When Hunting Big Game - Condition of your Firearm?

tapehoser · Dec 13, 2012

Just wondering the conditions we carry in when we're in the field hunting big game. Feel free to share the why's and why-not's.

1. One in the chamber and the safety on?
2. One in the chamber and the safety off?
3. Cartridges in the magazine, but nothing in the chamber?
4. Cartridges in my pocket?

For me, it's option #1.

horncrzy · Dec 13, 2012

Number 1....killed alot of animals by jumping them out of their beds.

littlebighorn · Dec 13, 2012

I am generally 3 unless I am walking where I might jump something. Then I will go 1, especially if I am not around other hunters.
No animal, no matter how big, is worth risking a person's life!!!
I would rather be safe than sorry.

jarheadhunter · Dec 13, 2012

Soon as I enter the forest or area I am hunting it's 1. As soon as I am back to camp or vehicle ect. it's 3.

TOPGUN · Dec 13, 2012

Mostly 3 and sometimes 1 if the terrain is suitable and I'm by myself.

G14 · Dec 13, 2012

LAST EDITED ON Dec-13-12 AT 02:00PM (MST)[p]#3 - For a few reasons: anything mechanical can and will fail, so I don't trust a safety. I jam my bullets and if I don't shoot that bullet it changes my COAL, and basically ruins the accuracy of that bullet. I shoot an extremely light trigger. Finally, I had someone have a negligent discharge behind me (twice), and it was unnerving. Thank goodness they were observing the rule of pointing the muzzle in a safe direction.

llamapacker · Dec 13, 2012

1 and 3 are the only possible options. Option 2 has nothing to do with carrying the gun in the field, but simply taking the shot.

Conditions vary between 1 and 3. Lots of time spent not really hunting, but in the woods (packing in, at night, etc.) means #3. But when actively hunting in an area where I expect to see game, condition 1 is the way to go.

Bill

sagebrush · Dec 13, 2012

Depends on which vehicle I'm in.

magnum72576 · Dec 13, 2012

EVILNR · Dec 13, 2012

I hunt mostly in heavily wooded areas in the eastern US. You better have one in the chamber with the safety on. You'll never get one chambered and expect the animal to put up with that.

BuzzH · Dec 13, 2012

I bet 90% of the time number 3...when slowly working heavy timber, number 1.

Nobody gets in my vehicle without an open bolt...period. Dont like it? You'll like hiking back to camp even less.

HorseCreek · Dec 13, 2012

2 and 4, You gotta be quick shooting while riding in the back of the truck round here, other wise the other 4 guys in the truck might get first shot. Bullets in the pocket incase I gotta reload!

Traditional >>>------->

idelkslayer · Dec 13, 2012

1

Can't shoot something if the gun isn't loaded.
It's true you should not trust the safety. That's why I always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction.

Bullelk1 · Dec 13, 2012

>2 and 4, You gotta be
>quick shooting while riding in
>the back of the truck
>round here, other wise the
>other 4 guys in the
>truck might get first shot.
>Bullets in the pocket incase
>I gotta reload!
>
>
>Traditional >>>------->

Beat me to it!!!

nickman · Dec 13, 2012

Watch me start an argument.

I almost always have one in the chamber with the bolt UNCOCKED.....safety off....A simple lift of the bolt handle and you are hot. Very quiet also.

It is actually safer than the safety.....assuming you KNOW how to decock your bolt on a chambered round. No springs are loaded so "safety fail" is not an issue.

I ain't advising everyone do it, as it may not work on your rifle.

"I could agree with you, but then we would both be
wrong......and stupid"

TOPGUN · Dec 13, 2012

Nickman---Not a smart thing to do and I used to do it myself until I started looking into it! Now I only do that when I take the cartridge out of the chamber at the end of a hunt and let the spring down on the empty chamber. Here is a warning on the Howa website not to do it on a full chamber and why. I also looked at other manufacturers safety warnings and they say the same thing to not do it. Here is the C/P from the Howa website:

Never uncock the rifle with a cartridge in the chamber. This is an unsafe condition, as the firing pin would then be in direct contact with the primer of the chambered cartridge. An impact on the bolt could then cause the rifle to fire accidentally without the trigger being pulled.

mtmuley · Dec 13, 2012

Always number 1. I'm like Buzz as far as my vehicle goes. mtmuley

hank4elk · Dec 13, 2012

#1 when hunting,#3 when not,but I keep it with full mag.and firing pin down on empty chamber at home and in vehicle.

excavator · Dec 13, 2012

Number one and three. Number one is used only when I am by myself and out of the rig or camp.

