A hunter, upon encountering a fence line, decides to cross it with their non-restricted rifle. They engage the safety, remove the magazine, and visually verify the chamber is clear. Which of the following ACTS/PROVE steps, if any, have been incorrectly applied or omitted for this scenario, assuming they intend to re-load immediately after crossing?

Question: A hunter, upon encountering a fence line, decides to cross it with their non-restricted rifle. They engage the safety, remove the magazine, and visually verify the chamber is clear. Which of the following ACTS/PROVE steps, if any, have been incorrectly applied or omitted for this scenario, assuming they intend to re-load immediately after crossing?

Answer options:

• The safety should not be engaged if the firearm is to be made safe to cross an obstacle. ✅ The action should have been left open and secured for crossing.
• All steps have been correctly applied for the PROVE procedure.
• The firearm should have been pointed in a safe direction at all times.

Correct answer: The action should have been left open and secured for crossing.

Explanation: To properly 'PROVE' a firearm safe for an action like crossing an obstacle, after removing the magazine and visually inspecting the chamber, the action must be left open and secured. This prevents accidental chambering of a round and allows for immediate verification of an empty chamber.