Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Hunter Shot and Killed in Colorado

It's a good question. We all decide for ourselves.




In the case of the OP, the shooter was either incredibly stupid, derelict, and inept.....or he did it on purpose. There's really no other way to that result.

We hunt cold most of the time when carrying rifles.
Rarely so with shotguns.

But the circumstances are also very different.

I have the 2nd young Hunter in the House. I go over in some detail the process of loading and unloading a gun when in and out of the truck. Yes, all it takes is once, SO TOTALLY AVOIDABLE.


Basically, I’ll go on my side, point down and away, you go on your side, point down and away while loading. The same applies to unloading.

There been 4 deaths here in Michigan in the last week during firearm deer season! one case a 13 year old, shot a 16 year old while loading his gun!

You should be able to trust your hunting partners to load their rifles safely, and to keep them unloaded until there's a reason to have a round in the chamber.

It even bothers me when folks unload, case their guns and put them in the vehicle w muzzle at the other guy.
Triple check, case it, then put it in w muzzle at you.
Or wait until the other guy is done and out of the way.
Yeah, muzzle at you is bad, but if you totally screw up only you gets killed.

BTW, I have seen firearm failures where they went boom with finger off the trigger.
But will agree, most folks have the booger hook on the bang switch and either lie about it, or flat out THOUGHT they didn't.
People have different motor skills and sensations of touch.
Some think off the trigger is also out of the trigger guard.
And some can lay a finger they thought was out of trigger guard, on side of trigger and work the bolt and "click".
Dude of some experience tripped my 600's trigger doing that.
Screamed I set it dangerous.
I was watching and told him his %$#@ finger was on the damn trigger.

Gun was unloaded, triple checked and he was testing trigger, pointed safe direction.
He had never shot a light trigger evidently (under 2#).

Who knows how many times he did that crap w a loaded gun and by sheer luck didn't have a boom.
Obviously of poor habit.

That was a real learning experience for him,

Yes, he bought the rifle.

Maybe where you live they are. Ever try flushing and shooting blacktail bucks in tight cover? Jackrabbits? Elk hunt the Cascades in the hemlocks? No damn way I'm carrying cold. Ever.

this is a very sad story, that rifle should have been pointed down and away from everyone that was poor learning skills and very sad. my brother`s rifle went off once ,by me ,rifle was a 30-30 lever when brother was unloading rifle carelessly and not paying attention,brother thought he was rifleman "Chuck Oconnors ", our DAD slapped him in the back of the head and scolded hard,we never had any safety issues again DAD was a youth gun safety instructor and when that happened he was pissed. maybe this dud had no gun safety training or a father that cared about safety or came from another broken family ? bad sad death that should not have happen the rifle never caused this death poor gun safety caused it !

If a guy can't figure out how to remove ALL the ammo from his gun, that guy should likely get another hobby. If a guy can't figure out how to make his gun impossible to fire w/o human intervention, that guy should likely get another hobby.

Which way do you point your hammer in the toolbox? Toward you, or toward your buddy? Which way to you point the scissors in the drawer? Toward your wife, or your kids?

Detachable mag, so likely not.

Re-read his last sentence.

Ever???? You carry rour rifle in the car with a hot chamber, or in the gun safe? Walking from parking lot to trail head?This is all about WHEN one goes hot chamber.

I don't trust my safety, I should trust yours? Plus your hand position, your muzzle control, your balance on slippery rocks, log, etc WHEN A HOT CHAMBER IS NOT NECESSARY??? Behind my back?

I don't think so.

i've got an old 700 that will do this if the trigger is set too low.

Yes! also, why do you have to load in the parking lot anyway?
muzzle down, not pointing at anything but ground.

sorry to hear this story.

In what way?

One of the downfalls of the Walker trigger is that it is immanently adjustable. I've bought a few M700's--including here on the 'fire--where the sear engagement was dangerously small...

A couple more older M700's probably never had their stocks removed and the underside of the rifle cleaned. The trigger housings were filthy, and PACKED with crud.

Those two situations probably account for 99% of the alleged "accidental discharges".

But few want to hear that.........

I talked with one of the investigators today. The rifle was a Browning. Function testing hasn’t been competed yet.

Quite possibly the dumbest post I've seen on the fire in 15 years.

When I leave my truck...I'm hunting...w/ a round in the chamber. powdr

Bad deal. Should remind us all of rule # 4. NEVER let your muzzle cover anything your not willing to shoot.

That being said, I never carry a rifle with a round in the chamber. If it costs me a missed shot, so be it. Just not worth the risk to me.