Action Design For Hunting

[Kjc103]

You’re mostly getting what I’m saying.

The design I’m using now, a Blaser R8, is designed to be carried with a cartridge chambered. The hammer, however, is not supposed to be cocked until you see game. It takes a lot of force to cock that hammer. I do not believe it is even remotely likely, or that it has ever happened, that anyone ever has accidentally cocked that hammer by snagging in brush etc. It was designed by people that hunt driven boar in Germany, fast shots, quick reloads, split second decisions. It is superior in this way and I find that valuable. See pictures attached.

A Tikka, is a flick of the safety. I personally, would not carry it around chambered on a live round as a practice.

I would switch to Tikka but for this one feature.

This is my point.

Blaser is ridiculously expensive. There was no way I could afford one until many years of hard work.

I used a Ruger M77 which doesn’t get enough love in my opinion. It also has a safety design that I personally feel confident in carrying with a live round.

This is also my point.

What I want, will likely never happen unless I develop it myself. Someday I might. That is a simple Tikka style action with the Blaser cocker/decocker design. One that is simple, reliable and affordable.

 

[Kjc103]

Your premise is most safeties are unsafe, can get bumped off and a trigger could get pulled, right?

We've all been telling you ONLY carry loaded while you have direct control of the rifle otherwise unload it. Thus following basic fundamentals your scenario is a unicorn.



If someone were to strap a loaded firearm to a pack and go crawling through the brush and it touches off it isn't the safety that failed... the user did.

That is not my premise, re-read.

 

[Marbles]

That is not my premise, re-read.

?
In response to:

Your premise is most safeties are unsafe, can get bumped off and a trigger could get pulled, right?

And you saying as much with more words

The design I’m using now, a Blaser R8, is designed to be carried with a cartridge chambered. The hammer, however, is not supposed to be cocked until you see game. It takes a lot of force to cock that hammer. I do not believe it is even remotely likely, or that it has ever happened, that anyone ever has accidentally cocked that hammer by snagging in brush etc. It was designed by people that hunt driven boar in Germany, fast shots, quick reloads, split second decisions. It is superior in this way and I find that valuable. See pictures attached.

A Tikka, is a flick of the safety. I personally, would not carry it around chambered on a live round as a practice.

So, perhaps you should reread your own words.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

That is not my premise, re-read.

Maybe you should try to rephrase cause I am not the only one interpreting the words you have written that way.

 

[hibernation]

You’re mostly getting what I’m saying.

The design I’m using now, a Blaser R8, is designed to be carried with a cartridge chambered. The hammer, however, is not supposed to be cocked until you see game. It takes a lot of force to cock that hammer. I do not believe it is even remotely likely, or that it has ever happened, that anyone ever has accidentally cocked that hammer by snagging in brush etc. It was designed by people that hunt driven boar in Germany, fast shots, quick reloads, split second decisions. It is superior in this way and I find that valuable. See pictures attached.

A Tikka, is a flick of the safety. I personally, would not carry it around chambered on a live round as a practice.

I would switch to Tikka but for this one feature.

This is my point.

Sounds like you have a Blaser R8 and like the additional layer of safety it provides. So, cool. Use that.

Blaser is ridiculously expensive. There was no way I could afford one until many years of hard work.

I used a Ruger M77 which doesn’t get enough love in my opinion. It also has a safety design that I personally feel confident in carrying with a live round.

This is also my point.

What I want, will likely never happen unless I develop it myself. Someday I might. That is a simple Tikka style action with the Blaser cocker/decocker design. One that is simple, reliable and affordable.

Do you not have a Blaser? I'm getting confused here.

In any case, what you see as an issue, i.e. safeties getting accidentally switched off... I just really don't see as an issue. A manual safety isn't even on the list of "how I prevent a negligent discharge" anyway, but still, it operates just fine and doesn't come off safe by accident as long as I'm maintaining control of the rifle.

Being that you mentioned not having much experience big game hunting, and a whole pile of very experienced hunters are telling you that the mechanical safety is not the important thing here, I'd suggest actually considering that view point. Or just carry on an empty chamber.

Or, read as many accounts of NDs and hunting accidents as you can find. Ask yourself how the failure occurred and what would have prevented it. Every single one that I'm familiar with is the result of breaking pretty basic rules.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Do you not have a Blaser? I'm getting confused here.

Sounds like he's angry this design isn't available on less expensive rifles.


Mixed in with a dose of "final destination" (the movie) where a series of unlikely incidents all stack up to kill.



The whole thing is stupid. If you are busting brush and MUST have a round chambered for this magical rapid shot (without the trusty blazer) why couldn't you simply keep your thumb on the safety to ensure it doesn't flip off? I mean most would just not be chambered in the first place but there is a simple solution if you feel the need to be chambered for that boar hunt.

Or save up for the blazer if that is your preference.

 

[Kjc103]

Sounds like you have a Blaser R8 and like the additional layer of safety it provides. So, cool. Use that.


Do you not have a Blaser? I'm getting confused here.

In any case, what you see as an issue, i.e. safeties getting accidentally switched off... I just really don't see as an issue. A manual safety isn't even on the list of "how I prevent a negligent discharge" anyway, but still, it operates just fine and doesn't come off safe by accident as long as I'm maintaining control of the rifle.

Being that you mentioned not having much experience big game hunting, and a whole pile of very experienced hunters are telling you that the mechanical safety is not the important thing here, I'd suggest actually considering that view point. Or just carry on an empty chamber.

Or, read as many accounts of NDs and hunting accidents as you can find. Ask yourself how the failure occurred and what would have prevented it. Every single one that I'm familiar with is the result of breaking pretty basic rules.

Do you carry a tikka with a round in the chamber?

