Shakari's outlook would have to be the one. To carry a rifle with the barrels forward over your own shoulder, to use yourself, would not make sense to me, being slow to use and dangerous to your tracker. As I recall, Pondoro said the tracker carried his big rifle like that and backed up when dangerous game appeared. Does anyone remember the story about the hammer-rifle carried in that way? It must have had light springs and was constantly being cocked by vines they walked under, without anyone noticing. It soon disappeared from the hunter's battery.