Walking with Two Guns
#21
As to the OP, if your friend is carryingthe two guns safely and it is legal in your state, what's the problem?
I sometimes carry a pistol along with myrifle or shotgun when I am hunting.
One time we were hunting pheasants in northcentral Montana. Deer season was alsoopen so on most of our walks I had my .44 magnum on my hip. We came to one short, brushy draw and I didn’ttake the time to put on my .44. At theend of the draw I could smell deer so I stopped, and not 30 feet away was standingbroadside one of largest and heaviest whitetail buck that I have ever seen. We looked at each other for about 30 secondsbefore he took off. If I had taken thefew extra seconds to put my pistol on that buck would have been a slam dunkshot.
Another time my son and I were pheasanthunting in a large parcel of State land along the Missouri river. I hadn’t been thinking about deer huntingthat day so I didn’t bring a pistol. Since it was early in the season, and the shots are typically short, Ionly brought a box of 7 ½ shot Trap shells with me.
About an hour into our bird hunt, a 2 pointmuley buck (a 6 point for you folks back east) jumped up right in front of us,ran about 5 yards and fell down. When Iapproached the downed buck I could see that there was a fresh wound on his backleg, and the bone was broken. I don’tlike to see animals suffer, so I switched the selector on my 12 gauge O/U toFull choke, and from about 10 feet away, I put a load of 7 ½ shot between hiseyes. I put my tag on him, and my deerseason ended early that year.
I now just carry a couple of slug shells inmy bird hunting vest.
#22
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Allegan, MI
Posts: 8,019
why isn't it safe?? if he doesn't have a bullet chambered or, at least has the gun on safety there's little to no risk. whatsoever . he could have one slung on his back and the other in hand ...are you suggesting that when you go hunting and see an animal you THEN take the time to place the bullets in your gun then chamber a bullet so you can dispatch an animal? i do the same thing i carry the 22 for rabbits and a 30-30 for wolves ...would you suggest i shoot the rabbit with a 30-30 or the Timber wolf with a 22? OH and PS it's legal in Ontario... Checked it out and the number of firearms doesn't matter so long as you are following the allowable caliber restrictions based on season and what licenses you possess
Welcome newbie! I see you're the one that brought up a thread that was 4 1/2 years old and are questioning me on my one short post. Did you not read my more lengthy one explaining why I stated that? First off, the guy is carrying two loaded shotguns and shotguns don't use bullets like you mentioned! If he is carrying one over his non shooting shoulder with a sling, then there should be no problem, but that's not how it's described in the OP. Furthermore, I would hope they are both on safe, but a safety is not designed to prevent accidents like might happen in the scenario presented in the OP. To answer your questions about my practices, I usually don't have a cartridge in the chamber when I'm walking, especially out in Wyoming when I'm with another friend or two until we separate for our hunt. Very seldom, if ever can I recall a time when I couldn't easily chamber a cartridge if I see an animal I want to shoot before I get to where I will be sitting to glass up an animal for a stalk. Since you're new and from CA might you tell us something about yourself, like how old you are and your hunting experience. I'm 69 and have been enjoying the hunting/shooting sports since I was about 5 years old and took one of the first hunter safety courses ever offered by the NRA in the early 50s. How about you?
Last edited by Topgun 3006; 12-21-2016 at 03:11 PM. Reason: spelling
#25
I often carry two when I'm walking into a stand at 3 am. My rifle is slung and I have my slug gun, loaded to the Max, in my hands.
Was walking into a high seat along the tree line in a meadow. Hog, a really big sow, comes charging right at me. I had only my bolt action rifle and pistol with me, dark as sin. Throw my rifle up and think (really quickly) all I have is a very poor chance of hitting her in a vital spot in the dark and no time for a reload. Just about that moment she put on the brakes, huffs and snorts at me a couple of times and heads for the hills. After I changed my shorts, I got to thinking, next time I carry my slug gun, with five chances (arrest me ) instead of a bolt action rifle and/or a pistol. She was coming right at me at around 30 MPH. In the middle of the night she looked about as big as a Volkswagen bug, best guess is well over 300 lbs. maybe 350, maybe bigger. I'm 6'3" tall and she was inches higher than my belly button.
Something like that may only happen once in a lifetime, but if it ever happens again I want to increase my chances. Plan for the worst, hope for the best.
That same Sow, another night, ate a whole Roe Deer (road kill) and left only a few tufts of hair and bone splinters. I could imagine me being that Deer.
Was walking into a high seat along the tree line in a meadow. Hog, a really big sow, comes charging right at me. I had only my bolt action rifle and pistol with me, dark as sin. Throw my rifle up and think (really quickly) all I have is a very poor chance of hitting her in a vital spot in the dark and no time for a reload. Just about that moment she put on the brakes, huffs and snorts at me a couple of times and heads for the hills. After I changed my shorts, I got to thinking, next time I carry my slug gun, with five chances (arrest me ) instead of a bolt action rifle and/or a pistol. She was coming right at me at around 30 MPH. In the middle of the night she looked about as big as a Volkswagen bug, best guess is well over 300 lbs. maybe 350, maybe bigger. I'm 6'3" tall and she was inches higher than my belly button.
Something like that may only happen once in a lifetime, but if it ever happens again I want to increase my chances. Plan for the worst, hope for the best.
That same Sow, another night, ate a whole Roe Deer (road kill) and left only a few tufts of hair and bone splinters. I could imagine me being that Deer.
#26
I don't often comment on old posts, but in this case I'll make an exception.
More often than not I'm packing multiple guns while hunting deer, usually either my scoped S&W Model 460 or T/C Encore handgun for long range shooting and an open sighted 41 Magnum Ruger Blackhawk for close range or finishing shots. Heck, I've even carried three at once: the Encore for >150 yard shots, the 41 Mag for <30 yard shots, and the 460 for anything in between. And yes, that was as cumbersome as it sounds. Of course, the only game I intend to shoot while deer hunting is a deer, or maybe a coyote if the opportunity arises. I wouldn't, for instance, pack my 22 pistol for squirrels if I'm hunting deer.
More often than not I'm packing multiple guns while hunting deer, usually either my scoped S&W Model 460 or T/C Encore handgun for long range shooting and an open sighted 41 Magnum Ruger Blackhawk for close range or finishing shots. Heck, I've even carried three at once: the Encore for >150 yard shots, the 41 Mag for <30 yard shots, and the 460 for anything in between. And yes, that was as cumbersome as it sounds. Of course, the only game I intend to shoot while deer hunting is a deer, or maybe a coyote if the opportunity arises. I wouldn't, for instance, pack my 22 pistol for squirrels if I'm hunting deer.
#28
I received a warning from the game warden a few years back for carrying a .44 revolver and a slug gun in Ohio while deer hunting. Have to choose one or the other here, can't carry both. That's the closest I ever got to a game violation.
-Jake
-Jake