Carrying a levergun...

[absolute0]

I'm wondering what the consensus is on best practice for carrying and hunting with a lever gun.....round chambered hammer down, empty chamber, etc.

I've been hunting with an empty chamber, and racking in a round either discreetly or rapidly as circumstances dictated. I wondered what other guys do, as I'm the only member of my deer hunting party who sometimes shoots a lever action.

 

[ScottsGT]

Personally, I NEVER carry my hunting rifle loaded. I load it in the stand, and unload it before climbing down. We don't allow rifle hunting from the ground at the farm, so it would do no good to have it loaded on the ground. Now my 1911 stays loaded at all times.

 

[belton-deer-hunter]

i ussally leave a bullet in the chameber with the hammer down this leaves very little noise for the der to hear but that is just me..
this is only while hunting if i am stalking it is loaded.I ussaly load it as soon as s tep out of the truck.

 

[ball3006]

I load the chamber....

and place the hammer on half cock. I stand hunt only but carry my rifle to/from the stand. But, it has been many years since hunting with a lever action rifle......I only hunt with a pistol now......chris3

 

[rbernie]

I hunt on foot with a levergun quite often - chamber loaded and hammer at half cock. That's about as safe as it gets....

 

[Hal8000]

One in the chamber and Hammer in the saftey catch

I always carry my lever action with one in the chamber and the hammer down on the "safety catch". Working the action just makes too much noise and some times takes too long causing a missed opportunity...

 

[absolute0]

I just don't care much for the thought of trying to manually lower the hammer on a live round....'specially with gloves on and cold fingers.

I reckon a hammer spur certainly helps with control

 

[Byron]

I taught Hunter Safety with the Dept of Natural resources in georgia and was the firearm instructor. I advocated carrying an empty chamber on all rifles until one is at the location they wish to hunt. Older Winchesters and Marlins have the half cock safety and when putting on half cock,an accident can happen to anyone.Although the "purest" do not like the cross bolt safety, it works and if the hunter decides to carry with a loded chamber,it gives a greater, but not perfect degree of safety. I had the injuries and fatalities list each year from Georgia and in so many cares, applying even one safety rule saved lives. Byron

 

[garrett1955]

one in the chamber, and the hammer in halfcock, when I used to use my marlin .32spcl in lever. personaly I like to still hunt, walking/stalking very slowly, and sitting in the early mornings, and afternoons.

 

[30-06 lover]

I simplified this issue by getting a Savage 99...Sorry couldn't resist.

When I shot a Marling 336, I kept one n the pipe with the hammer down. I got one of those hammer extenders which made it really easy to cock and fire.
-Mike

 

[rbernie]

I just don't care much for the thought of trying to manually lower the hammer on a live round....'specially with gloves on and cold fingers.

Then do it with warm fingers and no gloves, when you leave the cabin/truck. Not a hard problem to solve.....

I simplified this issue by getting a Savage 99...Sorry couldn't resist.

Well, me too, but I still hunt piggies mostly with a scoutified Marlin in 30-30 or 35 Remington.

 

[Preacherman]

If your levergun's action is properly tuned, it's no problem to jack in a round as you shoulder the rifle. If I'm moving with mine, it's in condition 3 - chamber empty, hammer down. I can lever one in fast enough to make no difference. If I'm in a stand, then I'll have one up the spout with the hammer cocked, so as not to make a noise to alert anything showing up close to me.

 

[Spec ops Grunt]

Mag loaded, chamber empty.

 

[azredhawk44]

round in chamber, hammer at half cock. The old Win94 has no safety, but my new Win94 gets safety, round in chamber and hammer at half cock.

 

[Old Time Hunter]

Round in the chamber...half cock! If I have one of my levers with a cross bolt safety, I use it. Got about half my venison walk'n to and from my hunt'n stand, most of them I would not have taken if I did not have one in the chamber.

