Why I Don't Use a Safety on my Bolt Guns...

The Kurgan said:
Flame away, but this well written article perfectly sums up my feelings on the subject.
For those that question my stance, I am no novice to shooting sports and I spent a good part of my early life in the Forces. I consider myself hyper-vigilant.

https://www.outdoorlife.com/blogs/game-changers/why-i-dont-use-safety-my-rifles/
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accidents happen...it's a matter of fact and of life, always.

that doesn't mean I disagree...hunting by yourself, no problem with it whatsoever. others around you...yeah, it's an issue. a negligent discharge ruins the day, especially if there's an injury.
 
I’m adamant about checking to make sure guns are unloaded, and every time I see or pick up a rifle with the safety on, it just screams to me that it is cocked and there might be a round in the chamber. Personally, every time I unload a rifle, I either leave the action open or I dry fire to undock it. With just a look, you can tell whether most bolt actions are cocked or not. Many cannot be put on safe without being cocked, and some actions cannot be opened to check whether there's a round in the action when they're in the “safe” positio

So if I read this correctly.........If you hand this fellow a rifle with the safety on he will dry fire it to "undock" it.????......because it's just screams at him that there's a round in the chamber.
Sweet baby jeebers.:sok2
 
Personally I disagree with the guy.
There’s times when you need a round chambered for a quick unexpected shot... on the way to the stand you see a buck, dogging to a secondary watch, still hunting.... the list goes on. When you’re in the Bush a round goes in the chamber and the safety is ON.
As it happens, the model 70 type safety also locks the bolt closed. This prevents a twig or backpack strap (or whatever it may be) from opening the chamber and dumping a round.
Of course all firearms safety rules are always followed at all times.
There was a day when I would sling my rifle over my shoulder on the way to the watch. Until that time I saw a 12 point buck and I couldn’t shoulder the rifle quickly enough....
Back at the truck of course it’s unloaded and open chamber.
 
accidents happen...it's a matter of fact and of life, always.

You wouldn't do well in an Oil Field installation. :redface: All accidents are preventable, unless they're an act of God. The safety button is just the last line of defense, in a process.

Grizz
 
Grizzly Adams said:
accidents happen...it's a matter of fact and of life, always.

You wouldn't do well in an Oil Field installation. :redface: All accidents are preventable, unless they're an act of God. The safety button is just the last line of defense, in a process.

Grizz
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This..... Hunting without your safety on is irresponsible.... Even if you are hunting alone....

You can be as "vigilant" as you want..... It won't keep you from accidentally losing your footing etc...

Relying only on a safety (mechanical defence) is not good... not using it at all is even worse....

I was in the forces as well Kurgan, did you walk around with the safety disengaged on your c7?.... If so, I would love to know what cracker jack prize level regiment you were in that would allow that behaviour....
 
The Kurgan said:
Flame away, but this well written article perfectly sums up my feelings on the subject.
For those that question my stance, I am no novice to shooting sports and I spent a good part of my early life in the Forces. I consider myself hyper-vigilant.

https://www.outdoorlife.com/blogs/game-changers/why-i-dont-use-safety-my-rifles/
Click to expand...

No flames from my end, as I be the same way on that. ;) Too much nanny state, fear mongerin' BS been stuffed into folks over the years. f:P:
 
I’m not a fan of inflexible, hard rule thinking. There are times a safety makes a great deal of sense (quietly on stand, in the stalk on dangerous game) and times uncocked over an empty chamber is the smart way of being. It gets messier when you cross between different types of guns, doubles, falling blocks, bolts, pumps, semis... Safeties are smart, and proper handling is smarter yet; the two are friends not foe.

This said while I have a high affinity for repetitive procedure from my day job flying, I’ve never been military. There is more than one way to do things in my world and that can change by the particular circumstance to suit.
 
