Round In The Chamber

[Gynaroo]

Hard no for me. 8 years ago when we moved back to Wyoming and money was tight and I got a Remington 783 chambered in 30-06 from the local box store. I carried it loaded when I was by myself. One time deer hunting I had just entered the edge of some scrub oak getting ready to ease across the adjacent aspen patch. I heard a click or something that sounded mechanical. My safety had managed to get pushed forward into the fire position and a stick had wedged onto my trigger guard causing the trigger to go off (those were days of shoulder carry for me). Thankfully this particular gun wouldn’t grab a bullet out of the magazine if it was flush with the magazine. So not knowing that was a problem I thought I had chambered a round. No longer have that rifle.

Ever since that incident I’ve never chambered a round until I am setting up for a shot or sitting somewhere. Now my kids are growing up and it is the rule to not have one chambered. I make them show me before the gun goes on their packs or in the truck.

 

[MTGomer]

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.

The uncle of a girl I grew up with was killed when his partner slipped and fell and his gun discharged. It’s just not worth the risk

 

[bigsky2]

Yea, I get why folks like to have one in the chamber. I always figured that if I miss an animal because I didn't have time to chamber a round then there really wasn't time to truly assess the situation anyway. I'm out there for the long haul....don't see a reason why a round needs to be in the chamber. To each their own. I do kind of assume most folks keep one in the chamber so I'm super leery of other hunting groups that don't present themselves as conscientious....or very conscious when I meet people in the field.

Agreed on assessing the situation, I'd rather take the chance on an animal getting away than for me to make a quick decision and shoot something I'm not happy with.

 

[RaiderRich]

Like most here when I am moving, no. Sitting or on stand I will chamber one. When it comes to walking I am to much of a clumsy fool to even consider having one in the chamber.

 

[Richard22]

Having reviewed hundreds of published hunting accident reports, far more people are killed accidently by firearms that were loaded in non-hunting situations than when the hunter was in the field. It's why I don't chamber a round until I'm in the stand and clear the chamber before leaving. If an immediate need should arise, I can quickly chamber a round from the magazine. Around vehicles, including ATV's and UTV's is one of the most dangerous places for hunters because it's where some choose to load and unload their firearm even though others are often nearby. And accidental discharges in these situations are very often just a few feet from the victim where even birdshot can be very unforgiving.

 

[cgasner1]

I wouldnt even take a gun out of the truck until you locate your target animal, you just cant be too safe!

Most days I won’t even roll down the window till I see my target animal

 

[Featherwatcher]

I typically carry a revolver missing one bullet, similar principle. I think if you're doing any sort of active work it's a liability

 

[thomas89]

I only hunt fair chase.

Which means the chamber in my 870 is always empty, whatever critter I am aiming for deserves at least to hear the sweet sound of that old shotgun shucking a slug into the chamber.

SPREAD IT ON!

 

[BAKPAKR]

I only hunt fair chase.

Which means the chamber in my 870 is always empty, whatever critter I am aiming for deserves at least to hear the sweet sound of that old shotgun shucking a slug into the chamber.

SPREAD IT ON!

Little known fact - racking a shotshell into an 870, with some authority, on a dark night and in kind of a hinky situation, can just about make the deputy walking cautiously right in front of you jump out of his Wellingtons. I am not sure how a deer would react.

 

[Frequently Banned Troll]

Since Michael called those of us that carry one in the chamber "dumb" on IG I thought the subject might deserve a more civil discussion here over the comment section there. I have always carried one in the chamber and never felt un-safe about it. I would actually go as far as to say with the level of muzzle control I force myself to have I would feel confident that I could carry with no safety on without incident.

PS: I NEVER do the latter. Just emphasizing that I feel I have enough safety protocol built into how I carry a gun that I deem not having a round chambered as unnecessary.

“Michael” is certainly correct about people being “dumb” - it’s completely mind boggling how many people think it’s a good idea to just rack one in and take a hike with a hot centerfire rifle. It’s beyond scary that 50% of hunters here are that completely fuggin stupid. Thankfully that’s the case because if more remotely smart people hunted there would likely be no animals left on planet earth.

