Hiking with loaded rifle yay or nay?

[finngun]

When gun is in my hand,,chambered is full,,,but bolt is never down..and yes,, I never lost any bolt...takes only same half second when gun is loaded and safety on..when gun is my back..magazine full chamber empty..i witness 2 or 3 AD in my lifetime..scary..

[butcher]

Hike, drive, fly, if it ain’t loaded you may as well carry a hockey stick.

[albravo2]

Two scariest things: a gun that goes click when it is supposed to go bang and a gun that goes bang when it is supposed to go click.

I hike without a bullet chambered but I tend to have one in the chamber with the safety when I'm onto something because chambering a round seems really loud when I am trying to be quiet.

[lovemywinchester]

good question. When i’m with someone, the chamber is always empty. When i’m alone and sign is getting my hopes up, i’ll chamber a round, put the safety on and unload when the terrain or conditions change. My gun is always in my hands when i’ve got a round in. Steep slopes, blowdown, etc, i’m not walking loaded.

x 2........................

[Downtown]

Info for everyone (not everyone knows this trick) - I always chamber a round but 'lower' the firing pin by flipping up bolt and lowering while trigger is pulled. When ready to shoot, all you do is flip up and down the bolt (no need to cycle as round is already in the chamber) to cock the firing pin. Impossible for the gun to go off this way whilst hiking and you don't spook game either.

You may want to rethink your "little Trick" which is actually a very dangerous thing to do. If you cant figure it out ask somebody which knows like a Gunsmith !

Cheers

[scttlp86]

If you are being quiet enough that an animal will be spooked by you chambering a round then you are probably being careful enough that having one in the chamber is ok. Otherwise most animals will already know you are there and working the action isn't what spooked them. I have seen an accidental discharge, good thing for hunting partners with good muzzle control. Years ago I was stalking in on some deer with one in the chamber. They ended up blowing out but I didn't remove the bullet from the chamber right away. Couple minutes later I had a realy good spill, yard sale type. Well I look up and my rifle is 2 feet away pointing right at my gut, still have one in the pipe... scope was smashed and a good chunk gone from the stock. Rifle is never chambered when hiking

[whitlers]

Hmmm either way at times. Empty chamber typically unless hiking around lots of Gizz sign. If hiking with a partner typically empty again unless I'm the lead guy on a small trail with Grizz sign.

[weatherby_man]

Depends on the situation and most others have identified those case were its not. If I am active on either a slow spot/stalk or waiting on a site its always loaded. If I am on the other hand power hiking to a specific location and not in full hunting mode at the moment then no not loaded.

[wideopenthrottle]

if hunting alone I always tube one with the safety on....I was trained to unload if you have a chance of falling (crossing creeks, fences, steep sidehill, slippery logs etc) and to always control muzzle direction so as soon as I am out of the vehicle and off the road I tube one...all hunting protocols are understood by my group up to and including having a grizzly shotgun in the tent

[saskbooknut]

Empty chamber, full mag when climbing in the mountains. Locked and loaded when still hunting.