This article is SPOT ON, if you don't agree just spend more time around guns and you MAY might get it one day. Thanks for sharing!!
 
i never use a safety at the range or hunting. hunting i don't load a round until i'm ready to shoot. just what i do. empty rifle never goes off.
 
chappy said:
i never use a safety at the range or hunting. hunting i don't load a round until i'm ready to shoot. just what i do. empty rifle never goes off.
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I have no issue with not having the safety on if there is no round in the chamber.... Heck, I run rugers with 3 position safeties that won't even let me chamber a round with the safety fully on....
 
When I'm hunting I am more likely to have a round chambered, but the bolt handle raised. Then place the web of my thumb and forefinger directly below the raised bolt, thumb raised up behind the bolt so it remains seated tight. A quick shift of the hand and it's live. The #### on opening Mausers work well for me using this method.
But I also hunt alone the cast majority of the time. Maybe that should be added in truth.
But I'm still leery of a constantly loaded rifle. But I've no LE or CF experience either. That puts a different slant on it when that is what you do. I respect that.
 
chappy said:
i never use a safety at the range or hunting. hunting i don't load a round until i'm ready to shoot. just what i do. empty rifle never goes off.
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Until the day you excitedly chamber a round and are a tenth of a second from a shot, and the animal moves, but is still close to a shot. We’re human and can forget, a flick of the thumb by muscle memory and still treating it the same as no safety is better here. And speaking from experience guiding grizz and so forth, this situation happens a lot.

The fundamental flaw with the blog writer’s argument is when he attempts to assert using the safety automatically lends itself to less care and attention, I can comfortably say this isn’t the case. It’s just another tool, not the catch all.
 
When I hunt by myself I have a round in the chamber with the safety on. I can flick the tang safety while I'm bringing the rifle to my shoulder for a quick shot. When there are multiple people together, only the point man has a round in the chamber. There's a limit to how much I trust a safety... :)
 
Man, some people really like to make things more complicated than it needs to be, the author of that one sure seems like that one. His #3 rule made me laugh, while the gun is in my hands I’m always ready to fire. Which is why my gun is always loaded with the safety on, pointed in a safe direction while my finger is off the trigger. It’s pretty simple really.

1. Always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction
2. Always keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot
3. Always keep the gun unloaded until you are ready to use it
 
Butcherbill said:
Man, some people really like to make things more complicated than it needs to be, the author of that one sure seems like that one. His #3 rule made me laugh, while the gun is in my hands I’m always ready to fire. Which is why my gun is always loaded with the safety on, pointed in a safe direction while my finger is off the trigger. It’s pretty simple really.

1. Always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction
2. Always keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot
3. Always keep the gun unloaded until you are ready to use it
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I wager you have never flushed and shot a grouse before..... If you have, and were observing your own third rule, then my hat goes off to you....
 
Superbrad said:
I wager you have never flushed and shot a grouse before..... If you have, and were observing your own third rule, then my hat goes off to you....
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Rules 1,2,3 are the author of the blogs rules. I agree with 1 & 2, if I followed 3 I’d likely starve lol.

Although there was one time I came upon 5 spruce grouse, shot the three shells in my gun and dropped three of them then the other two just stood there and let me reload. I shot the fourth and grouse number five then realized it should leave, I almost bagged out on that one encounter lol.
 
Butcherbill said:
Rules 1,2,3 are the author of the blogs rules. I agree with 1 & 2, if I followed 3 I’d likely starve lol.

Although there was one time I came upon 5 spruce grouse, shot the three shells in my gun and dropped three of them then the other two just stood there and let me reload. I shot the fourth and grouse number five then realized it should leave, I almost bagged out on that one encounter lol.
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Fair bud..... I guess the point I was trying to make is that having a live round in the chamber and no safety on is a no-no in my books....
 
Sounds like the author has his system and it works for him, no point in trying to change his mind. His method is safe and not wrong, but it's not for everyone.

I usually hunt with one in the chamber with the safety on, but there are times it's prudent to have an empty chamber. I think some people like the author forget that you can keep your muzzle pointed in a safe direction and your finger off the trigger regardless of if you have a round in the chamber or not.
 
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