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Rough terrain, fences, etc, the gun gets broken. How, by swinging against a tree or rock? (Sorry, couldn't resist. )
"You can lead a man to logic, but you cannot make him think." Joe Harz "Always certain, often right." Keith McCafferty
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I like to do most of my walking with a cold chamber. If game is in sight, hot chamber with safety on, same if walking really likely cover with good footing. This is why I like a pump shotgun; I often carry it chamber cold, hammer down. I can pump a round in nearly as fast as I can release a safety when the sharptails flush.
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Empty chambers? Why am I even afield?
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I'd like to see some one load take, off safety, and fire at a rising pheasant, quail, or grouse with any sucess. One thought was walking around with action broken open but charged chambers and safety off (this assumes no auto-safety). Closing the gun could be done in the same motion as shouldering to fire. I like to do most of my walking with a cold chamber. If game is in sight, hot chamber with safety on, same if walking really likely cover with good footing. This is why I like a pump shotgun; I often carry it chamber cold, hammer down. I can pump a round in nearly as fast as I can release a safety when the sharptails flush. This is how I run a pump as well.
Last edited by philthygeezer; 05/26/22.
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The big 4 works for all guns...when followed like it is religion. Many gunowners should not have a round in the chamber, or a gun mike r
Don't wish it were easier Wish you were better
Stab them in the taint, you can't put a tourniquet on that. Craig Douglas ECQC
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Safe gun handling is paramount.
Your primary safety is between your ears.
Bore size is no substitute for shot placement and Power is no substitute for bullet performance. 458WIN
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If you can't handle a loaded firearm with the safety on safely you shouldn't be out hunting period or carrying a firearm period. Philthygeezer you should stay home and do what your wife tells you to do instead of being on a forum with men. Or did your spouse direct you to ask this question ?... mb
" Cheapest velocity in the world comes from a long barrel and I sure do like them. MB "
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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I'd like to see some one load take, off safety, and fire at a rising pheasant, quail, or grouse with any sucess. One thought was walking around with action broken open but charged chambers and safety off (this assumes no auto-safety). Closing the gun could be done in the same motion as shouldering to fire. I like to do most of my walking with a cold chamber. If game is in sight, hot chamber with safety on, same if walking really likely cover with good footing. This is why I like a pump shotgun; I often carry it chamber cold, hammer down. I can pump a round in nearly as fast as I can release a safety when the sharptails flush. This is how I run a pump as well. Ypu asked "how"? Well 99%++++ of upland hunters have the shotgun loaded, closed and the safety on....However, you are allowed to do as you please if that doesn't suit you...It will not change the percentages of "how".. Pumps or breakopen shotguns. You will be safer walking around, however you will miss many opportunities. Depends on how personally important that would be. And if you have to ask the question, then you have limited experience in the uplands with other hunters???? Nothing wrong with that being the case, however the implication is obvious.
Last edited by battue; 05/26/22.
laissez les bons temps rouler
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
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I do it various ways, depending on the gun, bird and cover. In thick cover prefer to hunt with round (or rounds) chambered, and safety on. Prefer a non-automatic safety on doubles, and most can be easily converted by removing the "auto-link." Want to shoot again after reloading, if that's possible (and it often is with some upland birds, early in the season) , without dinking with the safety again.
But have also hunted quite a bit in more open country with outside-hammer doubles. With some I could NOT cock both hammers with my thumb, so was limited to cocking one hammer--and then trying to cock the other quickly IF a second shot was possible. With those I usually hunted with the gun open, with both hammers cocked, then snapped it shut while mounting the gun. This worked well on more open-country birds, but not so much in thick cover.
But my most recent hammer double, a J.P. Sauer 2-1/2" 12-gauge made in 1911, is not only delightfully light and lively, but I can cock both hammers while raising the gun. This seems pretty safe to carry--as did the Model 97 Winchester pump I've hunted with the chamber "hot" for many years, leaving the hammer on half-cock.
But outside-hammer shotguns aren't very popular anymore....
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The big 4 works for all guns...when followed like it is religion. Many gunowners should not have a round in the chamber, or a gun mike r Safe gun handling is paramount.
