loaded or unloaded

irishgun

Well-Known Member
as a stalker ,i take out a fair few clients each season and have my way of doing things.

i had a guy out today to listen to him he had done a bit ,he had a blazer in 308 and when we got to the ground he proceeded to load it .

i asked him not to chamber one ,but this is a blazer its a safe rifle and it only holds 3 shots that way.
so what !.dont load it until your instructed to do so please.

we do not snap shoot so there in advantage in having it loaded and i would not want a loaded gun belling in behind me.

there is a stalker that has started in the last few years taking clients out and lets some of them chamber a round at the start of the hunt.we had a bit of a row about this this eve.

whats your views on this.

as a client or stalker.

not counting people that you know and trust
 
I am a stalker and among woodland/arable roe deer and all my clients have to carry a loaded weapon as we are sometimes within only yards from deer when they appear. They even hear a saftey go off if your not careful so loading a gun would be impossible.
Novice shots I tend to carry the gun and pass it to them loaded for a shot.
Very different to the open hill but without poaching your thread I am interested what others do also. :)
 
Out on the hill the rifle is not just unloaded but, it's in a slip and only removed for the final stalk and then ones piped when your in range and ready to go.

Lowland and woodland stalking there's always one in the chamber as you would find it very difficult to chamber a round without being heard.

ATB
Moses
 
As per John Robbo-if they are competent then they carry the rifle loaded as you would shoot very few deer on my land if you had to load the rifle before a shot, if they are novice then you carry the rifle to pass to them when the shot is on. It adds more time and hence novices probably get to take fewer shots but safety has to be the main priority. Preferably with someone who's not done a lot you would be up a double high seat with them improving the safety angle of the shot and enabling them to have the rifle in their control.
 
Benc said:
As per John Robbo-if they are competent then they carry the rifle loaded as you would shoot very few deer on my land if you had to load the rifle before a shot, if they are novice then you carry the rifle to pass to them when the shot is on. It adds more time and hence novices probably get to take fewer shots but safety has to be the main priority. Preferably with someone who's not done a lot you would be up a double high seat with them improving the safety angle of the shot and enabling them to have the rifle in their control.

who is compentent ,when you dont know them .
 
If stalking myself in forest/lowland then i have one chambered and the safety on.

If stalking with known friends then i do the same but we make a point of showing the gun with the safety engaged, to the other party.

When with a guide/stalking service i generally make a point of asking and then follwing as per their instructions. however most commonly it's one chambered and safety engaged unless hill stalking. Hill stalking, the gun doesn't come out of the slip until right at the end of the stalk; just before the final approach where i'll crawl forward and in front and then lay down in position - then a round is chambered and ready to shoot - never before.
 
It all depends on wether or not the shooter is in front or behind!
If he is a client of unknown experience,then then I would suggest unloaded at all times.

regards
griff
 
www.yorkshireroestalking. said:
I am a stalker and among woodland/arable roe deer and all my clients have to carry a loaded weapon as we are sometimes within only yards from deer when they appear. They even hear a saftey go off if your not careful so loading a gun would be impossible.
Novice shots I tend to carry the gun and pass it to them loaded for a shot.
Very different to the open hill but without poaching your thread I am interested what others do also. :)

I do exactly the same here. JC
 
i dont take clients out but i do stalk deer and fox with both novice and experienced shots, sometimes with multiple rifles in the group. i always carry a blaser with one up the spout, 3 in the mag and have it uncocked. it cant fire and can be made ready with the push of the cocking button, in total silence. i'm always nervous about my mates t3 when he's with me on foot and i keep having a cheeky look at his safety position just to check. i have a t3 but dont carry that on foot, just have it resting on the wing mirror, loaded with safety on.

we took a new lad out the other day with his rem 700 204 ruger which he carried over his shoulder like a log, after a couple of hours walking with the lamp and a couple of foxes we decided it was his turn, when he took the shot he just pulled the trigger, didnt take the safety off. when questioned he said the safety had never worked and he was carrying it loaded. he wont be invited to come out with us anymore.
 
When not in company, one up safety on, when accompanied, as instructed. :) I still cringe when I remember Griff's comment on that friday morning crawling through the heather a few years back, Steve. :oops:
 
I'm only a novice but I would have no problem with following either directions if they were given to me. Not really my place to comment but I would have thought that you're the one in charge and ultimately responsible therefore you make the rules - the guest sticks to them.

Suppose its like some shoots - some allow ground game, some are live on peg whilst other start on a whistle. It's the gamekeeper's/shoot captain's rules which he'll decide himself for everyone's safety.
 
As a guest, either invited or paying, I would expect to do what I was told. If out with a professional stalker I would not chamber a round until told to do so.

When I am alone or with friends, it is generally one up the spout and safety on.

Regards
 
As with Brian (will try and give you a bell soon Brian, have had some family problems plus other stuff over the summer plus no powder/bullets. Think I'm back on track now!) when out as a guest I will do what the stalker asks. I have a Blaser R93, as does the stalker I'm usually out with, and he insists that I carry it with one in the chamber and uncocked. This is for hill stalkng and it is, of course, generally carried in a slip until required. Even while in the slip I take great care to ensure it doesn't end up with the barrel pointing at anyone and I always keep in mind that it is loaded. Although Blaser say it can't fire I'm going to treat it like it might, just in case. I would also be quite happy to carry it without a round chambered especially should I be stalking with someone who was not used to how the Blaser works. It doesn't seem like a big issue either way on the hill.

On my own, which tends to be woodland/woodland edge then I carry it with one in the chamber uncocked on the front of my right shoulder (I shoot left handed) with muzzle up and, usually, my hand on the barrel ensuring it points straight up, just in case. I can have it in position to fire and cocked almost in one movement and the noise of chambering a round would have every deer within 400 yards off so that is not an option. It isn't cocked until it is pointed at the deer or a safe backstop.
 
I think the general arangement is on the hill in a slip and unloaded
Woodland loaded and cocked with saftey on, and carried on a sling in a safe manner.
Always doing as your guide/host asks and not until.
 
I take people out and tell them that the gun is loaded and the safety is on .After a deer is spotted the rifle is passed over to them and after that i watch like a hawk. Accidents happen and i don't want them happening to me.
 
its very interesting to read the replies .

i have noticed the scottish end of things are more safety aware .
is this because they have mostly have gone through a stalking college or its handed down to them.

i use a sako and a tikka ,i can load it with out a sound , i had 5 guys out this week all could load quietly.

two of the sika stags we shot were at less than 30 yards.

the ground in wicklow i stalk is mostly is open hill, soft wood with some mature oak woods.

its hard ground to cover ,it is very seldom wind less and quite.

just be safe, there will be deer to be culled after were all gone.




hard gound to walk
 
I always carry the rifle,

on the hill unloaded in the slip.[when stalking myself I quite often carry my own rifle out of slip on the ruck sack slings, I have these slings on my slips as well]

Woodland/lowground loaded safety on and normally carried barrel forward.

I never let the guest carry the rifle, I lost the hearing in my right ear at the start of my career due to a stupid mistake/lack of communication.
Many people want to carry their own rifle, but as said before my rules or we don't take the rifle!!
 
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