Rifle storage while camping

[Codes44]

IMO - In your tent or camper with you at night, lock it in our vehicle during day if out hiking or quading etc. In reality, a hunting rifle isn't a great choice for a charging bear like some of these other guys are saying......try and find a charging bear in your scope at anything less than 40-50 yards lol - you won't especially if the light isn't good. Shotgun for shitting (or a sidearm shhhh), keep the scoped rifle for hunting - unless you don't have a choice - it's better then nothing. Unless you are in thick Grizz country wouldn't worry about it - don't keep food in or near your tent an your fine. i

[Codes44]

In your sleeping bag.

If you're that afraid of the bush maybe you shouldn't be out there bud lol

[Rob Chipman]

C'mon! Are you saying that I couldn't tag a charging grizzly in the head in the dark in my sleeping bag in a tent lying down with the scope dialled up to 9x? You clearly haven't seen me in action! I'm somewhere between Charles Bronson and Chuck Norris

Keeping it beside me at night does tend to keep it dry, safe and located, though, that's for sure. I think you're right about being afraid in the bush though. What's the point of that? If you're not relaxed and enjoying it you're doing it wrong.

[mastercaster]

Lol it's not "too" bad. My wife and I are small people and can pretty much curl up in a fetal position on the flat part of the seat. Only trouble is can't fully stretch out the legs, even with support on the floor, knees are still slightly bent. Occasionally I will wake up with quite a bit of knee pain which is a bad way to start the day. I think it aggravates the sciatic nerve which cases the knee pain.

We still do it 70-90 nights a year, but a good 4x4 van (like a E250 body dropped on a F250 4x4 drivetrain with a bit of a lift is our dream lol

For someone who goes out that often you should have gotten a two person tent about 80 trips ago in your first year! lol I could see doing what you're doing about once a year just to keep things simple,,,,but probably wouldn't even do it then. Just because you're out in the bush doesn't mean you have to rough it, especially with a vehicle at hand that can hold your gear.

Rifle in tent for me!

[Forks]

Wow, way more response than I anticipated! Thanks everyone. I figured it would be common to just keep it in tent but thought there might be some other ideas out there. I don’t plan on doing any over nights in grizzly country as of yet, would definitely have rifle/shotgun in tent if there is a slight chance a grizz would be lurking around

[MichelD]

I have a 19-inch barrel for my 870 and could keep it in a tent with me if I was concerned about bears, but if something really serious happened like a bear trying to get into the tent or collapsing it on top of me or whatever, if I actually had to use the gun, what about my buddy sleeping in his tent even 30 or 40 yards away?

I keep thinking of those two guys on southern Vancouver Island scared of bears so one had a gun and accidentally shot the other. Just looked it up. Wow! Ten years ago already.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/briti...face-1.1040660

[Ohwildwon]

For someone who goes out that often you should have gotten a two person tent about 80 trips ago in your first year! lol I could see doing what you're doing about once a year just to keep things simple,,,,but probably wouldn't even do it then. Just because you're out in the bush doesn't mean you have to rough it, especially with a vehicle at hand that can hold your gear.

Rifle in tent for me!

I agree......

[geologist]

I keep mine in the tent. Magazine loaded, chamber empty.

I prefer a carbine in the tent, usually my 1895GS. I take my scope off as it's in QD rings and I clamp my flashlight on the picatinny rail up front.

It's the same setup when I'm doing field work. Not that I do much fieldwork in Canada anymore.

[wallz]

14" barrel, pump 12ga under my cot, loaded with 2 slugs and 2- #2 shot first, in the tube magazine, and an led head lamp under my pillow on the cot.

Don't have to worry about seeing the right thing or wrong thing to shoot.

[emerson]

Lol it's not "too" bad. My wife and I are small people and can pretty much curl up in a fetal position on the flat part of the seat. Only trouble is can't fully stretch out the legs, even with support on the floor, knees are still slightly bent. Occasionally I will wake up with quite a bit of knee pain which is a bad way to start the day. I think it aggravates the sciatic nerve which cases the knee pain.

We still do it 70-90 nights a year, but a good 4x4 van (like a E250 body dropped on a F250 4x4 drivetrain with a bit of a lift is our dream lol

I know a guy selling a 4x4 van. Probably over $30K though.