I have begun hunting again with a hot chamber when I'm stationary. When I am out walking, I still carry cold.
IMO a good rule of thumb is, in any situation where you might lose muzzle control (like walking out) the chamber is empty.
Remember shamaa, you brought it up first......
Recommendation: If you ever find yourself hunting dangerous game, please let someone at least hold your wallet and a next of kin notification
I don't hunt dangerous game, and no one brought up dangerous game. Do PH's allow their hunters to carry hot when they're walking through the brush and haven't spotted game yet?
Well, I do as well as many others here. Had you qualified your statement I still wouldn't agree, but anyway. And yes OF COURSE PHs allow it, in fact many insist on it.
I've never hunted dangerous game other than black bears and cougars, but one of my plains game PHs recommended I carry hot. I didn't, and never felt the need to, not did I regret it.
I do hunt upland birds with a hot shotgun, so I feel a bit hypocritical...but I am ALWAYS cold with a rifle. It's just how I do things...There's no need and I have never lost an opportunity on a critter because of it, from open prairie pronghorn to tight cover whitetails.
Anyhow to the OP, I never ever EVER scan with a scope...it is simply unacceptable to me, and yes....I have been scanned by folks and it'll piss you off like no other. If I've spotted game and have positive ID that it is in fact game, I will forgo the binos but that's a different situation.
