Sitting in a stand, I don't want to be with anyone holding cocked lever gun..on half cock maybe OK, but in a stand one can load the the gun from the magazine for the shot as quite as possible, done it many times..I have on some occasions cocked the 94 from the magazine as fast as I could, the deer would look up just in time to get shot.

Hunting horseback Ive stepped off my horse loaded the gun from the magazine and got of a aimed shot on a deer more times than I can count, even with a slower bolt action rifle...Much to do over not much at all..

Yeah I wouldn't want to be anywhere near someone who sat with a cocked levergun. Holding the trigger back while cocking would be far safer.

Without knowing anything about your bear hunt its best to let the bear come in and start feeding before doing anything. Your guide should have told you that.

Too many people are in a rush to shoot as soon as possible. Let the bear settle down, that way they're attention isn't on you, then bring your gun up, cock the hammer and shoot.

I learned as a kid that the 1st thing you learned after basic gun safety was to always use the half cock possition.Brothers don't get killed by a half cocked gun.

In 50 years of hunting, I have never shot anyone outside of when I was in the Army.

If I were hunting in an area where other people where apt to be, I would never sit in a stand with a loaded, cocked rifle ready to go.

But deep in the North Woods with the nearest person about a mile a way, and woods thicker than corrupt politicians, the only one in danger was myself if I fell out of the stand.

When bird hunting or hunting big game I always keep the gun on safe.

Some people never chamber a round until they are ready to shoot, but I think that is bordering on the insane.

More important than using the safety, IMO, are knowing where your muzzle is pointing, and knowing what is downrange from where your shooting.

I've seen "hunters" shoot at skylined bucks when there was a ranch house a mile or so on the other side of the ridge.

JMO

BH63

"I have never had game hear the hammer cock and I have killed deer, bears, bison, with 94s, Marlins, and 76 Winchesters."


I had a roedeer at 20y then i quickly cocked the hammer on my BLR, click - gone.

"Carry with a round in the chamber and the hammer at half cock, then go to full cock using the pull the trigger, full cock the hammer and let go the trigger method noted above."


This normaly works well but its difficult in a stressfull situation. I used my BLR for driven game then i had to shoot fast.