I think the reason some contend that a person has or can be shot with an unloaded weapon is that they either don't understand the definition of unloaded, or they don't know how or simply are too lazy to check properly. Coyote Hunter is quite right; an unloaded gun cannot shoot.

And having had the experience of hunting with a rifle I thought was chambered and hot - and missed an opportunity because it wasn't, I know that the mistake could as easily be made in reverse. "I thought" does not make anything so. "I thought" must be replaced by "I know." And while the intent of "never point a weapon at something you are not willing to shoot" is a good idea and the motive behind it pure, the truth is, that barrel is going to be pointed in a lot of ways I don't want to send a bullet. I am simply not willing to walk around with a bullet stopping cap on the end of my barrel just so I can carry hot with near impunity.

The level of awareness one must have to safely carry hot requires more attention than I am willing to spare when I am hunting on a minute by minute, hour by hour basis. While I know one can become accustomed to it - which usually means one's attention to it becomes less - I will not hunt with folks I care so little about that I am willing to allow that to happen. To me, it makes more sense to keep the focus on locating game and not worry about whether everyone's barrels are pointed safely at all times- because if one really cares about their own skin, they need to be attentive to all with whom they hunt, especially so when chambers are hot.

Are there times when a chamber needs to be loaded? Of course, but the act of doing that, especially if the rifle is carried ready to go, is very simple and quick. A great majority of the time, especially where and how I hunt, that is easily accomplished. (It's surprising too, how much one can learn about animal behavior in the moment it takes to chamber a round while both of you are aware of each other. It's often not what one might assume either.)

Sometimes, the air you 'let in'matters less than the air you 'let out'.