Very similar accident happened on a well known hunting ranch in the hill country about 10-12 years ago. A lady was shot when a rifle was pulled out of the case in the back of a suburban muzzle first and it went off shooting her in the lower abdomen. Thankfully she did survive.
Can't ever take your mind off firearm safety. Never ever. You can't call that bullet back.
Prayers for the family.

Transporting a chambered firearm excepting a personal carry handgun isn't a great idea. There's a tendency to forget it is loaded and chambered or for someone else to be unaware and for something to snag or get bumped moving it about.

It is so easy to forget if you aren't meticulously careful. I remeber once having my heart almost jump out of my chest when I picked up a rifle to load it and a live round came flying out when I opened the bolt.

When we were doing hunts on our ranch we required that all rifles be unloaded ( empty chamber, bolts open, empty magazines and a finger stuck in the chamber and the confirmation of both myself and the hunter and the words " Safe Gun" spoken) before entering or exiting the blind.
We actually had some smart asses argue that they didn't need to do that.

That sucks. Rule one of gun safety, if followed, can even render a Remington 700 safe.

Gunny456 said:

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When we were doing hunts on our ranch we required that all rifles be unloaded ( empty chamber, bolts open, empty magazines and a finger stuck in the chamber and the confirmation of both myself and the hunter and the words " Safe Gun" spoken) before entering or exiting the blind.
We actually had some smart asses argue that they didn't need to do that.

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We have the same rule. We had a neighbor several years ago that a hunter sent a round off as he was exiting the blind and ended up hitting the guide, he survived but it was not a great day. There isn't a single reason in the world to be climbing ladders with a loaded round in the chamber for a hunt. We aren't Marines.

This one and the never cleaning a gun in the same room with ammo is another hard rule of mine.

MouthBQ98 said:

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Transporting a chambered firearm excepting a personal carry handgun isn't a great idea. There's a tendency to forget it is loaded and chambered or for someone else to be unaware and for something to snag or get bumped moving it about.

It is so easy to forget if you aren't meticulously careful. I remeber once having my heart almost jump out of my chest when I picked up a rifle to load it and a live round came flying out when I opened the bolt.

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I get shamed for this every time it comes up for Never keeping a chambered round except when hunting or shooting. Rifle, shotgun, and pistol. Home and vehicle

Yes sir!

Sound, safe wisdom.

I cringe every time I see photos of hunters with their rifle propped up on their harvest AND THE BOLT IS CLOSED.

Especially with youth hunters.

Open the damn action!

NoahAg said:

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Tragic.

I don't hunt; only have handguns. But what is the justification for keeping a hunting rifle chambered during transport? Very sad incident. Very stupid too.

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Too much trouble
Can't see because it's dark
Might need it in case a big buck comes out when you're walking back to the truck
Lazy
Complacency


Any number of reasons. It's my opinion that almost all accidents are due to complacency which leads unsafe practices.

Tragic story. I always revert to the four Marine Corps safety rules. Break three and you're still alive. You have to break all four to die. Number one is the most important. Travel with a loaded weapon or not, treat it as if it were loaded then you don't have to remember if it is or not.

1. Treat every weapon as if it were loaded.
2. Keep your finger straight and off the trigger until you intend to fire.
3. Never point your weapon at anything you don't intend to shoot.
4. Keep your weapon on safe until you intend to fire.

A number of years ago, my brother and I were going opening day of dove season. He had several vehicles following our guide to the field. He had a flat tire so pulled over. I was next behind him so he threw his shotgun in my back seat and went back to his for something. My brother checked the gun. It was loaded AND the safety was off. My brother unloaded it.

That night we went to dinner with my brother's friends. The guide had something odd with his hand that I thought might be a birth defect. One of my brother's friends knew his background. He'd blown off part of his hand…with a shotgun. You'd think he would have learned. Can't fix stupid

Yesterday said:

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Tragic story. I always revert to the four Marine Corps safety rules. Break three and you're still alive. You have to break all four to die. Number one is the most important. Travel with a loaded weapon or not, treat it as if it were loaded then you don't have to remember if it is or not.

1. Treat every weapon as if it were loaded.
2. Keep your finger straight and off the trigger until you intend to fire.
3. Never point your weapon at anything you don't intend to shoot.
4. Keep your weapon on safe until you intend to fire.

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This. I have taught dozens of people to shoot now and use this very method that was beaten into me. Did tack on the fifth "iron" rule afterwards as it is just as smart in the civilian world.

5. Know your target and what lies beyond.

Treat, Never, Keep, Keep, Know.

Little ditty that is easy to memorize for all shooters.

When I was growing up, we lost a friend in a horrific and tragic accident. This man would take his nephew to hunt on a lease in Campbellton / Atascosa County. One day as they were preparing to leave camp at the lease, the nephew was sliding his loaded .243 Win into a scabbard at the back of the vehicle with the muzzle headed towards the front left of the vehicle. Right where Morris was standing. BOOM. Hits Morris in thigh. Young boy (early teens) puts him in the vehicle and drives to Pleasanton. Morris passes away in the ER.


Absolutely tragic and totally preventable.

As a side note, I know of 2 other negligent discharges in lease vehicles bouncing around roads. Neither hurt anyone.

Be careful out there. Gun safety is for everyone.

This might sound cold, but it needs to be said...

This isn't an accident, it's negligence.

I rarely use the term "accidental shooting" as they are nearly always due to negligence (there are a few but they are few and far between)

Yesterday said:

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Tragic story. I always revert to the four Marine Corps safety rules. Break three and you're still alive. You have to break all four to die. Number one is the most important. Travel with a loaded weapon or not, treat it as if it were loaded then you don't have to remember if it is or not.

1. Treat every weapon as if it were loaded.
2. Keep your finger straight and off the trigger until you intend to fire.
3. Never point your weapon at anything you don't intend to shoot.
4. Keep your weapon on safe until you intend to fire.

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I learned this as a kid but didn't know it was from the marines.

And be careful who you hunt with… my gun safety only goes so far if I'm hunting with idiots