Excavator

nickman · Dec 13, 2012

>Nickman---Not a smart thing to do
>and I used to do
>it myself until I started
>looking into it! Now
>I only do that when
>I take the cartridge out
>of the chamber at the
>end of a hunt and
>let the spring down on
>the empty chamber. Here
>is a warning on the
>Howa website not to do
>it on a full chamber
>and why. I also
>looked at other manufacturers safety
>warnings and they say the
>same thing to not do
>it. Here is the C/P
>from the Howa website:
>
>Never uncock the rifle with a
>cartridge in the chamber. This
>is an unsafe condition, as
>the firing pin would then
>be in direct contact with
>the primer of the chambered
>cartridge. An impact on the
>bolt could then cause the
>rifle to fire accidentally without
>the trigger being pulled.

See, I KNEW I could start something.

The manufacturers HAVE to place those warnings in their inst.

If you shoot a rifle, in which the bolt can move forward ANY distance.. AND carry the firing pin.....with no spring load....into a primer, you need a new gun.
I have a 100 year old Springfield Eddystone, that we tried to make go off, by hitting the bolt handle with a hard rubber mallet.....it won't.

I have a Howa .243. I will try to make it fire as stated in the morning.....and get back to you on that.......but I ain't likely to give up a 50 year procedure regardless.

"I could agree with you, but then we would both be
wrong......and stupid"

DoeNob · Dec 14, 2012

Arrows on the quiver until I'm inside 100 yards, then I knock one.

tchoate3 · Dec 14, 2012

1 when I enter the woods, 3 when I am done and get back to the truck. There have been places I have hunted where I carry witout one in the chamber, but not many. I am more often than not, still hunting thick stuff. 90% of that animals I've taken would have got away if I didn't have one in the chamber.

sagebrush · Dec 14, 2012

Buzzh & mtmuley

Gun safety and hunting ethics is a matter of personal choice and I am pro-choice! I always keep the safety on unless the window is down and I'm parked or I'm going real slow. I always make sure there isn't a propane tank behind my target except when I get too excited because it's a buck or bull with big antlers. To each his own. You guys would be welcome to hunt down my roads anytime 'cause you'll never get a round off before I get an animal down.

TOPGUN · Dec 14, 2012

>Buzzh & mtmuley
>
>Gun safety and hunting ethics is
>a matter of personal choice
>and I am pro-choice! I
>always keep the safety on
>unless the window is down
>and I'm parked or I'm
>going real slow. I always
>make sure there isn't a
>propane tank behind my target
>except when I get too
>excited because it's a buck
>or bull with big antlers.
>To each his own. You
>guys would be welcome to
>hunt down my roads anytime
>'cause you'll never get a
>round off before I get
>an animal down.

Posts like this are just plain stupid and it's even worse on a day when some looney kills 20+ people, mostly little kids with a gun! If you consider it funny, then I hope you're by yourself. If you're serious then you;re a little bit looney yourself!!!

peez3006 · Dec 14, 2012

Used to always be #1. But now its #3 unless I'm sneaking in on an animal. It only takes a split second for something to happen that can't be reversed. If at some point, it costs me an animal, so be it. It's not going to cost me a loved one!

Don P

Bwht4x4 · Dec 14, 2012

Having guided for 12+ years I have seen quite a few gun safety issues occur. After the first couple I MAKE all of my clients hunt with their rounds in the magazine and the safety on. On two different occasions while guiding I've seen guns fire from snagging the brush. I do not trust people when they say they have the safety on.

BLooDTRaCKeR · Dec 15, 2012

I like ta keem em' safety off, fingar close to da trigga uncase thems deers runs outta nowheres I cun be reddy for um. Long as da game ociffer ain't round'n da cornur its all good cuzz.

Dem indians shore had it ruff wif da bow. tryed it wunce an had hard time holding bow back win I's walkun round'.

EVILNR · Dec 15, 2012

>Nickman---Not a smart thing to do
>and I used to do
>it myself until I started
>looking into it! Now
>I only do that when
>I take the cartridge out
>of the chamber at the
>end of a hunt and
>let the spring down on
>the empty chamber. Here
>is a warning on the
>Howa website not to do
>it on a full chamber
>and why. I also
>looked at other manufacturers safety
>warnings and they say the
>same thing to not do
>it. Here is the C/P
>from the Howa website:
>
>Never uncock the rifle with a
>cartridge in the chamber. This
>is an unsafe condition, as
>the firing pin would then
>be in direct contact with
>the primer of the chambered
>cartridge. An impact on the
>bolt could then cause the
>rifle to fire accidentally without
>the trigger being pulled.

Had an AK guide that did that. It really kind of unnerved me. I told him I thought it was a disaster waiting to happen. Acted like it insulted him. I didnt care. I still feel the same way.

Stonefly · Dec 15, 2012

#3 mostly, We do mostly spot and stalk, When we are getting close i'll put one in with the safety on until i'm ready to shoot. Other than that i'm with doenob arrows in the quiver until i'm in my stand or close