ORIGINAL: haugenna
I am just curious, especially after coming home from a back country hunt, to see how you all carry your rifles in the field.
Here's what I mean:
I was packing my rifle on my shoulder with a backback going up and down hills and noticed a few times the safety slid on a strap or caught on a pocket and was switched to off. I have been taught to carry it empty chamberwith afull magazine. How do you all carry your rifles and has this ever happened to you?
Guides: How do you have your clients carry their rifles?
Slung upside down and backwards "Jaeger-style" over left shoulder, muzzle down and pointed at the ground & slightly forward, or cradled on left arm, muzzle up and pointed at the sky, L hand around wrist of stock. When mountain walking or dragging game and needing both hands free, rifle is slung across back withsling across chest, over R shoulder & under L armpit. Muzzle points up & to the right. Only rarely do I carry in the military "sling arms" position with the sling over my R shoulder w/ rifle pointed muzzle-up behind R shoulder. This is a good carry for a short-barreled carbine that has a muzzle that will ride below the level of the top of one's head, where the barrel will not catch on tree limbs that you go under.
I have seen "great white huinters" who carry a rifle on their shoulder, with the muzzle pointed forward and their grip around the barrel about 12" behind the muzzle - I regard this as potentially dangerous, but I guess it is OK if the weapon is a "broken" double or an empty single barrel....