Gun carrying - which way?

Spondoody

Member
Which way should you carry your gun when deer stalking? The DSC1 course teaches gun at front and muzzle down but what is the norm? I heard that it is muzzle up when stalking in Scotland.

Are there any rules and general etiquette and if muzzle up are there rules about whether the chamber is loaded?

Thanks
 
The way I look at it is if the rifle is pointing down and you are walking along a track perhaps with a friend and the gun goes of you or your friend may catch a bit of ricichet or fragmented stone your dog may walk past at the wrong moment. it should be undercontrol but not beyond the relms of possiblity. The likely hood of you coming to some mischif of a greator or lesser degree I would say is medium.

If on the other hand the muzzle is up and is accidentaly discharged then the likely hood of you or any one elsse for that matter getting hit is extreamly fine although possible.

Best plan; how ever you carry your rifle ensure by good practice and good maintenance that it is never discharged accidentaly!!

Dave
 
It's horses for courses. My rifles have moderators and bipods on, which makes them easier to carry muzzle-down. It's also force of habit from carrying an SA80 muzzle-down when in the Army.

If I am crashing around on a rocky Scottish hillside, it is always muzzle-up for me.
 
Generally when stalking on the hill the rifle is carried muzzle up if not in a case , however it is best practice for the rifle not to have a round chambered.
When woodland stalking especially if on your own it is quite normal to have a round in the chamber and safety on.
I think the important thing is that you are aware of the direction of the muzzle and are aware of the repercussions of what may happen if the rifle discharged.
The fitting of moderators makes it uncomfortable to carry the rifle muzzle up, I have a "rucksack" style sling which makes a huge difference on the hill.
 
Muzzle up for me there is always the risk of plugging the rifle when crossing soft boggy ground. This would have catastrophic effect on the rifle man if it was to be fired in such a condition. On the open Hill the same i carry my rifle slung over the shoulder round the back of the head and remove it for the final move in and stalk ;)
 
For people who do like to carry muzzle down a length of insluation tape over the muzzle will help to prevent plugging if theres a mishap, but it does nothing to prevent damage to the crown, which is another consideration..
 
Muzzle up or down
it's upto you
Scotland ,England, Wales , New Zealand , Africa or even Nova Scotia
if you hav a T8 and Bipod on , then the muzzle automactically wants to point down
go with your own experiences and learn from it
i like muzzle up, as that was the way i was taught
dojn't mean to say it is the right way or safest
 
I use a Safari sling:

http://www.cabelas.com/prod-1/0005803220723a.shtml#customer-product-reviews

...But I have my rifle pointing upwards rather than horizontal like in the picture. I like it because you can see the muzzle at all times, I'm not keen on seeing down someone else's barrel, which what tends to happen when they sling their rifle over one shoulder muzzle up, then decide to pick up their binos with both hands: the muzzle tends to drop down.

Also, if you need to crawl, then the rifle hangs below you and won't smack you in the head and you can get into position without unslinging.

I find the rifle is secure and does not move around leaving both hands free without having to steady the rifle at all, also easier to negotiate low hanging branches. It can be a bit of a tangle with the binos, what I tend to do is to strap the binos across one shoulder like the rifle, then let it hang to your side when you pick up the rifle.

Works for me...
 
...Although I will add that I've been described as looking like Rambo, an important point though if you come across Joe public, it's a bit more menacing than just seeing the end of your barrel (+mod) over your shoulder. Also potentially more visible to deer if you have shiny rifle?
 
You carry it what ever way you wish untill someone in your company ask if you could carry it differently, there is advantages in carrying the weapon up or down weather you've got all the trinkets on it making it top heavy ,or your in tight woodland and catching the barrel on branches .
 
In the UK I stalk with a "backpack sling" so as I have hands available for sticks and binos.

Try it over open sights without a scope.....

Stan
 
Interesting post..i do remember that i was instructed during my DSC1 to carry the rifle in front with muzzle up when woodland stalking. However i tend to carry it on my back with muzzle up.

Personally stalking with someone carry his rifle muzzle down would make me nervous. I still have some scarring after an idiot as a pheasant shoot discharged his shotgun in the car park, some shot riccochet and struck me on the back of mylegs.
 
Think it is a matter of personal opinion.

I recently went shooting in South Africa where the PH insisted on it being muzzle down due to being less visible. If carried muzzle up on a sling then the barrel protudes above your head and can snag on branches.
 
On the Hill I cary the rifle with full magazine but empty chamber until final stalk in. I tend to carry the rifle cradled in the crook of my arm across my front on the basis that if I slip over will do less dmage to the rifle - or over my shoulder.

Lowland stalking - round in the chamber, safety on if I am expecting to bump into something. If I sling it on my shoulder barrel is down and forwards and if walking also have my left hand controlling the direction of the barrel - thus if it should go off then bullet will go into the ground rather than into the air in uncontrolled direction - I have a number of built up areas though around my stalking ground.
 
Yep muzzle down for me as the Mannlicher's muzzle heavy with the mod fitted. I always worry about touching it on the ground though & plugging the end of the mod so Pete E's idea of a length of insulation tape is spot on.

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Chris
 
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