Hiking with loaded rifle yay or nay?

[webley]

Hunting with a partner, chambers are always cold; that's a non negotiable.

Hunting solo, I run mainly cold as well, unless a shot is imminent.

I've seen/experienced enough slips, trips and falls to know that even the easiest of ground can be dangerous at times. Fatigue, hunger, dehydration, fading light, weather....you name it, can all contribute to a trip/fall and loss of muzzle control.
At least in a solo situation, only the person who loses control is at risk of eating a bullet, so I'm good with the guys who insist on hiking hot and solo.

My thoughts as well, I have never lost an animal because of an empty chamber. Get to know your rifle and its second nature to pop one in the chamber in a hurry. Steve!

[Hunter gatherer]

What Webley said,it doesn't take long to pop one in and get a shot off.

[tadpole]

As the old saying says... Every gun fires up accidentally once a year, and in an army even a broom fires accidentally at least once a year.

[Squamch]

Situationally dependent. I've also seen a total of one ND in the bush, compared to more than I can recall on ranges.

[Squamch]

My thoughts as well, I have never lost an animal because of an empty chamber. Get to know your rifle and its second nature to pop one in the chamber in a hurry. Steve!

Missed out on an immy moose last year because of it.

[brian]

I don’t have any slings on my guns so I never carry them slung... always in my hands. They are always un-chambered if they are attached to my pack in any way. I also un-chamber for rough terrain. But I have a round in the pipe if I am hunting. There is no way I could chamber a shell quietly or quickly enough with my shotgun at the ranges I am forced to hunt.

[jlirot]

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.

Very dangerous. If you drop your rifle the pin is on the primer....

This is an interesting thread. I always hike with one in the chamber. I bird hunt as well so I'm used to being locked and loaded. You have to have control of your firearm. ..

[Livewire322]

I don’t carry my rifle loaded, regardless of being alone or with others.
I don’t carry a shotgun loaded while bird hunting either.

I would far sooner miss an opportunity on an animal than take the risk of sending a bullet somewhere I didn’t intend to.

[Muliechaser]

Muzzle controll is the number 1 priority .
As others have said , i am the same way . Chambered and saftey on when alone . And dry when with others which is rare .rare as in hunting with other people . Nothing like still hunting for whiteys and you have to chamber a round ...

[Ron.C]

I usually have a round chambered, safety on of course. But I now unchamber the round when navigating sketchy areas. Usually when goat hunting or going up a nasty cutblock for a bear where the risk of a bad fall is high.

For what its worth, I learned that the hard way a few years back when climbing scree for a goat, footing gave way, I fell and tumbled a few times and came to rest looking into muzzle of my loaded 30-06.