When do you chamber a round while hunting?

[Orange Dust]

Also Headspace = opportunity for the neck and shoulder of the cartridge to expand out and move forward. Not backward.

Think about it. Cartridge stretch in the web area.....

 

[ophious]

 

[Orange Dust]

The extractor does not hold the case at all till primary extraction unless you have a grossly over sized case. Headspace is your wiggle room.

Bet you are right. More clearance than headspace.

 

[therifleman556]

Unsubscribing. Someone start a new thread when the testing begins.

 

[Harley Parmenter]

Guess I've ben bird hunting for fifty years , Pheasants with dad, grouse, turkeys, a whole lot of deer, woodcock in heavy cover. We let the dog out, collar him, get our gear together, and load and chamber a round. We load and chamber a round when we walk to our stands but unload or open the chamber when we get in and out of a stand or climb over a fence deer huntin. We unload before resting a firearm on the car, fence, tree etc. My rifle was chambered in Colorado when I jumped a dandy Mule deer in scrub oaks ten or so yards in front of me. I clicked off the safety and shot him in the back of the neck, dropped him like a rock. We were moving to a spot closer to another buck we had spotted in a spotting scope some 700 yard from our position. I try to stay ready when hunting because you never know when opportunity will arise or you will flush a bird the dog never scented. I have at times hunted grouse with an open side by side with shells in the chamber, more often to take advantage of a good point and a hunting style long forgot. Pop always said to never point a firearm at any thing you aint gonna shot,point the muzzle down or away from anyone and treat that firearm with respect it can be pretty unforgiving.

 

[bigngreen]

Know the feeling, kinda like trying to explain to someone your firing pin is actually resting on the primer when you drop it on a live case.

 

[Orange Dust]

Oh I just gotta go here. Option C is safer with a magnum than a creedmore because it takes more force to detonate a magnum primer. Sorry Creedmore guys. You MUST carry with an empty chamber

 

[jbrick970]

I have been guiding elk, mule deer and black bear for several years in Colorado with the same outfitter. The rule is option A only for all hunters. A few hunters don't like it and some even try and sneak a round in the chamber. We take 30-40 animals a year and to date have not missed a chance because a rifle had to be cocked. We have also not had any guns go off unintentionally. Things just happen so error on the side of caution.

 

[bigngreen]

Oh I just gotta go here. Option C is safer with a magnum than a creedmore because it takes more force to detonate a magnum primer. Sorry Creedmore guys. You MUST carry with an empty chamber

It would only be fair to everyone else to handy cap the Creemore guy!

 

[trhall]

I am thinking the type of hunting might come into play here - like spot and stalk in the west vs sitting in a blind or stand shooting a whitetail back east etc.

Seems like this is really 2 scenarios. You personally and what you require of your kid or other inexperienced hunter.

 

[Orange Dust]

It would only be fair to everyone else to handy cap the Creemore guy!

27 pages and I just had to go there

 

[Tidus56]

I carry with an empty chamber myself but know plenty of ppl who choose option C. I have seen their guns fall out of a scabbard, dropped while crossing a fence and fall out of the truck. Never once have I seen an AD from this. I am not saying it can't happen just it seems not so likely after all those events. The falling out of the truck broke the scope so it was a pretty hard fall. Just my own experience.

 

[Akhunting]

Know the feeling, kinda like trying to explain to someone your firing pin is actually resting on the primer when you drop it on a live case.

I'm not sure if ophious is playing Devil's advocate, a troll, or an engineer... He seems to be looking at it from a very narrow and controlled perspective, allowing no room for the variables in a dynamic system and using multiple platforms to develop an absolute answer. Springs have different tensions, firing pins different mass, chambers different headspace, extractors different engagement distances, primers of different hardness and volatility, etc.

My truck's Park is very strong, never had it slip, yet. I still park wheels turned to the curb and chock the wheels if it could go where I don't want. I just saw where a guy almost lost his dogs and kid launching a boat when Park slipped...

 

[johnlittletree]

Well the second I am hunting I have a round chambered and safety on. Once I am in the stalk the safety is off because of how loud some safety's are and muzzle discipline and the proper order of operations comes into play. If I have to cross or climb something the safety goes back on. That is also why all my hunting rifles have no stone work to the trigger or the sear. No 2 ounce trigger for me on a hunting rifle. When I get back to my car to head for home I unload the rifle and pull the bolt.

 

[johnlittletree]

I don't like to hike hill and dale it hurts my knees too much so I
go straight to my blind or vantage point Then I chamber a round once I'm settled in.
I unload before leaving..
I have an old 1897 shotgun with a 3 position hammer I never leave it down all the way.
It will go off!..I use half-cock.

Yes if a rifle has a half cock postion instead of a real safety by modern standards I use it!