 

[Mannlicher]

Most of the fellows hunting with a lever gun are doing so in close cover, or in terrain that has mostly short range shots. Since you have to shoot quickly when you find your deer (or hog, or what have you), carrying your rifle without a round in the chamber is a real limit on your ability to shoot in a hurry. Y'all can do what you want, but when stalking or still hunting,I carry my lever guns with the chamber loaded, the rifle on half cock, and my finger near the trigger. Even going to and from the hunt area, I have the rifle chamber loaded, and on half cock. I sling it when I am not hunting.

 

[shootinstudent]

I carry mine with a round in the chamber, on half cock also, but I recognize that it's not ideal...something could snag the hammer and cock it, catching me unaware. I've never had that happen, though, just seems like something to be aware of if you carry the gun that way.

 

[Smoke Rizen]

Chamber loaded, half cock. As for carrying in the brush, I carry mostly mod. 94s which have a safety on the lever,unless you pull it up tight it wouldn't shoot even if the hammer were pulled back. I had a friend who carried a Browning LR with one in the chamber hammer down,one day the sling slid off his shoulder and he said the hammer struck a rock and discharged the rifle. No injuries but a clean set of shorts required.He now carries at 1/2 cock.

 

[LooseGrouper]

Even the half cock notch is not foolproof. When I was about 15, a friend of mine fell asleep in a ladder stand and proceeded to drop his break-open single-shot 12 gauge. It was on half cock, but the hammer hit one of the rungs solidly. This broke the hammer, discharged the shotgun, and missed my buddy's head by about a foot (his ears were ringing for a couple of days).

That being said, I still carry lever guns with the hammer at half cock on a loaded chamber. I hope this doesn't come out sounding like a wise crack, but I don't think anyone would advocate hunting with an empty-chambered single shot. Wouldn't carrying a lever gun loaded be just as safe as the singleshot...just with faster followups?

 

[Legionnaire]

Loaded chamber, half-cock.

 

[gaven]

The half cock on a lever action is not a good safty. The small sear that it rests on can be sheared off if struck and fire the weapon , also a branch can catch the hammer and draw it back to almost full cock letting it fall back and fire the weapon. With this said , I always carry mine with a round in the chamber and the hammer on halfcock and my thumb on the hammer.

 

[beerslurpy]

I had a Winchester model 94 as a teenager. I never trusted the thing to stay safe with one in the pipe and the hammer cocked. I would keep a few rounds in the tube and quietly cycle it when I wanted to shoot. I didnt fill the whole mag up because cycling the rounds through the action to unload it always made me nervous.

 

[Gohon]

Everyone carries a shotgun around all day with a round in the chamber and just the safety engaged. Why should a lever action rifle be any different.

 

[Trip20]

My .02, worth every penny.

If the 4 rules are adhered to, if one maintains control of his weapon, there should be no issues with keeping a round in the chamber, and the hammer at half-cock even on pre-safety models.

Maintaining control of your weapon does not apply solely to the muzzle and trigger. It includes the hammer....etc.

Issues arise when people get lazy. If in rough terrain, take careful deliberate steps, and keep both hands on your rifle (you can't control it otherwise). When you get to an easier wider trail, that's when you can use your sling, carry over your shoulder…etc.

This goes for all rifles. We grew up learning safety devices can fail -- the good safeties as much as the not-so-good safeties. Therefore, it's wise to be on high alert and have high respect for all actions. Levers get no special treatment.

There is only as much room for error as you allow.

 

[mondocomputerman]

On my Marlin with the cross-bolt safety:

Before I chamber a round, I half cock the hammer so I can put the cross-bolt safety on. Then I chamber a round, put the hammer to half cock, and take off the cross bolt safety.

That way if I loose control with gloved hands when putting the hammer to half cock, the cross-bolt safety catches it.

This is the only time I use the cross-bolt safety, other than transporting the empty rifle.

I always unload the rifle when going over a fence, or climbing a tree. The buttstock shell carrier is a nice place to put the rounds.