I have often found that there are two distinct types of shooters or hunters and of course many of us are in between. Range shooters and field hunters. Both experienced groups can be very safe and never have an accident.

Range shooters often tend to follow established shooting range procedures to the nth degree, at least the more extreme examples. They argue with people who do not walk around in the forest with an open bolt. Or a break action shotgun or rifle with it broken open. Their opinion is that it is unsafe to walk even a couple of steps with the rifle closed. Maybe there is fair enough when shooting on a range with many people around and everyone wanting to be seen as being 100% safe.

The other group, I have termed field hunters, which I tend to belong to personally, never visits an established target range in their life. They might hunt with a closed shotgun for rabbits or a closed bolt for deer or pigs. I have yet to understand how someone can shoot a flushed quail, rabbit or pig in a split second with your rifle or shotgun open? They may use a safety, un-cocking device but they rely on the rule that you never point your rifle at a person and keep the muzzle pointing in a safe direction. The firearm is unloaded when no longer hunting, when entering a vehicle or building, climbing through a fence or the chamber is emptied when leaning the rifle against a tree during a break.