Muzzle up or down

[shinbo]

H all,
As I am relatively new to the stalking scene I was wondering what your opinions are on carrying a rifle muzzle up or muzzle down? mainly woodland stalking atm just thinking about the quickest way to get the rifle on the sticks ready for the shot without to much movement etc.

 

[nick.308]

muzzle up for me, I think its safer and muck wont get stuffed up the barrel when I slip which might potentially write the stalk off unless you carry a cleaning kit

 

[Tim.243]

H all,
As I am relatively new to the stalking scene I was wondering what your opinions are on carrying a rifle muzzle up or muzzle down? mainly woodland stalking atm just thinking about the quickest way to get the rifle on the sticks ready for the shot without to much movement etc.

The movement is just the same as it has to come off the shoulder and on the sticks...
with muzzle down it cant slide backwards to point at any one behind.

 

[yellow belly]

Depends on the ground...if there's poor footing or high risk of a slip, keep it up. If it's good going, have it down. Personally think its easier/less movement from barrel down but the choice is yours!

 

[DK.260]

Depends, if you are built like a time bandit you only have 1 choice. If you are of a more lofty stature, you have 2 choices.

 

[Tim.243]

muzzle up for me, I think its safer and muck wont get stuffed up the barrel when I slip which might potentially write the stalk off unless you carry a cleaning kit

Yes really good idea lol
Min 6.30
@shinbo

 

[WalkedUp]

Wow, that’s a bad flag. I actually alternate… on my own muzzle up, whip the rifle under the arm to quickly get it up onto sticks smoothly. In a pair, muzzle down and not in someone’s face if the rifle slips. Very easy to get used to doing both.

 

[nick.308]

if im walking in woodland I usually dont even have the rifle on my back so I can feed it between trees and not get it snagged on branches and if I do see a deer that is spooked then its raised for a shot more quickly

 

[Tim.243]

if im walking in woodland I usually dont even have the rifle on my back so I can feed it between trees and not get it snagged on branches and if I do see a deer that is spooked then its raised for a shot more quickly

What did you think to the muzzle up at min 6.30? **** poor says me

 

[shinbo]

nearly put the mod under his chin

 

[nick.308]

What did you think to the muzzle up at min 6.30? **** poor says me

yep poor thought process as to where his barrel is pointing, I get what your saying, but either way of carrying a rifle can be unsafe if you dont have good muzzle awareness. I wouldn't want to be a stalker with a client crawling behind with a rifle pointing up my ass. Its all about the safety skills of the user...

 

[DaveNeal]

personally, I tape the barrel regardless and generally have it pointing down with the rifle forward of my shoulder - I find it easier to raise it onto my sticks and keep relatively in the outline of my silhouette, I can see where the rifle is pointing and if it's not straight down its facing forward ( ie, cant be pointing to my stalking buddy if I'm out with one ) and I can easily flick the scope cover off just before I swing the rifle up.

probably not the most common or popular but I find it the safest, saves any of this cocked wrist twirlly stuff I see sometimes - we're not the Dagenham Girl Pipers gentlemen.

 

[Rusty Gate]

Down every time. Tape mod or crown. Just blows off when fired.

 

[SimpleSimon]

Muzzle down, right shoulder. Rifle balances better and stays in a more vertical position. Easy to control the muzzle with a hand on the fore end, easy to lift the muzzle up towards horizontal if negotiating uneven ground, etc. Easy to take the rifle off the shoulder one handed and under control without spinning it in a 270 degree arc behind me as I've seen some folk do when carrying muzzle up. For a long walk or very rough ground, dragging out, etc. I can lift the sling over my head so the rifle sits tight across my back and points at the ground a couple of feet to my right. It might not work as well if your rifle has a long barrel or very long moderator, but for me at 5ft 10 I find there's plenty of room to walk normally without fear of poking it into the mud.

 

[Hagen]

I've always carried it muzzle up because I initially didn't want it banging into the ground every time I kneel or bend down and then I just stuck with that out of habit.

With the heavy Wildcat Mod though, I constantly need one hand on the sling to stop it from slipping backward... maybe time to try something new.

 

[takbok]

Muzzle down for me, anywhere from maybe 30-60 Deg from vertical pointing forward.

 

[wytonpjs]

Much safer downwards and it has the benefit of reducing possible sky lining. That is even worse if you put it in something like a Vorn. If the going is slippy underfoot then carry the rifle or tape the mod. I started carrying upwards but at 6’4” having 15-18” of dark barrel and mod accentuating my profile is not a good stalking thing. Then, you just have to look at some barrel angles when people stop to glass or thermal when carrying upwards……need I say more?

 

[Tim.243]

I've always carried it muzzle up because I initially didn't want it banging into the ground every time I kneel or bend down and then I just stuck with that out of habit.

With the heavy Wildcat Mod though, I constantly need one hand on the sling to stop it from slipping backward... maybe time to try something new.

From the start I was taught how to walk with a shot gun with it broken and the barrels/muzzle pointing down,
this pointing up way with a Mod on coupled with the weight of a barrel will and does act like a pendulum as the stock is far lighter than the other two.
I can only liken it to people who hold a hammer half way down the shaft or only use a couple of inches of a saw blade lol

 

[Nickb]

Up for me , find it really annoying pointing down.

 

[NewForester]

H all,
As I am relatively new to the stalking scene I was wondering what your opinions are on carrying a rifle muzzle up or muzzle down? mainly woodland stalking atm just thinking about the quickest way to get the rifle on the sticks ready for the shot without to much movement etc.

Muzzle awareness is key and so up or down is fine. Horizontal (which I have seen on a number of youtube videos) is out!

My old mentor, and I don't want to make him out to be some sort of sage because he could be a curmudgeonly old bugger at times, said to me that that there is nowhere in Southern England where you can take a safe shot. Everywhere is potentially in range of a house, or a road, or a footpath.

So, should I have a negligent discharge he did not want to know that the bullet had come down somewhere in Hampshire, but rather that he could dig the bullet out if he needed to. He told me to carry muzzle down, and I have done so ever since. He also said that if I was concerned about the risk of shooting my big toe off, then I might pay more attention to ensuring that the safety was on at all times. (And as it happens, I do tend to regularly check that the safety is still on!)

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