1: Treat all guns as if they're loaded.
2: Never let the muzzle cover something you don't intend to shoot.
3: Keep finger out of trigger guard until you shoot.
4: Always be sure of your target.
With those rules it is also completely impossible to shoot someone or something unintentionally plus you can keep the gun around loaded for self-defense if you are inclined to do so.
The rules quoted are about storing a firearm in your home. If you're hiking in the mountains, you would be allowed to keep your rifle ready to fire.
Here, if you shoot someone in your home, you better be able to prove A: he was about to kill you and B: you retrieved your firearm from a secured place.
I know nothing of bears. Is a rifle really better than a large caliber pistol/revolver? I mean, if a bear attacks, you will have to defend your self at close range very fast. I can imagine many people would struggle to shoot the bear with a rifle, before it was too late. A pistol on the other hand... it probablly wouldn't kill it outright, but I don't think the bear would continue the attack once hit? Mind you Im not talking 9mm here...
But as I said, I have no knowledge of shooting animals, so feel free to correct me. Anyways, I would bring a gun if I were you. If it makes you feel safer, go ahead - you don't need to buy your own, just get a permit and rent/borrow one. Guns are great tools and can be way cool!
In other words you have a greater right to self-defense hiking in the mountains than in your own home? I'd assume grizzly bear attacks are as rare as home invasions so why the distinction? If there's any place where one should be allowed to keep a gun ready for self-defense then it would be in one's own home.
If I were up against bears, I'd choose this!
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I'm an avid outdoorsman who spends long periods of time backpacking in some of the most remote areas in my province. Recently, one of my fellow hiking buddies suggested we plan for a Stein Valley trek. The area is heavily populated by grizzlies. Thus one of my family members recommended that I bring a firearm.
I've only once ever fired any sort of gun, and have never once thought of owning a firearm: I would have no use for it. However, after spending quite some time doing research last night, I suddenly have a significant urge to go through all the steps to acquire a rifle.
What intrigues me is that, after browsing quite a few forums, I'm not sure if gun ownership fits my character. I've always seen myself as too civilized for conversations about calibres and what-have-you. In fact I always saw weapons as a juvenile fixation. I'm a pretentious environmentalist, semi-leftist, urbanite phil major after all!
Have you ever considering acquiring a firearm? Did you face similar thoughts? Feelings of irreason fascinate me.
I'm an avid outdoorsman who spends long periods of time backpacking in some of the most remote areas in my province. Recently, one of my fellow hiking buddies suggested we plan for a Stein Valley trek. The area is heavily populated by grizzlies. Thus one of my family members recommended that I bring a firearm.
I've only once ever fired any sort of gun, and have never once thought of owning a firearm: I would have no use for it. However, after spending quite some time doing research last night, I suddenly have a significant urge to go through all the steps to acquire a rifle.
What intrigues me is that, after browsing quite a few forums, I'm not sure if gun ownership fits my character. I've always seen myself as too civilized for conversations about calibres and what-have-you. In fact I always saw weapons as a juvenile fixation. I'm a pretentious environmentalist, semi-leftist, urbanite phil major after all!
Have you ever considering acquiring a firearm? Did you face similar thoughts? Feelings of irreason fascinate me.
The thing about gun nuts is they don't see a firearm as a tool. They see it as a right, and something that is "badass" and the such.
The rules quoted are about storing a firearm in your home. If you're hiking in the mountains, you would be allowed to keep your rifle ready to fire.
Here, if you shoot someone in your home, you better be able to prove A: he was about to kill you and B: you retrieved your firearm from a secured place.
You kinda have to hit the head if it's going to have any effect. Is it easy to aim?
Grabbing a gun and planning on shooting any bears that bother you is a bad plan.
Do your research on how to not attract bears, and look up information on both bear mace and firearms.
I know nothing of bears. Is a rifle really better than a large caliber pistol/revolver? I mean, if a bear attacks, you will have to defend your self at close range very fast. I can imagine many people would struggle to shoot the bear with a rifle, before it was too late. A pistol on the other hand... it probablly wouldn't kill it outright, but I don't think the bear would continue the attack once hit? Mind you Im not talking 9mm here...
But as I said, I have no knowledge of shooting animals, so feel free to correct me. Anyways, I would bring a gun if I were you. If it makes you feel safer, go ahead - you don't need to buy your own, just get a permit and rent/borrow one. Guns are great tools and can be way cool!
I think it's more an issue of from what you're defending: a person or a bear.
Owning and carrying a gun is a big responsibility. You need to be willing to put in the training time to be able to use it safely and effectively.
The former being the most dangerous of the two IMO.
Yes, but also more worthy of not using lethal force unless necessary. We do not have things like Castle Doctrine here in Canada. We, as a country, have chosen this.
I will not sit here and lecture Americans about how silly it is to have lax handgun laws, or how silly it is that an AK47 can be anything other than illegal.
Given that a firearm in the home is more likely to lead to accidental injury than to defend one's family, I dare say our way of doing it has its merits.
Allowing people to keep loaded guns in their home for self-defense is not the equivalent of Castle Doctrine. The rules for lethal force would still be in place.
Didn't you just say in an earlier post that people who believe it is a right are 'nuts'? I'm in that category so I'll take that personally if you don't mind. If you meant it in a joking manner then I apologize for the misunderstanding.
Source?
And why so defensive? I just asked why the law is how it is.
If the four rules I quoted are followed then no accident will happen either. Difference?
There's no rational for having a firearm loaded unless you wish to be able to fire it. If you live alone or with an equally responsible adult, I don't care about this.
Kinda. Firearm ownership should be compared to a licence to drive: strictly it's a privileged, but one that should be extended unless the person in question has disqualified themselves (DUI / felony conviction).
A gun nut, to me, is someone who doesn't respect what they own, who considers firearms to be fun or cool.
From a public health perspective, firearms deaths and injuries, whether intentional or unintentional, are a serious threat to the health of Canadians. An average of more than 1200 Canadians have been killed and over 1000 have been injured with firearms each year during the past 10 years. For example, in 1995, 911 Canadians committed suicide with firearms, 145 were killed with firearms in homicides, 49 died in "accidents," 6 were killed in legal interventions and 14 deaths were undetermined, creating an overall firearms death rate of 3.8 per 100,000.
http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/.../19-1/d_e.html
(Government of Canada)
If, and only if, you live by yourself and never have company. Your rules also make the assumption that a weapon won't be stolen.