Your primary safety is between your ears. Agree with both of your sentiments and have practiced such my whole life. Yes I have carried rifles and shotguns with rounds chambered, but sparingly and always depending on the situation. Beyond religiously following the big four rules, Each firearm type has its own quirks with respect to safety. Load five in a Colt SAA for example. Many shotguns don't lock the firing pins, for another. I am not familiar with doubles beyond a few years of regular trap and skeet with a Beretta double. Hence the question about best practice with respect to that action type. If you can't handle a loaded firearm with the safety on safely you shouldn't be out hunting period or carrying a firearm period. Philthygeezer you should stay home and do what your wife tells you to do instead of being on a forum with men. Or did your spouse direct you to ask this question ?... mb Ok, notwithstanding that I agree in part with your first sentence, I'll play: This attitude is exactly one of the ones that produces negligent discharges. I've watched this kind of dumb in the field both privately and professionally, and it still raises the hackles on my neck. The biggest idiot I've ever met in my life with respect to handling firearms said, "...of course I know how to handle a pump shotgun, I'm a man...". I wouldn't let that moron anywhere near a shotgun after that. He'd never handled a firearm, but figured his tallywhacker was all the training he needed. If invited out with you I would probably stay home for my own safety. Humility breeds safe handling, not the mouth-breather arrogance you just put in writing. I know many women on a pistol team that would probably shoot rings around you, and more safely. Is that the response you were fishing for? Perhaps I read your post wrong and if so, then I apologize. -- A very good friend and hunting buddy had two NDs in a row with a pump shotgun while we were scooching through brush together. Fortunately he was in the front both times (the second time in front on purpose). He carried it one-handed with round in chamber and kept inadvertently wiping the safety off. Trigger would either catch on twigs or he hit it somehow. He blamed the gun and complained that he didn't know how he kept wiping the safety off. I told him empty chamber or I would beat him senseless with the gun. At 19 years old I could nail five pop cans in four seconds with a Winchester pump. When on walkabout in grizzly country, I carried magazine full and hammer down on an empty chamber with safety off. IMO that is the right way to carry a pump if you're not dialed in and tracking hares or trying to flush grouse. People aren't perfect and this may save you when you're frozen, tired and stupid at the end of a long day of exploring.
Last edited by philthygeezer; 05/27/22.
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I do it various ways, depending on the gun, bird and cover. In thick cover prefer to hunt with round (or rounds) chambered, and safety on. Prefer a non-automatic safety on doubles, and most can be easily converted by removing the "auto-link." Want to shoot again after reloading, if that's possible (and it often is with some upland birds, early in the season) , without dinking with the safety again. My 686E doesn't have an auto-safety and I prefer it that way as well. Nothing else I use puts itself on safe, so I would rather it be my habit than the gun's. But have also hunted quite a bit in more open country with outside-hammer doubles. With some I could NOT cock both hammers with my thumb, so was limited to cocking one hammer--and then trying to cock the other quickly IF a second shot was possible. With those I usually hunted with the gun open, with both hammers cocked, then snapped it shut while mounting the gun. This worked well on more open-country birds, but not so much in thick cover.
But my most recent hammer double, a J.P. Sauer 2-1/2" 12-gauge made in 1911, is not only delightfully light and lively, but I can cock both hammers while raising the gun. This seems pretty safe to carry--as did the Model 97 Winchester pump I've hunted with the chamber "hot" for many years, leaving the hammer on half-cock.
But outside-hammer shotguns aren't very popular anymore.... I think I'd be fine on solo walkabout with charged chambers, on safe. If hunting in a group I might choose times to leave the action open and walk with charged chambers. I admit to not trusting the tang safeties (mind you I don't 'trust' any safety to keep myself and others safe). They are right where you might handle the gun and inadvertently wipe them off. I don't have any exposed hammer doubles, but have an Encore that I think would be fine with a loaded chamber. The hammer doesn't rest on firing pin, and I doubt it would be easy to cock by accident.
Last edited by philthygeezer; 05/27/22.
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Ypu asked "how"? Well 99%++++ of upland hunters have the shotgun loaded, closed and the safety on....However, you are allowed to do as you please if that doesn't suit you...It will not change the percentages of "how".. Pumps or breakopen shotguns. You will be safer walking around, however you will miss many opportunities. Depends on how personally important that would be.
