Thread: How do you carry your rifle?

I keep an empty breech until in the firing zone, then one up the tube and (tested) safety on. I empty breech if moving from zone.

I also carry rifle with muzzle pointing behind me if I'm #2 in the hunting party and one up the spout . . . . . (if there's a reasonable chance there'll be more than the 1 shot)

the country/cover dictates a lot. It's too easy to knock a safety, or lose a round from bolt on 1/2 cock.

Totally depends on the type of hunting I'm doing. Alpine stuff, won't load until I'm within range of my target and prepared to shoot. In the bush I'll load only when I get onto hot sign and expect to see an animal. In this case I'll usually leave the bolt fully up, and the chamber half open so my palm holds it in place while I stalk. This allows me to close the bolt on the chamber and cock the gun without rattling cartridge from the magazine. I'm anal about carrying a half cocked rifle, or gun on "safety" as I have seen a couple of accidental discharges and it freaks me out thinking what could've happened if those scenarios had played out differently.

I dont carry my own rifle! I have 2 insubordinate and grubby porters from Greymouth, do it.

Im no pro, but i never use the safety. Father in-law taught me this way.
When moving around, never load the chamber. When you think you might be onto something, put a round in, half cock, and hold your hand on it to stop it from moving.
Stay away from trigger. Only load when you have identified target. Remove round if nothing there. And he also drummed into me, TREAT EVERY FIREARM AS LOADED! Its one of his big no-no's, swinging a gun around without thinking. He gave a guy we went night shooting a few weeks back a massive serve when he pointed the .22 at his chest while reloading the mag. Not much fun then.

I use a type of half cock ,but only when i expect to walk up on game close by ,i do this with around in the chamber bolt pushed forward but raised up - the bolt handle in the crutch of my hand formed by my thumb and first finger ( trigger finger which is placed a long the stock parallel to the bolt shaft well away from the trigger ) the other fingers are on the pistol grip of the stock ,as far as carrying a rifle in general i only carry and empty chambered rifle never on half cock nor with a round chambered and safety on , just never have had the need to .. I no there's a lot of what ifs a round any type of half cock ( what if you fall closing the bolt - and what if your carrying with safety on slip and fall with your thumb on the safety pushing it off all the same in the end may be , for me what i do know is bolt closed its ( good to go no ifs or buts ),so may be in the confusion of a slip and fall is that safety off forwards or pushed back ??, because most don't get out quite as often as they mite like the rifle some could be considered a closet queen's most of the year making the safety mechanism unfamiliar under stress .. js..

Rabbiting on the bike it's ready to rock n roll, the snotgun might or should maybe have the safety on, the .22, well, yer, whatever. If you come near me at work time EVERY FUCKING GUN IS READY TO GO. NOW. Everyone I know that does this for a job has there rifles/guns in the same state, and everyone else knows it.

Manapouri the rifle gets loaded when I get in the boat and gets unloaded whenever we get back out, half bolt and again, everyones knows it.
R93, be careful with that thing, they have been known to have accidental discharges.

Bolt action,bullet in chamber, half cock finger outta the trigger and away from trigger guard and saftey off
Lever action bullet in chamber, half cock , no saftey and finger away from trigger
semi auto action back ready to drop (Marlin 795) no saftey finger away from trigger
semi auto loaded saftey on finger away from trigger,

Noticed the trend ??

im not sure if its good or not. but i seen a so called pro recomend it.

i leave the saftey on the whole time, but chamber a round then un-cock it and pull the bolt a little way out. there is weight on the round and bolt from the ejector.
i do have to check it now and again as the bolt holding the round does back out over time. im never in the thick bush.
then, if i see something i have to fully close the bolt and saftey off, then im live.
i dont do half-cock

Originally Posted by tikka 7/08

Empty - closed bolt, safety on.

Find some sign chamber a round, safety back on

Need to get some work done on the rifle though, Tikka T3 have a crap half cock (well pretty much none at all) as i dont like to have a round up the spout with the safety on.

I always try and have a quick safety run through with people I hunt with - new or experienced. Not all rifles are the same (like i dont have a reasnoble half cock) and I feel happier knowing they understand what I am handing them is in a 'safe' state

Got to say it concerns me more how others I am hunting with carry their rifle, a quick talk about the situ BEFORE you start just might save your life, especially if travelling in single file, everyone after the leader carry empty and check it yourself if yr the lead guy.

Originally Posted by Beavis

People "testing" a safety catch in the bush with a live round is more about poor discipline and a lack of proper training

Yeah, i agree,the guy that said he squeeses the trigger every half hour to test the safety was one of the dumbest thing ive ever heard and theres no way he be coming hunting with me carrying a rifle thats for sure.

I was just wondering the way i carry mine surely must be one of the safest ways(apart from empty) so do other rifles not hold there postion like mine? I load a round in the chamber and just leave the bolt fully open, its not half cocked,and you can hold the rifle skyward and it stay in place. Because its not cocked at all pulling the trigger has no effect, normally have the safety on as extra safety as well so theres no way it can go off. Just seems to me that walking around with it loaded and safety on isnt ideal, when you are buggered and tired i would think (depending on your safety) it could be quite easy to knock the safety off then you be walking around with a loaded rifle. Of cause half cocked on lots of rifles means fully cocked as a pull of the trigger it just slams shut and goes off anyway. I think bush stalking you do need a round chambered, as the noise etc and time of loading a round will result in a lost deer, but jusy chambering a round and leaving the bolt open, or even half chambering a round as my rifle the bolt will quite happy stay in place and wont slide around. Do any rifles bolts slide all over the place? Or do people swing their rifle around etc??? Just wondering, have a field king 2000 >

deer243 - every rifle is different, I have handled rifles that bolts are sloppy and crash around, slide open and closed very easy without 'swinging about' of the rifle etc but also have had rifles that bolt stays open firmly (like yours).

Good on you for maintaining a safety ethic.

Originally Posted by deer243

Because its not cocked at all pulling the trigger has no effect, normally have the safety on as extra safety as well so theres no way it can go off.

what make & model firearm ? do you really know if it cocks when the bolt is opened or closed ?

Originally Posted by deer243

Just seems to me that walking around with it loaded and safety on isnt ideal, when you are buggered and tired i would think (depending on your safety) it could be quite easy to knock the safety off then you be walking around with a loaded rifle.

might be safer for all involved if only you hunt when alert and able to make good decisions. same as driving really. driving when tired can have the same fatal result as driving under the influence of drink or drugs, no reason not to apply it to firearms as well... if you are so tired that you're worried about messing with the safety, I would suggest that you don't have a round chambered IMHO.

and again, with this "the safety is a mechanical thing that can fail" thing, do you guys not use the brakes on your car ? they are a mechanical thing that can fail too... makes a bit more sense to me to maintain and test your brakes BEFORE driving off, rather than slamming on brakes when you are doing 100km/h to "test" them

to me buck fever, sneaky trigger finger, muzzle direction, and brain failure are all more scary than worrying about a functioning, well-maintained, modern safety catch...

Originally Posted by ebf

to me buck fever, sneaky trigger finger, muzzle direction, and brain failure are all more scary than worrying about a functioning, well-maintained, modern safety catch...

+1 I have no reason to suspect that the safety's on any of my rifles do not work properly.

I carry mine in the "load" condition (bolt closed on an empty chamber) but mag on and full. The only reason I'll go to "action" (cocked with safe on) is if the target has moved and i'm just waiting. Not much of a fan of the old safety catch. Even when I'm spearfishing - lost a few due to forgetting i'd put it on