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Thread: Hiking with loaded rifle yay or nay?

  1. #71
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    Re: Hiking with loaded rifle yay or nay?

    Quote Originally Posted by Livewire322 View Post
    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.
    I’m assuming you mean with one in the chamber? “Not loaded” means nothing inchamber OR magazine. If you hunt birds this way, other than grouse, you’ll probably never get one. Chukar are especially fast. Once they flush, it’s usually over in less than 2 seconds.

    My bolt and semi I don’t chamber a round until I’m in “close”, but I do most of my hunting with my leverguns so they can be carried with the hammer at 1/2 cock with safety on for the Marlins and decocked for the Henrys.
    Last edited by Redthies; 11-09-2019 at 08:58 AM.
    If we’re not supposed to eat animals, how come they’re made out of meat?

    BHA, BCWF, CCFR, PETA, Lever Action Addict.

  2. #72
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    May 2011
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    Burnaby
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    2,228

    Re: Hiking with loaded rifle yay or nay?

    Quote Originally Posted by Redthies View Post
    I’m assuming you mean with one in the chamber? “Not loaded” means nothing inchamber OR magazine. If you hunt birds this way, other than grouse, you’ll probably never get one. Chukar are especially fast. Once they flush, it’s usually over in less than 2 seconds.

    My bolt and semi I don’t chamber a round until I’m in “close”, but I do most of my hunting with my leverguns so they can be carried with the hammer at 1/2 cock with safety on for the Marlins and decocked for the Henrys.
    Sure, if you want to go with the legal definition in some jurisdictions vs the functional and logical definition, then having a loaded magazine inserted into a firearm would be considered loaded.

    As others in this thread have put it - a safety is a mechanical device and mechanical devices fail.

    I don’t carry a firearm with a round in the chamber, and wouldn’t want to be around others doing so either.
    If it cant be done with one shot, it shouldn't be done.

    "grab large claw hammer - put against butt cheek , pry head out of ass with claws...then go back to school..."

  3. #73
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
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    3,090

    Re: Hiking with loaded rifle yay or nay?

    what about my way...///When gun is in my hand,,chambered is full,,,but bolt is never down..,,works at least on my tikkas.. never lost any bolt/// on my books,,that is safety way to hunt.even if i drop my gun..it wont go off...just this year my buddy had A D because he was trusting his ..safety on...system..suprised both of us..still i hunt with him,,,he never gonna do it again..now he is carrying his gun ..my way..

  4. #74
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    Oct 2009
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    Re: Hiking with loaded rifle yay or nay?

    The safeties on some rifles are more dangerous than other....My Kimbers 3postion and rugers 3 position have on occasion, magically moved from full safe bolt lock to ready to fire by themselves. These rifles will be empty chamber if I'm hunting with anyone else.

    However I do prefer to hunt solo...camping with a group is ok but when hunting why would I want club foot joe to be following me?

  5. #75
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    Re: Hiking with loaded rifle yay or nay?

    [QUOTE=hawk-i;2130357]The safeties on some rifles are more dangerous than other..///.. yep,,this is correct...

  6. #76
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    Jul 2005
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    VANCOUVER
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    Re: Hiking with loaded rifle yay or nay?

    Never forget a hunt in the late 60s.
    LT (308 LOVER) & I were moose hunting north of Fort St James.

    We met at a shack near the road by a swampy area after a day’s hunt. I forgot to unload my 308 norma bolt action & when abruptly placing the rifle on the floor near the table the gun accidentally went off, the bullet hitting the tin roof.


    Nowadays the chamber is always empty when rifle is slung over the shoulder.
    Will chamber the rifle when alone in bushy areas & will have total control by holding the rifle in my hands. When area looks promising or there are fresh bear signs will immediately put a round in the chamber.
    Any human presence or walking through rough terrain the rifle is empty.
    “People never lie so much as after a hunt, during a war or before an election.” -Otto von Bismarck
    Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.-Albert Einstein


  7. #77
    Join Date
    Apr 2019
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    33

    Re: Hiking with loaded rifle yay or nay?

    Mag is full, chamber is empty. I have a lever action Henry 45-70 and can load up fast in an emergency, maybe not as fast as a charging bear, but faster than I could unload it if I slipped and fell with my rifle pointing in an unsafe direction. I don't walk with any of my bolt actions chambered.

  8. #78
    Join Date
    May 2007
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    3,066

    Re: Hiking with loaded rifle yay or nay?

    Quote Originally Posted by steel_ram View Post
    I usually keep mine unloaded and locked in a hard case until I'm ready to shoot. A bit of a bugger in thick brush but best to be safe than sorry.
    Do you bring a separate case or just pack around the Kolpin from your quad? I figure that’s why they now make them easy to remove from the quad mount.

    I agree you can never be too safe...

  9. #79
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
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    4,804

    Re: Hiking with loaded rifle yay or nay?

    Quote Originally Posted by fuzzybiscuit View Post
    Do you bring a separate case or just pack around the Kolpin from your quad? I figure that’s why they now make them easy to remove from the quad mount.

    I agree you can never be too safe...
    I don't have a quad. I was being facetious.

  10. #80
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    Mar 2004
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    Re: Hiking with loaded rifle yay or nay?

    Much of it depends on the circumstances. I often carry one in the chamber with safety on, but some circumstances dictate an empty chamber. There are a few friends that I feel comfortable next to with loaded chambers. If I do t know someone well I prefer empty chambers. I use firearms more days than I don’t so I am pretty comfortable with gun handling.
    Knowledgeable shooters agree- The 375 Ruger is the NEW KING of all 375 caliber cartridges. ALL HAIL THE NEW KING!

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