Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Barrel up or down

When riding in the truck, from say hunting spot to hunting spot, do you have the barrel pointed to the floor, or do you have the butt of the gun on the floor, barrel pointed up?

I have always had the barrel pointed down. I figure, better a hole in floor, or in a foot, than one in the head.

100% barrel down every time, and I drive hundreds of miles a year this way in Africa every year, year after year. All my barrels are crowned very deep for this reason. I don't even care if it's unloaded in the truck it's pointing down. If the hunter does not want to do this he can unload and case the rifle or put it in the outside window rack in back of the cab.

C'mom now, watch4 bear..:)

You chummin'...??

When in any vehicle or traveling the rifle is cold.
Action open totally unloaded including magazine.

Cased..as I'm not a road hunter..:)

Usually horizontal..and my driving never has got to two wheels..Jim

Barrel down. Another good reason for electrician's tape on the muzzle...it's not just for snow any more .

DN

I rarely have cause to have a weapon uncased in a vehicle. I open the action and put it back in the case if I ever do.

Probably never hunted pheasants, from field to field either.

I agree with Jim and Lefty and I DO hunt pheasants.

But, I will say that close inspection of many road hunters in Wyoming and Nebraska last week suggests that the true road hunter goes muzzle down.

Brent

Barrel is pointed out the window, finger on the trigger, and the safety off! Never know when you are going to jump something you want to shoot! Unless I am on the highway, then I take my finger off the trigger.

In reality though, barrel down and gun ALWAYS unloaded- nothing in the chamber.

Hemi

Down!!!


George

Down, Even with out one in the chamber, I don't want it sldiing around with the possibility of pointing the muzzle at me or others.
Pheasant or dove hunting,I might get in and out of the truck 20 times in one morning. Usually my old double has the action open to

When in any vehicle the rifle is cold. Barrel is down. And electrician's tape is on the muzzle...
In this state if you have a loaded firearm in the vehicle on a public road and get stop you will get a ticket for road hunting.

laying across the backseat

Locked and loaded, safety on, and with the crown resting on my chest. After all, loaded rifles are perfectly safe, and safeties never fail...........

In reality, I always drive (get carsick if I don't), and I keep my rifle unloaded, in it's case, muzzle down tucked right next to my right leg.

First, always unloaded and action open. If the unit is not cased, the butt rides on the floor with the barrel up. A dinged up recoil pad I can tolerate. A dinged up crown I will not.

Rifles have to be unloaded in a rig here. If I'm driveing alone,the rifles but down on the pasanger side. If anyone is with me then the rifle lays on the back seat. I dont like the crown rideing on the floor so I never put it muzzel down in my rig.

Jamie

The barrel is up to not rub the bluing off off it or damage the crown. But should it really matter your rifle is suppose to be unloaded. Mine is and the bolt is open.

100% Down

Back in the early sixties, I worked as an auto mechanic in Rifle, Co. One day two out of state hunters dragged their old 'flat top' Jeep in for repairs. Their rifles were loaded, pointing down w/safties on but the bolt handle bumped against the saftie on the other gun, then against the trigger. Sure enough, the rifle fired, the bullet going thru the firewall, then hit the spark plugs causing lots of shrapnel to hit the radiator. It looked like it had been shot with a shotgun.

Pretty costly, embarassing happening for those two guys.

Truck?

Cased... Beghind the front seat.