Hiking with loaded rifle yay or nay?

[Yuritau]

If I'm hiking with anyone else, nothing is chambered. If they chamber, I'm not walking with them anymore. There's time to chamber when an animal is spotted.

If I'm walking by myself, it depends. With my BLR I'll chamber one and carefully lower the hammer. If terrain gets sketchy I'll still unload it first. If I'm carrying a bolt action, I'll usually only chamber if I see an animal. If I suspect a predator is in the area, chambered and safety on until I see something.

[dapesche]

Simply if Im hunting alone I always have a round chambered but if I’m hunting with someone it’s empty.

I am the same.

[ratherbefishin]

I Never carry a rifle with one in the chamber,it’s easy enough to chamber a round if I see something

[Piperdown]

Simply if Im hunting alone I always have a round chambered but if I’m hunting with someone it’s empty.

This ^^^^^^^^^

[lakelander]

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.

[ruby]

Always nothing in the chamber, only in the mag, and I double check. That way there is NO chance of an accident. Nobody that had a firearm discharge accidentially meant for it to happen, but it does happen and people have been killed or injured. Nothing in the chamber, NO chance for life ending or altering accidents. Period. I had a hunting partners rifle go off when we were walking together, he was right behind me. I was lucky. Someone I know is now paralized from an accidental firearm discharge.

[835]

Round in all the time... I check my safe all the time.
buddy o mine, hunted as long as I have.... all his life. Mag loaded chamber empty.....

plenty of reasons to go one way or another......

[todbartell]

Simply if Im hunting alone I always have a round chambered but if I’m hunting with someone it’s empty.

me too

[upperleftcoaster]

well went hunting with a new guy i met recently. open-ish country, region 3...
anyway he insisted on having one in the tube all the time, because the deer can just pop up from behind any tree or dip or valley. i was ok at the start, but his muzzle control was awful and a couple times his gun pointed at me while he turned around.

i can already hear a lot of you freaking out ha! and i reckon i probably should have pointed that out to him and asked him to un-chamber his round afterwards. i'm new though, just had trying to see deer in my head, it was his spot, following his plan...anyway learned a lot...will be more firm about my safety next time and tell him not to swing his effing gun around like that.

[835]

well went hunting with a new guy i met recently. open-ish country, region 3...
anyway he insisted on having one in the tube all the time, because the deer can just pop up from behind any tree or dip or valley. i was ok at the start, but his muzzle control was awful and a couple times his gun pointed at me while he turned around.

i can already hear a lot of you freaking out ha! and i reckon i probably should have pointed that out to him and asked him to un-chamber his round afterwards. i'm new though, just had trying to see deer in my head, it was his spot, following his plan...anyway learned a lot...will be more firm about my safety next time and tell him not to swing his effing gun around like that.

when hunting round in.. muzzle control has to be second nature......