Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Hunting with a round in the chamber with outside hammer guns?

OMG.You quote 300,000 huters wher eyou hunt.I believe there are 300,000 at least in CO alone. States like WI,PA,Tx take twice that many deer each year.Hunting in the US is a relatively safe sport.

I believe turkey hunting is the most dangerous hunting as I have read. Don't know if that is true.

BTW. I almost 99% hunt by myself. When I encounter another huter,I usually unload.

Your more likely to get killed by a car or a plane accident then shooting your self with a loaded weapon,provided your an experienced hunter and outdoors man.Like a double barrel,unload the dang thing when your in a rough spot.You don't have to stay loaded.

Besides,The question was about an external hammer!
How many of you guys only carry 5 in your 44 Mags?

Jayco

OMG, the guy posted that he had never heard of someone shooting themselves whilst hunting. That only took a 4 minutes worth of google time.

Yes Virgina there is a Santa Claus

You are correct, why mitigate where one can. Again, I don't give a [bleep] if you all shoot yourselves or not, but don't tell me that you or anyone else can maintain 100% muzzle control 100% of the time.

Something has to grab the hammer and pull it back far enough to give enough force to ignite the primer not a little bump or rub of the safety..Like I said,your a bird hunter and use a double(loaded) and I am sure you unload when you feel necessary for safety concerns as I do,why does this not work for a leveraction?

Jayco

If you really want to be safe you could carry your ammo in your back pocket........or just stay home........

Then Colonel Cooper's rule #2 is simply wasted breath.

First I'll comment on the hammer double barrel. I hunt with one quite a bit, and keep both hammers cocked and the gun open. I close the gun either when the dog I'm hunting with gets really birdy or goes on point. In more open country I just close the gun when the bird flushes, as the gun is one its way to my shoulder.

There are a lot of people who do it this way. You could conceivably still fall and have the gun close during the fall and go off, but then almost anything is possible.

With rifles, the chamber is empty anytime the country is reasonably open (even in timber) and especially when the rifle is slung over my shoulder. This is particularly true with single-shots. The only time I've broken this rifle is with my Merkel K-1 with the tang "safety" that actually cocks the rifle. But even then I prefer to carry it empty.

I don't see where anyone is wrong for the way they hunt or handle a weapon.I mean,were all here and talking about it which says alot.Maybe I hunt or use a firearm different than some others but I have been doing it for over 50 years, my dad and grandfather longer than that and we have all our fingers and toes and haven't shot anyone yet,not that I wouldn't like to a time or two.

My best friend in Junior High got shot from behind with a 30-06 and tore his leg apart from the knee to his hip,in the hospital for several months and his dad saw the guy going over the hill..Never caught to this day..Sheet happens sometimes regardless of how well a man or lady is schooled on firearms or there way of doing things..

I am way more scared of other hunters than my approach to carrying a firearm.

Jayco

I think you are correct.

However I've busted my ass a few times while hunting, and while I won't claim perfect muzzle control whilst the ass-busting was underway, I will say that keeping the muzzle from pointing at MYSELF is a no-brainer. Since I hunt alone 99% of the time, I'm not gonna lose sleep over the fact that my muzzle pointed at a couple trees and the sky on the way down.

(The worst is small logs, laying on the ground, running uphill/downhill, under 10" of fresh snow... There's a recipe for ass-busting <g>)...

Ditto!

I hunt with one in the chamber with my model 71, half cocked.

As with most things there is a time and place when they should or should not be done. The same applies to hot/cold. Knowing when to be hot usually takes experience and experience usually involves time.

If you knew you were going to take a spill and yet not know just how bad it would be, would you knowingly do it with a loaded firearm? That fall we all are going to eventually take, we don't know exactly what is going to happen until it is over.

I run both ways, depending on circumstance, and most times have one in the chamber with the bolt up and safety on. In open country or in the immediate vicinity of others the chamber is empty. It's what works for me, and I pray I never regret it.

As far as hammer firearms goes, from what I've read MuleDeer does it like the experienced people do. Although hunting with a hammer gun involves for most of us a new learning curve. Before I hunted with one it would be preceded by some dedicated practice.

The good thing about this thread is that it should make us all evaluate how we do things. I have friends whom I don't question how they do it because I've come to literally trust them with my life and they have earned that trust.

It would be rare for you to find me sitting in a tree like a monkey. Reason being I'd rather try to make something happen than wait around for it to happen. One of the times I did the stand collapsed and I went 20 feet to the ground with a cold rifle and walked away. The fall should have killed me, a loaded rifle may have. I'll make some enemies now, but any who are up in a stand with a loaded firearm need to rethink their priorities. Having an arrow go thru my guts even scares me more.

Not saying I'm right. Just saying think about time and place.

Those who have an attitude about not even trying to improve on safety scare me the most.

If you worry about a loaded lever gun, you must have a stroke to see a 1911 "cocked & locked".(but probably carry a Colt S.A. or a 3 screw Ruger with 6 in it) (LAFFIN)

The hammer double gun method suggested is the same used back in the day and excellent. Those who read can find it in turn of the century shooting books.

As for some of you: What part of "Never point a gun at something you don't intend to shoot." did you miss? I've hunted in the woods in all kinds of weather, taken many a spill and in 45 years afield have never had an accidental discharge.

And for you dummies "playing chase" from ARRIG, the fellow with the bad eyes is a friend, not me. He still puts his limit of Deer and Antelope on the ground every year. But, given your home site, I know it's fun to mock the handicapped isn't it?

He's made it 66 years and still does everything you ARRIG punks couldn't begin to. Especially being civil!

I've done doves with an empty chamber in my 870 - and picked up doubles.

You mean like a fall? Lord knows I've had enough of those, even on relatively flat ground. Had the dry ground cave in on me a couple times on gentle slopes and once on a flat, dry two-track. Schitt happens.

Flatlanders..

CH-You know how much room there is between the scope and the hammer,if your levergun is scoped,not much,so what are the odds in your falling that something get's in between the scope and hammer with enough force to pull the hammer back and set one off?

The point being,when your in rough ground,unload that puppy or if your a disaster waiting to happen on two legs, then do not carry hot!

I carried a 32" chain saw around the hills over my shoulder like 3" from my neck on a small felt pad for years..Have I fallen like this,heck yes but I never have cut my neck knowing it "was there".Have I ever fallen with a loaded firearm,No because I take extra precaution not to or unload in rough terrain.

Jayco

If I'm hunting, I don't care what rifle I'm using, there will be a round in the chamber.

I agree, regardless of which long gun I'm carrying. If hunting, I carry a long gun with both hands (port arms) with my right hand covering the trigger guard.

In Vermont, when I'm hunting birds, partridge or woodcock, most of the time I'm hunting in timber and abandoned farmland, with thorns, scrub apples and berry bushes. When you walk, sometimes you have to hold your shotgun chest high. Most of the time I hunt alone. If I'm with a partner we put a good distance between us. The partridge will generally hold tight and won't flush until you stop walking. When they decide to go you better be ready to shoot, you'll be lucky if you get one shot off before they disappear into the woodline. I envy the people who can hunt in tall grass, watch their dogs point, and have a wide open space to shoot their birds.

I read the first post and then replied.

I hunt with a round in the chamber every time I hunt. I also conceal carry my pistols with a round in the chamber as well.

Hunting firearms include- Remington model 700's, pre '64 Winchester model 88, Marlin 336C w/ cross bolt safety (only use cross bolt for unloading, use half cock while hunting), Remington 11-87's & 870's, Ruger 10-22, I'm forgeting a few lol.

Carry pistols include- Glock's and SW1911.