round in the chamber yes or no?

[artschool]

and it sounded hilarious from where I was sitting. I'm pretty glad you did have it broken or I might not have been typing this.

 

didnt know you were on here mate!!! i was just about to say how many hundreds of pigeons i shot .

 

 

i think i will make the missus take whats left back to whatever "gift" shop if came from

Edited September 6, 2010 by artschool

[Tug]

In response to the OP.

 

With my O/U I tend to have cartridges in but gun broken unless stood "on peg" and the birds have started to flush. It's the same with in the hide, gun broken unless there are birds incoming.

 

With the auto it's a bit harder, I'm not 100% used to it yet but I tend to keep two in the tube and then the one in the breech sits against a little step until I close the bolt, I close the bolt when I see birds coming in. I lost a couple that came from behind like this so I might keep the bolt closed and just rack it to load, replacing the second cartridge in the tube if time allows.

 

With the rifles it's always spout empty until getting on target. A bit harder with the 10/22 because of the action but I will always clear the chamber before moving on.

[njc110381]

I carry my guns loaded pretty much all the time. The exception to that is when crossing difficult ground, gates, fences etc when I have to carry the gun over with me. If I'm crossing a five bar gate often I will have the safety applied, lie the gun under the gate facing away from me and then climb over before picking the gun up again.

 

I really think there is quite a margin for error here. It's right that nobody has ever been shot with an empty gun but at the same time a lot of Deer have been lost by the bimbling hunter who insists on carrying an unloaded rifle in the woods! Some of the shots I have presented to me are missed just because the Deer move before I've reacted to seeing them. Having to load would make matters ten times worse. You can often slowly raise a rifle to a Deer and it will stand and look at you but try making the most unnatural metallic clanking sound whilst loading and 99 times out of 100 it will be off like a rocket!

[magman]

Drop the bolt on a rifle and with a 12g always auto safe if i cross a fence then unload

[the running man]

i will admit to a mixture of chamberd and unchamberd. always unloaded in the 4x4, walking and lamping rimfire loaded,unloaded whilst on the lamp duty!,centerfire i do leave it unloaded until target spotted. i just feel safer doing it this way,and obviously unchamberd moving over bogs,bumpy ground ,gates fences etc.

[vampire]

Rifle and shotgun are always loaded with safety on if i am stationary and safety comes off when quarry is sighted,always loaded safely and pointed in safe direction,if i am walking with sxs its broken and rifle with bolt back,semi is different i have started to carry it almost vertically with safety on,i always empty gun if i am not holding it or climbing about etc.

My mates grandad shot his dads arm off with a 12 bore when climbing through a barbed wire fence,so seen what can happen from an early age.

[marksman79]

Its all about awareness of your weapon drills at all times. The safety is there for a reason, people should not be scared in having a round chambered, like others have said on here the noise of cocking the weapon could scare a great oppotunity off! I have two safety catches on my Steyr .223 Pro Hunter. The main one locks the bolt handle in place when crossing things like fences, so a very safe weapon in the right hands i think.

[marksman79]

Yes, always unloaded unless ready to take the shot. it takes no time at all to let the bolt forward while the 4 x 4 is stopping. The only time I won't unload is when there is another rabbit and we are going to move slightly to get a better shot at it.

 

Anything can happen while driving about on fields or tracks and an unloaded rifle is the only way in my opinion. Others may not agree but I really couldn't give a toss. As I have already said, noone has ever been shot with an empty gun. However accidents can and do happen when the gun is loaded.

 

I do not believe in a "Safety" catch and I firmly believe that it is the wrong name for it as well. It is a mechanical device which can fail, why rely on it?

My trigger finger is my first safety!

[libs]

With the shotgun I always walk around with the safety off, Shotgun safety isn't very safe, as I understand it it only stops the trigger movement and unlike a rifle safety has no control over the springs+pins. And if I fell my finger would be away from the trgger anyways so hopefully it wouldnt go bang.

 

Obviously unload the gun crossing ditches, fences and other such things, and I will always break the gun and take the carts out if I see someone walking in my direction when out and about.

[Albertan_J]

Would be interesting to see some of you shoot walked up grouse with broken or unloaded guns as you'd be in for a frustrating day. Always break and unload when there's dodgey ground or fences. If I'm honest I don't know anyone that would walked up rough shoot with an empty shotgun atleast broken with carts in to stand a chance.