IE, I'd like to say thanks to both you, and Curdog4570 in your efforts to restore civility to The Fire. Believe it or not, I think we are actually making progress. Back around 2010-2011 I believe the level of discourse was even worse then it is now. At least now, most of the GFY's are in jest.
IMO many of the differences in hunting style and rifle/caliber preferences are a result of geography. My LR rig won't do much good down south where I'll seldom be able to see past the end of the barrel, unless I'm in a tree stand. Out here, there are some places where there are no trees for your tree stand...
Same goes for round in the chamber vs. empty chamber.
Hot brushy environment where you only get a quick fleeting shot, folks are more likely to carry one in the chamber. In places with cold winters, with more snow and ice, where you are more likely to fall with your rifle etc, hand have longer shots with more time to prepare, more folks carry empty chamber. Again, it's what's reasonable for the geography.
Yea, some members are just plain stupid, but most are just adapting their personal practices to what most effective for their local hunting condition....which can be very different from your own.
As more members realize this, we will be in a better position to respect and learn from each other, and hopefully this can help reduce the unnecessary discourse.
