Three hunters are walking side by side. Which of the following would be safe?

• A. The hunter in the center uses the trail carry.
• B. The hunter in the center uses the cradle carry.
• C. All three hunters point their guns to the right.
• D. The hunter on the right points his or her gun to the left.

Answer: (A)

The safety principle here is always keeping the muzzle pointed in a safe direction and never at a teammate. When three hunters walk side by side, the center hunter can best keep the gun oriented away from the others by using the trail carry. In this carry, the rifle is held so the muzzle points down toward the ground along the trail, not toward the people on either side. That setup prevents the muzzles from crossing into the space of the hunters next to or behind, reducing the chance of an accidental discharge affecting a teammate.

Using a cradle carry can put the muzzle in a position where it could sweep toward the people beside you, increasing risk. Likewise, directing any hunter’s muzzle to the right or to the left makes it easy for someone to be unintentionally pointed at, which is unsafe. So, the safest arrangement is the center hunter using the trail carry, keeping all muzzles pointed in a safe direction along the path.