When do you chamber a round while hunting?

[Orange Dust]

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...

Exactly. Logic would dictate that it would be safer to carry a Rem 700 in "C" with a plunger ejector, chambered in a magnum cartridge with magnum primers than a CRF model 70 with a standard cartridge. No idea the actual difference in safety factor. Not an engineer and don't play one on TV. I can't even get a rise out of the Creedmore crowd.

 

[dfanonymous]

If you did this with C, I did the same thing and got the same results...I tried like hell to make it go off. I couldn't do it. Once again, I am not trying to sell anybody on carrying their gun this way...but don't knock it until you have tested it either....

I did with B. Decocking a bolt from a 700 doesn't seem like something the gun was suppose to support in design.
The only two I support are b and a...in that order. My reasoning for A) because there are some shady weapons out there, all I could think about was how I hated trying to download a mk19 rolling into a ecp. I always felt that the sear could slip before pulling that last 40mm out from the weapon, it being a open bolt machine gun and what not. Point being, I'm sure there are some other shady "hunting" guns that people use that they rather not load. Other than that, locked and cocked is the way to live.

 

[Allen Kitts]

I chose "A" due to the fact that I am generally in open country where quick shots are not needed and I have plenty of time to get a round in before pulling the trigger. I do agree with some of the replies above though in that it all depends on the situation. If I am hunting alone I may chamber a round if get into a situation where a quick shot may be the only one I get. If I am hunting with anyone else the round never goes in the chamber until I feel like the shot is imminent. To much risk of something going wrong (IMO) to have a round chambered when hunting with another person, and I sure as hell don't want someone walking behind me with a loaded weapon pointed at my legs then my back then my head.

 

[rakkikoira]

I'm a B. Once took this guy out who was an A. Walking in we saw good sign so Master Hunter chambered a round. After a bit of nothing happened Master Hunter decides to unchamber his round. Watching him futz with his gun was not encouraging but he finished and off we went. Always watching someone I am not too sure of I noticed that he stumbled, rough terrain, and the gun goes off. Turns out that Master Hunter does not disengage the safety because there is not a round in the gun when he walks and when he unloaded his gun he unknowingly chambered a round.

Same guidelines as with Concealed Carry with a pistol. If you cannot spend the day with a round chambered and the safety on, then the real thing that you need is more training. All this screwing around with chambering a round, unchambering a round, ..., trying to remember is it loaded, is it unloaded is where the real danger lies.

Thought we followed a rule that always treat a gun as if it is loaded. With me there is no doubt, it is loaded.

 

[Bravo 4]

There is one certainty in all this. If the MUZZLE never covers something you don't want DEAD none of this discussion matters. I used to dove hunt a lot with a Perazzi that didn't even have a safety. Enjoyed hunting with that old target gun too!

Not exactly true, muzzle flash/blast can injure.

 

[Tex_Hunter]

I don't get the need to roll with a round chambered while stalking? If something is moving fast enough that you don't have time to chamber a round, or if cover is so thick that you only have a brief window to shoot in, have you really had enough time to check and make sure its actually something you should be shooting?

- is it a spike or a tiny forked 4 pt? (the latter being illegal at least here in TX)
- is it a doe or a button buck?
- is it a mature trophy or a 2yr old basket 8pt that was closer than you realized? (not necessarily illegal but also not a good shoot)
- is it really a dog/other non game animal/hunter wearing brown?

etc etc etc

Having a round chambered seems imprudent for more reasons than just safety. Idefintely wouldnt do it on a remington or any other similar gun that runs with the striker under tension and relies on the sear being blocked in the trigger. Position C doesnt seem a lot better than empty chamber, you still have to raise the bolt handle, my M70 makes a lot less noise running the bolt from position 2 (bolt unlocked, firing pin blocked) than it does drawing the striker back on a down firing pin against the full weight of the spring. So I guess that's A for me?

 

[Winefly]

If your firing pin is sticking out of the bolt face after a discharge it's not in spec. Bottom line.

A bolt gun will have the firing pin protruding when it's in the closed position if the trigger is disengaged on closing. it's not like a shot gun hammer that comes out and then has a spring holding it back
the spring only pushes it forward this may be different for AR style guns

 

[Orange Dust]

Not exactly true, muzzle flash/blast can injure.

