Barrel up or barrel down when riding

[PotatoeTactical]

This has caused many a time arguments at work when I was a farm hand, hunting with distant family (or new comers into the family), do ya’ll ride (when cases aren’t an option) with your barrels up or down when driving w/ multiple people?

Is there a real reason as to why people chose one or the other?

I’ve always gone muzzle up as I’d rather patch a hole in the roof than get a new T case or transmission (in the unlikely event my rifle/shotgun is loaded), and to prevent the crown/bore from being damaged or blocked. Would like to see if anyone else has ever had any argument over it or thoughts in the matter.

 

[hlee]

Muzzle down in vehicles like cars and pickups. Really, only because the slant required to get a firearm into a vehicle has the muzzle pointing back toward the occupants, when “muzzle up.” Muzzle down has the dangerous end pointing to the ground.

That said, I have an uncle that had an AD in a vehicle. The rem700 fired when he removed the safety, in order to open the bolt on the gun. The bullet hit the fuel line of the vehicle and he was stranded for a couple of hours. But, he didn’t shoot himself or another occupant, as the muzzle was pointed down.

The earth is the only safe resting point for a bullet. Muzzle down gets it there as quickly and safely as possible.

 

[hafejd30]

Muzzle down inside a vehicle

 

[sharac]

As one Czechheli pilot said muzzle always down as engine is up…

 

[Redmanss]

As one Czechheli pilot said muzzle always down as engine is up…

In a Huey, it's muzzle up because all the fuel is in the bottom.

For vehicles, having run years worth of gun toting movements, it's always down. You maintain control of the weapon better that way, especially the fire control portion, and you don't have a bunch of jittery movement of the muzzle over bumps flagging your chin to forehead. Just think about what will happen when you go into that unexpected ditch at >30 mph, how you and everything in the vehicle is going to react to the sudden stop. You're going to want the scary end as far away from your head as possible.

 

[Milf Dots]

Muzzle down because if it's gotta fly we want it in the ground and not the sky.

 

[sirhrmechanic]

Aimed out the window… gets you on the deer or gangbangers faster.

Sirhr

 

[TheHorta]

 

[n2ishun]

This has caused many a time arguments at work when I was a farm hand, hunting with distant family (or new comers into the family), do ya’ll ride (when cases aren’t an option) with your barrels up or down when driving w/ multiple people?

Is there a real reason as to why people chose one or the other?

I’ve always gone muzzle up as I’d rather patch a hole in the roof than get a new T case or transmission (in the unlikely event my rifle/shotgun is loaded), and to prevent the crown/bore from being damaged or blocked. Would like to see if anyone else has ever had any argument over it or thoughts in the matter.

Is that how they teach you in fed boi school ?

Tone down the glow mofo.

BTW, you sit on your helmet in a helo.....rifle don't matter, just don't point it at your buddies.
You figure that one out.

Dumb ass mofo can't even spell potato.

 

[mtrmn]

View attachment 8374949

Marlin 60 and Winchester 1200. Me likey.

 

[WaltHer]

Is the barrel for a standard or magnum cartridge? Asking fo' friend.

 

[Shooter McGavin]

In a Huey, it's muzzle up because all the fuel is in the bottom.

The pilot’s always told us that they didn’t want us denting the aluminum with our barrels.

 

[1AvgMarksman]

This has caused many a time arguments at work when I was a farm hand, hunting with distant family (or new comers into the family), do ya’ll ride (when cases aren’t an option) with your barrels up or down when driving w/ multiple people?

Is there a real reason as to why people chose one or the other?

I’ve always gone muzzle up as I’d rather patch a hole in the roof than get a new T case or transmission (in the unlikely event my rifle/shotgun is loaded), and to prevent the crown/bore from being damaged or blocked. Would like to see if anyone else has ever had any argument over it or thoughts in the matter.

Muzzle down for me.. I ALWAYS protect the crown with something.. A piece of foam, a glove, or anything that keeps the crown covered . If I have a round in chamber, I exit the vehicle before manipulating bolt/action. Down in the ground.. So I know where it’s going, if….

 

[TheBigCountry]

This has caused many a time arguments at work when I was a farm hand, hunting with distant family (or new comers into the family), do ya’ll ride (when cases aren’t an option) with your barrels up or down when driving w/ multiple people?

Is there a real reason as to why people chose one or the other?

