When do you chamber a round while hunting?

[dfanonymous]

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZfAobT5F3qg/maxresdefault.jpg

 

[FIGJAM]

I trust a floating firing pin with no spring pressure on it, than trusting a safety on a gun with a sear holding back all that spring pressure aimed at a live primer. Just food for thought. Also, never had a problem with "C". Had rifles get bumped-around, and such, never had an issue. About the only way it could cause an issue, is if a stick happened to land in that less-than-1/2" hole where the rear of the firing pin sits in the bolt. Weird stuff happens, but to me, that seems a lot less likely, than a safety failing or a trigger getting pushed with a stick, and the safety failing, and the sear dropping and a round going off... Just my way of thinking.

Also, almost all modern revolvers have block-off plates to prevent an AD. Only the old-school fixed-pin revolvers were dangerous having them sitting on a live primer. Load 5, skip 1, rest the hammer on the empty cylinder...That's called the "cowboy load".

This is exactly the conclusion I came to.

 

[therifleman556]

Anyone who's disassembled a bolt knows it's not "floating" and has plenty of spring pressure on it. Not trying to agitate further, but that assertion is false.

 

[JJMoody]

Chambered safety on. Also always conscious of muzzle direction

 

[Idaho Lefty]

"FIRST Hand",.. EXPERIENCE, OK,.. here goes,..
A very good Friend of mine, took 5 rifles ground squirrel shooting, he unloaded 4 of them, got home and the little .17 hmr slid out of, an unzipped gun case, hit the pavement from 2-3 feet up and,.. almost blew his forearm in 1/2,.. 5 surgeries later,.. he was shooting again !!!! Option "C" guys, stay the Hell,.. AWAY from,.. ME

 

[FIGJAM]

"FIRST Hand",.. EXPERIENCE, OK,.. here goes,..
A very good Friend of mine, took 5 rifles ground squirrel shooting, he unloaded 4 of them, got home and the little .17 hmr slid out of, an unzipped gun case, hit the pavement from 2-3 feet up and,.. almost blew his forearm in 1/2,.. 5 surgeries later,.. he was shooting again !!!!

This is to support hunting without a round in the chamber, or just clearing the gun when you are done hunting?

 

[MudRunner2005]

Anyone who's disassembled a bolt knows it's not "floating" and has plenty of spring pressure on it. Not trying to agitate further, but that assertion is false.

Disassembled quite a few 700 bolts. Remington bolts cock on opening. It's not literally "free-floating", but it's also not under any spring pressure trying to pull it forward into the primer. It's more-or-less "resting" in place. The reason you have to disassemble pulling backwards on the lockup, is because once fully-assembled, it is held together under pressure and locked into place using a detent, and you have to get it past the detent before you can unscrew the firing pin/shroud assembly from the bolt body.

 

[MTLIVIN]

One thing that could save a lot of accidents is simply managing the muzzle, I preach this very hard to anyone I shoot and hunt with. Id rather be hunting with someone that is constantly managing their muzzle direction with a round chambered that someone who thinks they don't have one chambered and lets their muzzle point in my direction.

If your in griz country you'd better keep one chambered, the guys that get charged often don't have time to raise the gun to their shoulder before firing much less chamber a round. If your antelope hunting there is no need to chamber a round, each situation is different.

 

[TG-5150]

When hiking in to an area, especially when in a group I never have one in the chamber.

If stalking in tight timber or bedding areas, almost always have one in the chamber and on safety. Things that would make me not have one chambered have been steeeep terrain or lots of blow down. Stalking and still hunting, my senses are tuned into everything in a hyper state. If things are going to happen, it's been my experience they happen very fast. I've shot more than a few animals in their beds, and more than that trying to vacate.

I figure for most long range hunting situations there is little need for me to have one chambered until I'm ready to fire. With all the steps involved to make a shot I have to adjust my scope for, there is time for me to chamber a round

 

[therifleman556]

its not under any spring pressure trying to pull it forward into the primer.

Take the bolt out then and rotate the shroud so the pin is resting in it's most relaxed position and try to push it in so it's no longer protruding from the bolt face. It sure is still under pressure, and not just a little.

 

[bigngreen]

I play with a lot of guns, opening and closing to test and I always drop the pin but only on an empty chamber and it's amazing how many times the pin drops faster than expected. You can find primer AD cases that happened while priming so with a case in the chamber and the pin on it your only lacking a strike to fire, you've disengages all possible safeties.
It also means you have to cycle the bolt to recock the pin and in many cases that's barely enough to catch the sear, many rifles you have to actually pull the bolt back just a little close the bolt for the total engagement. I've had
Rems drop the firing pin multiple times testing triggers if I just open and close the bolt. Your just stringing out a chain of possible failures vs taking the safety of if you have an AD your already engaging a target in a safe manner.

 

[memtb]

Handguns: only use double-action revolvers for hunting...."no vacancies" in the cylinder! memtb

 

[Idaho Lefty]

The rifleman556 and Bigngreen ARE,.. CORRECT as most rifle's "Cock" upon opening, as Tikka's, Win. Model 70's and Rem 700's,.. DO !
A very dangerous practice of, carrying a LIVE round, in Chamber with F. Pin,.. DOWN on a LIVE, Primer ! Goodbye and good luck with,.. THAT ! Well said, TG-5150 !

 

[dmj]

Never chamber a round until needed. Never have hunted the big bears and don't imagine I will ever have the chance.