Forkyfinder
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.... what about one with a transfer bar safety, like ruger blackhawks?
Round In The Chamber
- Thread starter BuckRut
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texwest44
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I almost never keep one in the chamber while deer hunting, and for whatever it's worth it has bitten me in the butt a couple of different times when I stumble across a buck in the woods. Still, I'd rather miss an opportunity than accidentally blow off my foot or hand or something going up/down steep hills or jumping logs. I fall down a lot more often than I randomly stumble across shoot-worthy deer.
These are all great points. I will admit that it does take a lot of precaution to carry a loaded gun through the scenarios above but I do it all the time but I do exercise many habits that include unloading the gun anytime I am not in complete control of the muzzle, checking the safety often while walking and opening the chamber every time the gun leaves my shoulder whether it is empty or not.
Nameless Range
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Chamber Empty or Loaded
I recently had a discussion with a co-worker that got me curious about this subject. How many of you carry your rifle without a round in the chamber when you're hunting? I've noticed a couple of "professional" hunters (the Meateater crew) doing it, and my co-worker said today that he does the...www.hunttalk.com
16 pages of discussion. Not sure we are going to come up with any new arguments 3 years later.
I’ll see your 16 pages, and raise you 18 pages plus five years.
To chamber, or not to chamber? That is the question.
Eric308 has got me thinking. SO to spinoff his post about ammo, I have two question. 1) When IN THE FIELD HUNTING, do you typically have a round in the chamber or not? (Assuming you don't have a round chambered when climbing trees, crossing fences, riding in a vehicle, walking in the dark, etc.)...
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406dn
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I do not put one in the chamber, until prepared to take a shot. It has not cost me a single animal in my fifty some years of big game hunting. Given that now, I hunt from horseback, I am even more of the opinion that there is no reason to have a round in the chamber.
I bird hunt with an O/U shotgun, and pointing dogs. Most often, I walk with the gun broke open, and a couple of shells in hand. I load the gun after a dog is on point.
If a hunting partner insists on having a round in the chamber, when big game hunting, both of us will be looking for a new hunting partner. That is moot, since I hunt with my younger brother, and he too, leaves the chamber empty, until there is a reason to put one in.
I bird hunt with an O/U shotgun, and pointing dogs. Most often, I walk with the gun broke open, and a couple of shells in hand. I load the gun after a dog is on point.
If a hunting partner insists on having a round in the chamber, when big game hunting, both of us will be looking for a new hunting partner. That is moot, since I hunt with my younger brother, and he too, leaves the chamber empty, until there is a reason to put one in.
kodiakisland
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I chamber a round only when I need it. Needs vary. Usually that is when an animal is in sight or I’m in a stand. If I’m in a stand, that’s usually round chambered but bolt not closed. Need is also situational. In the alders or anywhere else I expect to see bear or other dangerous animals in close proximity I have one chambered or handgun unholstered.
I definitely don’t allow anyone walking behind me to have a round chambered. Those who got butthurt over it were free to hunt with someone else.
I’ve never missed an opportunity because I didn’t have a round chambered.
I definitely don’t allow anyone walking behind me to have a round chambered. Those who got butthurt over it were free to hunt with someone else.
I’ve never missed an opportunity because I didn’t have a round chambered.
noharleyyet
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Nope (don't have a Ruger BH), and nor do I with a hammer block (do have a stable of S&W).
among other things, it's just an odds game.
by spending the day with a round in the chamber my odds of having catastrophic life changing or ending accidents just went up, fairly significantly if you ask me. with no round in the chamber those odds just dropped dramatically and my odds of hunting success remain unchanged.
simple decision for me. i'll pack back up and drive home or alone to a new trailhead if a hunting partner insists on a day with a round in the chamber.
SAJ-99
Well-known member
I view it as a measure of safety redundancy. Can you ever have too much?
Maybe living in Illinois gives me a different perspective on it but I lean towards chambered for "being ready" and not forgetting to chamber a round when I need to. Also thought about the noise it would make. When my trip this fall came about I thought about it some more and decided to ask whoever I was with their preference and go with that.
Dakotakid
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I am squarely in the only load it when you are near the moment of firing.
I have lost some game because I was not quick on the draw but I am pretty confident that a loaded round would not have helped me.
Local elderly man was found with a 7mag rifle shot to his hip, bled out over a period of time, not found for a day.
He had stopped his truck when he saw elk, exited and grabbed his gun.
A 7mag to the hip at point blank sounds painful. I have not shot myself but it makes me cringe.
I have lost some game because I was not quick on the draw but I am pretty confident that a loaded round would not have helped me.
Local elderly man was found with a 7mag rifle shot to his hip, bled out over a period of time, not found for a day.
He had stopped his truck when he saw elk, exited and grabbed his gun.
A 7mag to the hip at point blank sounds painful. I have not shot myself but it makes me cringe.
406dn
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One benefit from my career inside an oil refinery is that risk analysis was applied all the time.