All the time…..always?

 

[Kauaihunter]

Its a troll thread. He pretty much says that in his first post.

 

[hibernation]

Mixed in with a dose of "final destination" (the movie) where a series of unlikely incidents all stack up to kill.



The whole thing is stupid. If you are busting brush and MUST have a round chambered for this magical rapid shot (without the trusty blazer) why couldn't you simply keep your thumb on the safety to ensure it doesn't flip off? I mean most would just not be chambered in the first place but there is a simple solution if you feel the need to be chambered for that boar hunt.

"Yeah but what if..."

What-if questions are my least favorite thing ever.

New rock climbers often ask "but what happens if I drop X piece of critical gear off the cliff". The answer is, don't do that.

 

[Kjc103]

Sounds like he's angry this design isn't available on less expensive rifles.


Mixed in with a dose of "final destination" (the movie) where a series of unlikely incidents all stack up to kill.



The whole thing is stupid. If you are busting brush and MUST have a round chambered for this magical rapid shot (without the trusty blazer) why couldn't you simply keep your thumb on the safety to ensure it doesn't flip off? I mean most would just not be chambered in the first place but there is a simple solution if you feel the need to be chambered for that boar hunt.

Or save up for the blazer if that is your preference.

At this point, it’s not my fault that you don’t understand what I’m saying,

It’s willful ignorance.

 

[hibernation]

Do you carry a tikka with a round in the chamber?

All the time…..always?

H

Post in thread 'Action Design For Hunting'

Nov 24, 2025

Do you carry your Tikka with a round chambered and the safety on?

While carrying the rifle in hand and actively hunting, generally yes.

If the rifle goes on a sling or on my pack, the chamber is empty. Otherwise it's mostly in hand, usually chambered, and just gets emptied either when something is confirmed dead or when I'm back at the truck.

• hibernation

 

[Kjc103]

"Yeah but what if..."

What-if questions are my least favorite thing ever.

New rock climbers often ask "but what happens if I drop X piece of critical gear off the cliff". The answer is, don't do that.

It’s not what if.

On the one hand, you have an action that is designed to be carried with a loaded cartridge. Like specifically designed for that.

In the other, you have an excellent design *with a perfectly safe safety* (saying for the record because guys aren’t picking it up) that, according to this very thread, is not necessarily a good design to carry, at all times, loaded.

The confusion is coming from the fact that few people are familiar with how a Blaser works.

 

[Kjc103]

H

Post in thread 'Action Design For Hunting'

Nov 24, 2025

Do you carry your Tikka with a round chambered and the safety on?

While carrying the rifle in hand and actively hunting, generally yes.

If the rifle goes on a sling or on my pack, the chamber is empty. Otherwise it's mostly in hand, usually chambered, and just gets emptied either when something is confirmed dead or when I'm back at the truck.

• hibernation

Thank you, and I’m sure you’re perfectly safe doing that.

There are scenarios, like the ones I described (not being solo, heavy brush, etc) where I personally would not carry a Tikka like that.

But for this one difference in design, I would carry a Tikka.

Additionally, I like the fact that I can just look at the Blaser and know it’s decocked and I’m fine.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

It’s not what if.

On the one hand, you have an action that is designed to be carried with a loaded cartridge. Like specifically designed for that.

In the other, you have an excellent design *with a perfectly safe safety* (saying for the record because guys aren’t picking it up) that, according to this very thread, is not necessarily a good design to carry, at all times, loaded.

The confusion is coming from the fact that few people are familiar with how a Blaser works.

Are you carrying your blazer loaded while you have relinquished muzzle control?


Mainly we are saying either just carry unloaded if you are concerned OR buy a blazer for your boar hunts OR do what we all do when loaded which is maintain muzzle control/awareness of the safety on/trigger discipline. It’s really not that complicated.

Personally I carry unloaded most often.

 

[Chris in TN]

Has OP ever considered a Marlin 336 with a crossbolt?

 

[goalie]

It’s not what if.

On the one hand, you have an action that is designed to be carried with a loaded cartridge. Like specifically designed for that.

In the other, you have an excellent design *with a perfectly safe safety* (saying for the record because guys aren’t picking it up) that, according to this very thread, is not necessarily a good design to carry, at all times, loaded.

The confusion is coming from the fact that few people are familiar with how a Blaser works.

The confusion is why you care what others do.

If you don't want to carry a Tikka loaded, don't.

Trying to tell a bunch of people who, under specific circumstances, do, and have done so safely for decades, that there's an issue, well, that is the issue.

 

[robtattoo]

Has OP ever considered just playing golf instead?

Fixed it

 

[ozyclint]

With bolt guns I rarely use the safety at all.
The chamber is always empty until a shot is imminent and the bolt doesn't go down until the shot.
Even with one in the chamber and the bolt up the action isn't cocked and bystanders can visually see the bolt up and know it's in a safe condition.

 

[hibernation]

Thank you, and I’m sure you’re perfectly safe doing that.

There are scenarios, like the ones I described (not being solo, heavy brush, etc) where I personally would not carry a Tikka like that.

But for this one difference in design, I would carry a Tikka.

Additionally, I like the fact that I can just look at the Blaser and know it’s decocked and I’m fine.

Any scenario where I can't definitively control the rifle/muzzle, I won't have it loaded. That's literally any firearm though, whether it's a Blaser or a single shot rifle with the hammer lowered.

Get a blaser and have at it. Or carry empty chamber with a Tikka and run the bolt while you shoulder it. I don't know what else you're looking for but I'm not hearing a question anywhere.

 

[bnewt3]

You have your mind set on what you will/won't carry.

So what is the point of all this? What is your goal? What are you looking for?