True, but you get the point. Stay clear of the end with the hole in it and life will happily continue. Still waiting on the Creedmore guys to flame me. Guess I can't stir them up. Oh well, I tried. Maybe some other time.

 

[Orange Dust]

I don't get the need to roll with a round chambered while stalking? If something is moving fast enough that you don't have time to chamber a round, or if cover is so thick that you only have a brief window to shoot in, have you really had enough time to check and make sure its actually something you should be shooting?

- is it a spike or a tiny forked 4 pt? (the latter being illegal at least here in TX)
- is it a doe or a button buck?
- is it a mature trophy or a 2yr old basket 8pt that was closer than you realized? (not necessarily illegal but also not a good shoot)
- is it really a dog/other non game animal/hunter wearing brown?

etc etc etc

Having a round chambered seems imprudent for more reasons than just safety. Idefintely wouldnt do it on a remington or any other similar gun that runs with the striker under tension and relies on the sear being blocked in the trigger. Position C doesnt seem a lot better than empty chamber, you still have to raise the bolt handle, my M70 makes a lot less noise running the bolt from position 2 (bolt unlocked, firing pin blocked) than it does drawing the striker back on a down firing pin against the full weight of the spring. So I guess that's A for me?

I'm with you on everything you are saying here.
IMO a model 70 is one of the safest to carry with a loaded round and the safety all the way to the rear. Combine that with CRF and its a great choice for dangerous game country.

 

[Orange Dust]

Not exactly true, muzzle flash/blast can injure.

BTW I would chalk that up as a "Near Death Experience". Not on my to do list either.

 

[Bravo 4]

Option A for me, I also wont hunt with anyone that feels they need to walk around with a round in the chamber.

Hope this link works it's gives you something to think about, I choose to never put myself in this man's situation
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1111986868962765&id=100004543871821

Wow, crazy video. The only thing worse than killing your best friend would be if it would have been my kids or wife!
I felt it weird he kept asking about that bull, even went to look at it after killing his friend. Several years ago in Iraq my 3 man team got hit by an IED and my best bud took a large piece of shrapnel to the head (knocked the 3rd man and I out). Hole fist size through helmet and skull, wasn't breathing when I reached him. Started doing CPR, didn't realize we were getting shot at until others arrived and shielded us with an armored vehicle. Even though I knew he wasn't gonna make it, nothing else mattered but him. I guess we are all different.

 

[Barrelnut]

I felt it weird he kept asking about that bull, even went to look at it after killing his friend.

Me too...

 

[Orange Dust]

Wow, crazy video. The only thing worse than killing your best friend would be if it would have been my kids or wife!
I felt it weird he kept asking about that bull, even went to look at it after killing his friend. Several years ago in Iraq my 3 man team got hit by an IED and my best bud took a large piece of shrapnel to the head (knocked the 3rd man and I out). Hole fist size through helmet and skull, wasn't breathing when I reached him. Started doing CPR, didn't realize we were getting shot at until others arrived and shielded us with an armored vehicle. Even though I knew he wasn't gonna make it, nothing else mattered but him. I guess we are all different.

If I haven't said it before, Thank You for your service. And I mean it.

 

[Idaho Lefty]

The Model 70 CAN get ICE from Condensation ( in/out of, Truck, Trailer or Tent after, a day or two of this ), on the Sear and FIRE when, the Safety is pushed foreward !
I've seen it PERSONALLY,.. "happen" when, under a Tree with, one of my Huntin' Pard's, Mod 70 .30-06, during a "Whiteout" in Wyo. when we stopped to get our "bearings" and so we wouldn't, get lost. Decided to take all the shells out and Wait under the Pine Tree, he pushed the safety OFF and,.. KA-BOOM !!! Thankfully, Rifle was pointed in a safe direction ! Also, had Customers shoot holes thru their Pickup roof's and Windshields, by operating the Bolt while, UN-loading shells, after a Snow storm as, they were, too LAZY/ Cold to do it outside ! M70's are fine Rifle's, just DON'T, Kid yourself as, they can BE,.. DANGEROUS, TOO !