I’ve always gone muzzle up as I’d rather patch a hole in the roof than get a new T case or transmission (in the unlikely event my rifle/shotgun is loaded), and to prevent the crown/bore from being damaged or blocked. Would like to see if anyone else has ever had any argument over it or thoughts in the matter.

 

[BrienM]

Muzzle up. That way when road hunting it will go out either window faster.

 

[264win]

View attachment 8374949

There should be 20K$ of NV hanging off that Marlin 22

 

[roostercogburn98]

The earth is the only safe resting point for a bullet

Commies hold them equally well

 

[TheHorta]

There should be 20K$ of NV hanging off that Marlin 22

If it weren’t some random faux toe from the innernet, it would.

 

[chevy_man]

Depends on the gun. Most of the time it's muzzle up to keep it out of the mud and dirt since I don't hunt from asphalt.

My old man insists on down. Even after his buddy shot his transmission with a 12ga.

 

[Baron23]

Ah....maybe just close the bolt on an empty chamber until you are out and in the blind or in position to shoot....maybe?

 

[jmp1]

I feel I can clear the door faster tip down....in case I'm ambushed by feds enforcing unconstitutional laws ....in the Minecraft game.

 

[gunsnjeeps]

In my Jeep it's muzzle up but unloaded. Moving up and down the range for high power matches.

If I had to consider this for daily driving it's time to move.

 

[PotatoeTactical]

I am so fucking proud the bear pit is like this. Assholes with decent shitposting. Carry on. Loves and Hugs

 

[Clishing453]

Barrel down - covered with Electrician's tape - chamber EMPTY EMPTY EMPTY unless yogi is about to eat me. That barrel is tougher than the butt plate/recoil pad and protected by the tape - it works well for me, but I can re-crown my barrels at will in about 15 minutes with the tools I bought from Dave Manson. Have fun and be safe.

 

[diggler1833]

Depends on if she's riding me, or I'm smashing her.

 

[jbuck88]

Back seat passengers? If so muzzle down

 

[zeroz]

Grew up muzzle up. We double checked chambers and confirmed with each other that we were all empty. Have a hunting buddy now that had
a bad experience as a kid muzzle up, so in his rig, and mine if he's in it, its muzzle down. Still double check, still confirm empty. I like muzzle up out of old habits but understand and am fine with the muzzle down crowd. In other words, drivers choice, dont care. More important to double check chamber and confirm empty.

If riding hot into a war zone, I'd prefer muzzle down for reasons mentioned above.

 

[wyliecoyote]

Ah....maybe just close the bolt on an empty chamber until you are out and in the blind or in position to shoot....maybe?

Grew up muzzle up. We double checked chambers and confirmed with each other that we were all empty. Have a hunting buddy now that had
a bad experience as a kid muzzle up, so in his rig, and mine if he's in it, its muzzle down. Still double check, still confirm empty. I like muzzle up out of old habits but understand and am fine with the muzzle down crowd. In other words, drivers choice, dont care. More important to double check chamber and confirm empty.

If riding hot into a war zone, I'd prefer muzzle down for reasons mentioned above.

This . . .

Why on earth would you ride around in a vehicle with a round in the chamber? Are the animals going to shoot you? You’re not going to sneak up on them in a vehicle so there’s no reason to be in a “condition one” state of readiness. If I’m ever around people who think otherwise, it suddenly dawns upon me that I have pressing business elsewhere. That’s how you keep yourself out of the accident statistics.

 

[hlee]

You’re not going to sneak up on them in a vehicle so there’s no reason to be in a “condition one” state of readiness.

You’d be surprised. Hunting deer from a vehicle on private land in Texas is both legal and effective. When I was a kid, we drove around a 1400 acre ranch in an old single cab “ranch pickup” and stacked deer in the bed.

 

[wyliecoyote]

You’d be surprised. Hunting deer from a vehicle on private land in Texas is both legal and effective. When I was a kid, we drove around a 1400 acre ranch in an old single cab “ranch pickup” and stacked deer in the bed.

Certainly possible, not like Texas high fence deer have anywhere to run to. Why risk zipping a round through your buddy’s femoral though. It only takes a split second to rack one in as you come on target.

 

[mtrmn]

I doubt there was such a thing as "high fence deer" and hunting ranches in those days.