And if you have to ask the question, then you have limited experience in the uplands with other hunters???? Nothing wrong with that being the case, however the implication is obvious. Yep. No experience at all running doubles in the uplands with other people around. Lots of solo and duo walking with pumps and bolt action rifles. Lately mostly a target shooter. Not much hunting. Getting a pump into action from an empty chamber is very quick. Might miss an opportunity or two, but probably wouldn't miss a few others. :-) Growing up, doubles were things we thought only rich people owned. Getting my 686E was a nice moment.
Last edited by philthygeezer; 05/26/22.
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Campfire Ranger
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What type of shooting will you be doing? Getting into Bird hunting?
Last edited by battue; 05/26/22.
laissez les bons temps rouler
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What type of shooting will you be doing? Getting into Bird hunting? Doing a little bit of daydreaming about grouse and pheasants, but I've wondered about double gun handling for a couple years now, including for dangerous game rifles. Strangely, I never thought to just ask about it on the forums until now.
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Some double rifles will discharge, with the safety on, if you drop them on the buttstock. An Appy I had got his arm blown off by a .500 Nitro Express when a client dropped it the year after i hunted with him. But in Africa, you'd better have rounds in the chambers if you're walking around. Control the direction it points. And unload it when you get back into the hunting car.
Don't blame me. I voted for Trump.
Democrats would burn this country to the ground, if they could rule over the ashes.
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Campfire Ranger
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What type of shooting will you be doing? Getting into Bird hunting? Doing a little bit of daydreaming about grouse and pheasants, but I've wondered about double gun handling for a couple years now, including for dangerous game rifles. Strangely, I never thought to just ask about it on the forums until now. Shouldn't be much of an issue if you would be hunting over Pointing Dogs and only shot over walked up points. Over Flushers or walk ups, it will cost you opportunities.
laissez les bons temps rouler
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What type of shooting will you be doing? Getting into Bird hunting? Doing a little bit of daydreaming about grouse and pheasants, but I've wondered about double gun handling for a couple years now, including for dangerous game rifles. Strangely, I never thought to just ask about it on the forums until now. Shouldn't be much of an issue if you would be hunting over Pointing Dogs and only shot over walked up points. Over Flushers or walk ups, it will cost you opportunities. Thanks for this. Most of my past grouse hunting was with a .22, though I did try shotgun a few times. No dogs. Shotguns were mostly for ducks. One occasion I left my shotgun at camp and walked a couple dozen yards into the bush to take a dump. I think about four grouse watched me from the trees with my pants down. I went back and got the gun but couldn't find them again.
Last edited by philthygeezer; 05/26/22.
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Some double rifles will discharge, with the safety on, if you drop them on the buttstock. An Appy I had got his arm blown off by a .500 Nitro Express when a client dropped it the year after i hunted with him. But in Africa, you'd better have rounds in the chambers if you're walking around. Control the direction it points. And unload it when you get back into the hunting car. Good grief! I understand that dangerous game necessitates charged chambers and extreme carefulness. I guess this is an example of what happens when everything goes wrong. It's well and good to state 'always keep it pointed in a safe direction' and 'never put your finger in the trigger guard', but that doesn't cover tripping, falling, or other clumsiness.
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
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A guy I know slightly once shot his African PH in the back as they were hunting Cape buffalo. Luckily the guy was using solids in a .458 Winchester, which of course made a lot smaller hole than an expanding bullet, and the client survived.
The rifle was a Model 70 Winchester with its vaunted 3-position safety, which once again suggests that the most important firearm "safety" is not located on the gun, but between the hunter's ears.
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.” John Steinbeck
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Campfire Tracker
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load, engage and start walking.
Encounter and obstacle, unload, cross ,reload. .
Always practice safe muzzle control same here. About the only variation is if I am dove hunting with my young sons I'll break the barrels open while we are just sitting waiting for the birds and just snap them closed as I stand to shoot. Have hunted over pointers where we hunt with the barrels open then close them when we have a point . Usually load and locked and awarness of barrel and partner position.
Never take life to seriously, after all ,no one gets out of it alive.
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