How Do You Carry?

roy reali · September 12, 2010, 11:58 AM

How do you all carry your shotguns in the field? If you are in an area where a bird flush is about to happen, how do you position your shotgun when you are about to shoot it? Where do you keep your trigger finger? When do you take the safety off?

hardworker · September 12, 2010, 12:30 PM

If I'm bird hunting I keep my left hand on the fore end and my right hand on the grip with finger out of the trigger guard. The safety goes off when I see a bird. It's just a pushbutton safety that can be knocked off in a fraction of a second.

Scattergun Bob · September 12, 2010, 12:51 PM

Roy,

That's a lot of info, I'll give it a try

My field carry of choice is in the crook of my arm, I secure the gun with my weak hand thumb over the small of the stock. Sometimes this carry is inappropriate and I use a standard port arms.

If I am expecting a flush, I use the muzzle raised (hunting) position, where the front bead is just below my center of vision, my weak hand index finger is pointing
along the barrel and I move the gun with my eyes.

From my hunting position, I simply move the butt of the scattergun up toward my jaw and shoulder to mount the gun for firing, MY eye never leaves the barrel and the target.

I hunt with a M-1 S-90 or a 870 my shooting finger tip is lightly resting upon the safety at the rear of the trigger guard in my hunting and mounting position. When I hunt with my Super-X 1, I actually have to use my right thumb to disengage the safety, It's a pain but I have done it for so long it is a muscle memory at this point.

My safety is disengaged when the stock strikes the side of my face.

Well, there it is.

Good Luck & Be Safe

oneounceload · September 13, 2010, 08:53 AM

Walking, gun is broken open.....ready for flush, gun is muzzle up so as to not hit the dog (blue sky rule). Safety is never on - my guns all have manual safeties - either the gun is ready to fire or it is broken open and safe. I use O/U or SxS guns for hunting birds; finger goes on the trigger as the gun hits my shoulder and cheek - a la the "Move, Mount, Shoot" method of sporting clays

BigJimP · September 13, 2010, 12:28 PM

I usually hunt with O/U's - so all the safeties are on top of the tang-at least on Browning's/ easy to reach / but I rarely have the safety on.

Like OneOunce, when I'm walking the gun is broken open - and if its a surprise flush - plant my feet, focus on the bird only, move the gun forward - closing the gun and mounting the gun ...and execute the shot. If the dogs are alert, and I'm the "Hot" gun or 1st shooter / I will have the gun closed / muzzle up / finger up on receiver above trigger guard - never inside trigger guard or on trigger ---plant my feet, mount the gun, find dogs in peripheral vision, (hard focus on bird, never on barrel, and execute the shot).

My typical gunmount - is a "rectangle" - where the gun goes straight out, straight up --and straight back to my shoulder ( focus on bird, finger on trigger and preset the trigger (take slack out), and execute the shot).

If I choose to hunt with a semi-auto or a pump gun ....the action is open / or back on a pump ( shell is in receiver / but not in chamber ) - and safety is not engaged. If an unexpected flush happens / I close the action - putting a shell in the chamber ...mount the gun and execute the shot. If I'm the Hot gun / dogs are alert --- I will close the action / muzzle always up at that point ( gun at port arms ) - as long as the footing is secure.

If the footing is not clear and unobscured ... then I will always leave the action open until I can plant my feet vs walking where I might stumble on uneven ground with a round in the chamber. I don't rely on a safety lever to "bail me out" ....if I were to trip or fall.

But the safety on top of the tang / like with a Browning BPS pump is another reason I like that gun - if I choose to use the safety for some reason / its there and easy to reach. ( but I think the action open / is frankly better ) ---and if you practice closing and mounting the gun in a fluid motion / its a quick move.

roy reali · September 13, 2010, 07:23 PM

When a fence needs to be crossed, the correct procedure is to unload and open the guns and hand them to each other, assuming multiple hunters. Do you guys consider a side-by-side or Over/Under that is opened but left with shells in the chambers close enough?

oneounceload · September 13, 2010, 07:41 PM

If the gun is opened, there is no way it can go off - so, if passing from one to another it would be safe. Personally, I would empty it only because I wouldn't want to have shells fall out into some muck or other junk

NightSleeper · September 14, 2010, 08:36 AM

Wow, interesting responses. Doesn't anyone trust a safety anymore?

I hunt birds with either a pump or semi-auto. I carry the gun through the fields in a variety of ways, sometimes over my shoulder, sometimes nested in my arms like a baby in his loving mother's arms. The gun is loaded, one in the chamber, chamber closed, safety on, trigger finger outside of the trigger guard. If I am expecting a flush, then the safety comes off and I wait for it. As for the surprise flush, I simply flick the safety off, up comes the gun and KABOOM ... meat on the table.

BigJimP · September 14, 2010, 10:20 AM

If I ever pass an O/U to someone else ( it has to be broken open ) - and I always take the shells out of it - before I pass it to someone.

September 12, 2010, 11:58 AM	#1
roy reali Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2005 Posts: 3,248	How Do You Carry? How do you all carry your shotguns in the field? If you are in an area where a bird flush is about to happen, how do you position your shotgun when you are about to shoot it? Where do you keep your trigger finger? When do you take the safety off?