 

[hlee]

Certainly possible, not like Texas high fence deer have anywhere to run to. Why risk zipping a round through your buddy’s femoral though. It only takes a split second to rack one in as you come on target.

Low fence. I’m not sure there was a high fence in the county back then. But, loaded rifles were kept with the muzzles out of the windows.

 

[hlee]

I doubt there was such a thing as "high fence deer" and hunting ranches in those days.

There certainly were high fenced game ranches, but they were mostly just in South Texas. Where we hunted in the hill country, it was all 4 or 5 strand barbed wire, or goat fence.

In an environment where every farmer and rancher drives some clapped out pickup, a man on foot is the anomaly that gets the attention of game animals.

I read an article, many years ago, written by a “hunter” recounting the tribulations of one of his hunts. No matter the wind, or his scent preparations, he was getting busted on the way- walking- to his hunting stand. But, he could watch the farmer that owned the land drive his tractor by deer browsing in the field and they would barely look up. He had the farmer drop him off at his hunting stand using the tractor, and got his buck.

 

[Waco Kid]

Back when I had single cab trucks, muzzle down or in the old school gun rack behind the seat. Since I started driving extended cabs I just lay them in the back seat. I only like a few people well enough to go shooting/hunting with so usually not enough passengers to sit back there anyway hahaha.

 

[zeroz]

There is a reason hunting from the truck is illegal most everywhere. Its not that you can sneak up on game with the pickup, its that they get used to vehicles and dont see them as threats, so you can get into range of critters that are used to them. Especially on ranches, in the ranch truck they see everyday and dont give a shit about. Bipedal motion on the other hand is almost always seen as a threat. On a buddy's ranch you can sometimes drive to within bow range of deer, much less rifle range. Get out of the truck, GONE. But yeah, no reason you cant chamber a round as you're getting out.

 

[babyguppy]

Is that how they teach you in fed boi school ?

Tone down the glow mofo.

BTW, you sit on your helmet in a helo.....rifle don't matter, just don't point it at your buddies.
You figure that one out.

Dumb ass mofo can't even spell potato.

Doesn't matter, because the CHAMBER IS ALWAYS EMPTY

 

[brassninja]

View attachment 8374949

I remember going to school like that cause you didn’t know what you were shooting when you got out and weren’t wasting daylight going home first. Never locked the doors, errbody knew who had what.

 

[Gunfighter14e2]

Doesn't matter, because the CHAMBER IS ALWAYS EMPTY

This, unless riding in a two way a/o. Then it depends upon what your ridding in, and sometimes the location within same.

 

[RUTGERS95]

who the fk rides around with a round in the chamber when hunting? How is this even a question?

 

[hlee]

who the fk rides around with a round in the chamber when hunting? How is this even a question?

1400 acre private ranch (low fence), driver (ranch owner) with a rem 7600 in 30-06 pointed out of his window, passenger with a rem 700 in 270 pointed out of his window. 2 or more guys in the bed with rifles as well. We spent a couple of hours in the middle of the day driving the ranch roads. You never really knew when or where a deer (or a flock of turkeys) would turn up. Everyone was locked and loaded. No one ever NDed. No one ever got flagged by a barrel. And, we usually “stacked ‘em like cord wood.”

And, before anyone gets in a twist. No game laws were broken.

 

[Aftermath]

This has caused many a time arguments at work when I was a farm hand, hunting with distant family (or new comers into the family), do ya’ll ride (when cases aren’t an option) with your barrels up or down when driving w/ multiple people?

Is there a real reason as to why people chose one or the other?

I’ve always gone muzzle up as I’d rather patch a hole in the roof than get a new T case or transmission (in the unlikely event my rifle/shotgun is loaded), and to prevent the crown/bore from being damaged or blocked. Would like to see if anyone else has ever had any argument over it or thoughts in the matter.

What propellant do you use with that tater gun?

 

[Aftermath]

View attachment 8374949

That was almost every pickup at Culdesac School, Culdesac, ID back in my day

 

[ironman56]

My dad always kept a 22 marlin 39A horizontal below the frt seat on the floor in his truck ,car for years , I still have that rifle rarely take it out of the safe anymore , when I was in grade school and we still lived in town , he kept two 22 rifles on a gun rack in the back window , until some thief relived us of them one night , lesson learned.

 

[Peloton]

In the event of an AD / ND, I'd rather take a round in the foot than the head. Any considerations about the vehicle are irrelevant.