Hauling a firearm up the side of a sand dune can be both difficult and risky. The sand is loose, but also can create a lot of friction between your feet and the surface below.
This friction causes you to sink to a staggering depth if you don’t have anything anchoring your weight from moving backwards.
In order to prevent this from happening, it’s important that your haul line has some sort of friction device on it in order for it not to easily slide out from under you while walking across the sandy terrain.
The answer is discussed here about what is the recommended method for attaching a haul line to a firearm?
While sand shoes can certainly help, they’re not always practical to carry with you while hunting. Luckily there’s a product out there called Sand-Loks which will solve this problem.
These friction devices are most commonly used by rock climbers, but are easily attached to your haul line using a carabiner. Just clip one on to each side of the haul line, and you’re all set.
Here are some points discussed about Hauling Haunting Equipment-
1. Once you’ve placed your firearm, it’s important that you don’t let go of the trigger.
Doing so could accidentally discharge your firearm and create a very dangerous situation for both yourself and anyone else within close proximity to your location.
If you’re just practicing with your firearm, try practicing with a portable dry fire device like this one from Charger System.
These devices can all be attached to sandbags or pill bottles, so that you can easily simulate firing without having to worry about recoil damage or noise complaints from neighbors. Whenever possible, use a single person lift in order to transport your firearm across the sand instead of using a two person lift.
2. Always have the firearm point in a safe direction.
Never point your firearm at anyone unless you intend to fire it. It is always a good idea to place your firearm on a hard surface like the ground or on top of sandbags in order to minimize the chance of an accidental discharge.
Make sure that you can secure your firearm once it’s unloaded in order to prevent any curious passersby from accidentally handling it while you’re busy getting ready for your shot.
3. Shooting from a high position, make sure your firearm is pointed in a safe direction.
The velocity of the bullet going down the barrel can be much faster than you would expect. If you’re shooting from a high position, like the top of an SUV or off the back of an ATV, be sure to take this into account and make it clear to other hunters around you that they should not approach or approach too close to your location.
Have them call for help instead before approaching as well just in case something does happen and you need assistance.
4. Once you’re ready to fire, make sure your gun is pointed in a safe direction.
In order to reduce the risk of injury to both you and anyone else nearby, make sure that your firearm is aimed at the ground or some other hard surface before firing.
The shot itself will also be less unpleasant as well if you plan ahead by letting off a round or two in front of you first, which will help to dissipate the noise and make it easier for bystanders to approach you with minimal concern. It’s always a good idea to wear hearing protection when shooting out in the field.
5. Don’t fire your weapon if it isn’t loaded or an empty magazine.
If your firearm is not loaded, or the magazine is not removed from the weapon system, it may still fire and cause injury to either yourself or other bystanders.
Always check to make sure that all your firearms are unloaded and the magazines are removed before approaching anyone else who may be hunting in the area.
If you suspect that your firearm is loaded when you thought it was empty, make sure that you have your finger outside of the trigger guard before attempting to unload it.
6. Wear proper eye protection and hearing protection when shooting.
You should always wear safety glasses on top of ear protection whenever you’re about to fire a weapon, even if it’s a last minute shot where no one else is around. Proper hearing protection will reduce the sound of the discharge, and protect against excess noise pressure which could cause you to suffer from hearing loss down the road.
