loaded or unloaded?
 

When hunting, do you chamber a round in your rifle and put the safety on or do you leave the chamber empty with a full magazine?

Thanks, TJ

Depends, but under most circumstances, I keep one in the chamber. Too many quick shooting opportuities to go with an unloaded gun. Plus, here in Ohio, we're only allowed to have a total capacity of 3 shots, so only going with 2 in the magazine doesn't make much sense.;)

gd

Loaded

If I am hunting with any rifle other than the Martini, loaded, safety on. The Martini has no safety so, unloaded. I carry a round in my right hand, with the Martini, nickel brass.
Ed

Chambered, Safety on.

Hard to kill anything without one in the tube. Actually, I carry my guns loaded just about all the time, even in the truck. Just crack the bolt, and leave it on safety of course.

I cant remember the last time my ccw gun was unloaded, other than shooting it.

Loaded. Always.

Andy

Loaded when I'm hunting with myself. With a guide, they will usually require that you hunt with an empty chamber until you put the final stalk on something.

In Minnesota we're required to keep firearms completely unloaded and cased when in a vehicle or motorized watercraft, so mine have to be unloaded til I'm in the field & ready to hunt.

I don't do much stalking, so mine are usually loaded with the safety off when I am in a tree stand. On the way down the tree, they are unloaded, and on the walk back they are loaded with the safety on.

When I am wingshooting, I always have the gun loaded and the safety off unless the dog is in the blind with me. When we start messing with the decoys, I pull the round out of the chamber. When I take a break, I pull the round out of the chamber. That is one thing I like about Benellis and Berettas, you don't have to unload the entire gun to make sure the chamber is empty.

Like MT, Maryland law requires that guns not have ammo in the chamber or the magazine when being transported, so my guns are always unloaded when they are in the car.

Loaded with safety on except when in the truck, or crossing a fence etc.

Don't do you much good if it ain't loaded.

GoodOlBoy

Loaded w/safety on.
muledeer

Baylian,

When I walk out the backdoor, the chamber is loaded and the safety is on. "Cranking" the bolt afield will give you distant white flags to ponder! They make thin soup.

Loading the chamber and putting on the safety is fine, BUT watch the muzzle. Stay aware of where the muzzle is pointing and you have no problems.

Adam

Bolt closed
 

Quoting SuicidJky

but I hold the trigger down while closing the bolt so its not cocked. a round is just opening and closing the bolt away.

With some rifles that is a very unsafe way to carry. The firing pin on quite a few rifles will be resting on the primer of the round. If dropped it could easily fire the round. I HAVE seen this happen! With some rifles I have had the firing pin actually protrudes PAST the face of the bolt.

Thank you
 

Thanks for all the replies! A guy I went hunting with years ago kept the magazine full but the chamber empty. He said it was for safety's sake. I can see how you would want a round in the chamber if you were on a stalk.

Good hunting! TJ

Second best safety is muzzle control. I hate it when people point guns at me and when I say something they tell me the safety is on. I have had a bunch of friends tell me that and I always want to smack them on the side of the head.

Another thing I hate is when we get out of our layout blinds to fix decoys and nobody unloads their guns, which are pointed over the very field we are moving the decoys around in. I rarely, if ever, rely on a safety.