loaded but it's empty.

Jeff

If the folks that hunted w/ me had empty chambers all of the time, they wouldn't take home any game. You have to be prepared at all times. Most game will only be in view for mere seconds, not to mention, the sound of you chambering a round would scare them away. I've never hunted w/ anyone who didn't carry a round in the chamber while in the field.

I've always considered every gun, empty or not, to be handled as if it were loaded. I only hunt w/ others who do the same.

Once again "This ain't Hollywood."

Reloader

quote:

I tend to feel that routinely carrying empty can be more dangerous because it can lead to complacency. I more concerned about the guy who thinks his gun is unloaded and it's not as opposed to the one who thinks it is loaded but it's empty.

You can say that again!

Reloader

I think you'll find most brush country whitetail hunters will have the chamber loaded, otherwise you'll be a hunter only, not a successful one. I actually will often carry mine in rough country whether in Missouri or Africa with a round chambered and the bolt handle lifted up, I feel safer that way when clambering over rocks and blow downs, etc. and quick to get into action as well. The only accidental discharge I've ever had was when unloading a push feed rifle with a blind magazine, it was uneventful,as it was pointed a safe direction as it should be. I don't know for sure, but it was a light triggered varmint rifle, and I probably hit the trigger with my little finger when I closed the bolt. Immediately after that I fixed the tab that locks the bolt down when on safety on all my rifles so they could be unloaded while on safe.

When expecting a shot (stalking, walking, sitting, standing, whatever...but actually hunting), chambered...i.e. duck/dove/quail hunting, at my hunting spot/blind etc. and such.

When in transit (hiking, driving, whatever), I always have an empty chamber in all situations...I'm not ready to shoot, so why should my gun be!?!? If I happen to jump something, I haven't had time to evaluate safe shooting angles anyway, so don't shoot!

No game more dangerous here than pissed off bull cattle and the occasional confused feral hog (unless you count rattlesnakes). People that hike 'locked and loaded' make me nervous unless I know them and their habits REALLY well.

I carry a round in the chamber, magazine charged when hunting. If I come upon rough ground, a fence, or obstruction -- I clear the chamber. I very rarely hunt with someone else or even have anyone else on my hunting land.

I have a round chamber al the time when hunting.

The times a I do not like climbing in and out of trees and tree stands. or required by law as in vehicles in wis.

I see very few reasons why one wouldn't have a round chambered when the rifle is in ones hands.

One of the worse case for this foolish was a guy hunting by himself in AK miles from anybody else when he was attack and mauled by a bear. Said he didn't get a shot off because he couldn't work the bolt fast enough to chamber a round. Who was he afraid of shooting himself. DUH.

1 in the mag with bolt up.

Always in magazine!!! Security is paramount. Never missed a shot opportunity due to being unchambered.

When my Ruger #1A was new to me I was hunting whitetail bucks with it in VT and I had not got a shot or seen much for days. I was sitting with it in a forest at mid day and the time was going by.

For something to do I opened the action and took out the cartridge and admired it. It was a 7mm RM at the time loaded with the 140 gr Partition. Just at that moment a buck stepped into view about fifty yards away. He was looking right at me!

Very slowly I reloaded the rifle. I may have closed the action after aiming the rifle as the ejector clicks on those #1's.

I got him. That shot to the neck/shoulder junction is my favorite. They go straight down.

I have not hunted with an empty chamber since or unloaded the rifle either like that.

Of course safety is most important.

I primarily hunt alone, or even if I'm with a partner we don't stay close together. I keep a loaded chamber at all times and safety on. Obviously muzzle awareness and discipline is paramount every moment and finger never goes near the trigger til it's time to touch off a shot. Unless I'm doing some unusual climbing this is how my rifle stays. Once I'm back to the truck or horse I unload the chamber and keep rounds in the magazine only with safety off. At my own camp or house it stays the same way. At someone else's camp or home I go by their preferences.

Unloaded guns are the most dangerous of all. To me all guns are always loaded and I've never had a problem.