Wilderness camping and gun safety

Look around for clubs in your area. Joining a club is great for having a place to practice and meet others with the same interest. Most clubs also run training classes.

Another vote for formal schooling. Also consider dual purpose, big 4 legged animals, not just the 2 legged. Invest money and time in practice. The bullet does the work, you have to put it in the right place.

The fact that so many in this community carries, makes all safer, because the miscreants never know who doesn't.

I've carried a loaded handgun for years.
An empty gun is a useless gun.
Its not about "feeling safe".
I'd recommend that you take a concealed firearm class. They provide a lot of good education.
I'm sure that the instructor will be able to recommend a gun range that has someone there that teaches gun safety.

You need to be educated, trained and comfortable keeping a loaded firearm.

covered wagon wrote:
Or is having the magazine ready to slide in a better option?

WHEEL GUN ALL THE WAY!

Never felt remotely unsafe on any of my deep offroad camping trips. But I almost always had the shotgun ready (at night -- not while driving), 1 to jack into firing position and 7 in reserve.
00 buckshot or rifled slug, depending on the area. Never fired a shot.

(Wherever I am) I am always safer when I have a loaded firearm handy. I not only feel safer but I am safer. My wife says she feels saver when she knows I'm armed, especially in these trying times. Having an unloaded firearm is foreign to me. I was a cop for 30 years, my guns are always loaded.

For the doubters:

Are you better off having a fire extinguisher loaded with firefighting chemicals or having one that you have to load the chemicals prior to use?

Are you better off wearing your seatbelt or not wearing it but having it handy?

Keep your gun loaded. Hope this helps.

I don't feel safer with no round in the chamber, but wrong forum to know all of the reasons why.