How full do folks load the tube when in the bush?

[geobru]

When using my 86 in 40-82, I use 3 in the mag and 1 in the chamber. I started doing this after I swung on a nice buck with a fully loaded magazine. The inertia of the heavy barrel plus the weight of all of the bullets caused me to swing past him when he changed direction. I was in heavy timber, so there was no second chance. A little less weight was in order after that experience.

[Canuck Bob]

geobru, that is my reason too. I like the handling of my rifle to be preserved, a touch of barrel heavy for offhand holding and balance in the hand just right. My 32-20 is a heavy long barrel octagon and it is too barrel heavy with the small hole in the barrel. With the tube full it is like weight lifting for my forward hand. I want to shorten the barrel or machine a round half barrel someday and chop the tube to just forward of the forearm. It would still hold lots of the short 32-20s.

I did read about something I do. I get to wander a bit in the bush year round and like to do centerfire plinking with my hunting rifles. I used to put two or three full power loads and slide in my plinkers for each shot in wilder country. That way I was never more than one shot or lever away from full power loads if needed. We also have a growing wolf and coyote problem so I will be doing my part in legal control.

[Malamute]

... That way I was never more than one shot or lever away from full power loads if needed....

I always leave the magazine full of full power loads when in the mountains, and single load small game loads into the chamber. We're about knee deep in bears (the G kind) and wolves.

[Canuck Bob]

Right on Malamute,

I realized I may be changing my ideas so I better 'fess up. My 444 is the camp gun for family camping. I have operated that our Alberta grizz are very man savvy. I hiked and hunted grizz country for decades without a real concern. I now realize my ideas around bears are outdated. For years a grizz encounter meant dead bear. Today it means relocated bear. They are unpredictable but real clever beasts. I also admire them and want them to survive. The Rockies without bears is the German Alps, no thanks.

Now you folks and local hunters have re-educated me. With the years of protection south of the territories, northern BC and Alberta, and Alaska they are not human wary and prone to nuisance behaviour like a black. Their range has extended much further into human areas now. We had a hunter mauling in the Swan Hills area recently.

So please allow me to correct my original statement. In grizz country the tube is full and it is a DG 444 load. I sure don't want to be in a bear fight with my kids around and not loaded up! In my tiny world bear encounter, aggressive and close, still means dead bear! Live and learn.

[AJMD429]

Life can have surprises for us at times, generally when we aren't expecting them.

Yep - people forget that - that's why they call them 'surprises'. . .

[Streetstar]

I gotta admit, i rarely load 'em (my 30-30's) to the max when i'm deer hunting -- for no particular reason, just never really thought about it that much

The leverguns have a lot of capacity compared to a bolt gun, most of my bolt guns just hold 3 in the magazine -- so i always felt like if i had 4 in the tube of a levergun plus a few cartridges in my pocket , i'd be ready even if i had to take a follow up shot, or ran across a turkey on the walk back to the truck

I keep 4 in my Guide Gun too though, so thats close to capacity for that gun i think?

I carry a wide assortment of sidearms, a different one each season , and they are all fully loaded -- quicker coyote deterrent if i am in drag mode (dragging the deer, not my clothing style) -- and have the rifle slung

[Booger Bill]

I like the levers more than any other type action. However I will admit that I do have two pet peeves about them. You hit on one when it was pointed out they are a PITA to unload. The other is that if you are shooting prone or off the bench you have to twist the rifle sideways to work the action. Untill I read the post I never gave thought to the differance in the fully compacted spring in a fully loaded rifle. When I was a kid hunting in wisconsin I did see some 94`s with the magazine tube cut back.

[Malamute]

I unload the winchesters in a couple ways. If I have a place to let the shells fall thats clean, I just run them through with my trigger finger in the notch of the lever behind the trigger guard part, barrel generally pointed upwards at an angle. If I dont want them in the dirt, I cycle the action running the bolt just ahead enough for the shell to clear the cartidge guides, them pull the cartridge out the top my hand, sometimes turning it so it starts to fall out the top, or pulling the rim out of the chamber as its about halfway in. Doesn't seem like that much trouble, I just know I need to do it, though they mostly live loaded, so its rare that I unload them.

I guess when outside, sometimes I chamber and eject the shell and catch it in the air after it ejects. Just like shooting small game loads and catching the empties.

[GoatGuy]

Full to the brim just like my other guns. I fill my truck's gas tank when at a filling station, so seems reasonable to do the same with firearms.

[Aussie Chris]

If I am hunting rabbits with my .22 or sambar with the triple 4, always loaded to full capacity. Always

[Blaine]

Just think of the poor PHs in DG country that only have two shots in their double rifle.

[Irelander]

In my favorite .22 LR levergun ...
(Love them Ruger 96's... )

If I had a 96/22 as quiet as yours, I'd love it too.

[Tumbleweeds II]

Since the limit on squirrels is 10, I guess I could load my rifle with 10 instead of the full 18 - but then the guys would rag me for showing off. Besides, what if I limit out and find something else that needs shooting?

I load the Marlin 94 full up too, but it has only a 20" barrel so it doesn't get terribly heavy with 10-11 rounds. If it had a longer barrel and mag, I might do it differently.

The Savage 99 is a no-brainer, since the magazine is right in my carry hand and the number of rounds doesn't change the balance point enough to notice. I load 6 - i have to carry my extra ammo SOMEWHERE after all.

Speaking of 99s, have you ever read an old Ben East story titled "The Last Shot"? It involves a polar bear that ended up dead at the toes of his boots after being lightly wounded (but greatly annoyed) by shot No. 1 and missed at rapidly diminishing range by shots Nos. 2-4.

[Irelander]

I read some of Charlie Rusells stories when I was young. It made an impression on me, particularly one tale, "A Savage Santa Claus" (and I know they are tales, though I'm sure many have a foundation under them). The image of fumbling for a cartridge in the dark isnt appealing.

Link to some of Rusells stories, including the one mentioned. If one isnt familiar with them, you may enjoy them. He lived in Montana from the 1880's, when he moved there on his own at 16 years old, til his death. He made some nice pictures too.

http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks07/0700941h.html

Those are some cool stories. Think I might pick up a book or two of Russell's. Thanks for that.

+1 on loading full up. I'd rather have too much ammo and not need it than not enough ammo and wish I had more.