Round In The Chamber

[Nick87]

Handling rifles differently loaded or unloaded argument isn’t true . You always treat a weapon as loaded.

I think this pretty much sums it up and is all that really matters. Awful lot of mental gymnastics going into this thread.

 

[406dn]

Ideally, a person is continuously weighing risks. In rare instances, there is a round in the chamber, when I hunt. The terrain must and footing must be decent enough that the risk of slips, trips, or falls are minimal. Also, there has to be a strong hunch that an animal is close by, and the shot will likely be fleeting.

The best mule deer I killed was taken with a round in the chamber, before I saw him. I was alone, and still hunting a timbered ridgeline that was oozing with sign. I came to a spot, where the terrain leveled out, and there was an even greater concentration of sign. After I put a round in the chamber, it wasn't more than a minute, before he rose out of his bed. If the footing had still been as steeply side hilling, I would not have had a round in the chamber. If I had not come across the buck, and the terrain again became steep, the round would have been taken out.

Many years ago, I drew a moose tag, and took my young son with me on a scouting trip. I remember telling him to always realize we were a long way away from medical help. Given that, we should factor that into everything we do, on the mountain.

 

[Boarmaster]

I am a eastern whitetail hunter and hunt out of a climbing stand. I put one in the chamber after I get set in my stand. I take it out when I get ready to come down.
If I hunted while walking around it might depend on where I was hunting. If terrain is tough , steep and open I probably wouldn't have one in. Still hunting in big timber or thick stuff I might have one in. It might depend if I am with another hunter or alone.

 

[BuckRut]

It is binary though. It's either safe and appropriate to have a hot rifle or it's not. That's only two, binary, options and I believe the answer is non subjective - at least according to the tenets of firearm safety and hunters education.

The only non binary part of this comes down to acceptable level of of risk. To me, when one of the potential outcomes is my brain splattered all over my backpack and my wife identifying my body, it's unacceptable and there is basically zero wiggle room.

Some people feel this exact same sentiment about driving, flying, optional surgery and a ton of other activities. It is still very okay for different people to come to different choices about doing any of them. I just think the name calling and putting people down versus educating people about doing it safely is counterproductive.

I mean look at the poll. Over half of us are carrying loaded. I think conversations about doing that safely will be more productive than trying to change peoples behavior. Especially with shaming them. That's probably what's feeding the nature of the comments here with the jabs back and forth rather than the input on the safety precautions that should be exercised.

 

[MTGomer]

Anyone hike around with an arrow nocked all day long?

I think the danger of knocked arrows is probably super underestimated. If I think I’m getting close to having a shot at an elk, I will have a round in the chamber depending on the situation. I absolutely hate having to take even a couple steps with a knocked arrow.

 

[TOGIE]

I mean look at the poll. Over half of us are carrying loaded.

yeah, it's wild how many people here I wouldn't go hunting with. hiking behind and around someone with a shouldered chambered rifle is batshit stupid.

 

[MTTW]

I wouldn't hunt with half of the people here if they carried a cork gun.

 

[Fire_9]

While hunting by myself I will carry loaded at times depending on the situation. While hunting with others, I carry unloaded. I can't say that carrying unloaded has cost me an animal but I can think of one that it would have. I had the biggest buck I've ever had a crack at take off at the sound of my safety coming off. It most definitely would have taken off at the sight and sound of me chambering a round.

This is a very interesting conversation. People choose to do risky things all the time and never bat an eye. They will drive on snowy/icy roads for hours to get to a hunting location but also think it's 'batshit stupid' or 'remarkably dumb' to carry a loaded firearm while I'm by myself. I've pulled far more dead people out of cars than I've had close calls while hunting. I agree there are times when the risk isn't worth it but I also think people calling people stupid or dumb for carrying a loaded rifle lack critical thinking skills.

 

[SAJ-99]

yeah, it's wild how many people here I wouldn't go hunting with. hiking behind and around someone with a shouldered chambered rifle is batshit stupid.

It isn't shouldered. Apparently two-handed is the only way. They never know when something might pop out of the brush and they have to start letting lead fly. Probably walk with bi-pod extended too.

 

[Beignet]

And don’t give me that nonsense with bears. I live and hunt in AK, worried about bears, get bear spray or a pistol. You’re not going to whip your rifle up fast enough to matter if they’re close.

I guess everyone’s personal preference to safety tolerance is different. Adding bear defense personal preferences to this already asinine thread really ups the ante of “why the way I like to do things is better than the way you do and you’re all dumb and likely to die an early, tragic, and violent death for not seeing it my way.”

 

[BuckRut]

It isn't shouldered. Apparently two-handed is the only way. They never know when something might pop out of the brush and they have to start letting lead fly. Probably walk with bi-pod extended too.

 

[Buschy]

I never carry a round in the chamber. It may have even cost me an animal of two over the years. No worries at all. Safety is more important.

Outside of my wife and kids, I rarely hunt with anyone else. If I do and they insist on carrying a round in the chamber, we just don’t hunt together any longer. I just had this hard conversation with a great friend this fall. I guess this is a PSA for any Hunttalkers I may hunt with in the future.

 

[gouch]

I used to always have a round chambered while hunting. The people that taught me to hunt always did it that way, so I did as well. Several times while hunting I would notice that the safety somehow got pushed off and it would make me think it might be safer if I just didn't chamber a round. But I still did, out of habit. Then one day I left camp and forgot to chamber a round. I missed a deer, trying to fire an empty gun. A year later I did the same thing and missed a really big bear because of it.

So, I decided that it would be better to always leave the chamber empty and get in the habit of chambering a round just before shooting. That way I never assume I have a round chambered when I don't, so I don't end up trying to fire an empty chamber. Works for me.

I no longer hunt with a modern rifle so It's kind of a moot point, but I don't walk around with a capped muzzleloader, or an arrow knocked either.

 

[noharleyyet]

I never carry a round in the chamber. It may have even cost me an animal of two over the years. No worries at all. Safety is more important.

Outside of my wife and kids, I rarely hunt with anyone else. If I do and they insist on carrying a round in the chamber, we just don’t hunt together any longer. I just had this hard conversation with a great friend this fall. I guess this is a PSA for any Hunttalkers I may hunt with in the future.

Same, I'm sure it's annoying for my hunt buds, son, and sil...but that's how it is.

 

[atlas]

I took out a new hunter a couple years ago. We had a conversation in the morning about how I didn't think that there was any reason that they needed to load one into the chamber but they insisted and said 'that's the way they had been doing it' so I went along with it. Later that day she swung her barrel across my chest. I made sure to let her know what she had done wrong...

I've also had buddies slip and fall more than once while elk hunting. While falling there's been times when the barrel was def pointed at me but my friends and I typically don't have one in the chamber unless we're gonna shoot something.