Action Design For Hunting

[longrangelead]

I’m scratching my head trying to figure out how the Tikka safety is easy to get accidentally flipped off safe. Are we looking at the same rifle?

I have a Mauser with the wing safety on the left side. That is easy to get flipped off safe if carried across your back.

I learned the hard way at 10 years old with a Mauser safety that swings over the top of the bolt.
safe is over to the left sticking out far enough to catch on anything.
I had it slung on my right side. The swinging forward and back of the butt flipped the safety off and I didn't know it or understand to look for it.

My dad spotted a buck rubbing a bush below us. He told me "get ready" as he put his binos up to see what he had for horns.

To me, at 10, get ready meant READY. I knew enough to keep the muzzle pointed up or down, but I stuck my gloved finger in the trigger guard in case "I had to act quick".

That rifle had a stupid light trigger and just as I looked over the hill and saw the deer, the gun went off and put a bullet in the dirt 6 feet behind my dad.

I was as shocked as he was! "it was on safe!"
After he calmed down and realized what had happened, he explained it to me. I didn't want anything to do with that rifle after that!

That moment has stayed vivid in my mind for the 38 years since!

 

[Kjc103]

The majority of people are saying they have never had an issue with their safety or “just maintain control of the rifle”, Sure, I agree and yes, it’s totally possible it never comes up.

However, there are couple stories here about what can go wrong. One guys uncle literally lost his foot.

There you go, that’s my argument. I want to carry a rifle that has a safety design that is good enough that 98-99 percent safe goes to 100.

Again, the Blaser design is totally inert. The round cannot be fired, no matter how bad you **** up. The M77 is also extremely safe.

There you go, that’s the one thing keeping me from a Tikka. Maybe someone can work up a Tikka clone that improves on this one aspect.

 

[43.6N]

there is the Sako 3 position safety trigger unit.
But sounds like the blaser would be perfect for you.

 

[cottonant]

You really that worried about opening the bolt with the safety off?

Yes sir. IMO the only time the safety should be in the fire position is when the weapon is about to be fired, or dry fired on the range. I would especially be concerned about putting a weapon like this in the hands of a youth. Just another way to have an accident IMO.

To each its own though. My reason for responding was due to how much I like the X-Bolt’s locking bolt system, the safety location, and being able to unload it while the safety is in the safe position.