Thread: Loaded Rifle

The old saying of 'treat all guns as if loaded' is a good one to pay heed to.
However there is another old saying...'there's a first time for everything'.

I've been shooting for 30 years and always worked the bolt and checked my rifles before putting them in the safe.

Had been out for a rabbit hunt four days ago and when packing up to leave I got distracted, as the dog had gone off chasing a hare and hadn't come back. Instead of clearing the single shot .22, I put it down on the rifle case and went off to find the dog.
Finally came back with the dog in tow but at very low light so I was in a rush to pack up. Put the .22 in its case and headed home.

Came today and I got the .22 out of the safe for another evening shoot.
Bugger me....opened the bolt and a bloody live round came out!

Never happened to me before and I hope never again (I've been beating myself up about it so much I didn't go for a rabbit shoot today). But yeah.... a good reminder to always treat a gun as loaded.