An accidental discharge is a very low risk, potentially catastrophic out come situation. All if the carefulness in the world cannot eliminate the risk of a round in the chamber. Leaving the chamber empty, removes the risk, ENTIRELY.
This one is not a difficult decision, on the risk reward scale.
An accidental discharge is a very low risk, potentially catastrophic out come situation. All if the carefulness in the world cannot eliminate the risk of a round in the chamber. Leaving the chamber empty, removes the risk, ENTIRELY.
This one is not a difficult decision, on the risk reward scale.
Don't get me wrong. I am not implying that someone is unjustified in feeling that not loading the gun is what brings the risk to an acceptable level for them.
Everything safety related is an exercise in determining how low the risk needs to be for a person to feel safe.
FairWeather
Well-known member
I do.
All game animals that I’ve seen have been at 100yds or less. All but 1 have been less than 30yds. No time to fiddle with working the bolt, not to mention the noise of it, before they bolt themselves.
We all carried a round in the chamber while deployed, and never had an issue then either. Hunt with safe people, keep the safety on and your finger out of the trigger well, and there’s no added danger IME.
The bigger concern, to me, is tunnel vision and people not making sure of their target, what’s in front, and behind it. Every time I hear a shot fired when I’m hunting, I pray they actually looked first and (always assuming they missed) it’s not headed right for me.
All game animals that I’ve seen have been at 100yds or less. All but 1 have been less than 30yds. No time to fiddle with working the bolt, not to mention the noise of it, before they bolt themselves.
We all carried a round in the chamber while deployed, and never had an issue then either. Hunt with safe people, keep the safety on and your finger out of the trigger well, and there’s no added danger IME.
The bigger concern, to me, is tunnel vision and people not making sure of their target, what’s in front, and behind it. Every time I hear a shot fired when I’m hunting, I pray they actually looked first and (always assuming they missed) it’s not headed right for me.
I'm 100% with this. I often wonder how people mistake other people for animals especially when you look at the fact that not only should they have thought they were shooting at an animal but that they should be making sure it is the correct species, legal male/female an aiming at a specific spot in the vitals.
I never chamber a round until I’m ready to shoot. In the past 20 years it’s cost me one animal. I had a black bear walk to me and didn’t see it until it was 30 yards away. Color was the same as an elk mane. I heard it walking to me but I thought it was a rutting bull elk I had seen earlier. Bear caught me as I slowly loaded a round.
I get a little nervous when I’m around guys wanting to walk loaded. I tend to put distance, if not miles, apart during the hunt. The slip and fire is going to most likely hit a buddy, not the guy holding the rifle.
I’ve experienced two negligent discharges in my hunting career. Luckily both rifles were pointing in relatively safe directions. One occurred at the truck door at night after the hunt, guy was unloading his one-in-the-tube rifle. Rifle discharged next to me in a huge flash of light, blow a hole in the ground next to my foot, I felt the muzzle blast against my leg, splattered me with mud and deafened me. I jumped around cussing like a drunk sailor trying to figure out if I was hit before I turned my tirade on the shooter. A very safety conscious guy except for that one mistake.
I get a little nervous when I’m around guys wanting to walk loaded. I tend to put distance, if not miles, apart during the hunt. The slip and fire is going to most likely hit a buddy, not the guy holding the rifle.
I’ve experienced two negligent discharges in my hunting career. Luckily both rifles were pointing in relatively safe directions. One occurred at the truck door at night after the hunt, guy was unloading his one-in-the-tube rifle. Rifle discharged next to me in a huge flash of light, blow a hole in the ground next to my foot, I felt the muzzle blast against my leg, splattered me with mud and deafened me. I jumped around cussing like a drunk sailor trying to figure out if I was hit before I turned my tirade on the shooter. A very safety conscious guy except for that one mistake.
Wind Gypsy
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Growing up in MN, nearly always one in the hole unless climbing up a treestand or crossing a fence as is the norm. I don't anymore but there are times of still hunting/tracking or traversing cover where I'll still cautiously have one in the pipe. I don't trust safety's much and feel people put way too much value on the safety being on (not saying i dont use them, just that people look at them as much to reliable a line of defense.)
Ben Long
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I've said this before, but when you're hunting upland birds with a group, everyone has a fully loaded shotgun perfectly capable of killing their partners. No one says, "no one load your gun until a bird flushes." You watch the muzzle, watch your footing and use your head. I don't see a big difference with a rifle. If it's unsafe, I unload. But if I'm on a stand, I likely have a round chambered. If I'm tracking a hot track and expect to see a buck within a few yards, I have a round chambered. If I'm glassing for pronghorn and crawling through the cactus, the chamber is empty until it's time to shoot. If it's dark or if I'm with a partner or if the ground is slick, the chamber is empty. It just depends.
WildWill
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No one correct answer for every situation and the only idiot is the one who thinks there is.
BAKPAKR
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Do any of you “No, never” guys hunt with a muzzleloader?
