Carry Long Gun Muzzle Up or Muzzle Down?

[Kiwishooter]

I usually hunt alone and a round isn't chambered until I expect to shoot at an animal, I carry my firearm in both hands and pointed slightly down and away to the side.
On the range I always carry a firearm without a bolt and only insert the bolt when on the firing line and ready to shoot, if it's a lever action, semi auto, singleshot etc then action open chamber safety device and I always carry it with muzzle pointed down, butt under my arm and my arm supporting the forend.

I don't know how many times I've almost been collected by a barrel over someone's shoulder and they turn and the barrel swipes at you.

It's a situational thing, and a firearm will not go off if unloaded and action open, but it makes a pretty good damaging object as a club.

 

[ELR LVR]

I’m talking about rifles and shotguns. Do you carry them muzzle up or muzzle down? I was taught my whole life to carry it muzzle down and that’s what I’ve taught my son.

There's a small circle to your 10 O'clock
That's where I was taught to keep it pointed, (The Low Ready Position)
situationally dependent of course, Unless it makes more sense to point it up
To begin with, we learned long ago that it is quicker and more accurate to bring a gun up into a target zone than to bring it down to the target,
it is much easier to focus on the target and not have it obscured by the movement of a gun and arms.
In addition, we let gravity help us stop the upward motion of the gun at the precise point that we want to deliver our shot.
Instead of fighting to stop downward momentum.

 

[450BM]

In reading through this thread again, I realize my original post was a very loaded question. I didn’t intend for it to be that way but it did create some very good conversation. I appreciate all the replies and the sharing of experiences.

What I ultimately gathered from this is that the environment/situation dictates the correct method of carrying a long gun.

Back to my original comment with my son at the Cowboy Action Shoot…. There was more wrong than just the way they expected the guns to be carried and we only attended two events.

 

[450BM]

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Yeah, these rifles would be hard/impossible to carry muzzle down! Be tough walking through the woods like that though!

 

[jk80]

Anyone remember the muzzle rest they used to make to tie to your tennis shoes to rest your gun on when trap shooting? Worst safety violation ever

I shoot trap to the tune of around 20000 rounds yearly and witnessed one accidental discharge from that made a nice cookie cutter hole you could actually see through. Very little blood. The kid had been violating safety rules and grandpa was supposed to have it taken care of. He was loading his gun, a bt99, and closing it while resting on his foot. That little incident stopped the sctp and aim programs to pass a rule that would disqualify any kid doing that. Ata still allows it and have never had a problem. Most people have enough sense to not put a loaded gun on their foot. That said I've had WAY MORE guns pointed at me on rifle and pistol ranges.