Hiking with loaded rifle yay or nay?

[tadpole]

Loaded magazine but no bullet in a pipe while bush hiking. I witnessed couple of stupid discharges and that is a good lesson to me.

[Onesock]

One in the tube only when ready to shoot!

[paraschost]

Always loaded, never chambered. When I was younger I was hiking with it chambered safety on thinking I was good, slipped hit the but of the stock & it went off on my shoulder... Never did that again!

[Bustercluck]

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.

This is the same thing I do. My theory is I’d rather spook off a bit of game by racking a round than having an accidental discharge. Accidental discharges are more common than you think and I can’t say I’ve missed out on an animal because I was chambering a round.

[ACE]

In G-bear country . . . you decide.
A rifle with a 3 position safety like the Winchester M70 is very easy to check while the rifle is shoulder slung. You can check the safety with your left hand with the rifle slung on your right shoulder.

[Squire]

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.

This is pretty much exactly my protocol. I'll add that if I'm with someone I insist they are unloaded as well or they can hunt alone. I was with someone once whose rifle discharged while removing it from his shoulder - never again.

[caddisguy]

Wow. This thread is educational.

I have had a lot of slips and falls, but never an AD.

Because of some of the spills and tumbles we've had, we recognized the risk and have a nothing chambered policy in any terrain that falling is likely. If we're hiking around thick, steep, mossy and wet stuff chamber is empty.

Hunting solo, I always have one chambered unless I'm dealing with a major obstacle (like climbing up one of our "shortcut ropes". Having one in the pipe while solo makes me feel a heck of a lot safer. Whether or not I am safer, who knows.

After reading this thread I'm considering extending the nothing-chambered w/ partner policy to easy terrain where falls are unlikely but still possible.

Makes me want to test our rifles more to see if I can get them to discharge by smacking them around a bit various ways. Probably add that to the list of stuff I never get around to though.

[john-brennan]

Magazine full chamber empty when hiking in to where I hunt. I like most of you can load a shell into the chamber quickly when needed.

[hawk-i]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfAobT5F3qg

[Huntingtyler123]

Loaded mag , but not chambered round while walking