Why you never have a round in the chamber until you need it

Game hunting and large prey. Deer stalking, hunting with hounds. Boar, pigs etc., large prey, culling, hunting large feral animals.

Re: Why you never have a round in the chamber until you need

Post by bigfellascott » 15 Dec 2018, 7:10 am

Stix wrote:The rules in my car are the person behind the rifle audibly volunteers the chamber empty & makes it clear they physically check too...& thats after every encounter/near encounter/car stop/bladder emptying stop/can swap-out/munchies grab/gutting session stop etc...if they are a bit too slow to it, someone else asks & no one is offended, or accidentally shot.

I always make it known im empty every stop if in someone elses car...!

Once i didnt volunteer the rifle safe on purpose when spotlighting in my car & i gave my shooting partner (a young lad) a bit of semi-funny but serious lip for not pulling me up on it...!!
I told him dont be shy because the gun goes off its final...every now & then id randomly ask him if i had one in the chamber to keep him on his toes & by the end of the night he was on the ball. :thumbsup: ..he feels comfortable in doing it now with me which is a good thing. :thumbsup:

I like keeping keen young learning guys on the ball like that while spotlighting..its dark so they cant see & have to rely on other senses to be aware....they seem to soon get a sense of awareness of the state of the rifle...after a while ill ask them where the bitumen road is, or if the farm house is behind where they/or me are about to take a shot...that usually pulls the genuine guys up a bit & makes them realise there is much more to spotlighting than just hoot'n n toot'n...after just a couple of trips out it starts to become second nature to them. :clap:


Your doing the right thing Stix, I to do the same sorts of things, I also talk my way through the shot so to speak, ie I let the other person with me know I've checked the background as I'm looking through the scope at the target to make sure there is no stock etc behind my target and I also let them know when I'm about to take the shot - all good habits to get into I reckon, saves having to deal with a potential life-threatening situation in the end so worth doing. :drinks:
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Re: Why you never have a round in the chamber until you need

Post by Cal-ApeR » 22 Dec 2018, 8:04 pm

bigfellascott wrote:
Stix wrote:The rules in my car are the person behind the rifle audibly volunteers the chamber empty & makes it clear they physically check too...& thats after every encounter/near encounter/car stop/bladder emptying stop/can swap-out/munchies grab/gutting session stop etc...if they are a bit too slow to it, someone else asks & no one is offended, or accidentally shot.

I always make it known im empty every stop if in someone elses car...!

Once i didnt volunteer the rifle safe on purpose when spotlighting in my car & i gave my shooting partner (a young lad) a bit of semi-funny but serious lip for not pulling me up on it...!!
I told him dont be shy because the gun goes off its final...every now & then id randomly ask him if i had one in the chamber to keep him on his toes & by the end of the night he was on the ball. :thumbsup: ..he feels comfortable in doing it now with me which is a good thing. :thumbsup:

I like keeping keen young learning guys on the ball like that while spotlighting..its dark so they cant see & have to rely on other senses to be aware....they seem to soon get a sense of awareness of the state of the rifle...after a while ill ask them where the bitumen road is, or if the farm house is behind where they/or me are about to take a shot...that usually pulls the genuine guys up a bit & makes them realise there is much more to spotlighting than just hoot'n n toot'n...after just a couple of trips out it starts to become second nature to them. :clap:


Your doing the right thing Stix, I to do the same sorts of things, I also talk my way through the shot so to speak, ie I let the other person with me know I've checked the background as I'm looking through the scope at the target to make sure there is no stock etc behind my target and I also let them know when I'm about to take the shot - all good habits to get into I reckon, saves having to deal with a potential life-threatening situation in the end so worth doing. :drinks:


Both of what you have said is what I was taught. Fear of offending someone goes right out the window where firearm safety is concerned. Good thread Gents.
I'd rather be hunting
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Re: Why you never have a round in the chamber until you need

Post by Blutius Maximus » 25 Dec 2018, 2:30 pm

I haven't read through all 8 pages so I'm not sure if something similar has been mentioned.

When I'm hunting Deer with my Winchester 94 30-30, it remains unloaded until I'm in the hunt.
Then mag gets loaded, one in the chamber and hammer on half cock.
This rifle is too noisy to keep the chamber empty and cycle a round in once game is seen. Much better just pulling the hammer back.
That said, I'm on my own, moving very slowly and still safety conscious wrt barrel direction etc.

I have hunted with others (trusted people who's behavior you know) where we've been in close proximity with rounds in chamber, safety on.
Always, the barrel is kept pointed in a safe direction and most importantly, the firearm carried in a controlled manner.

When I've gone out with someone I'm not familiar with, I talk about safety beforehand.
If I ever see a lapse, that's it, I'm done and will never go with that person again.
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Re: Why you never have a round in the chamber until you need

Post by JSS » 05 Jan 2019, 6:55 am

What a tragic tale. But to be honest if that's how he carries when hunting he was an accident waiting to happen. I also found it a bit weird that the buck got so much attention in the story............ that would be the last thing on my mind if i just killed my mate, and i certainly wouldn't be going on about it as part of my "gun safety" video.
Just my opinion.
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Re: Why you never have a round in the chamber until you need

Post by marksman » 05 Jan 2019, 8:19 am

JSS wrote:What a tragic tale. But to be honest if that's how he carries when hunting he was an accident waiting to happen. I also found it a bit weird that the buck got so much attention in the story............ that would be the last thing on my mind if i just killed my mate, and i certainly wouldn't be going on about it as part of my "gun safety" video.
Just my opinion.


my thoughts as well JSS
I do not feel any sympathy for this guy at all
very bad conclusion, IMO he deserved a court case at least
it's good for us shooters that he didn't though :wtf:

I agree with what you have written as well Jager :thumbsup:
“If you do not read the newspapers you are uninformed. If you do read the newspapers you are misinformed”. Mark Twain
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Re: Why you never have a round in the chamber until you need

Post by JimTom » 05 Jan 2019, 8:10 pm

We all know that safety when using our firearms is absolutely paramount.
I make a point of clearing and announcing as such that my rifle is clear before hoping back into a vehicle.
You just can’t be to careful and if you’re not, then unfortunately you or someone else will be injured or worse.
Would be the worst feeling in the world.
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Re: Why you never have a round in the chamber until you need

Post by mickyj » 26 Jul 2019, 3:00 pm

There will always be a time when the muzzle is pointed in a direction that is out of the control of the shooter. Case in point just before you go arse over tit becasue you have tripped on barbed wire like i did the other day. Rule number 1. should be don't chamber your weapon until you are ready to fire and 2. Muzzle awareness.
There are occasions when the muzzle is out of ones control or there is a chance of it.
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