September 12, 2010, 12:51 PM	#3
Scattergun Bob Senior Member Join Date: February 29, 2008 Location: Nine Mile Falls, Washington Posts: 1,186	Roy, That's a lot of info, I'll give it a try My field carry of choice is in the crook of my arm, I secure the gun with my weak hand thumb over the small of the stock. Sometimes this carry is inappropriate and I use a standard port arms. If I am expecting a flush, I use the muzzle raised (hunting) position, where the front bead is just below my center of vision, my weak hand index finger is pointing along the barrel and I move the gun with my eyes. From my hunting position, I simply move the butt of the scattergun up toward my jaw and shoulder to mount the gun for firing, MY eye never leaves the barrel and the target. I hunt with a M-1 S-90 or a 870 my shooting finger tip is lightly resting upon the safety at the rear of the trigger guard in my hunting and mounting position. When I hunt with my Super-X 1, I actually have to use my right thumb to disengage the safety, It's a pain but I have done it for so long it is a muscle memory at this point. My safety is disengaged when the stock strikes the side of my face. Well, there it is. Good Luck & Be Safe __________________ First, with the most, WINS! Regards, Scattergun Bob Last edited by Scattergun Bob; September 13, 2010 at 03:33 PM.

September 13, 2010, 07:23 PM	#6
roy reali Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2005 Posts: 3,248	Fence? When a fence needs to be crossed, the correct procedure is to unload and open the guns and hand them to each other, assuming multiple hunters. Do you guys consider a side-by-side or Over/Under that is opened but left with shells in the chambers close enough?

September 14, 2010, 08:36 AM	#8
NightSleeper Senior Member Join Date: April 6, 2008 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 449	Wow, interesting responses. Doesn't anyone trust a safety anymore? I hunt birds with either a pump or semi-auto. I carry the gun through the fields in a variety of ways, sometimes over my shoulder, sometimes nested in my arms like a baby in his loving mother's arms. The gun is loaded, one in the chamber, chamber closed, safety on, trigger finger outside of the trigger guard. If I am expecting a flush, then the safety comes off and I wait for it. As for the surprise flush, I simply flick the safety off, up comes the gun and KABOOM ... meat on the table. __________________ *I have rounds yet to fire before I sleep ...*

September 12, 2010, 12:30 PM	#2
hardworker Senior Member Join Date: August 4, 2010 Posts: 820	If I'm bird hunting I keep my left hand on the fore end and my right hand on the grip with finger out of the trigger guard. The safety goes off when I see a bird. It's just a pushbutton safety that can be knocked off in a fraction of a second.

September 13, 2010, 08:53 AM	#4
oneounceload Junior member Join Date: April 18, 2008 Location: N. Central Florida Posts: 8,518	Walking, gun is broken open.....ready for flush, gun is muzzle up so as to not hit the dog (blue sky rule). Safety is never on - my guns all have manual safeties - either the gun is ready to fire or it is broken open and safe. I use O/U or SxS guns for hunting birds; finger goes on the trigger as the gun hits my shoulder and cheek - a la the "Move, Mount, Shoot" method of sporting clays

September 13, 2010, 12:28 PM	#5
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	I usually hunt with O/U's - so all the safeties are on top of the tang-at least on Browning's/ easy to reach / but I rarely have the safety on. Like OneOunce, when I'm walking the gun is broken open - and if its a surprise flush - plant my feet, focus on the bird only, move the gun forward - closing the gun and mounting the gun ...and execute the shot. If the dogs are alert, and I'm the "Hot" gun or 1st shooter / I will have the gun closed / muzzle up / finger up on receiver above trigger guard - never inside trigger guard or on trigger ---plant my feet, mount the gun, find dogs in peripheral vision, (hard focus on bird, never on barrel, and execute the shot). My typical gunmount - is a "rectangle" - where the gun goes straight out, straight up --and straight back to my shoulder ( focus on bird, finger on trigger and preset the trigger (take slack out), and execute the shot). If I choose to hunt with a semi-auto or a pump gun ....the action is open / or back on a pump ( shell is in receiver / but not in chamber ) - and safety is not engaged. If an unexpected flush happens / I close the action - putting a shell in the chamber ...mount the gun and execute the shot. If I'm the Hot gun / dogs are alert --- I will close the action / muzzle always up at that point ( gun at port arms ) - as long as the footing is secure. If the footing is not clear and unobscured ... then I will always leave the action open until I can plant my feet vs walking where I might stumble on uneven ground with a round in the chamber. I don't rely on a safety lever to "bail me out" ....if I were to trip or fall. But the safety on top of the tang / like with a Browning BPS pump is another reason I like that gun - if I choose to use the safety for some reason / its there and easy to reach. ( but I think the action open / is frankly better ) ---and if you practice closing and mounting the gun in a fluid motion / its a quick move.

September 13, 2010, 07:41 PM	#7
oneounceload Junior member Join Date: April 18, 2008 Location: N. Central Florida Posts: 8,518	If the gun is opened, there is no way it can go off - so, if passing from one to another it would be safe. Personally, I would empty it only because I wouldn't want to have shells fall out into some muck or other junk

September 14, 2010, 10:20 AM	#9
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	If I ever pass an O/U to someone else ( it has to be broken open ) - and I always take the shells out of it - before I pass it to someone.