 

[BAKPAKR]

I typically carry a revolver missing one bullet, similar principle. I think if you're doing any sort of active work it's a liability

Wouldn’t it be safer to leave two chambers empty — the one under the hammer in case of heavy impacts on the hammer and the one next in rotation in case the the trigger was accidentally pulled by a rogue branch?

 

[Sytes]

 

[Lota lota]

Since Michael called those of us that carry one in the chamber "dumb" on IG I thought the subject might deserve a more civil discussion here over the comment section there. I have always carried one in the chamber and never felt un-safe about it. I would actually go as far as to say with the level of muzzle control I force myself to have I would feel confident that I could carry with no safety on without incident.

PS: I NEVER do the latter. Just emphasizing that I feel I have enough safety protocol built into how I carry a gun that I deem not having a round chambered as unnecessary.

You wouldn't conceal carry a handgun without one in the chamber right? The same thing applies to hunting. Your objective is to have the advantage. I've always carried a round in the chamber hunting and never had any issues.

 

[Lota lota]

“Michael” is certainly correct about people being “dumb” - it’s completely mind boggling how many people think it’s a good idea to just rack one in and take a hike with a hot centerfire rifle. It’s beyond scary that 50% of hunters here are that completely fuggin stupid. Thankfully that’s the case because if more remotely smart people hunted there would likely be no animals left on planet earth.

If you know what you're doing with firearms it's completely safe. The rest unfortunately fall under natural selection.

 

[Frequently Banned Troll]

If you know what you're doing with firearms it's completely safe. The rest unfortunately fall under natural selection.

WTF. I buy half dozen Kifaru gun bearer tops at a time because I fall enough while hunting that I bust the top section. Maybe I don’t know “what I’m doing” while walking but I fall way more with a rifle, hard, that doesn’t bust the threads on a gun bearer. People are completely fuggin stupid, there’s no doubt about it.

That half a second it takes you to chamber a round makes all the difference right.

 

[BAKPAKR]

WTF. I buy half dozen Kifaru gun bearer tops at a time because I fall enough while hunting that I bust the top section. Maybe I don’t know “what I’m doing” while walking but I fall way more with a rifle, hard, that doesn’t bust the threads on a gun bearer.

Cut back on the Hopzone.

 

[Benfromalbuquerque]

This good friend joined me for elk and brought his new Benelli M2 for volunteer spruce chicken. We were on the CDT in the dark going back to camp and I split off to retrieve a game cam about 80yd off trail. It was of those moonless dark quiet fall nights where a twig snap is startling. I had gone 30yds and BOOOOM! I was horrified my buddy just became a statistic.
Then he calls out “I’m ok!”
We figured out the mount of the shotgun on his pack had left the safety vulnerable to be moved by external force like brush, branches and it was. Then some hardware got into the trigger guard while he was shifting the load and pulled that trigger.
I’m still at times hunting big game with one in the chamber. That’s when the rifle’s in my hands. If the gun is mounted or slung in a way that it’s not readily accessible then unloaded. My buddy’s story is a great example of when the chamber should be empty.

 

[Lota lota]

WTF. I buy half dozen Kifaru gun bearer tops at a time because I fall enough while hunting that I bust the top section. Maybe I don’t know “what I’m doing” while walking but I fall way more with a rifle, hard, that doesn’t bust the threads on a gun bearer. People are completely fuggin stupid, there’s no doubt about it.

That half a second it takes you to chamber a round makes all the difference right.

View attachment 363095

You're evidently "fuggin retarded" for falling down all of the time. Maybe take up a different hobby like bowling or stamp collecting? Bird watching maybe?

Pay attention to your weapon. If you're going through brush carry it in your hand and maintain it.

 

[Frequently Banned Troll]

You're evidently "fuggin retarded" for falling down all of the time. Maybe take up a different hobby like bowling or stamp collecting? Bird watching maybe?

Pay attention to your weapon. If you're going through brush carry it in your hand and maintain it.

Probably so. Good luck to you and all the dumphucks that would go hunting with you.

 

[Lota lota]

Probably so. Good luck to you and all the dumphucks that would go hunting with you.

I don't hunt with anybody...it's easier that way.

When you jump bull elk in the timber you don't have much time. I'm smart enough to know where my barrel is pointing and in full control of the rifle. If you're not, you need to take a weapons course.